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2 Basin
Road
Windham, ME 04062
207-892-3399
FAX: 207-892-3089
aswm@aswm.org
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If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please
search the ASWM website using Google below. |
earn more about ASWM organization and services, order
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and keep up to date with our wetland events calendar and
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Read the latest edition of Wetland Breaking News, a twice-monthly
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Learn about the various wetland programs implemented
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types,
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Access information about local government wetland programs
including the
Local Government Handbook, the NYS Wetland and Watershed Toolkit,
and links to local statutes and aids.
Information about and links to federal policy, Nationwide
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Learn about wetlands, their values and functions, common
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| Revisions to the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of ``Discharge of Dredged Material''; Final Rule |
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EPA News Release – December 30, 2008
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (together, the ``Agencies'') are promulgating a final rule to amend a Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404 regulation that defines the term ``discharge of dredged material.'' This action conforms the Corps' and EPA's regulations to a court order invalidating the January 17, 2001, amendments to the regulatory definition (referred to as the ``Tulloch II'' rule). This final rule responds to the court decision by deleting language from the regulation that was invalidated. For a link to the Federal Register document, dated December 30, 2008, go to: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2008/December/Day-30/w30984.htm |
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| John Rapanos Agrees To Pay For Clean Water Act Violations |
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Washington, D.C. - Dec. 29, 2008
John A. Rapanos and related defendants have agreed to pay a civil penalty and recreate approximately 100 acres of wetlands and buffer areas to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act at three sites in Midland and Bay counties, Michigan, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced recently. Rapanos has agreed to pay a $150,000 civil penalty and will spend an estimated $750,000 to mitigate for 54 acres of wetlands that were filled without authorization under the Clean Water Act. Rapanos has also agreed to preserve an additional 134 acres of wetlands that were unaffected by the unauthorized activity. Under the agreement, the preservation of these areas will be enforced via a conservation easement held by the State of Michigan. The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, is subject to a 30-day comment period and final court approval. A copy of the proposed consent decree is available on the Justice Department Web site at www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. Full press release: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/December/08-enrd-1152.html |
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| Draft “Recommendations for a National Wetlands and Climate Change Initiative” Available for Comment |
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 ASWM has posted the draft “Recommendations for a National Wetlands and Climate Change Initiative” based on Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change, held on September 16-18, 2008 in Portland, Oregon. The Association would appreciate receiving comments by December 8, 2008 by e-mail to Jon Kusler at aswm@aswm.org. ASWM is recommending that federal agencies and Congress create a cooperative Nationa l Wetlands and Climate Change Initiative with the states, tribes, local governments, and the private sector. It would build upon existing coordination mechanisms. Please see: http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2008/
recommendations_2008
_112008.htm.
For a printable version, please see: http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2008/
recommendations_2008_112008.pdf.
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FUTURE
ASWM WORKSHOPS AND SYMPOSIUM |
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 Wetland 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change
[Recommendations for a National Wetlands and Climate Change Initiative posted 11/24/08]
[PowerPoint Presentations Posted]
[Wrap-up]
Our Special Thanks to Speakers, Sponsors, Volunteers and Participants for a Successful Conference
On behalf of the Association of State Wetland Managers, the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Oregon Department of State Lands and all our sponsors and cooperating parties, I want to thank you for making Wetlands 2008; Wetlands and Climate Change a success. We’re still adding up the numbers but I’m guessing attendance was around 400. Many attendees approached me during the conference to tell me how much they enjoyed the conference and how much they had learned. Over and over people said that they have rarely attended a conference where ALL the presentations where of such high caliber. This is only possible because so many people contributed their time, knowledge and expertise.
We will be posting PowerPoint presentations in PDF format for most of the presentations in the next week or two. We will send a note out to conference participants when we have them up and put a note up on www.aswm.org
Once again, Thank You!
Jeanne Christie
Executive Director
Association of State Wetland Managers |
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| See Archived ASWM Schedule of Activities. |
| Deterioration of the Nation’s Clean Water
Act Enforcement Program |
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Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform Press Release – December 16, 2008
Oversight and
Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar wrote to President-elect
Obama regarding their investigation into the drastic deterioration of the Clean
Water Act enforcement program. “One of the legacies of the Bush Administration
is its failure to protect the safety and health of the nation’s waters,” said
Chairman Waxman. “Our investigation reveals that the clean water program has
been decimated as hundreds of enforcement cases have been dropped, downgraded,
delayed, or never brought in the first place. We need to work with the new
Administration to restore the effectiveness and integrity to this vital
program.” For full press release, go to: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2292
For the letter from Henry Waxman and James Oberstar to President-Elect Obama,
go to: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20081216114005.pdf
For the memo re: Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement Program, go to: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20081216113810.pdf
For a related press release by NWF, go to:
http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=40F4AE51%
2D5056%2DA868%2DA017C338E5CA2546
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| Wetlands Grant
Database Available Online
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| The Wetland Grant Database (WGD) houses grant data for
Wetland Program Development Grants (created by EPA in 1990 under the Clean
Water Act Section 104(b)(3) authority), as well as for a three-year
demonstration pilot program (the "Pilot Grants"), for which a portion
of the national grant appropriation could be used for program implementation.
