Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Congressional Briefing: "Using Science to Improve Flood Management"
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is hosting a congressional briefing entitled "Using Science to Improve Flood Management," on November 2, 2011 at 2 PM (Eastern) in room 2253 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. You can read more details and find RSVP information here.


Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework Announced
Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the formation of a Federal Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework on October 25 at The Horinko Group's Second Annual Water Resources Summit. 

While indicating that a more formal announcement and additional details would follow, Mills stated that a major purpose of the Framework would be to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures targeted for high-priority watersheds through the USDA's Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (known as MRBI). More details about the new Framework can be seen here.


Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week


Agriculture -

• NSAC: Senate's 2012 agriculture spending bill cuts farm bill mandatory conservation program spending 12% http://bit.ly/mRV0WE
• Biofuel industry to continue some subsidies & financial assistance that it got in last farm bill http://bit.ly/v4HHoc
• Walz (D-MN), Fortenberry (R-NE) in House & Senator Harkin to introduce Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act http://bit.ly/sZsig2
• Rep. Chellie Pingree (R-ME) plans to introduce local farm and food bill this week http://1.usa.gov/tznhGX

Farm Bill-

• American Farm Bureau sends letter to Congress describing down sides of ‘shallow loss’ Farm Bill safety net proposals http://bit.ly/oOPZ77
• Farm lobbyists working with some lawmakers to draft grower subsidy plan that could sidestep Congressional debates http://bit.ly/oKSysX
• Boston Herald & Washington Post editorial boards come out for deep cuts to farm subsidies http://bit.ly/nAZHFT & http://wapo.st/nt5vfT
• Senate & House agri committee staff expected to work through weekend to complete supercommittee farm bill proposal http://bit.ly/uqf4UC
• House Ag Chairman Lucas: possibility of getting farm bill to Super Committee by Nov 1 deadline ‘about fifty-fifty' http://bit.ly/sQzdX1
• Potential loss of direct payments causes concern among conservationists http://bit.ly/vbEAs4
• Conservative groups trying to stop agriculture committees from getting new farm bill included in deficit-reduction plan http://bit.ly/uWAHuR
• Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer in new proposal demands that direct subsidies to farmers be eliminated http://bit.ly/w3fVfl

Water Quality -

• Hydrological separation of Great Lakes & Mississippi basins would stop carp; could also alter IL River water quality http://bit.ly/n0WzSu
• EPA Proposes to Collect Information about Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations http://1.usa.gov/veqvTk
• Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework announced by USDA http://bit.ly/tjqa2R
• Hydrological separation of Great Lakes & Mississippi basins would stop carp but could also alter water quality http://bit.ly/n0WzSu
• EPA Primer on Using Biological Assessment to Support Water Quality Management now available http://1.usa.gov/rtqV6G

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -

• USGS: No links found between floods and greenhouse gases http://bit.ly/v2c897

In the States -

• KY Democratic Gubernatorial running mates differ on coal mining issues http://bit.ly/sPAwuk
• Environmentalists: WI state legislation would weaken air and water protections http://bit.ly/rxKfky

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Asian Carp "Infest" Mississippi River at Twin Cities (MN) http://bit.ly/u6x5Qd

Federal Budget -

• NSAC: Senate's 2012 agriculture spending bill cuts farm bill mandatory conservation program spending 12% http://bit.ly/mRV0WE
• Federal spending bills lag & another temporary spending bill likely to keep government open through Christmas http://politi.co/tFPIhv
• Federal Budget cuts threaten conservation push in 'America's Dairyland' (Wisconsin) http://bit.ly/srAKCb
• House Minority Whip Hoyer (D-MD) casts doubt on supercommittee’s ability to reach agreement before its Nov. 23 deadline http://bit.ly/vkCjaQ
• House GOP leadership: EPA to be curbed by riders or no spending bill passage http://bit.ly/tMDSRg

Resource extraction -

• Nebraska Legislature plans special session on Keystone XL pipeline project http://lat.ms/vEfsYJ

