Friday, April 30, 2010

Mississippi River Water Resource News for the Week

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has scheduled a May 6, 9:30 AM hearing to examine the Water Resources Development Act of 2010, focusing on jobs and the economy.  The hearing will be held in the EPW Hearing Room (Room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building).  No witnesses have been scheduled at this time.  (Hearing web page).

On April 20, EPW Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (CA) and Ranking Member Inhofe (OK) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to Senators, indicating the Committee’s intent “to begin its work on the next Water Resources Development Act” (WRDA), and soliciting information from Senators on their priority water resource project requests that might be included in the measure.  The deadline set by the Committee for Senators to submit requests is 6 p.m. on May 18. The letter can be downloaded here.


Connected with a series of field hearings to hear from people about U.S. farm policy in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill, the House Agriculture Committee is collecting public comments about the Farm Bill on its website. All comments received online by June 14, 2010 will be included in the Committee's Farm Bill field hearing record.

Here is the link to the Northeast-Midwest Institute's April Newsletter on Mississippi River Basin issues (PDF file).  This month’s Update contains these news items:

  • USDA MRBI Funding Announcement
  • April 15 Mississippi River Basin Congressional Briefing Materials
  • Publications and Articles of Note
  • Conference, Event and Meeting Announcements
  • Federal Legislative Updates (America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act; WRDA 2010; Clean Estuaries Act; Flood Insurance Reform and Priorities Act; 2012 Farm Bill; Atrazine Legislation)
  • Federal Budget and Appropriation Update

The House Financial Services Committee on April 27 passed the Flood Insurance Reform and Priorities Act of 2010 (link to legislation summary is here).  See our April 27 blog post for more discussion on the bill and related discussions.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

When the Rain Comes

Flooding, development within floodplains, the efficacy and need for construction projects intended to mitigate flooding risks, and who should bear the risks of flooding are all perennial issues faced by and debated among those living and working within the Mississippi River Basin.  In a matter very much related to these issues, the House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a vote today on the Flood Insurance Reform and Priorities Act of 2010 (link to Committee schedule site is here).

The legislation (H.R. 5114) would reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a program intended to reduce flood risk, encourage smart floodplain management, and provide affordable flood insurance. The proposed legislation garnered significant attention during an April 21 hearing (link to hearing and testimony here), when representatives of the conservation, insurance and development communities testified regarding the impact several significant changes to the reauthorizing legislation would have on their respective interests.

A New York University School of Law Institute for Policy Integrity NFIP study and analysis can be downloaded as a PDF file here.

According to wording in the bill's finding and purposes section, the intents of the measure are to:

            (1) identify priorities essential to the reform and ongoing stable functioning of the national flood insurance program;

            (2) increase incentives for homeowners and communities to participate in the national flood insurance program and to improve oversight to ensure better accountability of the national flood insurance program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and

            (3) increase awareness of homeowners of flood risks and improve the information regarding such risks provided to homeowners.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Mississippi River Water Resource News for the Week

The House Agriculture Committee has scheduled a series of field hearings across the country "to review U.S. agriculture policy in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill," including one in the Mississippi River basin. That public hearing will be held on Friday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m. CDT at the Iowa State Fair Grounds, Penningroth Sale Center, in Des Moines, Iowa. A map to the Fair Grounds can be found here. The House Agriculture Committee public hearing web page is here.  The Committee has already held two hearings to inform the direction of the 2012 Farm Bill (one in Harrisburg, PA and one in Washington, DC).

Here is a link to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's press release regarding the April 21 introduction by Rep. James Oberstar (MN-8th) of HR 5088, “America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act” (see additional discussion on the issue here). The purpose of the legislation would be to restore the authority of the Clean Water Act that was altered by two Supreme Court decisions handed down in 2001 and 2006.