The WGD also houses grant Case Study narratives, and Model Products created by
the grant program. For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/initiative/#financial |
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| Would burying CO2 help in climate crisis?
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USA Today – December 6, 2008
(Poland) Could the
world solve part of its climate crisis by simply burying the problem? Backers say carbon capture and storage could make an
important contribution to cutting emissions by mid-century. The idea involves
capturing carbon dioxide as power stations spew it out, then pumping it into
empty gas and oil wells or aquifers, where it will remain forever. But, as
delegates from some 190 countries meet in Poland to begin thrashing out a new
global climate change treaty, environmentalists are divided. Some see the still-unproven
and expensive technology as a distraction from renewable energy; others say it
deserves a chance because dirty and cheap coal-fired power isn't about to
disappear. The top U.N. climate official, Yvo de Boer, said he believes it will
be "critical" for countries such as China and India to use coal as
they expand their economies and fight poverty. For full story, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-12-06-
poland-climate-change_N.htm
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| Revised
Guidance addressing Clean Water Act jurisdiction following Rapanos decision
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EPA News Release – December
3, 2008
On June 5, 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department
of the Army issued guidance clarifying Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction
following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States. The agencies
received 66,047 public comments on the Rapanos Guidance (65,765 form letters, 282 non-form letters), from States,
environmental and conservation organizations, regulated entities, industry
associations, and the general public. EPA and the Department of the Army
jointly reviewed the comments and released a revised version of the guidance on
December 2, 2008 in consideration of those comments and consistent with the
agencies' experience implementing the guidance. The revised guidance and a set
of questions and answers on the guidance are posted at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html
Specifically three documents have been revised: For the revised Q&A, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/Rapanos_%20Guidance_
QA%20120208.pdf
For the revised guidance, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/CWA_Jurisdiction_
Following_Rapanos120208.pdf
For the revised comments, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/Comments_Response_120208.pdf
For a
related press release, Revised EPA
“Guidance” Amplifies Need for Clean Water Restoration Act by
National Wildlife Federation, Contact: Aileo Weinmann –
December 4, 2008
“The revised Guidance clearly points to the need for Congress to clean up the
legal mess and restore full protections to our Nation’s waters.” For press
release, go to: http://ww.pennnet.com/display_article/347036/41/ARTCL/
none/none/1/Revised-EPA-
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| International Agreement on Migrating
Waterbirds |
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Birding
Community E-Bulletin – December 2008
An international resolution pledging to protect
migratory waterbirds was agreed upon at the "Tenth Meeting of the
Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands
(Ramsar)." The wetlands meeting, held in Korea at the end of October and
early November, was attended by 2,000 people from 165
nations. The participants agreed that different countries must co-operate to
protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats. The "Ramsar Resolution on
Flyways," as the new agreement was named, called for the protection of
habitats such as tidal flats where birds come to winter or spend the summer,
and for efforts to monitor the state of different populations. The resolution
acknowledges that conserving the world's waterbirds is an international
challenge and that only by working together along flyways can migratory birds
be saved. "No country can act alone to protect migratory waterbirds. If we
don't collaborate internationally we will push more and more migratory
waterbirds to the brink of extinction," said Alison Russell-French,
president of Birds Australia.
Click here for the full text of the resolution:
http://www.ramsar.org/cop10/cop10_dr22_e.htm For a link to archived issues of the Birding Community E-Bulletin, visit: http://www.refugenet.org/
birding/birding5.html |
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| Wetlands Go Underground |
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By Liz Morrison – Corn &
Soybean Digest – November 30, 2008
Wetlands
are going underground and trapping water. Researchers at the University of
Minnesota (U of M) are testing subsurface nutrient-retention basins to purify
agricultural drainage water. Like surface-flow wetlands, these basins are
designed to trap excess nutrients and sediment, keeping them out of streams and
lakes, says Jeff Strock, a U of M soil scientist who is leading the Minnesota
research. For full story, go to: http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/ag-issues/wetlands_go_
underground_1108/
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| EPA, Interior Dept. Chiefs Will Be Busy Erasing
Bush's Mark
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By Juliet Eilperin –
Washington Post – November 28, 2008
Few federal agencies are expected to undergo as radical a
transformation under President-elect Barack Obama as the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Interior Department, which have been at the epicenter
of many of the Bush administration's most intense scientific and environmental
controversies. For full article, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/27/AR2008112702184.html?wpisrc=newsletter
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Please click here to view full Wetland Breaking News.
Migratory
Bird & Wetland NewsLink - October Issue
Bimonthly International News Service |
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