Events -

• Congressional Briefing: "Using Science to Improve Flood Management" November 2; 2 PM in Washington, DC http://bit.ly/w13zUQ
• Levees & Beyond: Making Wise Choices, National Nonstructural Floodproofing Conference; Sacramento, CA; Nov 28 – Dec 1 http://bit.ly/u7QdpT
• International Conference on Sustainability, Transition, and Culture Change; Nov. 10-14; Bellaire, MI http://bit.ly/t9m9UB
• Webinar online to view: Global Climate Change: Water Quality Impacts, Ecological Impacts & Nonlinear Responses http://1.usa.gov/vCUwmN

Other news-

• Survey ranks countries and cities at risk for climate change disasters; Asia & Africa most at risk http://reut.rs/sfFCs7
• Asia pays a watery price for watershed/floodplain overdevelopment http://bit.ly/rycQev
• New research casts doubt on doomsday water shortage predictions http://bit.ly/u0dADq

Political Scene -

• Saturday: Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal won a second term, avoiding a November run-off http://wapo.st/o1Jpcs
• Non-partisan Congressional Management Foundation grades 112th Congress' member/committee web site usage http://bit.ly/qYJpWU
• Poll: Former Wisconsin Gov. Thompson leads pack for GOP WI Senate nomination http://bit.ly/tKnP2s
• Field of contenders for Rep. Costello’s soon-to-be-open IL US House seat growing http://bit.ly/vA8Uiz
• Ann Wagner definitively rules out switching to US Senate bid, will run for Congress in MO's 2nd district http://bit.ly/sslKK1
• Kentucky Democrat Chandler May Have Advantage in hi US House Rematch http://bit.ly/tsGEtG

Last Word -  "The mountains used to be white. Now, the mountains don't seem so white. It's all rocks." - Namdu Sherpa, a 75-year-old great-grandmother who operates a small trading post in Nepal's Khumbu Valley.

Congressional Briefing: "Using Science to Improve Flood Management"

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is hosting a congressional briefing entitled "Using Science to Improve Flood Management," on November 2, 2011 at 2 PM (Eastern) in room 2253 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.  The ESA release regarding the briefing notes that "The Mississippi and Missouri river watersheds saw record flooding this year. Recent congressional hearings have generated bipartisan consensus that reforms are needed to improve federal management of U.S. river systems. Two ecological scientists will describe the outcomes of these flood events and how advances in scientific understanding can help improve flood management nationwide to better protect human life, infrastructural investments and enhance water quality and fisheries productivity."

Featured speakers for the briefing will be Jeff Opperman, Senior Freshwater Scientist, The Nature Conservancy; and Emily Stanley, Professor, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

To RSVP or for more information, interested parties should contact the ESA's Terence Houston at terence@esa.org (telephone: 202.833.8773, ext. 224) by Tuesday, November 1.

Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework Announced

Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the formation of a Federal Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework on October 25 at The Horinko Group's Second Annual Water Resources Summit.

While indicating that a more formal announcement and additional details would follow, Mills stated that a major purpose of the Framework would be to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures targeted for high-priority watersheds through the USDA's Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (known as MRBI), initiated and managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Through the MRBI, NRCS works with conservation partners and agricultural producers in a 13-state Initiative area to address nutrient loading to the Mississippi River Basin. Monitoring the effectiveness of the targeted efforts is seen as key to measuring the Initiative's success and need for refinement.

Through the new Framework, Mills said, a tiered protocol of monitoring would be established, pooling the monitoring resources of several federal entities.   Sample results from "edge of field" monitoring would be collected under the auspices of NRCS cost-sharing farm bill grant programs, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey would monitor MRBI effectiveness in first and second order receiving streams in the River Basin.  Data from the River Basin monitoring by other Federal agencies and departments (such as the Army Corps of Engineers) will also be collected and evaluated through the Framework's collaborative efforts.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Appropriations and Supercommittee Update: Senate moves farm spending measure ahead
The Senate is poised to approve a package of three spending bills at the end of this month, including the USDA spending measure, after Senators worked into early Friday morning on most (although not all) of the numerous amendments to its first of three contemplated "minibus" spending bills and finally agreed to limit further debate.  The appropriations bill would set the Fiscal Year 2012 spending levels for not only the USDA, but also set science spending levels and those for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

Amendments approved by the Senate included setting new limits on farm subsidies for wealthy farmers (those with average adjusted annual gross incomes more than $1 million; see link to news article below) and adding funding for watershed conservation programs (transferring $8 million from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service administrative account into the Watershed Rehabilitation Program). 