Several articles ran in the April 21 editions of Wisconsin newspapers about the state's newly proposed phosphorus wastewater discharge limits and the associated, potential costs to municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Here are links to three of the articles:
http://bit.ly/bnbtcq http://bit.ly/dk2UVU http://bit.ly/9grSe9

After adding amendments broadening the bill's scope, the House on April 15 passed HR 4715 (Clean Estuaries Act of 2010), reauthorizing the National Estuary Program (bill summary page here and the roll call vote here ). The National Estuary Program was created in 1987 to provide grants to improve the quality of estuaries of national importance. There are currently 28 estuary programs, each with the objective of evaluating watersheds feeding the estuary (including downstream impacts caused by upstream pollution), and developing plans for addressing those issues. A map overview of the watersheds within the EPA National Estuary Program can be viewed here. The web site for the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuarine Complex in Louisiana is located here.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Lorax (An Earth Day Tale)

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

At the far end of town
where the Grickle-grass grows
and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows
and no birds ever sing excepting old crows...
is the Street of the Lifted Lorax.

And deep in the Grickle-grass, some people say,
if you look deep enough you can still see, today,
where the Lorax once stood
just as long as it could
before somebody lifted the Lorax away.

What was the Lorax?
And why was it there?
And why was it lifted and taken somewhere
from the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows?
The old Once-ler still lives here.
Ask him. He knows.

You won't see the Once-ler.
Don't knock at his door.
He stays in his Lerkim on top of his store.
He lurks in his Lerkim, cold under the roof,
where he makes his own clothes
out of miff-muffered moof.
And on special dank midnights in August,
he peeks
out of the shutters
and sometimes he speaks
and tells how the Lorax was lifted away.

He'll tell you, perhaps...
if you're willing to pay.
On the end of a rope
he lets down a tin pail
and you have to toss in fifteen cents
and a nail
and the shell of a great-great-great-
grandfather snail.

Then he pulls up the pail,
makes a most careful count
to see if you've paid him
the proper amount.

Then he hides what you paid him
away in his Snuvv,
his secret strange hole
in his gruvvulous glove.

Then he grunts, "I will call you by Whisper-ma-Phone,
for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone."

SLUPP!
Down slupps the Whisper-ma-Phone to your ear
and the old Once-ler's whispers are not very clear,
since they have to come down
through a snergelly hose,
and he sounds
as if he had
smallish bees up his nose.

"Now I'll tell you,"he says, with his teeth sounding gray,
"how the Lorax got lifted and taken away...

It all started way back...
such a long, long time back...

Way back in the days when the grass was still green
and the pond was still wet
and the clouds were still clean,
and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...
one morning, I came to this glorious place.
And I first saw the trees!
The Truffula Trees!
The bright-colored tufts of the Truffula Trees!
Mile after mile in the fresh morning breeze.

And, under the trees, I saw Brown Bar-ba-loots
frisking about in their Bar-ba-loot suits
as they played in the shade and ate Truffula fruits.

From the rippulous pond
came the comfortable sound
of the Humming-Fish humming
while splashing around.

But those trees! Those trees!
Those Truffula Trees!
All my life I'd been searching
for trees such as these.
The touch of their tufts
was much softer than silk.
And they had the sweet smell
of fresh butterfly milk.

I felt a great leaping
of joy in my heart.
I knew just what I'd do!
I unloaded my cart.

In no time at all, I had built a small shop.
Then I chopped down a Truffula Tree with one chop.
And with great skillful skill and with great speedy speed,
I took the soft tuft, and I knitted a Thneed!

The instant I'd finished, I heard a ga-Zump!
I looked.
I saw something pop out of the stump
of the tree I'd chopped down. It was sort of a man.
Describe him?... That's hard. I don't know if I can.

He was shortish. And oldish.
And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice
that was sharpish and bossy.

"Mister!" he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.
And I'm asking you, sir, at the top if my lungs"-
he was very upset as he shouted and puffed-
"What's that THING you've made out of my Truffula tuft?"

"Look, Lorax," I said."There's no cause for alarm.
I chopped just one tree. I am doing no harm.
I'm being quite useful. This thing is a Thneed.
A Thneed's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!
It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove, It's a hat.
But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that.
You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets!
Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!"

The Lorax said,
"Sir! You are crazy with greed.
There is no one on earth
who would buy that fool Thneed!"

But the very next minute I proved he was wrong.
For, just at that minute, a chap came along,
and he thought the Thneed I had knitted was great.
He happily bought it for three ninety-eight

I laughed at the Lorax, "You poor stupid guy!
You never can tell what some people will buy."

