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Riverways NewsNotes #14 February 11, 2005 An electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Riverways Program, http://www.massriverways.org A brief recap of Riverways' work in 2004 and focus for 2005: Going beyond site-specific projects to look at watershed-wide activities impacting instream health, and taking action to restore natural processes to riverine ecosystems Dear River Advocates, As you (may) know, each edition of Riverways NewsNotes typically includes a lead article on some aspect(s) of river protection, restoration and/or stewardship, followed by a Resources and Grants section that Russ Cohen assembles. NewsNotes #14's first section highlights Riverways' work and accomplishments over the past year, then follows with a richer than usual Resources and Grants compilation. We hope that you will be able to make much use of this latter section with its extensive listings of engaging programs, helpful web sites, interesting books, links to watershed groups and ongoing issues as well as funding opportunities. Topics covered in NewsNotes #14's Resources and Grants include stream restoration, environmental health, core habitats, politics of dam removal, open space, headwater streams and runoff. As usual, some of the items in this section (such as grant application deadlines and the Calendar) are very time-sensitive. As always, please feel free to share our NewsNotes with interested partners. Here's a brief update about Riverways: In January of every year, as part of our planning for the upcoming year, Riverways staff reviews our work over the preceding year in part to see how we can adapt our programs to better meet the current needs of river systems and the river constituency. This year, once again, we are impressed with all that we have learned from you and the opportunities that working with you bring for our staff. One of the things we have learned from our restoration experiences is that our work --whether it be on dam removal, culvert retrofits, flow, or water quality—needs to look beyond site-specific issues to consider them in a more holistic, ecosystem-based context and perspective. River Restore, one of our most innovative programs, has been dedicated to reconnecting natural and cultural river communities by selective removal of dams and other obstructions since 1999. Collaborating with dam owners, federal, state, local and nonprofit partners, River Restore led or co-led efforts to remove dams in Dalton MA, Plymouth MA and Becket MA. In addition to initiating both River Continuity and the Environmental Risk Index, River Restore staff has worked on holistic watershed projects, such as the Neponset River, where they have taken a comprehensive approach to restoring fish passage and instream habitat while developing a strategy to remediate contaminated sediment (including a special outreach project funded this year by the Mass. Environmental Trust). As River Restore completes its pilot projects, River Restore staff roles are changing, as described below. In the meantime, one of our cornerstone programs, Adopt-A-Stream, has expanded its work to help communities with even more stream surveying tools and implementation projects, and is integrating the expertise of all of our staff in community-based projects. Adopt-A-Stream staff, Rachel Calabro, Amy Singler and Carrie Banks, bring technical, planning and community-organizing expertise to river restoration projects. Adopt-A-Stream staff continues to work on River Continuity, training volunteers to identify culverts that create barriers to fish and wildlife passage in and along rivers and streams, and working on demonstration projects in the Westfield River and Taunton River Watersheds to restore more natural conditions at road crossings over streams. Adopt-A-Stream is also working with Stream Teams in two watersheds—South Coastal and Connecticut—on a social marketing project to encourage awareness of the connection between stormwater and stream health through the actual installation of small non-point-source BMPs. Part of the project, completed this past fall, included community surveys and focus groups to determine the extent of awareness and identify the barriers and motivations to changing habits and implementing projects to reduce stormwater and benefit nearby streams (funded this year by a federal §319 grant through DEP). We are pleased that Brian Graber, a fluvial geomorphologist, has joined our staff. Brian provides on-site assessments of projects in the context of how watershed-wide activities can impact instream health and what steps (if any) are necessary to help restore more healthy, natural processes to river and stream ecosystems. His work has included in-depth field measurements, technical assistance and conceptual restoration plans for 3 projects, provided technical advice to communities and partners on 17 different potential restoration projects as well as spearheading efforts to retrofit culverts for River Continuity. On selected projects, Riverways can give diagnostic help to see where problems exist on a subwatershed basis, find root causes, and determine solutions that will protect the ecological integrity of streams. Riverways will now evaluate and undertake riparian restoration projects through a new initiative we are calling the Stream Restoration Team that draws on the expertise of several Riverways staff members. While River Restore will cease to function as such, the lessons learned from River Restore will be carried forward and put to good use in this and other Riverways efforts such as River Continuity and Environmental Risk. Of course, Riverways will continue existing programs like Adopt-A-Stream and the