Environmental Groups, Legislators Urge PA DEP to Adopt Forest Buffer Rule

The Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water recently launched its “Buffers 100” initiative to urge the PADEP to propose new regulations that would require minimum 100- foot buffers on new development on all rivers and streams in the Commonwealth.

The proposal has been endorsed by 110 organizations, businesses and municipal organizations from across the state, along with 25 legislators from both parties. The Campaign’s proposal would require new developments to preserve a strip of land at least 100- foot wide from the top of the stream bank, keeping that land in its natural state with native vegetation and trees. The proposal would impact new development only and could not affect existing structures within the buffer zone. Buffers would be built and maintained by developers, at no cost to taxpayers. 

Pennsylvania Environment News, June 20, 2008,  http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=9641&SubjectID= 

DNA Evidence Exposes Bullfrogs

Scientists have found a new way to detect the presence of bullfrogs in waterbodies without ever seeing a single frog.

Now that American Bullfrogs have invaded European ponds and wetlands, scientists are conducting surveys to document their spread. Rather than going about it the old fashioned way with waders and nets, scientists at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy are using DNA analysis. The scientists have found that they can accurately detect the presence of bullfrogs by analyzing even minute pond water samples for bullfrog DNA. They have already surveyed over 2,500 wetlands in France for bullfrog invasion, and the methodology even allows a certain degree of population quantification. Researchers are beginning to study the potential to extend the technique to other animals.

Reebs, S. (2008, July/August). A Whiff of DNA. Natural History, 117, 10.

NJ Building-Permit Extension Bill Approved

Avidly supported by business and labor but opposed by environmentalists, legislation to extend the life of building permits for stalled residential and commercial development projects has been approved the New Jersey Assembly and Senate. 

Called the Permit Extension Act, the legislation extends for six years all permits and approvals given to developers and landowners by the state and local governments -- even those that have expired. It enables projects permitted in past years but stalled for financial reasons to avoid having to comply with subsequent changes in environmental law, public health standards, building codes or local zoning. Environmentalists argued that the proposal will endanger public health, clean water and open space but the bill was fast-tracked through the legislature as a means of improving the building slump due to economic woes. The proposal has been amended so that it would not apply to any permit issued by a federal agency or any permit issued in an environmentally sensitive area (like the Pinelands).

Summary of Permit Extension Act as Approved by the NJ Legislature: Redevelop New Jersey Blog, June 25, 2008. http://redevelopnj.typepad.com/redevelopnj/2008/06/summary-of-perm.html 

The Star-Ledger, June 5, 2008,  http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/buildingpermit_extension_bill.html 

Pennsylvania Mandates Zoning in Municipalities Along Appalachian Trail

Municipalities along the Appalachian Trail will be required to have zoning rules to protect the trail from adjacent development under a new Pennsylvania law.

Courts have ruled that a 1978 law intended to preserve the renowned hiking trail fell short of mandating the zoning. The 1978 bill was proposed after a private auto-racing club wanted to build near the trail in Monroe County, PA. To help with the cost of any new zoning, the new law requires the Department of Community and Economic Development to give priority to any affected municipality for planning grants. Still, critics of the bill called it an unfunded mandate. The new bill gives municipalities a year to enact zoning and other land-use ordinances to protect the Appalachian Trail, even if the remainder of the township is not zoned. Those municipalities without ordinances get priority for state grants, and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources must help municipalities acquire property in an effort to protect the trail.

