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F. X. Browne, Inc. |
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Lake and Watershed News |
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February 2007 |
She tells her love while half asleep,
In the dark hours,
With half-words whispered low:
As Earth stirs in her winter sleep
And puts out grass and flowers
Despite the snow,
Despite the falling snow.
~ She Tells Her Love by Robert Ranke Graves
Editors Note
Happy Engineers Week on February 18-24!
The next Growing Greener Grant application period is now open in PA. Applications are due April 13. F. X. Browne, Inc. has had good success in helping our clients obtain Growing Greener funding in the past. If you have a project in mind, please contact us at info@fxbrowne.com. The DEP is holding an information session on February 8 at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre.
American Rivers has extended their River Photo Contest deadline to February 28. Finalists in three categories: Best River Photo, Best Photo of People and Rivers, and Best Wild & Scenic River Photo will be featured as eCards on their website
Topic of the Month
Conservation Subdivisions Profit More than Just the Environment
Conservation subdivisions are known to be more friendly to the environment than traditional subdivisions. A study by Wayne State University Researchers shows that conservation subdivisions are more friendly to the wallet as well.
Conservation subdivisions, also known as Low-Impact Development (LID), are developments that maximize the preservation of natural features, offer cluster development and increased open space, and encourage the infiltration of stormwater into the ground. The article, "Economics of Conservation Subdivisions," by Rayman Mohamed of Wayne State University, analyzes the profitability of conservation subdivisions relative to conventional designs through analysis of price premiums, improvement costs, and time on the market. Although the research reported in this article does not ascertain the exact profits associated with conservation subdivisions, an examination of price premiums, improvement costs, and time on the market permits a ranking of the profitability of conservation subdivisions relative to other designs. Together, the results show that conservation subdivisions are more profitable to developers than conventional subdivisions. To read the full article, click here.
F. X. Browne, Inc. is experienced in developing low-impact designs for conservation subdivisions. To view a presentation on Low-Impact Development prepared by F. X. Browne, Inc. President, Dr. Frank Browne, P.E., click here.
Other presentations prepared by Dr. Browne related to this topic include:
Stormwater Management for Traditional Neighborhoods
Adverse Impacts of Development on Water Quality
For more information on Low-Impact Development, stormwater management, water quality issues, open space planning, conservation design, or other site development topics, contact F. X. Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com.
| Buy a Computer, Plant a Tree |
| Michael S. Dell, founder of Dell Computers, has a new goal: planting trees. He said Dell would begin a program called "Plant a Tree for Me," asking customers to donate $2 for every notebook computer they buy and $6 for every desktop PC. The money would be given to the Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund, two nonprofit groups that promote ways to reduce or offset carbon emissions, to buy and plant trees. |
News Clips
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Schuylkill's EAC Proposes Tree Cutting
Ordinance
Schuylkill Township's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) is going beyond tree appreciation and urging an ordinance to protect the trees and make it harder for property owners to cut down vegetation. The proposed Tree Preservation Ordinance has been discussed and presented at a number of meetings throughout the past couple months, and is designed to protect trees in the township from mass clearing. The ordinance will regulate tree removal and plan for replacement. The ordinance is currently being modified, but it includes a possible fine for homeowners who cut down trees and those who harm township trees. Special designation will be placed on trees with a diameter of ten inches or larger. The amount of trees a landowner is allowed to cut also depends on the density of the area in which they live. A tree manager would enforce the ordinance, and work through the EAC. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17657271&BRD=1673&PAG=461&dept_id=17915&rfi=6 F. X. Browne, Inc. has designed a number of protective environmental ordinances for our clients, including tree protection ordinances, steep slopes ordinances, riparian buffer ordinances, stormwater ordinances, and others. For more information on developing ordinances or other municipal planning documents, contact info@fxbrowne.com . Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management Plan Now Available Online The Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) and F. X. Browne, Inc. recently completed an update to the 1982 Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management Plan, which is now available for download on the LWWMD's website. Key recommendations of the Watershed Management Plan are:
To view the updated Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management Plan, click here. Bradford County PA Stream Stabilization Funding Available More grant funding will be made available to Bradford County residents later this year for stream stabilization projects. The county commissioners recently approved designating $300,000 for the county's fourth project under the Growing Greener County Environmental Initiative Program for Stream Stabilization Initiative II. The county received a $1 million Growing Greener grant a year ago and are using that funding to undertake several stream stabilization projects throughout the county. Last year the county made $300,000 of that grant available for such projects and the Bradford County Conservation District received 79 applications for funding. The conservation district is hopeful that it will be able to fund 25 additional projects. http://www.eveningtimes.com/articles/2007/01/04/news/news3.prt F. X. Browne, Inc. is experienced in designing streambank and shoreline stabilization projects. For more information, contact info@fxbrowne.com. Washington, D.C. Gets Greener The Washington, D.C. Council recently passed a bill requiring all new commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. The requirements will take effect in 2012 and apply to new construction and major renovations by private developers as well as city-owned commercial projects. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. http://www.epa.gov/win/winnews/2007/0701.html#6 For more on LEED and Green Buildings, visit http://www.usgbc.org/ Wetlands Curb Hog Hormones in Wastewater Hog-farm operators have begun incorporating constructed wetlands into their wastewater treatments to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent so that it can be spread onto crop fields without causing environmental harm. But until recently, little research had been done to investigate the system's potential to diminish hormones that hogs excrete into wastewater. A research team from the ARS Biosciences Research Laboratory conducted a study that investigated the ability of a constructed wetland to remove reproductive hormones from wastewater at a Greensboro hog-farrowing facility. The wetland consisted of marsh areas with cattails and pond area, which was either open or covered with floating mats of vegetation. By analyzing the effluent both before and after passing through the constructed wetlands, the researchers determined the wetlands reduced estradiol activity by 83 to 93 percent. http://www.waterandwastewater.com/www_services/news_center/publish/article_001161.shtml Water & Wastewater -- January 3, 2007
Grant
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PA DEP invites community groups and watershed organizations to apply for the next round of grants under the state’s Growing Greener program and Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative. The deadline to apply is April 13. The grants will finance projects designed to clean up rivers and streams, address serious environmental problems at abandoned mines and contaminated industrial sites, enhance local recreational needs and improve quality of life for residents of the commonwealth. In the upcoming grant round, DEP will invest in projects that address watershed impairments and protection through stream restoration; nutrient and sediment trading; stormwater management; and abandoned mine drainage projects that address long-term operation and maintenance challenges. Of special interest are projects for resource recovery and innovative mine drainage treatment, as well as projects that undertake an integrated approach to water resources management at the county or watershed level. In addition, preference will be given to projects that seek to restore an impaired watershed using a comprehensive approach. Projects that include private and public partnerships, promote the long term coordinated stewardship and restoration of the watershed and educate others regarding their roles in protecting the watershed and water supplies are of particular interest to the department. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/growinggreener/site/default.asp F. X. Browne, Inc. has had good success in helping our clients obtain Growing Greener funding in the past. If you have a project in mind, please contact us at info@fxbrowne.com. Free Trees Available to NY Schools, Discounted trees to Property Owners Free tree seedlings for spring planting are available through the DEC School Seedling Program to schools across the state. All school orders must be received at the Saratoga Tree Nursery by March 31. The program for schools provides 50 tree seedlings or a mixed packet of 20 wildlife shrubs to any public or private school that would like to participate. In addition, DEC's annual sale of tree and shrub seedlings to the public is underway and will continue through May. http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/environmentdec/2007a/treeseedlings122706.html The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority announced application deadlines for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and other assistance for the remainder of 2006 and into 2007. February 20 is the deadline for the April 17 meeting. http://www.pennvest.state.pa.us/pennvest/cwp/browse.asp?A=4 The Keystone Conservation Trust has designed a new funding tool, the Legacy Property Fund, for individuals and nonprofit groups interested in supporting conservation and environmental projects through the sale of homes and other real estate. Keystone Conservation Trust (KCT) designed the Legacy Property Fund to provide maximum financial and philanthropic benefits to individuals and non-profit organizations through the sale of homes and other real estate. In a recent example, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society received nearly $300,000 through the program from the sale of a donated summer cottage to KCT. For the Pennsylvania Historical Society, the Legacy Property Fund provided a new means to increase capital for the organization in a short time, at no cost, and essentially without any effort. For the donor, KCT’s Legacy Property Fund made it possible to increase his gift to PHS while saving 16 percent in taxes and generating