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Editor's
Notes:
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The U.S. Corps of Engineers is seeking
comments about a proposal to renew and revise nationwide permits for
work in wetlands and other waters that are regulated by Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act and Section 101 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of
1899. The comment period ends on
November 24 and the current set of nationwide permits expires in March
2007.
The NJ
Highlands Council has canceled their October 26 meeting intended for
the introduction of the new Highlands Master Plan. The meeting is rescheduled for
November 30, which is likely
to push adoption of the plan into February at the earliest. Did
you hear about the One
Red Paper Clip guy who through successive bargaining traded a paper
clip for a house in Saskatchewan? Well now his brother is embarking on a
similarly quirky endeavor to
hitchhike to all 50 US state capitols in 50 days. What a family, eh?
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Topic of
the Month
Open Space Planning is Worth the Cost
When new development is proposed, the
recurring myth states that more homes or businesses mean more
tax revenues for the town, thereby lowering local property tax
rates. But taxes never seem to go down, and why not? More...
Elwha River Valley before dam removal
Elwha River Valley after dam removal |
Dam
Removal Visualized in 3D
People are often unsure what the
impacts of restoration might look like, and what the consequences
could be for their communities. These concerns were addressed in a
unique way for the removal of two dams on Washington's Elwha River,
scheduled to begin in 2009. The Elwa River project will be the biggest
dam removal our country has ever seen.
Using GIS software, American
Rivers has generated a 3-dimensional photo-realistic digital model of
the Elwha River valley that depicts the landscape before, during, and
after dam removal.
The model allows users to view not only
dam deconstruction, but also the restoration of local vegetation and
the related stabilization of reservoir sediments that will lead to
ecosystem and salmon recovery.
http://www.americanrivers.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ps_ElwhaVision
For more information on dam removal or
river restoration, contact
F. X. Browne, Inc.at info@fxbrowne.com. |
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News Clips
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USGS Completes Nonpoint Source Monitoring
Project
The US Geologic Survey (USGS) has completed a streambank fencing and riparian
buffer study as part of a 10-year national
monitoring project. More...
Studies Say Wildlife Waste Is Major Water
Polluter
Studies in Virginia and Maryland have
determined that wildlife waste plays a more significant role in water
pollution than originally thought. The strange proposition that nature is apparently
polluting itself has created a serious conundrum for government
officials charged with cleaning up the rivers. More...
NJ DEP Adopts New Water Quality Rules
NJ DEP recently announced the final adoption of
regulations
that will establish more stringent standards for
more than 100 toxic pollutants to protect the health of humans and a broad
range of aquatic species. With this adoption, five streams will receive a
new Category 1 (C1) designation based on their trout production
status, but even environmental protection organizations aren't sure
the new rules will protect sensitive trout populations. More...
Study Finds Hurricanes May Actually Help
Wetlands
A new study
makes the provocative claim that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
actually helped stabilize coastal wetlands by depositing tons of
silt and sediment. More...
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Policy Update
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EPA has two years to develop a program to regulate
ballast water discharges under the NPDES program according to a
recent ruling in Federal District Court. |
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The PA DEP has reorganized
its District Mining Offices, establishing new boundaries for three
of the six field operations that oversee all surface and underground
mining and blasting activities in Pennsylvania. |
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The PA DEP this week published
final guidelines for nominating proposed Critical Water Planning
Areas where existing or future demands for water exceeds or threatens to
exceed the safe yield of water available. |
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The PA DEP is inviting comments on the
following five proposed TMDL Plans (Total Maximum Daily Load Plans):
Pine Run, North Branch Bear Creek, Little Scrubgrass
Creek, Foundry Run, and Glades Creek.
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American Rivers
marked the 38th Anniversary of the signing of the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act by announcing their "40
x 40" challenge to designate 40 new rivers by the 40th
Anniversary in 2008. |
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A
federal court overrode
an attempt by industry groups to further ease regulations on
industrial pollution of water. The ruling upheld limits on nationwide
pollution permits issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers. |
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EPA
recently forwarded to Congress and released to the public its Strategic
Plan for 2006 - 2011. |
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In
the waning hours before the electoral recess, Congress passed
legislation to extend
the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife
Restoration Act. |
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NJDEP
has launched the Passport
to Adventure - a free guide to New Jersey's state parks, forests
and historic sites. As visitors travel to the featured sites they can
pick up a passport and also collect a sticker to
place in their guide. |
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Congress
is preparing to rewrite
the nation's fishing rules in a bid to improve the much-criticized
system for managing fisheries. |
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The
New Jersey Supreme Court denied
the New Jersey's Builders Association petition challenging the 300
foot buffer rule contained in New Jersey's stormwater regulations
adopted in 2004. |
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Efforts
to update the PA State Water Plan under Act 220 are progressing with
the release of the first technical guidance document, Guidelines
for Identification of Critical Water Planning Areas (DEP ID:
392-2130-014). |
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The Penn State Master Well Owner Network and the Pennsylvania
Water Resources Research Center are conducting the first statewide
survey of private well owners across the state through the end of
the year. |
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Looking for a New Thanksgiving
Recipe?