"I repeat," cried the Lorax,
"I speak for the trees!"

"I'm busy," I told him.
"Shut up, if you please."

I rushed 'cross the room, and in no time at all,
built a radio-phone. I put in a quick call.
I called all my brothers and uncles and aunts
and I said, "Listen here! Here's a wonderful chance
for the whole Once-ler Family to get mighty rich!
Get over here fast! Take the road to North Nitch.
Turn left at Weehawken. Sharp right at South Stitch."

And, in no time at all,
in the factory I built,
the whole Once-ler Family
was working full tilt.
We were all knitting Thneeds
just as busy as bees,
to the sound of the chopping
of Truffula Trees.

Then...
Oh! Baby! Oh!
How my business did grow!
Now, chopping one tree
at a time
was too slow.

So I quickly invented my Super-Axe-Hacker
which whacked off four Truffula Trees at one smacker.
We were making Thneeds
four times as fast as before!
And that Lorax?...
He didn't show up any more.

But the next week
he knocked
on my new office door.

He snapped, "I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees
which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.
But I'm also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots
who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits
and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits.

"NOW... thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground,
there's not enought Truffula Fruit to go 'round.
And my poor Bar-ba-loots are all getting the crummies
because they have gas, and no food, in their tummies!

"They loved living here. But I can't let them stay.
They'll have to find food. And I hope that they may.
Good luck, boys," he cried. And he sent them away.

I, the old Once-ler, felt sad
as I watched them all go.
BUT...
business is business!
And business must grow
regardless of crummies in tummies, you know.

I meant no harm. I most truly did not.
But I had to grow bigger.So bigger I got.
I biggered my factory. I biggered my roads.
I biggered my wagons. I biggered the loads
of the Thneeds I shipped out. I was shipping them forth
to the South! To the East! To the West! To the North!
I went right on biggering... selling more Thneeds.
And I biggered my money, which everyone needs.

Then again he came back! I was fixing some pipes
when that old-nuisance Lorax came back with more gripes.

"I am the Lorax," he coughed and he whiffed.
He sneezed and he snuffled. He snarggled. He sniffed.
"Once-ler!" he cried with a cruffulous croak.
"Once-ler! You're making such smogulous smoke!
My poor Swomee-Swans... why, they can't sing a note!
No one can sing who has smog in his throat.

"And so," said the Lorax,
"-please pardon my cough-
they cannot live here.
So I'm sending them off.

"Where will they go?...
I don't hopefully know.

They may have to fly for a month... or a year...
To escape from the smog you've smogged up around here.

"What's more," snapped the Lorax. (His dander was up.)
"Let me say a few words about Gluppity-Glupp.
Your machine chugs on, day and night without stop
making Gluppity-Glupp. Also Schloppity-Schlopp.
And what do you do with this leftover goo?...
I'll show you. You dirty old Once-ler man, you!

"You're glumping the pond where the Humming-Fish hummed!
No more can they hum, for their gills are all gummed.
So I'm sending them off. Oh, their future is dreary.
They'll walk on their fins and get woefully weary
in search of some water that isn't so smeary."

And then I got mad.
I got terribly mad.
I yelled at the Lorax, "Now listen here, Dad!
All you do is yap-yap and say, 'Bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!'
Well, I have my rights, sir, and I'm telling you
I intend to go on doing just what I do!
And, for your information, you Lorax, I'm figgering

On biggering

and BIGGERING

andBIGGERING

and BIGGERING,

turning MORE Truffula Trees into Thneeds
which everyone, EVERYONE, EVERYONE needs!"

And at that very moment, we heard a loud whack!
From outside in the fields came a sickening smack
of an axe on a tree. Then we heard the tree fall.
The very last Truffula Tree of them all!

No more trees. No more Thneeds. No more work to be done.
So, in no time, my uncles and aunts, every one,
all waved me good-bye. They jumped into my cars
and drove away under the smoke-smuggered stars.

Now all that was left 'neath the bad smelling-sky
was my big empty factory...
the Lorax...
and I.