future income for his retirement needs…truly a win-win-win. The sales proceeds will be placed into a charitable gift annuity which will pay income to the donor until the time of his death, at which time PHS will receive the remaining principal for its capital needs. http://www.keystoneconservation.org/legacy/legacyfund.php Philadelphia Sustainability Awards The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and seven other regional organizations are now accepting nominations for the first-ever Philadelphia Sustainability Awards. Nominations are due February 23. The Awards will recognize and celebrate the Philadelphia region’s progress towards becoming the most sustainable city in America. Nominees who have achieved sustainable excellence through innovative environmental practices or creative partnerships are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be those who solve challenges through solutions that go beyond standard or regulatory techniques, and who demonstrate a measurable impact on the Greater Philadelphia region. http://www.pecpa.org/_final_pec/Nomination%20Packet.pdf Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance Recognition The Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance (DVSGA) recognizes projects that will foster regional growth and redevelopment in a manner that achieves important economic, environmental and quality of life objectives. The DVSGA supports and promotes good smart growth projects at the earliest stages, to help them get approved at the local level. Each quarter, applications are reviewed by an independent jury of architects, planners, developers, builders, bankers, engineers, and other related disciplines. Projects recognized to be in compliance with the DVSGA's smart growth criteria receive a letter of endorsement and an offer of testimony before local approval authorities. All applications are confidential; if recognition is sought and not recognized, it will not be disclosed. To be eligible, the project must be located in the Eastern half of Pennsylvania (including Dauphin County), Southern New Jersey (including Mercer County and south) or Delaware, and must not have received all of its required approvals but not yet begun construction. The deadline for this round is March 1. http://www.delawarevalleysmartgrowth.org The Future Fisherman Foundation is now requesting proposals for Physh Ed grants for the 2007/2008 school year. Physical education teachers at the K-12 level in public, private and charter schools across the USA are encouraged to apply for grant funding. Programs must incorporate fishing and/or boating into mainstream physical education curriculum during school hours. The main overall objectives must emphasize the relationship between fishing/boating and lifetime physical/mental health. The deadline for all grant applications is March 2. http://futurefisherman.org/news/detail.php?story=35 Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with EPA, are soliciting applications for the Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program. The Program provides financial assistance to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. Awards are between $5,000 and $20,000; the average grant is about $13,000. Projects must involve diverse partnerships of ideally five organizations that contribute funding, land, technical assistance, workforce support, and/or other in-kind services. EPA also announced the availability of special funding under the Five-Star Restoration Program through a partnership with Southern Company and its operating companies. In addition to EPA funding for projects located within any U.S. state or territory, $200,000 in additional grant funding from Southern Company is available for projects located in specific areas of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Applications must be postmarked by March 9. http://www.nfwf.org/programs/5star-rfp.cfm. Mid-Atlantic Region Leadership in LID Recognition Program The EPA Mid-Atlantic Region and the LID Center, Inc. of Beltsville, Md. developed a low impact development (LID) Recognition Program. The Program is being developed to serve as a leadership model for LID recognition programs across the country by creating an Expert Review Panel to review and recognize LID projects/programs and installations. This model will be useful to stakeholders in EPA regions across the country including local and state governments, universities, private industry, non-profits, and individuals. The chosen projects/programs will be showcased across the EPA agency and other panel member websites. The application deadline is March 9. http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/recognition/ The Chesapeake Bay Trust is now accepting Targeted Watershed grant proposals for up to $200,000 and invites Maryland non-profit organizations and local governments to apply. The Targeted Watershed Initiative is designed to engage volunteers, public agencies and others in restoration and protection actions that improve the health of small watersheds in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Proposals are due by March 16. http://www.cbtrust.org/site/c.enJIKQNoFiG/b.2028469/k.2580/Targeted_Watershed_Grant_Program.htm PA Dam Safety Officials Offering Scholarships to Undergraduates The U.S. Association of State Dam Safety Officials is taking applications for its Dam Safety Scholarship Program which offers a $10,000 award to undergraduates. Applications for the 2007-08 school year are due March 30. Successful applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in hydraulics, hydrology or geotechnical disciplines, or in another discipline related to the design, construction and operation of dams. http://www.damsafety.org/documents/pdf/ASDSO_Scholarship%20_App.pdf PA Water Resources Education Network Grants The Water Resources Education Network is soliciting proposals for its next round of Water Resources Education Grants. Applications are due April 2. Partnerships of organizations in Pennsylvania such as watershed associations, civic groups, community water systems, governmental entities (including municipal authorities), and other public interest organizations are all eligible. The grants will be awarded for educational projects that raise awareness about protecting the community’s drinking water source and/or preventing nonpoint source pollution in the watershed. Grants will be awarded up to $5,000 per project. http://pa.lwv.org/wren/grants/local.html Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants The Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program provides grants to organizations and local governments working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay basin, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. To be eligible for consideration, a project must address at least one of the following program goals and objectives: Watershed Restoration, Watershed Conservation and Watershed Planning. Proposals are due on April 2. www.nfwf.org/programs/chesapeake/index.cfm The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced it is accepting applications for the Pennsylvania Heritage Area Program. The deadline for applications is April 13. Eligible projects must seek to develop and protect the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational resources within a Heritage Area to enhance regional economic development. There are currently 12 designated State Heritage Areas. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/heritageparks/ Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program Grants The Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program is accepting proposals for small grants for watershed restoration and preservation initiatives. There is a particular interest in abandoned mine drainage abatement, natural stream channel design, abandoned mine lands reclamation, and other unique and creative initiatives. Over the last 6 years, the program has provided the much need matching funds for state, federal and other philanthropic sources to aid the watersheds of Western Pennsylvania. http://wpawp.org/html/applying_for_a_grant.htm
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| Each year, in affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Book, River of Words conducts a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of WATERSHEDS. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express, through poetry and art, what they discover. About 100 poems and artworks from both US and international entries are selected as finalists each year. The deadline for entry is February 15. http://www.riverofwords.org/contest/index.html |
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Events PA Stormwater Manual Training Sessions The PA DEP will be conducting two-day training sessions on the new Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual during January, February, and March. Dr. Frank Browne, P.E., President of F. X. Browne, Inc., is one of the trainers selected by PA DEP to participate in the training sessions. The Stormwater BMP Manual is a technical reference guide of planning concepts and design standards that satisfy Pennsylvania’s stormwater management requirements when properly tailored and applied locally. The training sessions will highlight key concepts in the manual, including performance guidelines and standards, an inventory of proven BMPs, and a process for planning and applying them to construction sites. http://www.ahs.dep.state.pa.us/newsreleases/default.asp?ID=4350 EPA’s Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts, audio versions of which are available on their website. The February 21 webcast will feature Gary Johnson from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Mark Tedesco from EPA´s Long Island Sound Office and Darrell Brown from EPA´s Coastal Management Branch. The webcase will provide an overview of TMDLs and trading through the National Estuary Program. Past Webcast topics include the Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, Brownfields Redevelopment, Watershed-based NPDES Permitting, Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Protection; Sustainable Financing for Watershed Groups; Phase II Stormwater; Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Sustainable Watersheds; and Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas. http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts PA Dirt and Gravel Road ESM Workshops The Center for Dirt & Gravel Roads and Penn State University will be holding their Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM) Training. The ESM training provides basic knowledge and tools necessary to maintain roads in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive manner. The training is directed towards Municipalities, the Bureau of Forestry, and others entities responsible for unpaved road maintenance. Workshops will be held on the following dates and locations:
http://www.mri.psu.edu/centers/cdgrs/calendar/calendar.html An Introduction to ArcGIS 9 for Natural Resource Professionals workshop will be held at NCSU in Raleigh NC February 8-9. This workshop will be followed by one on Intermediate to Advanced Concepts in GIS for Natural Resource Professionals, also in Raleigh, on April 19-20. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/feop/GIS/index.html 2007 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program Workshop The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Chesapeake Bay Program invite 2007 Small Watershed Grants Program applicants to attend a free workshop on the grants program. This workshop will provide an overview of the Small Watershed Grants Program, offer recommendations on what makes for a strong proposal, and answer any questions that potential applicants may have about the significant changes in the Small Watershed Grants Program for 2007. These changes include the creation of two grant categories and accompanying increases in grant amount. The workshop will be held at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office in Annapolis, MD on February 16. The workshop will also be available via webcast. http://www.nfwf.org/programs/chesapeake/workshop.cfm PA Green Building Alliance Workshops The Green Building Alliance will kick off 2007 with a series of education programs of interest to building contractors, architects, building managers and homeowners. http://www.gbapgh.org/events.asp
PA Watersheds Data System Workshops The Pennsylvania
Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) is hosting a series of
workshops in southeast Pennsylvania. These two-hour workshops are open
to anyone who wishes to learn more about the Pennsylvania Watersheds
Data System (PWDS). The workshops will help users - consultants, water
companies, municipal authorities, planners, association members - learn
how to input, access, and use data from the PWDS. http://www.pawatersheds.org/datasystem.asp
Please RSVP to Angie McCracken at POWR; amccracken@pawatersheds.org International Conference on the Modeling of Urban Water Systems The annual International Conference on the Modeling of Urban Water Systems will be held February 22-23 in Toronto, Canada. The conference addresses all aspects of urban water systems, including planning, design, construction, operation, monitoring, models, safety, and security; how to manage urban water systems including water supply, drainage, pollution control, domestic, municipal, and industrial waters and stormwater from surface water catchments or ground water; and real-time control along with education, outreach, and practical applications. http://www.computationalhydraulics.com/Training/Conferences/conferencetoronto.html 2007 Schuylkill Watershed Congress The 2007 Schuylkill Watershed Congress will be held on March 3-4 at the Montgomery County Community College West Campus in Pottstown, PA. The Schuylkill Watershed Congress features a diverse program covering a broad range of watershed topics. The Congress is organized for citizens seeking new information on watershed protection. http://www.schuylkillriver.org/Detail.aspx?id=730 The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is hosting the annual Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Conference in Bryn Mawr, PA on March 10. The program kicks off with a discussion by the Union of Concerned Scientists on how global warming impacts the Northeast United States and Pennsylvania in particular. Attendees will then choose from several breakout sessions where they can learn about clean energy, sustainable agriculture practices, green buildings and using trees to manage stormwater runoff. http://www.pecpa.org/_final_pec/html/EAC%20Conference.pdf The second National Low Impact Development Conference will be held on March 12-14 in Wilmington, NC. This workshop will highlight new and continuing work including research, developments, and community adoption of Low Impact Development (LID) throughout the United States. A special emphasis will be placed on coastal applications of LID. Additional conference highlights include field tours to several coastal LID applications and green roof and bioretention design workshops. http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/swetc/lid/home.htm The Green Building Alliance is sponsoring the Green$ense 2007: Smart Way to Build Profits conference on March 15 in Pittsburgh. Keynote speaker Susan Eastridge, developer for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's riverfront project, will describe how the biggest downtown housing initiative in city history and its commitment to green building is a smart way to build profits. Breakout sessions will be geared to those new to green building and seasoned professionals. Afternoon tours of Pittsburgh-area green buildings will show green development in action. http://www.gbapgh.org/Green$ense2007.asp PA Governor's Outdoor Conference PA Governor Rendell announced plans for a 2007 Governor's Outdoor Conference on March 18-20 that will feature the theme connecting people with nature. The conference will be held at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College. The speakers and workshops will provide policy makers with the information and ideas they need to address the critical issues surrounding Pennsylvanians' connection to the outdoors. http://www.connectoutdoors.state.pa.us/ Paying for Sustainable Infrastructure Conference The Paying for Sustainable Water Infrastructure: Innovations for the 21st Century conference is to be held in Atlanta, GA, on March 21-23. The conference will bring together stakeholders from all levels of government and the private sector to address the challenge of integrating many diverse tools and strategies to pay for sustainable water infrastructure. With 28 sessions in four tracks, topics covered will focus on innovations that reduce costs and increase investment in drinking water and wastewater systems and programs. http://www.payingforwater.com/register The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is planning a 2007 Stormwater Conference on April 5-6 at the Penn Stater, State College, PA. The conference, rescheduled from February, will build upon DEP's Stormwater BMP Manual Trainings being held throughout Pennsylvania by providing attendees with tools and strategies for implementing the manual's progressive stormwater management concepts into site design and land use planning. http://www.cbf.org/Confluence2007
