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Upper Midwest Report INVASIVE SPECIES: Great Lakes, Mississippi River are front lines for efforts against aquatic invaders Russell J. Dinnage, Land Letter reporter Ask federal or state-level officials tasked with addressing the spread of non-native aquatic invasive species about the single biggest challenge of their job and they would likely tell you that it all boils down to the tried-and-true regulatory practice of risk assessment. At the top of the list of high risk targets for these officials are two of the most pervasive non-native species present in the United States: the Asian carp and the zebra mussel. Combined, the two species are threatening an all-out invasion of the Mississippi River basin and the Great Lakes region, which represent North America's psychological border between East and West. Wisconsin Baird Creek & Urban Parkway PreservationThis article and links show good examples of what can be done to restore an urban creek and surrounding parkway lands. Planning based on natural resource inventories, citizen involvement, funding, &tc. Editorial: Everyone wins when nature is preserved Farmers are from Mars, non-farmers are from Venus Two recent and forward-thinking efforts in Wisconsin have helped to both illuminate the farmer-urbanite gap and maybe begin to close it. One was a series of forums, sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, looking at the future of farming and rural life in Wisconsin. The other was the Working Lands Initiative, organized by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to make the case for how productive and viable forests and farmland are essential to the Wisconsin economy. These forums and discussions transcended the Mars-Venus differences between Wisconsin farmers and their urban & suburban neighbors, showing common concerns such as food, land use and economic justice. Full article, by Denny Caneff. Research: It Pays to Live by a Flowing River The study, conducted by UW Madison economist Bill Provencher, compared the sales of properties in 13 communities in three settings – properties that lie within 1?4-mile of an existing millpond; a former millpond where a dam had been removed; and a river that has been free-flowing for at least 20 years. The authors found that:
FERC Takes a Long Time 1,100 Miles of Northern Wisconsin’s Most Pristine Rivers Now Protected The River Alliance & 43 other statewide and local conservation organizations called on the Wisconsin DNR to increase protections on over 100 northern rivers. Three tribal governments passed formal resolutions of support. After two years of research, analysis and public hearings, the DNR determined they had sufficient data to demonstrate that 45 of the rivers indeed met their criteria as Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters. The Natural Resources Board unanimously agreed in June, and this fall the Legislature allowed the designations to become official. The special designations ensure that the excellent water quality in over 80 segments of these 45 rivers will be maintained. Keeping these pristine waters clean protects fish and wildlife, enhances recreational opportunities, and enhances Wisconsin’s $11.7 billion tourism industry. Partnership Completes Wild Rivers Legacy Forest Acquisition Minnesota The Nature Conservancy Celebrates the Passage of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Michigan Erie Marsh Preserve enrolled into Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge North America’s first-ever International Wildlife Refuge – the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge – is doubling in size as The Nature Conservancy in Michigan enrolls its Erie Marsh Preserve into the refuge system. Since 2001, the refuge has grown from 394 acres to now 4,339 acres. Illinois Sylvan Island is restored Great Rivers Partnership Hires Ecosystems Services Specialist Indiana The Chicago-based Joyce Foundation will donate $5 million in grants to four environmental groups to reduce pollution in the Maumee River, a tributary of Lake Erie that runs from Fort Wayne, Ind., to Toledo, Ohio. The grants will go toward reducing runoff and restoring wildlife habitat and regions in the area (AP/Columbus Dispatch). Ohio The U.S. EPA is leading an emergency $1 million hazardous waste cleanup to unearth and remove more than 1,300 drums of paint and solvent buried in a hill overlooking the Little Miami River in Warren County. EPA is moving to clean up the site before the contents of the barrels reach the river, the drinking water supply for more than 40,000 county residents (Jessica Brown, Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec. 28). -- EB Special reports from other regions: NORTHEAST NEW YORK: Trout Unlimited asked the Delaware River Basin Commission panel yesterday to re-evaluate the water flow from the three major dams in New York that feed into the river under a three-year plan. The conservation group wants the panel -- which manages the river with representatives from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and the federal government -- to consider letting out more water for the benefit of fish and fishers (Brian T. Murray, Newark Star-Ledger). WATER POLLUTION: Enviro group seeks to force Pa. farmers to file control permits Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, or PennFuture, announced that it will sue five Lancaster County hog and chicken farmers to force them to file state and federal water pollution control permits as part of a larger effort to keep manure pollution out of the Chesapeake Bay. PennFuture said that the farms are among 250 livestock operations in Pennsylvania that do not have federal Clean Water Act water pollution control permits for their operations (Tom Joyce, York Daily Record). The farms produce almost 8 million gallons of waste per year from 10,000 pigs, 170,000 chickens and 330 cows, PennFuture said. And their proximity to the Susquehanna River, which is the largest source of fresh water to the Chesapeake Bay, makes them prime nitrogen pollution suspects, PennFuture staff attorney Kimberly Snell-Zarcone said. "These farms have refused to comply with the laws protecting water from farm pollution, despite the fact that they have known of the laws' requirements for some time," she said. SOUTHEAST DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Current and future property development in the District of Columbia may speed the environmental recovery of the Anacostia River, which is still heavily polluted by sewage, trash and toxic chemicals, Anacostia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee leader Thomas Arrasmith said this week (David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post). FLORIDA: State Rep. Richard Machek (D) said last