The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance...
just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance...
as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.
And I'll never forget the grim look on his face
when he heisted himself and took leave of this place,
through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.

And all that the Lorax left here in this mess
was a small pile of rocks, with one word...
"UNLESS."
Whatever that meant, well, I just couldn't guess.

That was long, long ago.
But each day since that day
I've sat here and worried
and worried away.
Through the years, while my buildings
have fallen apart,
I've worried about it
with all of my heart.

"But now," says the Once-ler,
"Now that you're here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not.

"SO...
Catch!" calls the Once-ler.
He lets something fall.
"It's a Truffula Seed.
It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula.Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back."

House Agriculture Committee Holding Hearings ahead of 2012 Farm Bill

The House Agriculture Committee has scheduled a series of field hearings across the country "to review U.S. agriculture policy in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill," including one in the Mississippi River basin.  That public hearing will be held on Friday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m. CDT at the Iowa State Fair Grounds, Penningroth Sale Center, in Des Moines, Iowa.  A map to the Fair Grounds can be found here.  The House Agriculture Committee public hearing web page is here (where hearing schedules and links to streaming audio and video on the hearings can be found).

The Committee has already held two hearings to inform the direction of the 2012 Farm Bill (one in Harrisburg, PA and one, yesterday, in Washington, DC).

Fiscal 2011 Budget Resolution Set to Move through the US Senate

The Senate Budget Committee today (April 22) will take up the Senate's fiscal year 2011 budget resolution; one that would potentially allow Democratic leaders to move legislative items through Congress under budget reconciliation rules.  The House Budget Committee has not started its mark up of the House Budget Resolution yet.  Most years (but not always), Congress negotiates and adopts a Budget Resolution in response to the President’s proposed budget. House and Senate committees have been holding budget hearings regarding the agencies under their jurisdiction.   Appropriations Committees in both the Senate  and House  will go about developing legislation to allocate funds, in line with FY 2011 spending ceilings set by the Budget Resolution (twelve appropriation subcommittees in each chamber will be tasked with drafting legislation to allocate funds to government agencies within their respective jurisdictions).  A Congressional Research Service introduction to the Congressional appropriations process can be read on-line and downloaded here (PDF file).

Below is the wording from the environmental section of Budget Committee Chairman’s Mark for the Fiscal Year 2011 Senate Budget Resolution (the Chairman's Mark can be downloaded as a PDF file in full here).

Environmental Protection and Water Infrastructure
The Chairman’s Mark provides $10.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which includes $3.5 billion for EPA’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The overall EPA funding level could also accommodate increases for Superfund, allowing the EPA to clean up more sites, as well as the brownfields program, and a variety of other EPA programs. Except for those explicitly stated in the Mark, it does not make assumptions with regard to other EPA programs.

Everglades
The Chairman’s Mark includes funding equivalent to the 2010 enacted level for the Army Corps of Engineers. It includes a small increase above the 2010 enacted level for the Department of Interior. These levels fully fund ongoing Everglades Restoration activities, including construction of authorized projects contained in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and the Everglades National Park Expansion Act.

Aquatic Ecosystems
The Chairman’s Mark fully funds the Chesapeake Bay Program at $63 million and the National Estuary Program (NEP) at $35 million.

Oceans
The Chairman’s Mark matches the President’s requested increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the additional funds used primarily for the acquisition of climate satellites.

Public Lands
The Chairman’s Mark exceeds the President’s request for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service. It includes the President’s proposal to increase funding for land acquisition programs.

Fire Suppression
The President should be commended for taking steps in his budget to account for growing annual fire suppression costs. The Chairman’s Mark fully funds the President’s request for wildfire suppression activities at the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. It provides the 10-year average for fire suppression costs and assumes that an additional $357 million will be provided if appropriated funds are exhausted and the severity of the fire season requires additional funding.

