Strange Wetlands: The Wetland Phobia Factor
Posted By Leah Stetson | July 30, 2010
The Wetland Phobia Factor
When I first started working in the wetlands field, I was warned that it’s a controversial subject, full of drama. It would not be the right area for politicophobes, or those who suffer from liticaphobia, an irrational fear of law suits. A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of something—an activity, a place, anything—and it compels the afflicted person to avoid certain situations. For example, as a child I wasn’t afraid of ghosts but I was absolutely terrified of rubber Halloween masks. I refused to go into drug stores because they sold masks. As an adult, I like competing in costume contests on Halloween and it’s no longer a phobia. I just don’t like masks. Phobia goes beyond extreme dislike.
I feel sorry for people who are afraid of things found in nature. I have “city friends” who freak out when a squirrel runs by because a squirrel can resemble a rat, and some people are musophobic—afraid of mice and rats. Although many people have a fear of snakes or the well-known arachnephobia, there are some lesser-known phobias that might prevent or dissuade a person from visiting a wetland. First off, limnophobes are terrified of lakes, ponds and marshes, made worse by books about haunted lakes http://www.panphobia.com/places/
limnophobia.htm. Others might worry that a sea serpent or fish, especially if that person is also a bit ichthyophobic, might lurk in the dark water. Hydrophobic people are afraid of water—period. A close relative is hygrophobia, a fear of dampness. After living through several floods, one might develop a case of antlophobia (fear of floods), or become lilapsophobic, if they can’t handle hurricanes. Those afraid of rain suffer from ombrophobia. My mother is a bit gephyrophobic when crossing a bridge but she doesn’t have potamophobia, a fear of rivers.
Although there is no such term palustriphobia for a fear of swamps, there are phobias for things found in swamps. Botanophobic people are afraid of plants, and it gets more specific: pteridophobes are freaked out by ferns. Ornithophobia is a fear of birds, and no wonder when sometimes, birds attack! http://aswm.org/wordpress/661/the-birds-attackin-wetlands-better-put-eyes-on-the-back-of-your-hat/ Even though frogs are endangered, one is too many for someone with ranidaphobia. And if any reptile or amphibian bothers you, you might be batrachophobic.
Wetlands are often plagued with weather conditions like fog, which would be bad for a homichlophobe. Job descriptions for wetland scientists often warn that candidates, “must be able to deal with frequent insect bites,” a definite problem for anyone with cnidophobia, a fear of stings. Many people are afraid of dragonflies because of the needle-like shape of the insect’s body; in certain cultures, dragonflies are considered good luck but in other places, they are bad signs. Most insect phobias stem from a lack of interaction with insects and misinformation. http://www.insects.org/ced2/insects_psych.html
Some people are afraid of bacteria, which are important members of a balanced ecosystem. Nonetheless, pathophobia, a fear of disease, and blennophobia, a fear of slime, would probably steer the afflicted person away from some types of wetlands, even if only based on historic misconceptions that wetlands were sources of disease. In addition some people might avoid a wetland due to pneumatophobia, a fear of spirits, or bogyphobia, trouble with the Bogeyman. In a Google search, there are no found instances of a phobia related to Swampthing, but just the opposite. People who hunt Big Foot and swamp creatures will tell you a tale of heart-thumping anticipation! http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/bridgewater.htm
Topics: Strange Wetlands, wetlands | No Comments »
Views from the Blog-o-sphere
Posted By Admin. | July 28, 2010
Chesapeake Bay Network Blogs
http://www.chesapeakenetwork.org/
blogs.htm?z=l60t2f
Topics: blog-o-sphere, wetlands | No Comments »
The Compleat Wetlander: Smarter, Better, Clearer: Improving Wetland Permitting
Posted By Jeanne Christie | July 27, 2010
Smarter, Better, Clearer: Improving Wetland Permitting
I do not undertake to say all that is known
Or may be said of it
But I undertake to acquaint the reader
With many things that are not usually known
— The Compleat Angler
Over the past six months the Association of State Wetland Managers has been working with a half dozen states to describe how state wetland program managers are improving wetland permitting.
This is not the kind of work that makes the headlines. It has nothing to do with the drama of high profile Supreme Court cases that create uncertainty over what’s regulated or the tragedy of oil washing into the wetlands of the Gulf Coast. Or maybe it has everything to do with it, because the purpose of ‘improving wetland permitting’ is to prevent those things from ever happening.
“Improving” is not the same as “streamlining,” which is generally used to describe an initiative to issue permits faster. As we’ve learned in the Gulf of Mexico, faster is not always better.