With respect to the farm subsidy amendment, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, argued that her Agriculture Committee had already started to work on that very issue, noting, "Give us the next ten days to come forward with the new approach that we will be offering."

Senate leaders discarded dozens of other amendments proposed for the bill.  A vote on final passage on the bill is scheduled for the week of October 31, after a week-long Senate recess. It is expected that the bill will pass then, since Senators agreed last night to cut off debate on the measure.

In the meantime, bargaining by a joint special deficit-reduction committee ("supercommittee") has reportedly entered a more intensive stage, with a top budget official indicating that detailed analysis of several savings ideas is currently underway.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Agriculture -

• Sen. Cochran (R-MS) points to shortcomings in federal agriculture disaster assistance program http://bit.ly/oplBkr
• USDA to discontinue/reduce wide range of agricultural survey programs in light of budget cuts http://1.usa.gov/qR69qa
• Sens. Kirk (R-IL) & Shaheen (D-NH) op-ed: Halloween filled with "tricks" for US consumers: rigged US sugar policy http://bit.ly/o4PfCS
• Ethanol Producer Magazine: bull’s-eye on corn ethanol could fade if industry is more environmentally friendly http://bit.ly/q7NtQq
• Senate "minibus" 2012 spending bill amendment denies farm subsidies to those with ave. adjusted gross income >$1M http://politi.co/qrHOQb
• Growing corn, soybeans or wheat in 2012 will cost producers much more than it did in 2011 http://bit.ly/qXcT62

Farm Bill-

• Op-ed: Reform the farm bill, agricultural regulation at the same time http://bit.ly/ogXStw
• House & Senate Agriculture Committees Offer Recommendations for to Debt Reduction Supercommittee http://1.usa.gov/o5gwnw
• Overview of farm program debt-reduction cuts recommended by Congressional Ag committees, Obama, Paul Ryan & others: http://bloom.bg/q56Fy4
• Sens. Lugar-Stutzman recommendations to supercommittee would cut $40B from Farm Bill programs over 10 years http://bit.ly/nASWfs
• Sens. Thune & Brown Farm Bill plan replaces direct payments with another commodity crop farm subsidy nyti.ms/qmvG0C
• RT @DonEWG: DeMoines Register editorial: farm subsidies shouldn't encourage destruction of soil and water quality http://bit.ly/qL7nTA
• NPR Food Blog: Farm Subsidies Birds And Fish Would Choose http://n.pr/qjK1ZH

Water Quality -

• MN DNR on CRP cuts: Ability to reduce soil erosion and provide clean water will be further reduced http://t.co/eWxkwpYJ
• Senate Harmful Algal Blooms & Hypoxia Research & Control Amendments Act introduced http://bit.ly/p3cFeL & http://1.usa.gov/phnP2I
• Watershed Research Station & U of MN study: Farm drainage choking Mississippi River's Lake Pepin, Gulf of Mexico http://bit.ly/nJHl89
• EPA Administrator Jackson signs proposed NPDES concentrated animal feeding operation reporting rule http://1.usa.gov/oYVKui
• USEPA will develop rules for shale gas industry's disposal of wastewater http://reut.rs/njyhOL
• More Minnesota cities ban coal tar-based driveway sealer cited as water and air pollutant http://bit.ly/o1vYhH

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -

• Senators press Army Corps to redo Missouri River management manual & stress human safety more at Committee hearing http://bit.ly/qsH1Um
• Midwestern governors seek Missouri River flood investigation (PDF of their letter to Congress: http://bit.ly/pWh3j1)
• New US FWS report: Status of Trends of Wetlands in Conterminous United States 2004 - 2009 http://1.usa.gov/mQWeT0
• Pacific Institute: The World's Water, Vol 7: stresses sustainable water use & management in face of climate change http://bit.ly/79MypD

