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 Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

 From “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa

 

Editors Note

As you gaze out over your favorite lake or water body while watching our nation honored with fireworks this July 4, please take a moment to appreciate its unique features. From hidden cove to blooming shoreline to sparkling fetch, every lake or river is special in its own way. On behalf of all of us at F. X. Browne, Inc., have a safe and happy holiday!

Topic of the Month

 

Beyond the SALDO: Smart Growth and the Developing Watershed

By Rebecca Buerkett and Jason Smith

 

The long-term protection of watersheds in rapidly developing areas depends primarily on the abilities of municipalities, watershed organizations, and various other stakeholder groups to guide the location, amount, and type of new growth in the watershed.

 

This task is made exceedingly difficult when market pressures create a demand for new development and housing. Environmentally-conscious growth management, often termed “smart growth,” involves continual collaboration with key groups on a number of strategies including ordinance development, municipal planning, land acquisition, and outreach. 

The zoning ordinance, subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO), and comprehensive plan are the major documents that define and implement municipal land planning under the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code, and the same holds true in many other states. Municipal planning documents should be fluid documents, meaning they are periodically updated and revised to reflect changing needs within the municipality. Supplementary municipal ordinances, such as steep slopes, native landscaping, noxious weeds, riparian buffer protection, or tree ordinances may be useful in providing additional protections to address issues specific to a given watershed. For a good discussion of environmental planning, municipal ordinances, and the benefits of Environmental Advisory Councils (EACs), please consult Section 2.3 in the Pennsylvania Lake Management Handbook. The Handbook can be accessed at http://www.palakes.org/publications/PALMS%20Lake%20Handbook.pdf.

 

Another innovative way for municipalities to protect sensitive environmental areas is greenways planning. A greenways plan is a comprehensive plan for preserving the connectivity of the open spaces around the natural features in a watershed. In Pennsylvania, counties and municipalities can develop and adopt an Official Map, which is an effective tool for notifying all landowners of existing and proposed public lands and rights of way (e.g. surveyed locations of existing and proposed public streets, watercourses and public grounds, including widenings, extensions, diminution, openings or closings).  An Official Map can be developed for an entire municipality or a specific area, and is usually incorporated as part of the adopted zoning ordinance. F. X. Browne, Inc., through our work with the Bushkill Stream Conservancy, helped Bushkill Township adopt a resolution to place riparian woodland greenways on their Official Map. This action provided the municipality with the first option to purchase greenways lands should they become available for development or subdivision. If the Township cannot secure the funds to purchase the land, the Township is allowed to direct development in the greenways regions such that open space areas are preserved. For more on this project, visit the Bushkill Stream Conservancy’s website at http://bushkill.org/.

 

Environmental planning such as greenways planning is often initiated on a municipal level, but it is important to coordinate the planning efforts of neighboring municipalities for optimum effectiveness in protecting watersheds that span municipal boundaries. Regional scale planning is certainly more complex since the resources and needs of different municipalities can vary widely, but it can be done. For more information on municipal or regional planning, greenways planning, or to request a municipal ordinance review, please contact F. X. Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com.

 

 

 

News Clips

 

New York Governor Envisions Statewide Greenway

 

New York Governor Pataki dreams of creating an Empire State Greenway that will link the Great Lakes with New York City.

 

The greenway would be one of the largest in the nation, forming one continuous corridor from the Niagara River in Buffalo, along the Erie Canal to Albany, and down the Hudson River to New York City. The Niagara Greenway and the Hudson Greenway have been initiated, and the Erie Canal Greenway was recently announced. Under the existing greenway systems, 222 communities have joined the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council, over 525 miles of trails have been linked to form the Greenway Land Trail, and the Greenway Water Trail now includes over 70 designated sites and 10 campsites from Waterford, Saratoga County to Battery Park, Manhattan.

Niagara River Greenway: http://www.fbnr.org/programs/greenways/greenways.htm

Hudson Greenway: http://www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us/

Erie Canal Greenway: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year05/may27_05-1.htm

 

Environment News Service, Jun. 1, 2005

 

Another Loss from the Florida Hurricanes

 

Last year's hurricanes in Florida damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure, but that’s not all. Lake Okeechobee is suffering as well.

 

The storms churned up oozy, polluted muck that had settled on the big lake's bottom over decades, making it a soupy mess and crippling its ecosystem. The water is so muddy and so high from spring rains that sunlight cannot penetrate. Much of the lake's plant life has died, leaving its prized game fish without food or spawning grounds. Insects, birds and frogs are decreasing in number, too. Scientists are fretting, as are the tourism-related business owners that depend on the lake.

 

The $8 billion plan for restoring the Everglades would build water storage and treatment areas north of Lake Okeechobee, making it cleaner and easing its burden over several decades. Meanwhile, the turbid water could clear up over the summer but longer-term problems, like the dearth of aquatic plants, are likely to persist.

 

NY Times, June 5, 2005

 

Living Roof Aims to Cut Energy Costs

 

In a few decades, gardens sprouting a rainbow of flowers might cover the roofs of Carnegie Mellon University's buildings, cutting energy costs and minimizing the campus's environmental impact.