Great Lakes Restoration
The Chairman’s Mark recognizes the need to address significant and long-standing problems affecting the major large-scale aquatic, estuarine, and coastal ecosystems nationwide. The Chairman’s Mark therefore fully funds the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $475 million to work with Great Lakes states, tribes, and local communities and organizations to address issues prioritized in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. This initiative could address issues such as invasive species, non-point source pollution, habitat restoration, and contaminated sediment. Furthermore, the Chairman’s Mark recognizes the particular threats posed by the Asian Carp to the economy of the entire Great Lakes region and the importance in implementing prevention activities from the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. The Chairman’s Mark also supports the President’s proposal to use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing these ecosystems.

Corps of Engineers
The Chairman’s Mark recognizes the Corps of Engineers’ role in maintaining our nation’s infrastructure, and maintains funding for its construction and operations and maintenance accounts at the 2010 level.

Rural Water
The Chairman’s Mark recognizes the importance of the Bureau of Reclamation rural water program to support ongoing Municipal, Rural and Industrial (MR&I) systems. It provides funding equal to the 2010 enacted level to support these vital rural water development projects.

Yucca Mountain
The Chairman’s Mark supports the President’s request to close the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository and establish a blue ribbon commission to investigate alternatives.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Briefing on Federal Programs Impacting the Mississippi River Basin

On April 15, the Northeast-Midwest Institute, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force, hosted a "Briefing on Federal Programs Impacting the Mississippi River Basin." Presenters from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, District (Gary Meden), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (Mitch Flanagan) and US EPA (Katie Flahive and Sharon Hayes) briefed attendees on their respective programs as they relate to the Mississippi River basin. Here is a link to the briefing materials (a PDF file will download), including a list of attendees, presenters’ contact information, links to reference materials discussed by the presenters, presenter's notes and PowerPoint presentations provided at the briefing.
If you prefer to download an Adobe PDF portfolio file rather than a combined file, that link is here.

Clean Water Restoration Legislation Set to be Introduced in the House

Rep. James Oberstar (MN-8th) will unveil legislation on Wednesday, April 21 the purpose of which would be to restore the authority of the Clean Water Act that was altered by two Supreme Court decisions handed down in 2001 and 2006 (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 2001 and Rapanos v. U.S.; 2006).  The announcement will be made during an 11:00 a.m. news conference tomorrow, entitled “America's Commitment to the Clean Water Act,” webcast link available here  (upper left corner of page). 

Issue Background

In a 2001 Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers case, a consortium of suburban Chicago municipalities had selected as a solid waste disposal site an abandoned sand and gravel pit with excavation trenches that had evolved into permanent and seasonal ponds. Because the operation called for filling some of the ponds, the consortium contacted federal agencies, including the Corps, to determine if a landfill permit was required under Section 404(a) of the CWA (which authorizes the Corps to issue permits allowing the discharge of dredged or fill material into “navigable waters”). The CWA defines “navigable waters” as “the waters of the United States.” And the Corps’ regulations defined “the waters of the United States” to include intrastate waters, “the use, degradation or destruction of which could affect interstate or foreign commerce.” In 1986, the Corps attempted to clarify its jurisdiction, stating, in what became known as the “Migratory Bird Rule,” that Section 404(a) extends to intrastate waters that provide habitat for migratory birds. In determining the SWANCC case, the Supreme Court held that non-navigable, intrastate waters are not protected by the CWA solely on the basis that they serve as migratory bird habitat. In making its finding, the Supreme Court ruled that “nothing approaching a clear statement from Congress that it intended Section 404(a) [of the CWA] to reach an abandoned sand and gravel pit such as the one at issue. Permitting respondents to claim federal jurisdiction over ponds and mudflats falling within the Migratory Bird Rule would also result in a significant impingement of the States’ traditional and primary power over land and water use.” 

In a second, 2006, Supreme Court case (Rapanos v. U.S.), the Court examined whether the CWA protects non-navigable tributaries and their adjacent wetlands. The result was a split decision. While five justices agreed to void the rulings against the plaintiffs (who desired to fill wetlands for development purposes), four justices argued in favor of a more restrictive reading of the term "navigable waters" than did four other justices (one justice did not fully join either position). Therefore, while the Court did not invalidate the existing rules, the various opinions suggested different tests, suggesting a narrowing of federal jurisdiction and implying that the federal government needed a more substantial link between navigable waters and wetlands than it had been using. At the same time the Court held onto an existing "significant nexus" test.