In the States -

• EPA asks IL attorney general to take enforcement action against railroad for Tiskilwa, IL ethanol spill http://trib.in/qLIJSm
• Tennessee Riverkeeper files lawsuit over over Lake Guntersville Clean Water Act violations http://bit.ly/mTuHwM
• 10 years of cleanup bring Ocoee River (TN) back to life from impacts of copper mine runoff http://bit.ly/ndoJgk
• $1.7 million restoration project brings Big Darby Creek (OH) "back to life" http://bit.ly/n6Mo1U
• New report: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in several TN surface waters/water supply sources http://bit.ly/qyGd3e
• Man sentenced to 3 yrs; fined $80,000 for Evangeline LA water pollution violations http://townta.lk/rq7dzx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Coalition of Great Lakes states & cities proposes controversial plan to re-reverse flow of Chicago River http://trib.in/o9eqej

Federal Budget -

• Senate's draft 2012 FY Interior-EPA spending bill released http://bit.ly/pDIGwH but next steps unclear http://bit.ly/oR0KB9
• Most debt cutting recommendations to supercommittee culled from legislative recycling bin, freshly rewrapped & regifted http://bit.ly/pkUfnL
• Deficit-reduction supercommittee will hold its 4th public hearing next Wednesday on discretionary spending http://bit.ly/rcVidV

Gulf Coastal Area-

• Editorial: Will latest Gulf Task Force report finally spur action along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico? http://bit.ly/niLiSZ

Resource extraction -

• Environmental groups sue to block West Virginia mountaintop coal mine permit issuance http://buswk.co/qqGdrt
• OH House Bill 345 and Senate Bill 213 could delay shale gas/oil fracking in the state http://bit.ly/o5scUE
• WV citizens' groups intend to sue re: coal company Clean Water, Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act violations http://bit.ly/o0AXnn
• TransCanada offers NE $100M performance bond; other oil spill protection measures to reduce oil pipeline opposition http://reut.rs/qrDfM5
• ND oil patch swelling into South Dakota, amid speculation that it could contain millions of barrels of oil http://on-msn.com/ogMU7J

Events -

• Upper Mississippi River Basin Association meetings; Moline, IL; Nov. 14-16; bit.ly/3zQb40

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• The Horinko Group's monthly "sustainabulletin" now published http://bit.ly/pAnNMo

Other news-

• New report on impacts of forest management in carbon and climate mitigation http://bit.ly/nE2zcg
• Wisconsin Wetlands Association hires Tracy Hames as new Executive Director http://bit.ly/rpBLiO (pdf)

Political Scene -

• KY GOP establishment poised for another loss in next month's Governor's race; Sen McConnell (R-KY) remains unscathed http://bit.ly/nc8o05
• Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) has endorsed Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) for US WI Senate seat http://bit.ly/raXx8Y

Last Word -  Dust storm rolls into Lubbock, Texas

on the same day (October 17) that the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees announced their willingness to reduce federal Farm Bill Programs, including conservation programs, by over $23 billion as part of the effort to balance the federal budget.

Mississippi River Basin-Related Congressional Hearings for the Week

Here are the US Senate hearings this week of particular relevance to Mississippi River Basin water quality (with links to the hearing web page).  The House is in recess this week.

• Senate Appropriations Interior & Environment subcommittee hearing on shale gas production and water resources in the Eastern U.S.  Thursday; 2:30 PM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building (link to follow when available)
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on 2011 Mississippi and Missouri rivers flooding; Tuesday; 10 AM; room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building http://1.usa.gov/okZo6Z

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012 Appropriations Update
The twelve-member bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (a/k/a "supercommittee") has been meeting, largely held behind closed doors.  Details are largely lacking, but the committee seems to be pressing ahead toward a legislatively-imposed November 23 deadline to identify $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the 2012 to 2021 period and to submit that proposal (by December 2) to Congress for a straight up or down vote (see this overview of the supercommittee and its work).  If the supercommittee falters and comes up with no plan, then the Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations battle will become the only budgetary game in Washington through the remainder of 2011.

On that front, both the Senate and House continue to move (not entirely behind closed doors) toward crafting a bill that will fund the Federal government for the remainder of the 2012 Fiscal Year, beyond November 18, when the current Continuing Resolution spending authority ends.  Appropriations Committee chairs in both chambers have been busy lining up supporters to shape the $1 trillion 2012 funding bill and its potential policy riders.  The bills appropriating funds for the remainder of the Fiscal Year will likely take the form of "minibus" packages consisting of two or three of the traditional twelve annual spending bills each.  The Senate, for example, is scheduled to take up a 2012 spending bill that would fund Agriculture, Commerce, Justice and Science, and Transportation next Monday (October 17).