Public Opinion Harrisburg Bureau, http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_9570607 
Pocono Record, June 13, 2008, http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080613/NEWS/806130360

Policy Update

Grant Programs 
(Click on a grant for more information)

PennVEST Infrastructure Loans/Grants 

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority published revised cutoff dates for submitting applications for water, wastewater, stormwater and other project funding:

• August 18 for the October 27 board meeting

• November 17 for the January 26, 2009 board meeting

• February 16, 2009 for the April 20, 2009 board meeting

http://www.pennvest.state.pa.us/pennvest/cwp/browse.asp?A=4 

National Park Service Rivers, Trails, Conservation Program Grants

The National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program has a new round of assistance available to partners to plan successful locally-led outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation projects. The deadline is August 1. The project applicant may be a state or local agency, tribe, non-profit organization, or citizens' group. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their project with RTCA staff before sending in an application. http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/index.htm 

Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is offering Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants to organizations working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the Delaware Estuary, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. Grant applications are due on August 1. Priorities include habitat restoration, species conservation, invasives control, and watershed planning.  http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Browse_All_Programs&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=30&ContentID=9711 

REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credit Applications

Pennsylvania farmers now have a second opportunity to apply for the next round of Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) tax credits that rewards farmers for installing conservation practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation. Applications will be accepted starting August 4 with postmarks after July 30. Farmers can receive tax credits of up to $150,000 per agricultural operation for 50 or 75 percent of the total cost of a conservation project, depending on the best management practice implemented. Farmers may also qualify for a 50 percent tax credit to purchase no-till planting equipment. Applicants are encouraged to work with local county conservation districts or the Natural Resources Conservation Service before applying to ensure current plans are in place for each farming operation. http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=145155 

EPA Water Quality Trading Funding

The U.S. EPA is now accepting proposals for water quality trading or other market-based projects through its Targeted Watersheds Grants Program. Projects must address reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, or other pollutant loadings that cause low oxygen levels in local waters and which enter the Mississippi River system. Projects must be located in one of the three Mississippi River sub-basins with the highest nutrient loads contributing to hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: the Ohio River (which includes Western Pennsylvania), the Upper Mississippi River, or the Lower Mississippi River. Proposals must be nominated by the governor of the state in which the project resides. EPA will award up to $4.2 million to support approximately 15 to 25 outstanding proposals. Proposals are due September 9. http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/TWG/ 

PA Boating Facilities Grant Program

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is now encouraging county and municipal governments interested in the planning, acquisition, development, expansion, or rehabilitation of public boating facilities to apply for funding through the Boating Facility Grant Program. The deadline for applications is September 30. The program is designed to help local governments provide or improve recreational boat access facilities in their communities that are open to the public. Private businesses, non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding, but are encouraged to partner with their local government for funding. Applicants can seek grants for site acquisition, project design and engineering, development, expansion and major rehabilitation of recreational boat access facilities. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/promo/grants/boat_fac/00boatfac.htm

PPL Educational Grants Program

PPL is accepting applications for its 2008 Environmental Education Grant Program which focuses on renewable energy and energy conservation projects. Applications are due October 15. Through these competitive grants, schools can receive from $500 up to $5,000 in funding for projects that focus on energy and environmental issues like renewable energy demonstrations, energy conservation and the greening of schools. All qualifying public, private and parochial schools near major PPL facilities are eligible to apply. Schools are strongly encouraged to partner with an organization, association or business that shares their interest in the environment, but the school must submit the application, receive the grant money and have primary responsibility for the project. http://www.pplweb.com/community+partners/our+education+programs/environmental+education+grants.htm

Events 
(Click on an event for more information)