ASWM’s definition of “improving” permitting has dual goals. It’s about making the process of reviewing and issuing or denying permits more efficient while maintaining and improving protection of wetlands and water resources. It includes making it easier for both program staff and permit applicants to understand the permitting process. It may include issuing permits faster, but not at the expense of wetlands and other natural resources. ASWM’s State Wetland Permitting Task Force identified the following general categories to describe the actions states undertake to improve wetland permitting
1) Consolidating permitting;
2) Communication before permitting;
3) Online applications;
4) Utilizing science & technology;
5) Enhancing data management; and
6) Consistency in program management.
Change and innovation are vital to providing timely, balanced, consistent decisions. Programs can be improved regardless of the size or scope of a state wetland program. New knowledge about wetlands, new tools, better technology—it’s happening all of the time. Wetland permitting programs should change and improve as well. Many are.
For example—
New York has created an on-line resource mapper that applicants can use to
obtain information on what resources are present on their property/site,
wetland maps, etc.
Wisconsin is currently developing an agreement with the Corps St. Paul District
on the minimum education/training/experience state and federal staff need to be
able to review wetland delineations.
Indiana has a “Volunteer Mitigation Mapping” tool that provides a conduit for state
employees, environmental consultants, and the public to share information regarding
potential mitigation sites for wetlands, streams, lakes or other water features.
(http://idemmaps.idem.in.gov/apps/MitigationVolunteer)
California is developing a Wetland and Riparian Area Protection Policy.
Virginia has created a Joint Permit Application for multiple agencies.
Applicants submit one application, which is distributed to three agencies
simultaneously. These agencies include Virginia Department of Environmental
Qualtiy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Virginia Marine Resource
Commission.
Oregon has created a standard permit conditions template and is drafting a
removal fill guide with standard operating procedures.
New Jersey has a call center that answers all freshwater wetland permit calls
every day. They also conduct some of the less complicated pre-application
meetings.
ASWM has established a peer-to-peer exchange webpage, where states can summarize and share projects to improve wetland permitting with other states and the public. For more information visit: http://aswm.org/swp/state_summaries/index.htm and check back in the coming months as more states provide information about the activities they are undertaking to improve permitting.
Jeanne Christie
Executive Director
Association of State Wetland Managers
Topics: The Compleat Wetlander, wetlands | No Comments »
Strange Wetlands: Tricky, Trendy Templates
Posted By Leah Stetson | July 23, 2010
Tricky, Trendy Templates
When I picture a template, I think of one I made for “Wetland Breaking News,” where there are categories for the news, such as legislative and state news. I can save that template and work with it each month even as the news is constantly changing. Working with a template reduces the amount of work because it’s not necessary to start from scratch. Templates are most effective when there are certain formats or kinds of content that work for multiple applications, for example, with website design. The trick is to ensure that the template will be useful and inclusive, not limiting.
Climate change science and an understanding of the role of wetlands in applying some of that science are both rapidly evolving. Can a good template be designed to assist natural resource managers with assessing climate change impacts to wetlands? This idea was proposed in a 1994 issue of Ecological Engineering; see Template for evaluation of impacts of sea level rise on Caribbean coastal wetlands, which was presented by Peter Bacon at an International Wetlands Conference in Ohio in 1992: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VFB-47X75XB-24&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F1994&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=
search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1408678655&_rerunOrigin=
google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=573f55a9
afced4aa90c0536fea81c0cc
The Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center has developed a template for assessing climate change impacts to forest habitats, including the streams, wetlands, lakes and water resources located within forests. http://www.forestthreats.org/
tools/taccimo A user of the template may choose a threat, such as invasive plants, wildfire, climate change, or loss of open space. The Center analyzes factors like stream temperature, effectiveness of stream crossings on water quality, carbon sequestration and other hot topics in the study of climate change. In addition, the Center has partnered with the USDA Forest Service on a project to develop a model as a part of Climate, population, and vegetation cover change impacts on water supply and demand, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity across the conterminous U.S. http://www.forestthreats.org/current-projects/project-summaries/WaSSI/?searchterm=wetland. The Center welcomes feedback on the TACCIMO template. For additional information and to participate in demonstration and training workshops, please contact Steve McNulty at steve_mcnulty@ncsu.edu and Emrys Treasure at etreasure@fs.fed.us
Wetlands International is working to develop a template to analyze climate change impacts to mangrove ecosystems. They support the development of adaptation strategies. http://www.wetlands.org/Whatwedo/Ourfieldprojects/Projectarchive/
tabid/59/mod/601/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2631/Default.aspx The goal of this project is to develop something that can be applied to other countries (with mangroves) within the region.