River Instream Flow Stewards (RIFLS), a first-in-the-nation program to provide citizen-gathered sound science to flow monitoring, and Technical Assistance on water quality issues, bioremediation, trails, public access, regulations and permits. Karen Pelto will continue to work on some projects begun under River Restore while taking on selected additional projects with a new title of Special Projects Coordinator. Her current projects include: ecological restoration and contaminant remediation in the lower Neponset River, and the Assabet River study of sediment abatement options, including dam removal, to reduce phosphorous loadings, where she will serve as a member of the Assabet River study coordination team. This team has been developed through an memorandum of understanding between Mass. DEP and the Assabet River Consortium. Karen will also continue her work with the Yokum Brook restoration in Becket. Restoration projects across the state will benefit from her continued service on the Mass. Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership board of directors as well as contributions to selected policy initiatives. In the meantime, Riverways' Stream Restoration Team will take on one or two pilots that provide a holistic look at subwatershed restoration including dam removal. This approach will bring together Riverways staff with expertise on policy, flow, water quality, geomorphology, geology, biology and regulations and provide new opportunities for restoration. We will provide you with additional information on this new initiative as the year progresses. Riverways Staff had an amazingly productive year in 2004. We invite you to see our highlights in the next section of NewsNotes. These highlights have been gleaned from our 2004 Annual Report that will soon be on our web page (http://www.massriverways.org). We hope to see many of you at the Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition on Sat. February 26 from 8:30AM to 3:00PM in Leominster (see more info in the Calendar section below). This year's meeting focuses on the emerging framework for proactive watershed management in Massachusetts and features EOEA Undersecretary for Policy Jim Stergios, who will welcome your ideas for partnering with state and local governments to implement the recently-enacted Massachusetts Water Policy (see http://www.mass.gov/envir/wptf/final.htm). And then on to March and the MACC Conference, the Mass. Land Conservation, the Westfield Symposium (all of which include Riverways staff as presenters), and…***save the date*** - on Friday, April 29, Riverways and partners will be hosting a Stream Flow Restoration Conference—we hope you can attend (more about that in the next NewsNotes). See you on the rivers (skating or skiing perhaps?) - Joan Kimball, Director P.S. If these e-mail NewsNotes were forwarded to you by someone else and you would like to receive them directly, please let us know. Additionally (or alternatively), if the format of the e-mail version of these NewsNotes is in an incompatible format to your computer's e-mail program, we encourage you to read the on-line version of Riverways NewsNotes posted (soon if not already) on our web page (www.massriverways.org). All previous NewsNotes are also available on-line. Highlighted topics of past NewsNotes include: The importance of protecting smaller streams, Collaboration for Water Resources Protection, Living Waters, Assessing Dams for Environmental Risks, River Continuity, River Instream Flow Stewards (RIFLS), Fishway Stewardship, Nonpoint Source projects, Adopt-A-Stream Technical Service Awards, and River Restore's Neponset Project. River Instream Flow Stewards (RIFLS) – volunteer stream flow data collection Doubled the number of volunteers and streams in the first-in-the-nation River Instream Flow Stewards (RIFLS) Program and maintained the stream flow database with 2,366 measurements from over 40 volunteers Adopt-A-Stream – watershed surveys & restoration River Continuity – fish passage through culverts River Continuity – pilot culvert designs
Environmental Literacy for the Technologies for Pollution Remediation Innovative Stormwater and Wastewater Management Facilities in the Blackstone Watershed Environmental Risk Index – prioritizing failing dams Volunteer GIS Ground-truthing Technical Assistance to Communities River Restoration Projects Social Marketing for River Stewardship Federal Wild and Technical Assistance to Partners Project Reviews Riverways NewsNotes – electronic newsletter Conferences and Workshops Associated Grant Makers' Services for Grant Seekers Beldon Fund Common Stream FishAmerica Foundation (FAF) Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation's Forest Stewardship for Watershed Health Grants http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/urban/urbanGrants.htm Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)'s 2005 Water Loss Prevention Grant Program Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife's Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) Norcross Wildlife Foundation Prospect Hill Foundation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Coastal Program Getting information out to end users on new and innovative technologies for wastewater and stormwater management can boost local and state efforts to protect and enhance water quality. Area engineers, consultants, municipal officials, and others are frequently unaware of the broad range of technologies that are available to either enhance or replace more conventional approaches to stormwater and on-site wastewater management. The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US EPA (through its Center for Environmental Industry & Technology, CEIT) have been