Immigrants originally
brought garlic mustard to America as a culinary herb. It is now an
invasive species, crowding out native wildflowers in the woodlands. As
part of their annual Garlic Mustard Challenge, the Friends of Patapsco
Valley (MD) work together to eradicate garlic mustard in their area, and
then gather for a friendly garlic mustard cookoff. Some of their recipes
are posted on their website.
http://www.patapscoheritagegreenway.org/garlic07/
Photo: Plant
Conservation Alliance
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Listen to Your Elders
When you need
advice, there's nothing more valuable than the insights of someone older
and wiser. Elder Wisdom Circle provides free advice from volunteer "cyber
grandparents" between the ages of 60 and 103. Visitors to the site can get help with most any issue ranging from
parenting problems to dating dilemmas. http://elderwisdomcircle.org
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Link Of
The Month
10,000 Rain Gardens
Anything you ever wanted to know about rain
gardens, including how to build one, what native plants to use, designs for
different types of rain gardens, rain barrel guides, and information about
low-impact development can be found on the 10,000 Rain Gardens site: http://www.rainkc.com/resources/LINKS.ASP.
10,000 Rain Gardens is a volunteer initiative, calling upon the creativity
of citizens, corporations, educators, and non-profit organizations to join
with government to voluntarily reduce the amount of runoff that pollutes our
waterways. The organization is committed to planting 10,000 rain gardens in
the Kansas City metropolitan area. The articles and information on the site
pertain not only to the Midwest but would be beneficial to anyone desiring
to reduce runoff from their home or business.
F. X. Browne, Inc. can assist developers,
organizations, businesses and municipalities in designing rain gardens or
other stormwater practices to increase on-site infiltration and reduce
runoff from their properties. Contact info@fxbrowne.com
for more information.
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Somebody had a little too much time on his hands...
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If you're looking for
something to do in central Iowa to ward off the post-turkey doldrums,
consider visiting America's Matchstick Marvels Museum where a
model of Hogwarts castle from the Harry Potter movies was recently
unveiled. The model is made from half a million matchsticks, took over
three years to create, and required 15 gallons of glue to hold all of
the pieces together. More photos of the Hogwarts castle and other
marvels are available on the Museum's
website.
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New
Tools and Publications
State of Chesapeake Forests Report Released
The State of Chesapeake Forests report, a
collaborative effort between the USDA Forest Service and the Conservation
Fund, is now available at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/stateoftheforests.htm.
Limited hard copies are available. This report highlights current forest
conditions, forecasts future trends, and outlines key goals and strategies
necessary to conserve and restore the forests of the Chesapeake Bay
watershed.
NJ Brownfields Redevelopment Guide Published
Remediating and Redeveloping Brownfields in New Jersey: A Guide for
Municipalities and Community Organizations has been published by the Association of
New Jersey Environmental Commissions. The publication explains New
Jersey's multiple brownfields programs, redevelopment issues and approaches
concerned citizens and municipalities can use to identify and remediate
contaminated sites. Appendices cover state and federal brownfields legal
provisions and key government and non-profit contacts. http://anjec.org/pdfs/BrownfieldsinNJ2006.pdf
New Publication: Wetland Systems To Control Urban Runoff
Wetland Systems to
Control Urban Runoff, by M. Scholz, The University of Edingburgh, U.K., integrates natural and constructed
wetlands and
sustainable drainage techniques into traditional water and wastewater
systems used to treat surface runoff and associated diffuse pollution. The
first part of the text introduces the fundamentals of water quality
management, and water and wastewater treatment. The remaining focus of the
text is on reviewing treatment technologies, disinfection issues, sludge
treatment and disposal options, and current case studies related to
constructed wetlands applied for runoff and diffuse pollution treatment. http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdescription.cws_home/708257/description#description
Model NPDES Phase I Communities Profiled
The Center for Watershed Protection has completed two
new profiles
of well-performing NPDES Phase I communities: Austin, TX and Baltimore, MD. Austin has
developed a number of successful programs that integrate water quality,
watersheds, and aquatic resource monitoring with stormwater management.
Watershed 263 in Baltimore is an ultra-urban watershed with no surface
streams and variable land uses. The Watershed 263 partnership, made of many
diverse organizations, seeks to improve stormwater quality along with
quality of life in this area of the city.
Austin, TX - http://www.cwp.org/RR_Photos/Austin_Profile_Sheet.pdf
Baltimore City, MD - http://www.cwp.org/RR_Photos/Baltimore_City_profile_sheet.pdf
Riparian Ordinance Technical Information Available
Riparian Setbacks: Technical Information for Decision Makers was
originally prepared for the Chagrin River Watershed partners in Ohio. It is
a synthesis of recent research findings organized to provide the scientific
basis upon which a town or municipality could begin the task of defending a
riparian setback ordinance from legal and other challenges. http://www.crwp.org/pdf_files/riparian_setback_paper_jan_2006.pdf
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Newsletter
Editor/ Design and Layout:
Rebecca Buerkett |
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Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
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Corporate
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Marshalls Creek, PA
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