Sea level rise has been modeled through a number of digital mapping technologies, for instance, Sea Level Affecting Marsh Model (SLAMM) http://warrenpinnacle.com/
prof/SLAMM/, which was introduced by the FWS in 2008. Templates and models can both be used to simplify otherwise complicated tasks, whether it’s writing a business proposal or analyzing climate change impacts to wetlands. Not all templates are created equal and sometimes a user has to revise the existing tool to reflect conditions in a changing environment.
Topics: Strange Wetlands, wetlands | No Comments »
Wetlander’s Pick of the Posts
Posted By Admin. | July 21, 2010
Wetlands and Water Allocation: U.S. Policy
By Chris Watts – July 20, 2010
Wetlands are a habitat of particular importance to managers in every type of watershed. Historically, wetlands were crucial in the survival of early civilizations. Along the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates and others, the riparian wetlands and floodplains were a source of nutrient-rich soil for early agriculture. For full article, go to: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/20/wetlands-and-water-allocation-u-s-policy/
Topics: Wetlander’s Pick of the Posts, wetlands | No Comments »
The Compleat Wetlander: Wildlife, Wetlands and Life—or the Catastrophic Consequences of Ignoring those Pesky Externalities
Posted By Jeanne Christie | July 20, 2010
Wildlife, Wetlands and Life—or the Catastrophic Consequences of Ignoring those Pesky Externalities
“Without your community and your family you would not be happy
Without nature you would not be alive”
Pavan Sukhdev, The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity (TEEB) Study Leader
Last week a report was published through the United Nations Environment Program on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity highlighting the increasing attention corporations are giving to the importance of biodiversity. http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=630&ArticleID=6643&l=en&t=long
Biodiversity refers to the importance of having many kinds of animals and fish and plants both locally and globally. The report is interesting because it documents that many corporations are paying more attention to wildlife richness. They are doing so because they are discovering that the decline and loss of species can lead to the decline and loss of profits.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=630&ArticleID=6643&l=en This is relevant to wetlands because roughly 50% of the threatened and endangered species in the United State are partially or wholly dependent on wetlands to exist http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0979/ For example in Illinois there are 30 birds, 8 mammals, and 138 plants dependent on wetlands that are threatened or endangered. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_all_the_endangered_wetland_animal_species
The biodiversity report is good news, because the survival of mankind is dependent on abundant and diverse wildlife and plants.
The bad news is that people have been raising concerns like these for a long time and they’ve been ignored. Here is just one example:
Without bees, Albert Einstein said, “man would only have four years of life left.”
In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher & social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees would collapse. His prediction came true in 2005 and 2006 when Colony Collapse Disorder was documented throughout the United States. Bees started disappearing in mass numbers from their hives for no apparent reason.
Even though it’s not making the news, it’s still happening. Now though, the reason it’s happening is clearer. It’s not just one thing alone; it’s one thing after another. Too many pesticides kill or confuse bees so they don’t return to the hive. Too much land covered with just one kind of plant like potatoes or almonds that only bloom for a couple of weeks a year, not long enough to feed a hive. Too much stress from being transported from one farm field to another throughout the growing season and so on.
I learned all this last week when I saw “Queen of the Sun” a documentary about the honey bees and what is happening to them http://www.queenofthesun.com/.
I went because we’ve recently acquired two bee hives for our back yard. Since we did this my gardening goals have changed. I plant white flowers because they attract the bees. I pay attention to when plants bloom and choose flowers and trees so that there is something blooming from early spring to late fall to provide food for the bees.
It’s not just the bees anymore. I plant flowers in the vegetable garden that provide the ‘good’ predator insects something to eat when there aren’t ‘bad’ insects around to munch on. I plant companion plants beside each other. My garden has become a community. I wasn’t really thinking about biodiversity. It’s just one small backyard. But I was thinking about balance.
I find most traditional economic theory falls far short of balance. This is because economics does not consider community or family or nature. These are ‘externalities’. They don’t require consideration because they’ve been deemed unimportant to economic growth and prosperity. I’ve long suspected that ‘externalities’ is really a code word for ‘too difficult to figure out.’
The plight of honey bees is not unique. Throughout the world, wildlife is threatened by a multiplicity of stresses imposed by human civilization.