collaborating since 1997 on a series of regional and state-based trade shows to disseminate information on innovative technologies and practices. The highly popular one-day shows have been translated into a web-based format in order to meet repeated requests to make the information more widely available. Information is set out in a fact sheet format that details system specifications, site and pretreatment requirements, costs, maintenance needs, and other factors useful for evaluating and selecting a system appropriate to local conditions. This on-line Storm Water and Wastewater Virtual Trade Show is accessible via EPA Region One New England's website at http://www.epa.gov/ne/assistance/ceitts/index.html. On a similar (stormwater) note: To assist the 5000 municipalities that are currently building programs to prevent and control stormwater pollution, EPA has developed 17 case studies that highlight successful municipal approaches to the six minimum measures that are outlined in the NPDES Stormwater Phase II regulations. Most of the case studies are drawn from local governments that implemented the Stormwater Phase I requirements in the 1990s. The stormwater case studies can be viewed at www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/casestudies. On a similar (wastewater) note: On January 12, the U.S. EPA formalized an agreement with several organizations that focus on septic systems to improve the management of decentralized wastewater treatment systems that currently serve a quarter of the nation's homes and are used in about one-third of all new housing and commercial development. When properly sited, designed and maintained, these systems are capable of producing high quality wastewater. However, poorly sited and/or managed decentralized systems are the second greatest threat to groundwater quality, second only to leakage from underground storage tanks. It is estimated that, nationwide, 10-20% percent of decentralized systems are not adequately treating wastewater due to inadequate site location, design and maintenance. Visit http://cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/home.cfm for more info about the effort and EPA's work in this area. Incidentally, one of the most important means of prolonging the life of a septic system, preventing failure (back-ups into the house or breakouts to the surface of the leaching field) and minimizing the discharge of residual pollutants to surface and groundwater is to practice water conservation (see, e.g., http://www.septic-info.com/doc/display/32.html, http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/environment/BD295.html, http://wehomeinspect.com/septic_systems.htm and http://waterhome.brc.tamus.edu/texasyst/household.html). A new on-line, distance learning training module called Growth and Water Resources has recently been posted on EPA's Watershed Academy webpage (http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/smartgrowth). This training module explains how changes in land use affect water resources, and presents national data on trends in development patterns and activities on land that have become increasingly significant challenges for achieving water quality standards. The module describes a combination of approaches to accommodate future growth in a way that benefits the economy and the environment while helping to meet water resource goals. The module also includes a “tools” section with links to on-line resources. Another recent addition to the Watershed Academy is a course on the Fundamentals of the Rosgen Stream Classification System, which summarizes the basic Level 1 and Level 2 techniques for classifying stream channel types according to the Rosgen classification system, which is one of the most widely used methods for stream classification in the country. The popularity of this system is due to its basis in fluvial geomorphology and natural stream formative processes, its use of common geomorphic principles and field measurement techniques, its relationship to stability or instability of the stream channel and channel evolution, and relating all of the above to stream restoration principles and practices. FYI, the EPA's Watershed Academy on-line training and certificate program gives users free access to a valuable array of watershed topics in over fifty separate modules, all peer reviewed and designed for user friendliness. Enough material exists in these modules to provide at least six weeks (!) worth of training. A free CD version that includes 44 of the modules is available to those who might have limited or slow Internet access. For more info, please contact Jamal Kadri at kadri.jamal@epa.gov. EPA Region One New England provides several means for keeping up to speed with environmental matters in the region. In the News (http://www.epa.gov/region1/inthenews/index.html) provides daily on-line access to top newspaper stories about the New England environment and links to related information. Greenbytes (http://www.epa.gov/region1/ra/gb/subscribe.html), a free electronic newsletter that EPA Region One e-mails to subscribers on a more-or-less weekly basis, includes a timely feature story on a specific environmental issue, listings of upcoming meetings, press releases and information on Region One's newest web pages. While the last edition of NewsNotes (#13) highlighted the state's Low Impact Development (LID) web page (http://www.mass.gov/envir/lid/) this one focuses on the EPA's LID page (http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid), which contains information on the EPA's efforts in this area as well as links to non-EPA resources such as the Department of Defense (DoD)'s recently-published 105-page document entitled "Design: Low Impact