Thus far, the full Senate has passed only one of its dozen regular appropriations bills, while the House has passed six.  The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed eleven of the twelve spending bills (ten await action by the full Senate).  The only spending bill that has not been passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee is the bill funding the EPA and Interior Department. 

Read details of the appropriations bill plans and negotiations on Capitol Hill here.

Briefing on New USGS Water Quality Management Information
The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Water Environment Federation will host a briefing on October 28 from 10 - 11:30 AM (EDT) in room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC.  The briefing will inform Hill staff and the public of new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) information on major sources of nutrients to streams, and on nutrient loading to rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries. USGS announced the roll-out of the new tool in a September 6 press announcement, "New Science to Help Water Managers Target Areas to Improve Water Quality." 

Speakers include:

• Alan Vicory, Executive Director of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, moderator
• Steve Preston, USGS NAWQA Hydrologic Systems Team  
• Saya Qualls, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Water Pollution Control.
• Wayne Anderson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

More briefing details are available at the Institute's Mississippi River Basin blog. 

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Agriculture -

• U of MN led researchers create a recipe for globally sustainable agriculture; feeding world & protecting planet http://bit.ly/nk825G
• NPR: global group of scientists explore if we can feed world without destroying environment http://n.pr/nE0P3s (also see previous link)
• Complete Summary Proceedings for April 2011 National Agricultural Landscapes Forum now available on AFT’s Forum page http://bit.ly/hmVYfh
• USDA-NRCS produces special publication commemorating 20th anniversary of Wetlands Reserve Program http://1.usa.gov/oWoD04 (PDF file)
• World Food Prize winner tells Nebraskans about need for food science to help feed world  http://ow.ly/1f4xJM
• Worldwide meat consumption jumped 20% in last decade with huge environmental impacts http://bit.ly/n1T6Jd
• Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders closing in on 10-year savings target nearing $23 billion http://bit.ly/o9ThND and http://bit.ly/pCdE4A
• Congressional Agri Committee leaders craft plan to cut farm subsidies $23B, tying cuts to new crop subsidy system http://reut.rs/ooTYOp
• Conservation groups' letter to ‘Supercommittee’ calls for fair treatment for agriculture & conservation programs http://bit.ly/pfpX9O (PDF)
• American Farmland Trust: REFRESH Act has good ideas for farm safety net; takes conservation in wrong direction http://bit.ly/qmI91H
• Ethanol industry fights back against possible expiration of their tax credit at end of 2011 http://bit.ly/of9ZN1

Farm Bill-

• National Farmers Union issues white paper giving its overview of 2012 Farm Bill needs http://bit.ly/pky4QN

Water Quality -

• Sierra Club releases US House members' "Clean Water Voting Record" flunking most Republicans; some Dems http://bit.ly/oWeWd4
• EPA makes final decision on MO's 2010 list of impaired waters, bringing total # of impaired waters in MO to 245 http://1.usa.gov/pmgvBz
• Bipartisan House group seeks $13.8B for water quality infrastructure improvements (Clean Water State Revolving Funds) http://bit.ly/qgCmVN (PDF)
• New EPA summary of fish advisories across nation in 2010 now available http://1.usa.gov/paDW2T
• In West Virginia-Pennsylvania fish kill investigation, EPA scientist points at shale drilling (PDF of EPA emails: http://bit.ly/q8bMcF)
• New EPA DVD with several videos on reducing runoff from urban areas; to download & view in small screen format: http://1.usa.gov/pUWpfv
• Environmental Integrity Project: House coal ash bill on floor this week would loosen water quality regs http://bit.ly/puqQ9y

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -

• Mississippi River lock/port of Minneapolis could be closed because of invasive Asian Carp http://bit.ly/p1vcUs