week that Lee County officials should manage the pollution problems in their own jurisdiction and stop blaming Lake Okeechobee for the Caloosahatchee River's poor health. Lee County pours millions of gallons of processed sewage into the river every day (Jeremy Cox, Naples Daily News). SOUTH CAROLINA: Two sites in South Carolina are in the running for a federal initiative to store nuclear materials. The sites are the Savannah River Site, a federal nuclear weapons facility during the Cold War, and a landfill for storing low-level nuclear waste in Barnwell, S.C. Local supporters say the project could produce 7,000 jobs (Stacy Shelton, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Feb. 26). WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS: Whitewater enthusiasts test the waters of the Upper Chattooga For the first time in 30 years, a group of kayakers was allowed to experience a run down the upper reaches of the Chattooga River this week. They were taking part in a unique Forest Service study on whether to remove a long-standing ban on boaters along the portion of the river, imposed when a 57-mile stretch of the Chattooga flowing through parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia was granted "wild and scenic river" status in 1976. For two days, Jan. 5-6, a group of eight boaters and two monitors, using kayaks and a canoe, tested multiple sections of the river that included multiple Class IV and Class V rapids with names such as "Maytag," and "Harvey Wallbanger." The group had to portage at Big Bend Falls because of a log wedged at the base of the falls, but otherwise were able to paddle through the course marked by tall trees, gorge walls and a half-mile section of bedrock and boulder rapids called "Rock Gorge" -- among other highlights described by participants. The test, part of a "visitor use capacity analysis" ordered by Gloria Manning, reviewing officer for Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth in April 2005, represented a victory for members of American Whitewater and others who have been fighting the agency for more than a decade to lift the floating prohibition from a 21-mile run of the river above Highway 28 in the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. "We've spent 10 years trying to get the river open," said Kevin Colburn, national stewardship director for American Whitewater. The effort culminated in a successful appeal of the 2004 Sumter National Forest Plan that would have continued the long-standing prohibition. "There was never any justification for it," Colburn said. National: American Whitewater has taken a keen interest in river stewardship in recent years. Their website offers a nice river stewardship toolkit for river activists, with chapters covering State and Federal regulations, collaborations & coalitions, writing and media relations, and river access topics. AW will be in Madison, WI for Canoecopia, the world's largest paddlesport exposition, March 9-11. They will be discussing AW's projects in the Midwest and their national campaign to restore the Snake and Salmon Rivers through the coalition Save Our Wild Salmon. The Midwest Stewardship Roundtable will take place on Saturday, March 10 at 2:30 PM. AW will provide overviews and updates on Midwestern rivers they have helped restore through the FERC hydropower relicensing process, as well as Western major dam removals that are underway and their campaign to restore the Snake River for boaters and salmon. http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Stewardship/view/ USGS has made annual streamflow reports available. The maps and graphs include: National Overview, Regional Patterns, Seasonal Characteristics, High and Low Flows The summary describes streamflow conditions for water-year 2006 (October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006) in the context of the 77-year period 1930-2006. WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS: Bill would designate Ariz.'s Fossil Creek as wild and scenic Arizona's Fossil Creek would gain environmental protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act under legislation introduced this week by Arizona Republican lawmakers. H.R. 199, introduced by Sen. John McCain and Rep. Rick Renzi and cosponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl, would designate Fossil Creek as a "wild and scenic river" -- a classification that would provide the creek's stream flow with legal protections to prevent it from being dammed or otherwise threatened in the future. American Rivers praised the the lawmakers for being the first members of Congress this year to meet its "40x40 Challenge," -- a campaign announced last year to designate 40 new "wild rivers" by the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 2008. There are currently 165 rivers comprising 11,358 river miles in the wild and scenic river system, but at least 3,400 other rivers meet criteria for designation under the law, the group said. Nine rivers have been designated in the past five years. E&E Publishing, LLC Documentary Coming Soon on PBS Stations: Sierra Club is featured in this moving story of the rebirth of a biologically critical river in the Southwest. This one-hour documentary describes the natural and human history of Fossil Creek, examines the ecological effects of a dam and hydroelectric facilities there, and chronicles the 15-year process that led to decommissioning. Produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Paul Bockhorst. Narrated by Ted Danson. Situated in the high desert of Arizona, Fossil Creek has nurtured a rich diversity of life for millennia. In 1908, however, the water was diverted to generate electricity. Now, in a historic turnaround, the hydroelectric facilities are being decommissioned and the river returned to its natural state. A River Reborn presents a powerful case study in environmental restoration. It highlights a broad reassessment of rivers and dams globally, as well as the growing effort to balance fulfillment of human needs with protection of the natural systems that support human life. This includes the safeguarding of precious water resources and the protection of threatened and endangered species. As a focal point for this reassessment, Fossil Creek reveals both challenges and opportunities associated with riparian restoration. A remarkable feature of the story is that the decision to decommission was reached without litigation. Environmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and Arizona Public Service reached a comprehensive agreement through constructive engagement. The result is a notable "win-win" settlement. Thus Fossil Creek provides a rare and encouraging example of the cooperative resolution of environmental disputes NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes. |