Development Manual". This document is authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Chief of the Engineering and Construction Division, top engineers of the Navy and Air Force, and a senior official in the Department of Defense and is intended to be used for all DoD projects and work for other customers where appropriate. Thus we may expect to see the use of LID techniques ramped up in future DoD facilities development projects. Moreover, as various contractors work with the DoD facilities and are directed to use LID techniques in their work, familiarity with the benefits of LID and the various techniques that are available should continue to grow nationwide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program (EMRRP) has put out a number of useful technical publications on various aspects of riparian area protection and management, most of which are accessible on-line. These include: Landscaping Considerations for Urban Stream Restoration Projects (http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/sr42.pdf); Width of Riparian Zones for Birds (http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/si09.pdf) and Design Recommendations for Riparian Corridors and Vegetated Buffer Strips” (http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/sr24.pdf). The latter document, prepared in April of 2000 by Richard J. Fischer and Craig Fischenich of the Army Corps' R&D Center's Environmental Lab in Vicksburg, MS, is particularly good, as it summarizes and references many studies on various vegetated buffer widths needed to achieve various purposes. The U.S Forest Service's publication entitled A Soil Bioengineering Guide for Streambank and Lakeshore Stabilization (FS-683, October 2002), is available on-line at http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/soil-bio-guide. This guide provides information on how to successfully plan and implement shoreline stabilization project using soil bioengineering techniques (see p.4 of http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/river/pdf/rivnlsum01.pdf for background information on this topic). Basic principles and background information on ecology and the stream dynamics needed before attempting a restoration project are also presented. [FYI: The Guide contains wonderful color glossy photos and graphics, and you may be so favorably impressed with it that you will want your own hard copy, which you can request by sending an e-mail to mailroom_wo_sdtdc@fs.fed.us]. “Logical Lasting Launches: Design Guidance For Canoe And Kayak Launches”, the title of a 117-page guidebook put out by the National Park Service's Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program, offers guidance for designing canoe and kayak launches for a variety of access sites. Descriptions, designs, and photos of launches are grouped into eleven chapters, according to type, with focus on the point of entry onto the water. Chapter I presents five important factors to consider when designing a launch and discusses the relevance of location and water body characteristics to choosing an appropriate launch type for a particular access site. Chapter II provides a quick reference chart to assist with choosing a launch type that can accommodate conditions or characteristics specific to an access site. Chapters IV-X provide detailed information on a variety of launch types, including case examples, designs, photos – where these launch types have worked! Chapter XI discusses several design options for access in environmentally sensitive areas. Logical Lasting Launches is accessible on-line in .pdf format at http://nps.gov/rtca/helpfultools/launchguide.pdf. With all the precipitation we've experienced during the last few months, there is the potential for flooding damage when the warmer weather returns in the spring. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force's website (http://www.heritagepreservation.org/programs/taskfer.htm) provides information on how to protect historic documents and other valuable resources from water-related damage. Massachusetts hunting, fishing and sporting licenses for 2005 are now available for purchase on-line at the MassOutdoors site (accessible via http://www.masswildlife.org – click on the “Buy a License Online” button.) Outdoor recreation enthusiasts can also use the MassOutdoors website to conduct other business such as purchasing recreational lobster permits and renewing motorboat, ATV and snowmobile registrations. Temporary licenses and registrations may be printed at time of purchase and are valid for 10 days. The temporary documents allow the bearer to hunt small game, fish or go boating as soon as the ink is dry. Permanent licenses or registrations are mailed within 5 business days of the date of sale and are valid for the remainder of the calendar year. Due to physical documentation requirements, individuals who are eligible for free licenses (e.g. age 70 or older, handicapped, etc.) cannot obtain licenses through MassOutdoors; conversely, minors ages 15-17 may only obtain fishing licenses through the website. Questions may be directed to the MassOutdoors Help Desk at (617) 626-1600 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during normal business hours, or via e-mail at Mass.Outdoors@state.ma.us. For those who wish to support wildlife conservation other than (or in addition to) buying a sporting license, info about donating to the state Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund can be found on-line at http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhmissn.htm (scroll to the bottom), and info about donating to the state Wildlands Fund for habitat land protection is at (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwlnd.htm#HELP). Have