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity http://www.unep.org/iyb/. It is past time to take action to preserve the future of civilization by preserving biodiversity.
For more on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity checkout the executive summary at
http://www.teebweb.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ubcryE0OUbw%3d&tabid=924&language=en-US or the main page for the report with links the full report, videos and other related information at information at The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodivesrity
http://www.teebweb.org/
Topics: The Compleat Wetlander, biodiversity, environment, wetlands | No Comments »
Strange Wetlands: Chasing Storms—Leave it to the Professionals
Posted By Leah Stetson | July 16, 2010
Chasing Storms—Leave it to the Professionals
Hurricane season is heating up. NOAA’s National Weather Service warned in May that this might be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record with over 20 named storms. http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/
outlooks/hurricane.shtml The bands of warm water moving from the coast of Africa to the Caribbean have meteorologists on the look-out for particularly violent storms. Tropical storm Alex is one of the most recent hurricanes being tracked http://www.stormpulse.com/hurricane-alex-2010 right now. This means the onslaught of storm surge upon coastal areas. Bring forth the storm chasers!
Although storm chasers have varied backgrounds from journalism to meteorology, they share a passion for studying the phenomenon of storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, monsoons, lightning and nor’easters. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/imax/weather.html An “extreme weather journalist” captures the storm on film, while a meteorologist tracks statistics used to predict future storm activity, for example, where and when the next storm will hit and any possible effects on the landscape. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/imax/stormchasers.html Sometimes a storm chaser will do both of those things. Storm chasers are equipped with the gear and knowledge to forecast the unpredictable and go to the hotspots in high winds or other extreme weather conditions. America’s top storm chaser, Warren Faidley earned the nickname, 
“Cyclone Cowboy” for his award-winning photographs and coverage of storms. Faidley has chased category 5 hurricanes, monsoons http://www.stormchaser.com/ and tornadoes.
Most people think of tornadoes or the movie, Twister, when they hear “storm chaser.” The Discovery Channel’s hit TV show, Storm Chasers, features a number of “chase teams” http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/storm-chasers/ with an emphasis on tornadoes. However, not all storm chasers are among the ‘tornado paparazzi’ — and beware the media’s portrayal of irresponsible and reckless behavior, which can give the profession a bad name. Here are some exciting videos taken by professional storm chasers in hurricanes: http://www.ultimatechase.com/hurricane_video.htm Here’s Jim Edds’ extreme weather coverage website: http://www.extremestorms.com/ with videos here: http://www.youtube.com/photog481 Storm Chasing Mikey covers a nor’easter in Chesapeake Bay http://stormchasingmikey.blogspot.com/ Cyclone Jim’s page is here: http://www.cyclonejim.com/ Also check out Jim Reed’s book, Hurricane Katrina: Through the Eyes of Storm Chasers http://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Katrina-Through-Storm-Chasers/dp/1560373776
What can storm chasers teach us about wetlands? Storm chasers offer a unique perspective; whereas most people have to flee an area under siege during a hurricane, such as Katrina, storm chasers put themselves in harm’s way to document the event. Offshore detectors with solar panels and various sensors for tracking water levels and tidal currents are used to assist meteorologists with storm prediction http://www.sutron.com/project_solutions/TCOON_project_profile.html and LiDAR data is used to map and analyze coastal storm activity. Storm chasers can offer first-hand accounts to help scientists compare storm surge effects on the landscape and the role of coastal wetlands as protection against storms. A rule of thumb is that each 2.7 miles of marsh knocks down the storm surge by 1 foot. http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/surge_wetlands.asp Here’s an interesting article from Physics Today on the science of storm surges and the role of coastal wetlands, in which the authors suggest new storm surge models that could be useful in a future that includes sea level rise and possible loss of wetlands (Resio and Westerink 2008) http://www.nd.edu/~coast/reports_papers/2008-PHYSICSTODAY-rw.pdf
Chasing storms is dangerous and sometimes life threatening. Let’s leave it to the professionals. There are ways to learn about basic storm principles safely. For classroom activities (geared for science teachers), go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/imax/activity.html Everyone else can watch the exciting video footage!