In an April 30, 2009 USEPA Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) report to Rep. Oberstar, Congressionally Requested Report on Comments Related to Effects of Jurisdictional Uncertainty on Clean Water Act Implementation. Report No. 09-N-0149. April 30, 2009. the OIG observed that that the jurisdictional confusion created by two Supreme Court rulings in 2001 and 2006 had been a drain on resources for the agency, and that the USEPA had had difficulty crafting guidance that could help field staff clarify jurisdiction.

The bill to be introduced on April 21 will be the fifth attempt in the House to restore what the bill's supporters say was the original intent of the 1972 Clean Water Act: to address pollution in all freshwater throughout the United States, regardless of size. Last June the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a companion bill, S. 787, by a 12-7 vote, largely along party lines.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Mississippi River Water Resource News for the Week

As drainage way for much of the country's most productive agricultural land, the sustainability of Mississippi River watershed and its people depends significantly on activities on its farms. The next Farm Bill is slated for 2012, but already, because of its importance and complexity, the House Committee on Agriculture is scheduling public hearings to review U.S. agriculture policy in advance of the 2012 bill. The next hearing in Washington, DC will be on Wednesday, April 21 at 11:00 AM in room 1300 of the Longworth House Office Building. Live audio and video access to all public hearings and business meetings held by the House Agriculture Committee are streamed online here.

On April 13, the Wisconsin Third District Court of Appeals in Wausau, Wisconsin ruled that the public has a right to challenge the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (WI DNR) permit system if it believes there is a violation of the federal Clean Water Act. The Court also ruled that WI DNR is required to follow federal clean water standards in its wastewater permitting process. The Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin and the National Wildlife Federation filed a challenge in 2006, objecting to the DNR’s water pollution permit to Fort James Operating Company. A news article covering the decision can be found here; while the Court decision can be downloaded as a PDF file here.

The Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition and Northeast-Midwest Institute welcome Christine Kontra as the Coalition's new Legislative Director. Prior to joining the NEMW Congressional Coalition, Christine worked as a Legislative Assistant to Rep. Steve LaTourette (OH-14), for whom she handled appropriations, environment, defense, national security, veterans and arts issues. In addition, she spent two years working in the Columbus, Ohio, office of Senator George Voinovich, and worked in the communications department of the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. Christine has BA degrees in Political Science and History of Art from The Ohio State University. She is a native of Willoughby, Ohio.

You can contact Christine at Christine.Kontra@mail.house.gov.

Living Lands and Waters will be hosting the first-ever simultaneous, one-day cleanup of the Upper Mississippi River, called the "Great Mississippi River Cleanup," from St. Paul, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri on June 19, from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. To read more, help their effort by donating and organizing, or to register for the clean up, go here.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition Selects New Legislative Director

The Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition and Northeast-Midwest Institute welcome Christine Kontra as the Coalition's new Legislative Director. Prior to joining the Congressional Coalition, Christine worked as a Legislative Assistant to Rep. Steve LaTourette (OH-14th), for whom she handled appropriations, environment, defense, national security, veterans, and arts issues. In addition, she spent two years working in the Columbus, Ohio, office of Senator George Voinovich, and worked in the communications department of the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. Christine has BA degrees in Political Science and History of Art from The Ohio State University. She is a native of Willoughby, Ohio.

Christine can be contacted at Christine.Kontra@mail.house.gov, and through the Office of Rep. James Oberstar; 2365 Rayburn House Office Building; Washington, DC 20515.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Mississippi River Tourism and Kayaking News

You can register now for Floatzilla-2010, and join in to kayak with others to help break the Guiness Book of World Records kayaking and canoeing record on August 21, 2010 at the first ever Quad Cities Paddlesports Festival. Visit the Floatzilla web site for more information and to register.

And in related news, Illinois and Iowa tourism officials will launch a new "Travel Mississippi River" partnership on April 12 to promote Middle Mississippi tourism. Read more about the initiative here.