you ever wondered which special habitats or rare species sites need protecting in your town? MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NH&ESP) has released new town Core Habitat maps and reports to help town officials, land trusts and other interested conservationists. Town-specific reports, along with a large color town map, were recently mailed to municipal Conservation Commissions, Planning Boards, Community Preservation Act Committees, Community Development Plan Committees, and town-based Land Trusts. The Town Core Habitat Reports provide a summary of the rare species, natural communities, and freshwater habitats found in the Core Habitats identified in 336 of the Commonwealth's 351 towns. Core Habitats are critical sites identified as important for the long-term survival of Massachusetts' biodiversity in the BioMap and Living Waters reports produced by the NH&ESP. These two conservation plans, produced over the last 4 years based on 25 years of Natural Heritage data, were supported by special bond funding provided by the Mass. Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and by State Wildlife Grants from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. To read your town's Core Habitat report, go on-line to http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhconsmap.htm. Large, color Core Habitat maps for your town can be ordered for a nominal fee by going on-line to http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhpubs.htm#newpubs. For more information about this project, contact Chloë Stuart at (508) 792-7270 ext. 301 or Chloe.Stuart@state.ma.us. Invasive Plants of the Eastern United States: Identification and Control is available on-line at http://www.invasive.org/eastern or a free CD-ROM. It includes .pdf files and Internet links to recent publications by the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA APHIS PPQ and the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. This CD-ROM covers identification characteristics, distribution, and control options for 97 tree, shrub, vine, grass, fern, forb and aquatic plant species that are invading the eastern United States, many of which are problematic in New England. For each species, a menu of control options is presented, including mechanical treatments, specific herbicide prescriptions, and, for selected species, recent advances in biological control. Requests for copies of the CD should be sent to Lisa Cress at lcress@fs.fed.us. “Are our rivers, lakes, and ponds clean? Is the water coming out of the tap safe to drink? Are our wetlands being preserved?” The answers to these and other wetlands and water-related questions of human health and environmental concern are now addressed at the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)'s new Environmental Progress Report (EPR) web site (http://www.mass.gov/dep/brp/epp/epphome.htm). The site provides a PowerPoint presentation explaining how the EPR differs from what DEP has done before, and why the agency thinks this new direction will dramatically increase its effectiveness in improving environmental protection and human health. The EPR web site currently focuses on three programmatic goals: Safe and Sufficient Drinking Water (http://www.mass.gov/dep/brp/epp/dw/dwhome.htm); Assure Clean Water and Sufficient Water for Healthy Ecosystems (http://www.mass.gov/dep/brp/epp/sg/sggwhome.htm); and Intact Functioning Wetlands (http://www.mass.gov/dep/brp/epp/wet/wethome.htm). For each, the steps necessary to achieving the goal are listed. Each step has three levels of information: an indicator of condition and a one-page, easy-to-understand description of why it is important and how DEP is doing; a work plan that analyzes the indicator data, describes the strong performance the agency is seeking to maintain, and outlines areas where DEP is using environmental information to drive changes in the agency's work; and links to more detailed information, from DEP databases to other relevant websites. For more info, contact Sandra Rabb at sandra.rabb@state.ma.us or at (617) 556-1154. Non-Governmental On-Line Resources
CitizenSpeak Environmental Health News (EHN) Freecycle™ Groundspring.org Habitattitude™ IssueSource Mass. Audubon's Ecological Extension Service Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities (MCHC) Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance National Directory of River and Watershed Conservation Groups Opportunity NOCs New England Organizers' Collaborative (OC) Runoff Rundown Stone Wall Homepage WaterMagazine.com The Coalition for Buzzards Bay (CBB) is hosting a program entitled River Herring Conservation on Thursday, February 17, 2005 from 7PM to 9PM at the Wareham Public Library, 59 Marion Road, Wareham. Dr. Martha Mather of UMASS Amherst's Dept. of Natural Resource Conservation will take attendees on a virtual journey through the North Atlantic to discover why river herring stocks are dwindling and how this is impacting the region. As decreasing river herring populations are a big problem here in Massachusetts and Buzzards Bay, learn how local government agencies, environmental groups and citizens are working to restore populations. David Gould, Natural Resources Director for the Town of Plymouth, Dr. Robert Buchsbaum from Mass. Audubon, and John Dixon and George Funnell, Wareham Herring Agents, will describe local restoration efforts to bring back our beloved river herring. Finally, take a look at the future with CBB's Tony Williams who will describe CBB's plans to begin a river herring monitoring program in Buzzards Bay and invite you to take an active role volunteering in this new program. Go on-line to