Topics: Strange Wetlands, hurricanes and wetlands, mapping, natural hazards, sea level rise, wetland | No Comments »
Views from the Blog-o-sphere
Posted By Admin. | July 14, 2010
Wetlands Fill-osophy
http://salmonarm.wordpress.com/
2010/07/13/wetlands-fill-osophy/
Topics: blog-o-sphere, wetland | No Comments »
Wetlander’s Pick of the Posts
Posted By Admin. | July 14, 2010
Rockton wetland preserve’s beauty inspires artists
http://go.rrstar.com/arts/x1143357273/Rockton-
wetland-preserve-s-beauty-inspires-artists
Topics: Wetlander’s Pick of the Posts | No Comments »
The Compleat Wetlander: Wetland Adoption Programs: The Basics
Posted By Jeanne Christie | July 12, 2010
Wetland Adoption Programs: The Basics
There are many place-based adoption programs. These don’t entail ownership, but instead represent a commitment to help sustain and preserve the health and beauty of a park or a stretch of highway or a stream. The Adopt-a-Stream program has been around since at least the mid-80s and it provided a rough framework for the Adopt-a-Wetland Program which followed. Back then wetland protection and restoration were relatively novel concepts and the Adopt-a-Wetland Program was a way to get adults and children actively engaged in learning about the wetland resources located in their community.
The root of these kinds of public/private partnerships goes back much farther. One of the best known was the beautification program sponsored by Ladybird Johnson in the 1960s to clean up America’s highways http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/beauty.cfm
When President Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 into law, he said:
“We have placed a wall of civilization between us and the beauty of our
countryside. In our eagerness to expand and improve, we have relegated
nature to a weekend role, banishing it from our daily lives. I think we are a
poorer nation as a result. I do not choose to preside over the destiny of this
country and to hide from view what God has gladly given.”
In May 2010 the state of Delaware celebrated the 20th anniversary of the state’s Adopt-a-Wetland program.
Delaware Adopt a Wetland Program Turns 20 in Delaware
http://www.coastalsussex.com/2010/05/10/adopt-a-wetland-program-turns-20/
Delaware Adopt a Wetland Program
http://www.dnrec.state.de.us/DNREC2000/Divisions/FW/Adopt-A-Wetland.htm
Delaware Adopt a Wetland Homepage
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/DelawareWetlands/Pages/AdoptaWetland.aspx
Georgia and Texas also have active programs:
Adopt a wetland workshop set for July 17
http://savannahnow.com/bryan-county-now/2010-07-07/adopt-wetland-workshop-set-july-17
University of Georgia Website
http://www.shellfish.uga.edu/wetlandhome.htm
Georgia Adopt a Wetland Program Evaluation
http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/aascd/Manuals_etc/AAW/AAW_App_D.pdf
Texas Center for Coastal Studies Adopt a Wetland Program
http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/ccsaep/adopt.htm
Texas program video about the program can be downloaded at:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/webcasts/gulf/wetland.phtml
An Adopt-a-Wetland Program can be designed as part of a comprehensive local government wetland program. It offers a role for volunteers. The state of Maine’s Beginning with Habitat Program provides local government with maps that identify important natural resources. It identifies a wetland adoption program as one part of a much larger package of activities that the maps can support. http://www.beginningwithhabitat.org/the_maps/map7.html (Adopt a wetland is in the third bullet from the bottom). Other communities interested in developing a similar comprehensive approach might find ‘Common Questions Local Government Wetland Protection Programs’ http://www.aswm.org/propub/6_localgov_6_26_06.pdf as a good starting point.
Whether its highways, streams, or wetlands, these programs all have one thing in common. They are partnerships. Successful partnerships require careful development, mutual respect, and sustained commitment. To get started it is worth reviewing some useful ideas included in Conservation Partnerships: A Field Guild http://www.fws.gov/policy/AppendixA6.pdf.
Additional Information about Adopt-a-Wetland Programs around the country and internationally are available at:
EPA Region I How to Adopt a Wetland
http://epa.gov/gmpo/education/pdfs/WorldBackyard8.pdf
Pennsylvannia’s Adopt A Wetland Student Training Module (1999)
http://www.wetlands.psu.edu/products/
manual/manual.pdf
http://www.wetlands.psu.edu
Adopt a Wetland, Oakdale, MN
http://oakdale.govoffice2.com/vertical/Sites/%7B9D2ABE6F-4847-480E-9780-B9885C
59543F%7D/uploads/%7B07710162-E46A-488A-8C36-0EEFEB0B7407%7D.PDF
Southwest Colorado
http://www.southwestcoloradowetlands.org/
Adopt%20a%20wetland/Adopt%20a%20wetland.html
Long Beach, California El Dorado Nature
Center
http://www.longbeach.gov/naturecenter/
International Bahamas Adopt a Wetland Program
http://www.pintailpride.com/adoptawetland.html
Topics: The Compleat Wetlander, wetland | No Comments »
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