EPA Watershed Webcasts EPA’s Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts, audio versions of which are available on their website. The upcoming July 16 Webcast features "Clean Water State Revolving Fund: What's in it for Watersheds?" Past Webcast topics include Climate Change, Smart Growth, AMD and Art, EPA's STORET system, TMDLs and trading through the National Estuary Program, 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 EPA Stormwater Webcasts EPA's popular webcast series for municipal stormwater professionals have resumed. The series will feature stormwater-related webcasts on a variety of topics, including the following: July 23 – Stormwater 101.  September 3 - Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) 301.  Archived webcasts on urban stormwater retrofitting and BMP performance are also available. http://www.epa.gov/npdes/outreach_files/sw_webcasts_2008.pdf 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: July 15-16 - York County August 13-14 - Wayne County September 30-October 2 - Annual Dirt and Gravel Road Workshop- Somerset/Westmoreland area  October 1-3 - Annual Dirt and Gravel Road Workshop- Ligioner October 14-15 - Clearfield County  http://www.mri.psu.edu/centers/cdgrs/calendar/calendar.html Pennsylvania River Sojourns Pennsylvania River Sojourns are guided paddling trips, sponsored by the PA Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, the PA Fish & Boat Commission, American Canoe Association and POWR. Sojourn season runs from May through September, and participants can choose whether to paddle just one day or the whole trip. http://www.pawatersheds.org/sojourn/ West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium The 2008 West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium will be held on July 18-19 in State College, PA. Anyone interested in restoring the West Branch is invited to attend this premier event which serves as a regional forum for exchanging information and networking for volunteers, policy-makers, technical experts and students.  http://www.crisciassociates.com/Newsletter/docs/3/WestBranchSymposium08.pdf EPA Water Quality Standards Academy Course The EPA Office of Science and Technology's Water Quality Standards Academy will hold a Basic Course in Arlington, VA (just outside of D.C.) on July 21-25. The Basic Course is an introductory training course on water quality standards designed for those with fewer than six months of experience with standards. Others may also benefit from the course, including veterans of the water quality standards program who seek a refresher on aspects of standards.  http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy.html PA Watershed Management Workshop for Teachers  The first annual Watershed Management Workshop for Teachers will be held at Mansfield University July 9-10. The workshop is designed to prepare participants to assess and monitor water quality, more fully understand watershed-related issues and apply this expertise in their own school district. Both classroom and hands-on field sessions will be included. http://geoggeol.mansfield.edu/watershed-workshop/ 2008 Recycling and Composting Conference The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania will hold its annual Recycling and Composting Conference in Gettysburg on July 30 to August 1. http://www.proprecycles.org/PDFs/2008%20PROP%20Conference/2008%20Conference%20Brochure.pdf  NJ Clearwater Festival The 33rd annual Monmouth County Clearwater Festival will be held on August 16-17 in Asbury Park, NJ. The festival includes environmental justice speakers, exhibits by environmental groups, three stages of music acts, children's activities, an environmental poster contest, and more. http://www.mcclearwater.org/festival.php  NJ Wetlands Manual Training Workshop A training workshop will be held on August 19 or 26 to serve as an in-depth introduc tion to the recently published NJ DEP's Regionalized Water-Budget Manual for Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Sites in New Jersey. The manual is designed to provide information to help improve the effectiveness of compensatory freshwater wetland mitigation projects in New Jersey. Pre-registration is required. http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/brochures/intros/wetlandmanual.html  TMDL Development and Implementation Seminar The Water Environment Federation, in cooperation with the USEPA, will be holding TMDL Development and Implementation: Current Progress and Future Direction, on September 11 in Baltimore, Maryland. This seminar will examine how recently issued policies and guidance are being interpreted and implemented across the country, discuss examples of successful approaches to TMDL development, and share innovations that have led to improvements in TMDL implementation. http://www.wef.org/ConferencesTraining/Seminars/TMDLDevelopment  National Nonpoint Source (NPS) Monitoring Workshop The 16th Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop will be held on September 14-18 in Columbus, OH. The workshop will focus on innovative solutions to NPS issues, effective monitoring techniques, demonstrations of new technologies, application of Best Management Practices (BMPs), and lessons learned from Section 319 National Monitoring Program projects and other watershed projects from throughout the United States. Technical workshops will include topics such as monitoring Low Impact Development (LID) projects, stream morphology analysis tools, and bio-assessment tools. Tours will include Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) monitoring sites, stream restoration sites, alternative urban and agricultural BMPs, and much more. http://streams.osu.edu/conf.php  Wetlands 2008 National Conference Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change will be held on September 15-19 in Portland, OR. The overall goal of this conference is to help wetland professionals in the public and private sectors 1) gain a better understanding of the challenges created by climate change and 2) identify discrete activities and actions to take to reduce and mitigate impacts on wetlands and water resources as well as communities. The conference will also address ongoing changes and challenges in wetlands and water resources management. http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2008/index.htm PA Noxious, Invasive Weed Management Course The first Northeastern Weed Science Society Noxious & Invasive Vegetation Management Short Course will be held in Pennsylvania on September 15-18. The course will stress ecologically-based plant management and include monitoring and assessment, prevention, cultural, mechanical and chemical plant management. Classroom, laboratory and field exercises will be utilized and the program will be designed to encourage interaction between instructors and students. http://www.newss.net/newssnivm.php York County Watershed Weekend The Watershed Alliance of York has announced the opening of registration for the 6th Annual Watershed Weekend to be held September 27- 28. The purpose of the Watershed Weekend is to increase public awareness about the importance of local watersheds. Past activities have included educational programs, hiking and paddling tours, stream cleanups, riparian buffer plantings or other activities by various organizations located at venues throughout York County. http://watershedalliance.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/080616newsreleasewsweregopens.pdf  WEFTEC.08 Conference The 81st Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) will be held on October 18-22 in Chicago, IL. It is the largest conference of its kind in North America and offers water quality professionals water quality education and training, as well as technical sessions, workshops, and facility tours. http://www.weftec.org/home.htm