http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/bay-lectures.htm#horse for more info. “Green Infrastructures for Water in the City” is the title of a symposium to be held on Saturday, February 19th from 10AM-6PM in the Portico Rooms, Gund Hall (Harvard U. Graduate School of Design), 48 Quincy Street in Cambridge. This symposium is free and open to the public and is sponsored by The Harvard Center for Environment, Ecology in Design, the Dept. of Urban Planning and Design, Outside and the Dept. of Landscape Architecture. Green Infrastructures is a project-based forum for design professionals, scientists, academics and students of environmental design and policy. The symposium's diverse panel of guest speakers will present various approaches to the design and implementation of sustainable urban water systems. For more details, contact Natalie DeNormandie at ndenorma@gsd.harvard.edu or go on-line to http://studentgroups.gsd.harvard.edu/ecology/. The Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition (MWC) will take place on Saturday, February 26 from 8:30AM to 3:00PM at the Woodblock Building, 14 Monument Square, lower level, in Leominster. The meeting is open to interested individuals and organizations as well as MWC members. This year's conference will focus on the emerging framework for proactive watershed management in Massachusetts. One key component is the new Massachusetts Water Policy released last November (http://www.mass.gov/envir/wptf/final.htm). EOEA Undersecretary for Policy Jim Stergios, who chaired the state's Water Policy Task Force, will explore how watershed organizations can partner with EOEA to help cities and towns implement the new water policies. This plenary session will also share info about the state's sustainable development programs, which are supplying funding incentives, tools and guidance to protect aquatic habitats and restore the health of our rivers, lakes and water supplies. The MWC Annual Meeting will also feature updates on other initiatives, including: The DEP “Environmental Progress Report” (see blurb below); the Mass. Instream Flow Task Force, which is focused on the protection and improvement of local streamflows; and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques (see blurb below). The conference will include working sessions on recent publications and smart growth tools that can help watershed advocates to protect/restore local water resources (links to completed watershed plans and assessments are at http://www.mass.gov/envir/water/publications.htm);. Pre-registration is requested and there is a registration fee (only $5 – a great bargain) for meeting refreshments and materials, which can be paid at the door. To register or for more information, please contact MWC Director Ed Himlan at (978) 534-0379 or mwc@commonwaters.org. The Cutting Edge: Creating and Managing the Ecological Landscape is the title of the Ecological Landscaping Association's 2005 Winter Conference and Eco-Marketplace. ELA bills the event, scheduled for March 4th and 5th at the Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center in Marlborough, MA., as “New England's premier educational conference for the ecologically-minded, attracting a wide audience of landscape professionals, homeowners, community groups, educators, individual gardeners, and more”. This year's sessions include “Creating Wildlife Habitat in the Landscape”, Invasive Plant Control and Restoration, and “Simple Steps Toward Organic Lawn Care”. More info is available on-line at http://www.ela-ecolandscapingassn.org/winter_conf.htm. “Earth, Wind, Fire, Water: Exploring the Elements of Education” is the theme for the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society (MEES)'s Annual Conference to be held March 9, 2005 at Holy Cross College in Worcester. Workshops focus on skills, programs and research with reference to the elements. Many of the sessions offered in this year's conference focus on water, rivers and watersheds. Classroom teachers, naturalists, education administrators and youth group leaders will find sessions to meet their varied needs. Conference registration materials are available on-line at http://www.massmees.org. [FYI, National Environmental Education Week is April 10-16, 2005; find out how to participate at http://www.eeweek.org/eeweeklinks.html.] The Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD) in Conway, MA hosts a weekday evening (7-9PM) series of lectures open to the public on various aspects of environmentally-sensitive design. Upcoming lectures in the series include “Water Resources and Land Development Processes, by Mark Nelson of Horsley-Witten, on Wed. March 9th; “Preserving Town-wide Networks of Interconnected Conservation Lands”, by Randall Arendt, Greener Prospects, on Thurs. March 24th; and “Highlands Initiative: Conservation, Land Planning, Public Education”, by Jocelyn Forbush of The Trustees of Reservations on Wed. April 13th. For more info, contact the CLSD at (413) 369-4044, info@csld.edu or go on-line to http://www.csld.edu/wednesday_speakers.htm. Mass. Global Action (http://www.massglobalaction.org) is hosting a one-day conference entitled Globalization, Privatization, and H20 on Saturday, March 26th at Clark University in Worcester. The focus of the conference is the issue of whether or not the ownership, control and/or operation of community water sources and water and wastewater systems should be in public or private hands. The day's activities will include speakers, workshops, networking opportunities, and tabling from many organizations working on water issues. Learn from lessons in Lee, Lawrence, and Holyoke MA.; hear from local, regional, national, and international water organizers and organizations. Registration