 

The project began four years ago when three undergraduate students received a small grant to study green roofs. After discovering that Hamerschlag Hall needed a new roof, they enlisted the help of CMU faculty and staff. The students got $96,750 from the state Department of Environmental Protection and $25,250 from 3 Rivers Wet Weather, a nonprofit environmental group, to pay the additional cost of planting a garden atop the building. The pair hope that when skeptics see the roof doesn't leak or collapse, green roofs will become common on campus and throughout the city.

 

Water runoff will be used by the plants and absorbed by the soil. The garden will insulate the building from the summer sun and winter cold, reducing cooling and heating costs. Rainwater runoff  from two large gardens in the center of the roof will be measured against that collected from a neighboring control roof, which is covered only in stones. A small, 3-foot-by-4-foot pond fed by water collected in gutters and logs with insect holes drilled in them will encourage birds and bats to frequent the area, creating an ecological system. http://www.cmu.edu/greenpractices/green_initiatives/lr_hamerschlag.html

 

For more information on green roof design, contact F. X, Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com.

 

Tribune-Review, May 30, 2005

 

Research: Road Salt Affects Mitigation Wetlands

 

Sacrificing one wetland for the sake of five others may be the way to go when planning constructed wetlands to replace those destroyed during road building, but a Penn State Erie biologist is monitoring the salinity of the wetlands to see how the salt affects animals and insects.

 

In November 2003, PennDOT completed a four-lane highway connecting Interstate 90 with the Erie waterfront. A portion of the road crossed the Penn State Erie campus. When building the section of road across the Behrend campus, PennDOT installed an elaborate drainage system beneath the road to collect all the runoff. The water goes to only one of the six constructed mitigation wetlands for the project and eventually runs downhill through woodlands. Researchers are measuring the amounts of salt that enter the designated runoff wetland and one other that is slightly affected by splashover from salt spreading and snow melting. They are also monitoring the insects and other animals living in the wetlands. So far, the research shows a large decrease in non-biting midges in the designated runoff wetland. The effect on other species is not yet known, but additional studies are being conducted.  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-05/ps-rsa051905.php

 

Fertilizers Harm Freshwater Lakes More Than We Thought

 

Farmers' routine application of chemical fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously thought, potentially polluting the water for hundreds of years, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

Stephen Carpenter, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, blames the buildup largely on industrial agriculture's excessive use of fertilizer and manure since the 1940s. Carpenter and other experts previously believed reducing phosphorus that ends up in lakes would be enough to protect their water quality, but the new research said phosphorus must be removed from the soil altogether to have an impact. The study concludes that major changes in soil management are needed to reverse the trend. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7949

Policy Update Every state will get additional Section 106 water quality monitoring funds as a result of a US EPA decision to target a $9.92 million increase in fiscal year 2005 water pollution control grants for these activities. The US EPA recently published new National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Forestry. NY Governor Pataki’s proposed Community Preservation Act legislation would allow cities, towns and villages in New York State to impose a real estate transfer fee of up to two percent of the sale price of real property to fund the establishment and preservation of parks, open space, and wildlife habitat. The PA DEP recently published notice of organizational changes within the agency. A states'-rights challenge to enforcement of the Endangered Species Act, pending at the Supreme Court for more than a year failed when the justices, without comment, refused to hear it. NJ DEP announced new proposed TMDLs for fecal coliform and phosphorus for more than 155 miles (550 acres) of waterways across the state.   Grant Programs  (Click on a grant for more information)

Green Communities Initiative Program

 

The Green Communities Initiative program provides a package of tangible financial incentives and other resources to developers––both community-based organizations and private builders––who undertake green affordable housing projects integrating Green Communities criteria. Over a five-year period the Green Communities program will provide green grants, low-interest loans, LIHTC equity investments, and educational conferences.

http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources/green/about-essentials.asp

 

Patagonia Grants

 

Patagonia provides grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of environmental problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. To apply, organizations must demonstrate a strong base of citizen support. Projects funded also must be action-oriented and take place in communities in which Patagonia does business. Grant proposals are due on August 31st. http://www.patagonia.com/enviro/grants_app.shtml#apply

 

Native Plant Conservation Grants

 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is offering grants through the 2005 Native Plant Conservation Initiative, which provides federal dollars to nonprofit organizations and government agencies to promote the conservation of native plants. The pre-proposal deadline is August 15. There is a strong preference for "on-the-ground" projects that involve local communities and citizen volunteers in the restoration of native plant communities. Projects that include a pollinator conservation component are also encouraged. Grants range from $5,000 to $40,000 with an average grant size of $15,000. http://www.nfwf.org/programs/npci.htm

 

 