In the States -

• 2012 Ohio Stormwater Conference (June 7-8, 2012) call for abstracts: http://bit.ly/obUWyg
• Permit for IL 4,500-head hog CAFO on hold; state regulators re-examine plans to minimize water pollution http://bit.ly/oUWyB0

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Missouri moves to ban felt-soled boots to slow spread of invasive alga http://bit.ly/qrVeFJ
• Invasive Silver Carp caught in North Dakota in James River (tributary of Missouri River) http://bit.ly/npd9Cq and http://bit.ly/q6bmZ0

Federal Budget -

• Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders closing in on 10-year savings target nearing $23 billion http://bit.ly/o9ThND and http://bit.ly/pCdE4A
• Senate to take up 2012 spending bill to fund Agriculture, Commerce, Justice & Science, and Transportation next Monday http://bit.ly/qtVJPJ
• Deadline today for plans, deficit supercommittee getting few coherent plans; many partisan ones http://bit.ly/osSDPv & http://bit.ly/mXXdhg

Gulf Coastal Area-

• SE Louisiana may suffer from worst Gulf shrimping season since at least the 1950s http://nyti.ms/pdMxNx

Resource extraction -

• Judge rules in favor of coal industry in case vs EPA permit reviews of mountaintop mining http://bit.ly/oY3kax
• Army Corps of Engineers has reissued its permit for the Reylas Surface Mine (WV mountaintop coal mine) http://bit.ly/q8yKPz
• West Virginia lawmakers propose Marcellus Shale drilling buffer zones http://bit.ly/qUjhTI

Events -

• WEF Stormwater Symposium 2012, Baltimore, MD, July 18–20: http://bit.ly/nPm2e0 Call for abstracts: http://bit.ly/pzxkpJ
• Mission Critical: The #1 one environmental challenge of next 40 years; Oct 13 at 7 pm, London http://bit.ly/e0yk6I
• Briefing on New USGS Water Quality Management Tool; October 28, 10 AM, Washington DC http://bit.ly/qkCZ9a

Other news-

• Obama administration releases 2011 America’s Great Outdoors Progress Report http://1.usa.gov/ojDfzZ  (report PDF: http://bit.ly/nmfHcC )

Political Scene -

• Significant Senate rules change has huge implications: Will the 51-vote majority be a new norm in the Senate? http://bit.ly/pIQwGh
• Sierra Club releases US House members' "Clean Water Voting Record" flunking most Republicans; some Dems http://bit.ly/oWeWd4
• Tim Pawlenty not ruling out challenging Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) in 2014 or a 2014 run for governor http://bit.ly/pXFnCx
• WI State Speaker Fitzgerald launches bid for GOP nomination for seat of retiring US Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) http://bit.ly/oet3oZ

Last Word -  "There's too much drama and theater in politics." - Former Utah Governor and current Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Jr., in an interview on The View

2012 Appropriations Update (with a smattering of Supercommittee thrown in for good measure)

The twelve-member bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (a/k/a "supercommittee") has been meeting - apparently.  We don't really know what the meetings' substance has been, if anything, since the supercommittee's meetings have been largely held behind closed doors.  But they seem to be pressing ahead toward a legislatively-imposed November 23 deadline to identify $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction (in the form of either spending cuts or new revenue) over the 2012 to 2021 period and to submit that proposal to Congress for a straight up or down vote (see this overview of the supercommittee and its work).  If the supercommittee falters and comes up with no plan, then the Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations battle will become the only budgetary game in Washington through the remainder of 2011.

Meanwhile, both the Senate and House continue to move (not behind closed doors) toward crafting a bill that will fund the Federal government for the remainder of the 2012 Fiscal Year, beyond November 18, when the current Continuing Resolution spending authority ends.  Appropriations Committee chairs in both chambers have been busy lining up supporters to shape the $1 trillion 2012 funding bill and its potential policy riders.  Thus far, the full Senate has passed only one of its dozen regular appropriations bills, while the House has passed six.  The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed eleven of the twelve spending bills (ten await action by the full Senate).  The only spending bill that has not been passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee is the bill funding the EPA and Interior Department.