is a very affordable $10 for this event and can be done at the link above. For more information, call Jonathan Leavitt at (617) 338-9966. The Second Massachusetts Forum on Land Use Reform, sponsored by the Coalition for Zoning Reform/Zoning Reform Working Group, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, 2005, 10:00 AM – Noon, at Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont Street in Boston (Across from the Park Street T Station). The Forum will provide information and updates about the proposed Massachusetts Land Use Reform Act and focus on the land use planning challenges faced by the Commonwealth, why these reforms are needed, and what is involved in moving them from proposed legislation into law. The full text and background material on the Massachusetts Land Use Reform Act, as well as updates on this forum, can be found at http://www.massmunilaw.org. For more info and to pre-register for this free event, contact: Don Keeran, at the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, (877)955-4142 (toll-free), (508) 362-4226, (508) 362-4227 (fax), or go on-line to http://www.apcc.org. The 23rd Annual Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race is taking place on Sunday, April 24, 2005. Join over 1500 paddlers enjoying the improvements to the river while benefiting the Charles River Watershed Association (http://www.crwa.org). A wide assortment of racing classes enables everyone to participate and have a chance for a prize. Enjoy the opportunity to paddle through varieties of water, starting in rural countryside and finishing in Boston's famous urban river park. For race registration forms and for information, call (508) 698-6810 or e-mail rotc@crwa.org. Register by February 19 at 2004 rates! On-line registration is possible at http://www.active.com (click on the “individual sports” image and then type “Charles” into the search box). Where Rivers are Born: The Scientific Imperative for Defending Small Streams and Wetlands is the title of a well-written and beautifully laid-out document extolling the virtues of headwater streams and other small-scale hydric habitats. It serves as an eloquently-reasoned justification for why such wetlands and waterbodies need and deserve protection and provides an effective counterargument to efforts made to exclude non-navigable waterways and isolated wetlands and waterbodies from the jurisdiction of the federal Clean Water Act, triggered by the U.S. Supreme Court's “SWANCC” decision rendered several years ago. Over a dozen scientists collaborated on the preparation of this report, which was co-produced by American Rivers and the Sierra Club and coordinated by Professor Judy Meyer of the University of Georgia. Where Rivers are Born is available on-line at http://outreach.ecology.uga.edu/publications/pdf/scientific_imperative.pdf Vernal Pools: Natural History and Conservation, is the title of a recently-published book by Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Colburn of the Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA (and formerly with Mass. Audubon). This publication is the first book-length synthesis of the natural history, ecology, and conservation of the seasonally wet pools that occur throughout the formerly glaciated region of eastern North America -- essentially the Great Lakes Basin, New England, and adjacent areas of Canada and the U.S. Introductory chapters define vernal pools; provide overviews of their formation and physical-chemical-hydrological characteristics; and present data critical for assessing, regulating, and managing pool ecosystems. Subsequent chapters explore the biology of microscopic life forms such as bacteria, algae, and fungi and the great variety of higher plants associated with vernal pools, then delve into the descriptions, distributions, habitat requirements and life-history strategies of pool animals, and the ecological processes and patterns associated with the composition and dynamics of pool communities over time. A final chapter discusses research needs and conservation considerations that are a part of the ongoing effort to recognize, understand, protect, and manage vernal pools as viable elements in the landscape of eastern North America. An extensive appendix identifies all animals that have been reported from vernal pools of the region and describes their habitat requirements, geographic distribution, and life history characteristics. An extensive bibliography contains a vast listing of published literature, websites, and unpublished reports. The book's publisher, McDonald & Woodward, is offering the book at a 30% discount through April 30, 2005 for orders placed directly through them. (Go on-line to http://www.mwpubco.com/VernalPools-SpecialOffer.htm for the details.) Vernal Pools is available at the discounted price of $27.97 in hardcover and $20.97 in softcover (plus shipping). For more info, call (800) 233-8787 or e-mail mwpubco@mwpubco.com. Get yours in time for the next “Big Night” (see http://www.bignight.org)! Facilitating Watershed Management: Fostering Awareness and Stewardship, the title of a new book edited by Harvard U. Professor of Landscape Ecology Robert France, draws from the watershed management field's most prominent and innovative practitioners of water-sensitive planning and design and includes essays such as: “Saving Species by Saving Watersheds: Poster Development and Community Participation”, by Mark Chandler; “Taking it to the Streets: Watershed Awareness Efforts Merge With Public Art”, by Lisa Brukilacchio and Jennifer Hill; and “Riparian Pocket Parks as a Means for Physically and Conceptually Connecting People to Urban Waters”, by Kathleen Bullard. This 416-page book, enhanced by having