Link Of The Month

New Sustainable Stormwater Best Management Practices Website

The Water Environment Research Federation (WERF) recently unveiled a new Web site that gives landscape architects, designers, engineers, stormwater managers, elected officials and the public creative new ideas on sustainable stormwater practices. The site provides practical tools, frameworks for implementation and planning aids that can be adapted to any community or project. http://www.werf.org/livablecommunities/ 

New EPA Tool Will Help Keep More Beaches Open 

U.S. EPA has made a new tool available that will help keep more beaches open for swimming. The Great Lakes Beach Sanitary Survey Tool is designed help beach managers identify sources of bacterial contamination at their beaches. It was developed and piloted at beaches around the Great Lakes but can be effective at any beach. A beach sanitary survey is an evaluation of the beach area and surrounding watershed for existing and potential sources of pollution. Information collected may include the number of birds at a beach, slope of the beach, location and condition of bathrooms, amount of algae present, location of storm water outfalls and soundness of residential septic tanks. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/sanitarysurvey

ASWM Posts New Website on State Programmatic General Permits

The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) has a new Web page on state programmatic general permits (SPGPs), a common joint permitting tool developed by state agencies and Corps districts. ASWM has highlighted a few states’ examples of SPGPs and how those permitting programs have worked in the past as well as some of what is being done to streamline the process for the public and agency staff. In addition, the site includes informational links to a wide range of SPGPs, regional general permits (RGPs) and similar programs throughout the country. http://www.aswm.org/swp/pgp/index.htm 

EPA's First Green Streets Podcast Announced

EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds has posted its inaugural Podcast about Green Streets-- From Gray Funnels to Green Sponges. The Podcast features a discussion on how to manage rainwater and snow melt where it falls; in ways that can make great places, preserve water quality and restore our nation's waterways. http://epa.gov/owow/podcasts/grayfunnelsgreensponges.html 

New Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads Web Site Launched

EPA recently released a new Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) homepage. The new Web page features an overview of the Clean Water Act section 303(d) program activities, highlights new resources, and provides easier access to program resources, such as EPA's new Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information (ATTAINS) Web site. The site also features a new TMDL Stormwater Resources page that hosts several stormwater-source TMDLs and case studies highlighting the innovative approaches states are using to address stormwater. Additional pages that are coming soon include a new TMDLs at Work page, which will highlight successful restoration efforts where TMDL/303(d) activities were an important part of the process. http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl