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"Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination
will get you everywhere."
~Albert Einstein
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‘Rethinking Plastics’ Recycled Art Contest
The Montgomery
County, PA recycling program is holding a sculpture challenge for
teams of families, friends, students, art clubs and Montgomery
County residents to building sculpture from found and recycled
plastic products such as bottles, bags and toys. The contest will
be divided into three age groups: 12 and under, 13-18, and 19 and
up. Each group will be awarded $100 for best overall and $50 runner
up. All participants will receive a recycled plastic water
bottle. All submissions are due November 11, 2011.
http://www2.montcopa.org/montco/CWP/View.asp?a=11&q=81089
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News Clips:
Philadelphia's $2 Billion Stormwater Policy
Green City, Clean Waters is the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) $2 billion
stormwater infrastructure management program aimed at using best management
practices to manage stormwater runoff.
More...
E. Coli Can Survive in Streambed Sediments for Months
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has conducted studies that find Escherichia coli (E.
coli) can survive for months in underwater sediments.
More...
“Sustainable Communities, Healthy Watersheds”
2010 Annual Report
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans and
Watersheds (OWOW) has released the “Sustainable Communities, Healthy Watersheds”
2010 Annual Report.
More...
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Poison Ivy and Poison Oak — What To Know And
What To Do If Disaster Strikes |
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Poison Ivy and
Poison Oak contain an essential oil called Urushiol which irritates
human skin. Approximately 85% of the population is allergic to
Urushiol and can cause a rash. If you come in contact with Poison
Ivy or Poison Oak, wash the area with water. Soap has no effect on
Urushiol and can spread the oil, so it is not recommended. An
alternative method is to swab the area with rubbing alcohol, which
counteracts the oil and can even draw it from your skin. The best
advice is to learn what these plants look like and avoid them as
much as possible.
eNature, June 20,
2011
http://wild.enature.com/blog/poison-ivy-and-poison-oak-what-to-know-and-what-to-do-if-disaster-strikes
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Photo credit: cygnus921 on
Flickr.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cygnus921/2620415235/ |
“Success is going from failure to
failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”
~Sir Winston Churchill |
Policy
Updates:
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Update on Waters of the U.S. Draft Guidance
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (ACOE) have extended the public comment period for the draft
guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act.
Comments will be accepted until July 31, 2011.
For more
information, visit
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/CWAwaters.cfm
EPA News Release, June 27, 2011
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/5BF8C467ED523652852578BC005EFB29
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Federal Agencies Partner to Revitalize Urban Waterways In Communities
Across The U.S.
A new federal partnership, The Urban
Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP), will revitalize urban waterways in
under-served communities across the country. The federal union,
comprised of 11 agencies, will focus on seven pilot locations: the
Patapsco Watershed (Maryland), the Anacostia Watershed (Washington
DC/Maryland), the Bronx & Harlem River Watersheds (New York), the South
Platte River in Denver (Colorado), the Los Angeles River Watershed
(California), the Lake Pontchartrain Area (New Orleans, LA), and the
Northwest Indiana Area. Information gained from these pilot areas will
be used in other cities across the country.
For more information, visit
http://www.urbanwaters.gov/
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“A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm
will go farther than a great idea that inspires no one.”
~Mary Kay Ash
Marcellus Shale
News and Resources
For the latest Marcellus Shale news and information sources, click
here.
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Grants
and Awards:
To view our list of available
grants, click
here.
New grants
and awards added this month include:
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“If you would lift me up you must be on
higher ground.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Old,
Large, Living Trees Must Be Left Standing to Protect Nesting
Animals, Study Shows
A new study
from the University of British Columbia found that old trees should
be protected to provide homes for over 1,000 different bird and
mammal species that use tree holes to nest. Most animals can’t
carve out their own tree holes and rely on holes formed by damage
and decay. These nesting holes provide a safe environment for
sleeping, reproduction and raising young. Most trees have to be
over 100 years old before decay cavities form.
ScienceDaily, June
16, 2011
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616121908.htm
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Link of the Month:
U. S. Forest Service Releases Watershed
Condition Framework
The U.
S. Forest Service has released the first national Watershed Condition
Framework (WCF), which is a comprehensive approach for implementing
integrated restoration on priority watersheds on national forests and
grasslands. The WCF provides a nationally consistent approach for
classifying watershed condition to identify priority watershed areas and
to carry out integrated suites of restoration activities. The WCF also
provides an outcome-based performance measure for documenting
restoration improvements. A Watershed Condition Classification
Technical Guide has also been released, which will ensure consistent
application of the framework. Watershed Condition Classification Maps
are provided to characterize the health and condition of National Forest
System lands across the country to provide a baseline condition and to
establish watershed restoration priorities.
http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/watershed/
“You have succeeded in life when all you
really want is only what you really need.”
~Vernon Howard
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The Life of a Firefly
We’re used to
seeing the twinkling and flashing of fireflies on warm summer
nights. There are approximately 175 species of fireflies in the
U.S., each with their own flashes varying in color, length and
pattern. Different species also separate themselves spatially and
temporally, each appearing for about an hour every evening and only
during certain temperatures. Their light is called a lantern and
the chemical reaction that makes it glow is called a
luciferin-luciferase reaction. This is use to attract a mate and to
warn predators. Firefly populations have been declining over the
past few decades.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/65632.html
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“The worst bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost his enthusiasm.”
~H. W. Arnold
Tools and
Publications:
Keeping Raw Sewage and Contaminated Stormwater
Out of the Public’s Water
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a report entitled Keeping
Raw Sewage and Contaminated Stormwater Out of the Public’s Water to answer
frequently asked questions about combined sewer overflows. Combined sewer
systems collect sewage from buildings and stormwater from street drains and
transport the wastewater to a treatment plant. When the volume of wastewater
exceeds the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant, the systems are
designed to overflow and discharge directly to nearby streams, rivers, lakes,
and other water bodies.
To view the
report, visit
http://www.epa.gov/region2/water/sewer-report-3-2011.pdf
“How to Develop and Implement Public Involvement
Programs and Practices”
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new online training module
to encourage and facilitate public involvement in the Water Quality Standards
program. This module outlines requirements of public involvement and provides
good practices for creating effective public participation in decisions that
affect water quality. It provides links to EPA policy, resources and tools.
To view the
module, visit
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy/special/public/player.html
For more
information on EPA’s Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters, visit
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/index.cfm
State Water Quality Standards for Wetlands
This paper was prepared to assist the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE)
in developing draft water quality criteria for wetlands, and was adapted to be
more broadly applicable to other states. The paper addresses Clean Water Act
and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for state water quality
standards. It discusses wetland water quality standards that have been adopted
by other states and recommendations that could be made based upon past
experiences. This paper will be useful to anyone studying or drafting wetland
water quality standards.
By Jon Kusler, Esq. Ph.D., ASWM,
June 6, 2011 (revised)
http://aswm.org/pdf_lib/state_water_quality_standards_for_wetlands_061410.pdf
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Newsletter Editor/Design and Layout:
Lisen Cummings
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