Events  (Click on an event for more information)   ME River and Lake Restoration Conference   The Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) is sponsoring its annual River and Lake Restoration Conference on July 12-14 in Portland, Maine. This year’s conference theme is Changing Landscapes. This conference will bring together academics, representatives of federal and state agencies, water managers, and other professionals to discuss approaches and policies for restoration and enhancement. Interesting and innovative case studies, analyses of current water restoration problems in several U.S. river basins, and proposed new techniques will be presented. http://www.ucowr.siu.edu/2005%20Final%20Program_links.pdf   Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference   The Soil and Water Conservation Society is holding its annual conference on July 30-August 4 in Rochester, New York. The 60-year-old conference is a combination of workshops, plenary and concurrent sessions, and educational tours. The 2005 conference will focus on four topics: 1) Managing Landscapes for Environmental Quality 2) Assessing and Communicating the Effectiveness of Conservation and Environmental Programs 3) The Growing Debate Around Water Use and 4) Consumer Demand and Policy Effects on Agricultural Resources. http://www.swcs.org/en/swcs_international_conference/2005_annual_conference/    NY Macroinvertebrate Workshop   The Hudson River Basin Watch will hold their annual Benthic Macroinvertebrate Identification Program on August 22-26 at the NYS DEC Pack Demonstration Forest, Warren County, NY. Classroom instruction on benthic macroinvertebrate anatomy, ecology, and character interpretation will be included as well as field and lab work; however, the emphasis will focus on lab work utilizing dissecting microscopes and aquatic keys to properly identify organisms. http://www.hudsonbasin.org/macroprogram.htm   NY Stream Bioassessment Workshop   The Hudson River Basin Watch will hold their annual Stream Bioassessment Institute on August 15-19 at the NYS DEC Pack Demonstration Forest, Warren County, NY. Daily instruction will precede teams working together in the field to perform a bioassessment. Data collection will utilize well-established protocols for physical, chemical, biological, and bacteriological collecting. http://www.hudsonbasin.org/institue.htm   PA Watershed Academy   The PA DEP Watershed Academy will be conducting a "Watershed Stewardship Guide" Watershed Academy workshop in conjunction with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. This free workshop will be held on August 30 in King of Prussia, PA. The workshop will teach watershed groups how to organize watershed monitoring and implementation activities, as well as watershed planning strategies other useful organizational tips. The deadline to register is August 23rd.  For the workshop announcement and agenda, click here.

 

Link Of The Month

 

The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) is a "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, funding, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers and staff. LGEAN enables local officials to interact with their peers and others online. http://www.lgean.org 

 

 

 

New Publications

 

 UN Publishes Eye-Opening Book

 

The dramatic and, in some cases, damaging environmental changes sweeping planet Earth are brought into sharp focus in a new atlas launched to mark World Environment Day (WED). Produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), One Planet Many People: Atlas of our Changing Environment compares and contrasts spectacular satellite images of the past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before. The huge growth of greenhouses in southern Spain, the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia and Latin America and the emergence of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River are among a string of curious and surprising changes seen from space. They sit beside the more conventional, but no less dramatic images of rain forest deforestation in Paraguay and Brazil, rapid oil and gas development in Wyoming, forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa and the retreat of glaciers and ice in polar and mountain areas. http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=434&ArticleID=4806&l=en

 

Philadelphia RiverCast Provides Recreational Usage Advice

 

The Philadelphia Water Department’s new online system, Philly RiverCast answers some of the most frequently asked questions about recreating in the Schuylkill River, the river’s water quality and related health concerns, as well as why the water quality of a river changes. RiverCast  provides a forecast of water quality that predicts potential levels of pathogens in the Schuylkill River between Flat Rock Dam and the Fairmount Dam (between Manayunk and Boathouse Row). RiverCast uses an easy to follow color-coded system that designates the suitability of the river’s water. http://www.phillyrivercast.org

 

Riparian Buffer Fact Sheets Online

The Rural Technology Initiative at Washington State University offers several online publications that focus on watershed health. They include: The Impact of Riparian Forest Management on Shade Production, The Impact of Riparian Forest Management on Large Woody Debris Recruitment Potential, and An Examination of the Potential for Riparian Buffers on Agricultural Lands to Augment Farm Incomes, Increase Hardwood Inventories, and Protect Streams. http://www.ruraltech.org/pubs/fact_sheets/

 

Article: Low-Impact Development Pays Off

The May 2005 Issue of the EPA’s Nonpoint Source News-Notes includes a great article on the economic benefits of Low-Impact Development (LID). The article discusses how LID techniques compare to traditional stormwater management techniques. Several case studies are discussed. “Estimates from pilot projects and case studies suggest that LID projects can be completed at a cost reduction of 25 to 30 percent over conventionally developed projects. The need for costly stormwater ponds, drainage pipes, curbs and gutters, and wide streets is eliminated or dramatically reduced, which usually more than offsets the cost of relatively less expensive LID features such as rain gardens, cisterns, and permeable surfaces.” http://www.epa.gov/owow/info/NewsNotes/issue75/75issue.pdf

 

 

 

 

F. X. Browne, Inc.  – Environmental Consulting

F. X. Browne, Inc.
 Engineers – Planners – Scientists
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Corporate Office: Lansdale, PA
Pocono Office: Marshalls Creek, PA
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For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit: http://www.fxbrowne.com.

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