most of its nearly 250 figures accessible in color via the Web, is available at a 20% discount from the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield, by calling (800) 462-6420 or going on-line to http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com. The politics of building dams, levees and other structures are just part of the policies determining how American rivers are managed or mismanaged. America's well-being depends upon the health of those rivers and important decisions go beyond just dam-building or dam removal. American rivers are suffering from poor water quality, altered flows, and diminished natural habitat. Current efforts by policymakers to change the ways American rivers are managed range from the removal of dams to the simulation of seasonal flows to the restoration of habitat, all with varying degrees of success. Efforts to restore American rivers are clearly delineated by Washington U. (St. Louis) Prof. William Lowry in his recently-published book entitled Dam Politics as he looks at how public policy and rivers interact, examines the physical differences in rivers that affect policies, and analyzes the political differences among the groups that use them. He argues that we are indeed moving into an era of restoration (defined in part as removing dams but also as restoring the water quality, seasonal flows, and natural habitat that existed before structural changes to the rivers), and seeks to understand the political circumstances that affect the degree of restoration. Lowry presents eight river restoration case studies, including dam removals on the Neuse and Kennebec rivers, simulation of seasonal flows on the Colorado River, and the failed attempt to restore salmon runs on the Snake River. He develops a typology of four different kinds of possible change--dependent on the parties involved and the physical complexity of the river--and then examines the cases using natural historical material along with dozens of interviews with key policymakers. Dam Politics provides a useful and systematic account of how American waterways are managed and how current policies are changing. American rivers are literally the lifeblood of our nation. Lowry has written a lively and accessible book that makes it clear as a mountain stream that it matters deeply how those rivers are managed. Dam Politics (320pp., $24.95) is available from its publisher, Georgetown University Press, by going on-line to http://press.georgetown.edu/detail.html?id=0878403906 AMC Books, the publishing arm of the Appalachian Mountain Club, recently released a revised and expanded edition of its Quiet Water Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island: Canoe and Kayak Guide. In this updated version of the AMC's popular guide, authors Alex Wilson and John Hayes reveal more than 100 spectacular ponds, lakes, and rivers ideally suited for canoeing and kayaking. Special features include: 100 spectacular calm-water destinations — nearly twice as many as the previous edition; detailed descriptions and maps of each pond, lake, and river; new at-a-glance trip summaries that open each chapter for easy scanning of tour details; driving, parking, and put-in directions; locator map for quick reference of trip locations; and info on local camping and picnic spots. Quiet Water (320pp. $16.95) can be found in many local bookstores or ordered on-line at http://amcstore.outdoors.org/ab1805000store/index.cfm. Hiking the SuAsCo Watershed: Exploring the Woods & Waters of the Sudbury, Assabet & Concord Rivers, by Jill Phelps Kern, is the only comprehensive guidebook for the on-foot exploration of the varied woods and waters within the watersheds of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers. Kern provides hikers, walkers and nature enthusiasts with many opportunities to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty of this unique watershed area. A total of thirty hikes are outlined in the book; together they represent a variety of scenery, terrain and hiking challenges. Each hike description includes detailed maps, trail directions, photographs, and inspired commentary. Whether you're an experienced day-hiker, a casual walker with children, or a nature lover who simply seeks the peace of the outdoors, this guidebook offers everything you need to know to start exploring this area. Hiking the SuAsCo Watershed (160pp., $15.95) is available from the publisher, New England Cartographics, by calling (toll-free) (888) 995-6277 or by going on-line to http://www.necartographics.com. Developed by the Boston-based Environmental Careers Organization (ECO, http://www.eco.org), The ECO Guide to Careers That Make a Difference: Environmental Work for a Sustainable World is unlike any other careers book. Reaching far beyond job titles and resume tips, The ECO Guide immerses readers in the strategies and tactics that leading edge professionals are using to tackle pressing problems and create innovative solutions. To bring definitive information from the real world of environmental problem-solving, The ECO Guide engages some of the nation's most respected experts to explain the issues and describe what's being done about them today. The guide explores issues such as global climate change, biodiversity loss, green business, ecotourism, environmental justice, alternative energy, water quality, green architecture, and twelve other critical issues. To demonstrate even more clearly what eco-work feels like on the ground, The ECO Guide offers vivid "Career Snapshots" of selected employers and the professionals that work there. ECO also identifies and describes forty specific jobs that are representative of environmental career opportunities in the 21st Century. It |