The one spending bill passed by the Senate is the USDA/FDA appropriations bill, and it included many of the farm conservation cuts contained in the parallel House bill passed by that chamber in June, including cuts to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (-$350 million), Conservation Stewardship Program (-$35 million), Grassland Reserve Program (cut 160,000 acres),  Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (-$50 million), Wetland Reserve Program (cut 64,000 acres), and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (-$35 million).

Bipartisan support appears to be building in the Senate to move its twelve spending bills in several “minibus” packages, which may be more procedurally manageable than combining all twelve bills into a single “omnibus” measure.  The Senate minibus approach should also be more palatable to House Republican conservatives, who seem set against the omnibus approach.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) now plans to push three minibus spending bills through the Senate (the Agriculture, Transportation-HUD and Commerce-Justice-Science bills) over the next month, packaging them in the first of three minibus bills, and giving the Senate some measure of leverage in appropriations' negotiations with the House (those three bills were chosen by Reid because they were approved in the Appropriations Committee with fairly broad bipartisan support).   Reid has indicated that he won’t allow the Senate to recess in November until the first minibus bill is passed (the Senate recess is scheduled to start November 21).   The other two minibus Senate spending bills will likely each combine a contentious bill with a popular one: (1) the Labor-HHS-Education bill with Homeland Security and (2) the State-Foreign Operations bill with Defense.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Federal-State Task Force Releases Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Strategy For Public Review
On October 5, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force released its comprehensive preliminary strategy for long term Gulf of Mexico ecosystem restoration. Entitled "Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary)," the strategy will be available for public review and feedback through October 26.

The strategy calls, in part, for working in the Gulf of Mexico and upstream in the Mississippi River Basin to reduce the loading of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Gulf "by supporting state nutrient reduction frameworks, new nutrient reduction approaches, and targeted watershed work to reduce agricultural and urban sources of nutrients."

According to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) press release, the strategy represents an opportunity to address "long-standing issues contributing to the decline of the Gulf’s critical ecosystem." The Task Force is an advisory body comprised of lead officials from the five Gulf states, and from 11 Federal agencies and White House offices. It is chaired by  EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The Task Force will release the final version in December 2011, following review of public input received during the current comment period.

The strategy will be available to the public for review and feedback at the Task Force Home Page, through October 26. Comments can be submitted by email, fax, first class mail or in person as described on that page.
 
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Agriculture -

• Researchers: farmers running out of time to diversify crops before climate change has irreversible effects http://yhoo.it/nx6j17
• Bipartisan group of farm state Senators introduces Aggregate Risk & Revenue Management program farming bill http://bit.ly/r9Gszi
• National Research Council: US will fail to reach cellulosic bioethanol mandate unless producers innovate significantly http://bit.ly/ou9Vwj
• Reps. Goodlatte/Costa co-sponsored biofuel bill would sharply cut usage mandates that underpin ethanol industry http://bit.ly/nfEcFs
• Sen Lugar/Rep Stutzman (both R-IN) co-sponsor bill to cut ag by $40B overall & farm conservation by $11.3B http://bit.ly/qXfWth

Farm Bill-

• Kansas City Star editorial board calls for end to/limits on various Farm Bill payments http://bit.ly/oyFYDZ
• 56 groups release Conservation Principles to inform Farm Bill debate http://bit.ly/r0OlDL (story) & http://bit.ly/r7yvmh (press release PDF)
• Senate Ag Comm Chair Stabenow: Agriculture committee coalescing around safety net structure for 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/nc1m4d

Water Quality -

• Very informative webcast & testimony: Tues Sen. Environ & Public Works Subcomm hearing on nutrient water pollution http://1.usa.gov/poBhLp
• KY Gov. Beshear (D) asks Obama to spur EPA issuance of Clean Water Act coal mining permits http://bit.ly/qUSAnM (PDF of Beshear letter)
• Environmentalists reach settlement with Arch Coal Co. over selenium pollution violations at several WV mines http://bit.ly/n5MJDO & http://bit.ly/oal2a4
• Water Chief  Stoner to Senate EPW Subcommittee:  EPA working with states to fight water pollution http://1.usa.gov/q4RFDh (testimony PDF)