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| Famous Love Quotes |
| Falling in love consists merely of uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense. -Helen Rowland |
| I will make love my greatest weapon and none on who I call can defend against its force. My love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest day. - Og Mandino |
| The lover knows much more about absolute good and universal beauty than any logician or theologian, unless the latter, too, be lovers in disguise. - George Santayana |
| When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix |
| Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius. --Mozart |
Link Of The Month
Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network
Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) is an innovative management approach to address the challenges of protecting ecosystems in light of human impacts on the earth. It considers all ecosystem components, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one issue or resource in isolation. EBM tools are software or other processes that can help implement EBM by:
The EBM Tools Network is an alliance of EBM tool developers, practitioners, and training providers to develop EBM tools and support their use in EBM implementation in coastal and marine environments. http://www.ebmtools.org/
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EPA Launches New WaterSense Label
The EPA is releasing a final specification for the latest generation of water-saving, high-efficiency toilets. Those that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush and meet performance standards for quality will qualify for EPA's new WaterSense label to help consumers make informed buying decisions about water-efficient products. Toilet usage accounts for nearly one-third of home water consumption. It is estimated that high-efficiency toilets can reduce water bills by about 10 percent. Replacing older, inefficient toilets could save more than 900 billion gallons of water a year - enough to supply almost 10 million households. http://www.epa.gov/watersense/ |
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New Tools and Publications |
Hudson River Estuary Document Released
The New York DEC has released The Hudson River Estuary Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework. This framework describes key plants, animals and habitats in counties bordering the Hudson River Estuary and identifies strategies for the protection of these critical habitats. The report is intended to assist individuals, non-profit groups and government officials in developing partnerships to conserve the region's natural heritage and to protect this natural legacy. http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/environmentdec/2007a/estuaryframework122706.html
Two New County Water Quality Issue Briefs Available
The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently released two issue briefs published with support from EPA. The first issue brief, Using GIS Tools to Link Land Use Decisions to Water Resource Protection, provides a list of commonly used GIS tools available to help county leaders link land use decisions to water resource protection. In addition, five county case studies are profiled. The second issue brief, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) A Watershed Planning Tool for Counties, is designed to provide local government staff and officials with information to help navigate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies Total Maximum Daily Load Program.
Latest CWP Wetlands Article
The Center for Watershed Protection just released a third article, Wetlands and Watersheds Article 1: "Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality." The article reviews the current state of wetland science as it pertains to impacts from urbanization and explores the potential management implications for local natural resource managers and land use planners. This article is the third in the Center for Watershed Protection’s wetland series. http://www.cwp.org:80/wetlands/articles.htm
New Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US
A new Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US (ca.2400 taxa) is available from PLANTS (plants.usda.gov). The data set was developed cooperatively by the Missouri Botanical Garden and the USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center. The automated plant key lets you identify the monocots known to occur in U.S. wetlands. http://npdc.usda.gov/technical/plantid_wetland_mono.html
New Geospatial Hydography Dataset
NHDPlus, a new National Geospatial Surfacewater Framework, is a suite of application-ready geospatial products that build upon and extend the capabilities of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) by integrating the NHD with the National Elevation Dataset and the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. NHDPlus includes an enhanced NHD stream network with improved names, value-added attributes (such as stream order), incremental drainage areas with landscape characteristics, and flow volume and velocity estimates for pollutant dilution modeling. http://www.horizon-systems.com/nhdplus/
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F. X. Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
F. X.
Browne, Inc.
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
29 Years of Excellence & Innovation
SERVICES
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Stormwater Management
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Water & Wastewater Planning and Design
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Corporate Office: Lansdale,
PA
Pocono Office: Marshalls Creek, PA
New York Office: Saranac Lake, NY
For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit: http://www.fxbrowne.com.