Mississippi River Water Resource News for the Week

In the April 9 Federal Register, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of a minimum of $25 million in financial assistance that will be made available in fiscal year (FY) 2010 for the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) throughout the United States to eligible landowners. Under WREP, NRCS enters into agreements with eligible partners to help enhance conservation outcomes on wetlands and adjacent lands. WREP targets and leverages resources to carry out high priority wetland protection, restoration, and enhancement activities and improve wildlife habitat through agreements with States, nongovernmental organizations, and Indian tribes.

On March 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of approximately $25 million (including about $5 million to be used to address natural resource concerns in the Mississippi River Basin) to fund projects designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies through its Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) in fiscal year 2010. USDA says in its press release that the Mississippi River Basin "funding will help USDA further advance its recently announced Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative for 12 Midwest and Southern states." Links to the USDA announcement and to associated links can be found here.

Comments submitted by the public through the April 5 comment submission deadline on the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Proposed Revisions to the National Objectives, Principles, and Standards for Water and Related Resources are available to view online or to download here. Over 100 comments were submitted by individuals and organizations through the online CEQ portal. Some of that number of submittals includes multiple submissions from the same persons.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the April 2 Federal Register for approximately $20.7 million in 2010 Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) new project funding. The Upper Mississippi River Basin is one of USDA's seven AWEP national priority areas. The AWEP is a "voluntary conservation initiative that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality." The purpose of the RFP is to to solicit proposals from potential partners seeking partnership agreements with NRCS to promote the conservation of ground and surface water and the improvement of water quality. The deadline for proposals to be postmarked or hand-delivered is May 17.

The location has been set for the April 15, Washington, DC briefing on existing and proposed Federal programs designed to conserve and restore water and natural resources in the Mississippi River Basin. The briefing will take place from noon to 1:00 PM. In Room 1105; Longworth House Office Building; Independence Avenue at South Capitol Street (see map here). A light lunch will be provided. The briefing is being sponsored by the Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Presenters from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and US EPA Office of Water will discuss such issues as the Environmental Management Program, Mississippi River Healthy Watersheds Initiative, and EPA's proposed new $17 million funding targeted at Mississippi River Basin nonpoint source mitigation, with time set aside for questions and discussion. Please RSVP Mark Gorman at the Northeast-Midwest Institute if you plan to attend (202-464-4015; mgorman@nemw.org).

Monday, April 5, 2010

Des Moines Meeting of the Mississippi River Collaborative

I attended a meeting of the Mississippi River Collaborative last week in Des Moines, Iowa, and had the pleasure not only meeting with some of the Collaborative's representatives, but also viewing a lovely moonrise one evening and sunrise the next morning over the Des Moines River and the Iowa state capitol outside of our hotel window.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Mississippi River Water Resource News for the Week

The Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task Force and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is sponsoring a Washington, DC briefing on existing and proposed Federal programs designed to conserve and restore water and natural resources in the Mississippi River Basin. Presenters from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and US EPA Office of Water will discuss such issues as the Environmental Management Program, Mississippi River Healthy Watersheds Initiative, and EPA's proposed new $17 million funding targeted at Mississippi River Basin nonpoint source mitigation, with time set aside for questions and discussion.

The briefing will take place on April 15 from noon to 1:00 PM. The location will be in Room 1105; Longworth House Office Building; Independence Avenue at South Capitol Street. A light lunch will be provided.

If you plan to attend or have any questions please RSVP/contact Mark Gorman (mgorman@nemw.org or 202-464-4015).


The National Science Foundation (NSF) will host a symposium at the NSF facilities in Arlington, VA on the afternoon of Thursday, April 15, 2010 to discuss, among other recent research, the impacts of human activity on the Mississippi River and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Full details of the symposium can be found here.

On March 29, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, and the Mississippi River Collaborative released a new report, “Cultivating Clean Water,” that examines the effectiveness of state-based regulatory programs to control agricultural-associated water pollution, and that recommends related policy changes. The report authors conclude that a number of states have adopted regulations to control agricultural pollution; however, they note that all states studied fall short on enforcement and monitoring, often the result of limited funding and staff. The Environmental Law and Policy Center media release, along with a link to the full report can be found here.

The latest edition of Delta Dispatches, with the latest news from local and national environmental groups on efforts to restore Coastal Louisiana can be found here.