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -

• Though extended thru short-term CRs, passage of National Flood Insurance Program 5-year extension proving elusive http://bit.ly/qZcnyY
• Wall Street Journal article summarizes summer's Missouri River flood impacts: http://on.wsj.com/qPnjaR
• Report touts green water infrastructure's job-creating capacity: http://bit.ly/ovCez4
• In water-rich Minnesota, DNR worries about limits to supply http://bit.ly/r5SsCY

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• WI State Journal editorial: speed up Army Corps study on separating Great Lakes from Mississippi River watershed http://bit.ly/rfVp9L
• Interior Dept report: 62,300 acres of US wetlands disappeared over last 5 yrs - at slightly faster rate http://1.usa.gov/qVz7Kq  (PDF)

Federal Budget -

• House passes spending stopgap bill funding federal government through Nov 18, sends to Obama http://bit.ly/oodmev
• Committee for Economic Development releases set of 6 standards Fed debt Supercommittee must follow to succeed http://bit.ly/pSCNZp (PDF)

Gulf Coastal Area-

• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force: Coastal states must work together to restore Gulf of Mexico http://bit.ly/nTF2IL
• Comprehensive Task Force prelim strategy for long term Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration available for public comment: http://1.usa.gov/qvYSmk
• Save Our Gulf collaborative releases "The State of the Gulf: A Status Report" (re: BP oil spill impacts) http://bit.ly/pMyvOx
• Gulf Coast US House Members agree to introduce bill to target 80 % of BP spill funds to Gulf Coast restoration http://bit.ly/oKLnbS

Resource extraction -

• KY Gov. Beshear (D) asks Obama to spur EPA issuance of Clean Water Act coal mining permits http://bit.ly/qUSAnM (PDF of Beshear letter)

Events -

• October 28 briefing; Washington, DC: New USGS Water Quality Management Tool http://bit.ly/qkCZ9a 
• Nat Conf on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) 2011 Post Conference Speaker Presentations Available online http://bit.ly/ouXET3
• Farm Foundation Forum, Washington, DC , Oct 11: Future Role of Federal Government in Agricultural Risk Management http://bit.ly/pCqQSx

Other news-

• Combined EPA & State Annual Enforcement Actions Map is newest EPA "Enforcement and Compliance History Online" update http://bit.ly/rl6V9F

Political Scene -

• Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) will not seek another term in US House of Representatives next year bit.ly/onBCIK adds to Dem workload http://bit.ly/pLzqUT
• Rep. Kinzinger kicks off re-election campaign in IL redrawn 16th district vs. fellow sitting GOP Congressman Manzullo http://bit.ly/nkmjqx
• Democrat Tomblin wins WV Governor's special election http://politi.co/px9Bp9
• IL Democrats target five GOP US House Members for defeat in redrawn Congressional maps http://bit.ly/rsezid

Last Word -  "Why can't we work out our differences? Why can't we work things out? Little people, why can't we all just get along? " - President Dale (Jack Nicholson) in the 1996 film, Mars Attacks

Federal-State Task Force Releases Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Strategy For Public Review

Today (October 5), the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force released its comprehensive preliminary strategy for long term Gulf of Mexico ecosystem restoration.  Entitled "Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary)," the strategy will be available for public review and feedback through October 26.

The strategy calls, in part, for working in the Gulf of Mexico and upstream in the Mississippi River Basin to reduce the loading of nitrogen and phosphorus into the Gulf "by supporting state nutrient reduction frameworks, new nutrient reduction approaches, and targeted watershed work to reduce agricultural and urban sources of nutrients."

According to an EPA press release, the strategy represents an opportunity to address "long-standing issues contributing to the decline of the Gulf’s critical ecosystem." The Task Force is an advisory body comprised of lead officials from the five Gulf states, and from 11 Federal agencies and White House offices.  It is chaired by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson. The Task Force will release the final version in December 2011, following review of public input received during the current comment period. 

The strategy will be available to the public for review and feedback at the Task Force Home Page, through October 26.  Comments can be submitted by email, fax, first class mail or in person as described below:

Email:

• oei.docket@epa.gov

Fax:

• (202) 566-9744

Mail:  
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center
Office of Environmental Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460

Hand Delivery:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center
EPA West Building, Room 3334
1301 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004

Comments will be posted to an on-line docket as they are received (see this Task Force web site for more on public involvement in Task Force activities).