Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

National Flood Insurance Program Debate Deferred into June
On Wednesday (May 24), the U.S. Senate passed a 60-day extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by unanimous consent, and the House is expected to follow suit and approve the same extension during its work session next week. The intent of the simple, short-term NFIP extension bill is to provide Congress breathing room to work on a long-term reauthorization bill, since NFIP authority was due to expire at the end of this month.  Senate passage followed a flurry of negotiations that ended on Tuesday when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) reached a deal on the extension and possible reform of the debt-ridden NFIP.  Under the deal, Reid committed to allowing consideration of Vitter's five-year NFIP reform bill during the Senate's June work session. On his part, Vitter agreed to drop his demand that the five-year reform bill be considered as an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration bill that was being debated this week by the Senate.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Agriculture -

• Agronomist: Soil erosion in western Iowa is worst it's been in two decades http://bit.ly/MMMcDO
• New head of MN Pollution Control Agency: voluntary farmer efforts can help clean rivers; can't compel farmers to help http://bit.ly/KCayK4
• US cornfields in best shape for this time of year since 2007; Soybean & wheat planting close to complete http://bloom.bg/LxW19A
• USDA ERS: US agriculture less affected by recession than most other industries; should continue doing well http://1.usa.gov/Ko96iC
• EPA "Success Spotlight" - Clearwater River, MN -Managing Agricultural Drainage Reduces Bacteria in River http://1.usa.gov/LxWyrZ
• Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District (NE) to study options besides inhibitors to mitigate high farm nitrates http://bit.ly/LxYFff
• Attended a very nice Malthus lecture presentation http://bit.ly/LpYxuA Tuesday by U of MN's Jonathan Foley (@GlobalEcoGuy)
• USDA Secretary Vilsack: $32 M to go to water quality & wetlands projects in 7 Mississippi River Basin states http://1.usa.gov/Ko6m4R
• In-depth story about problems and solutions with soil erosion in SW Minnesota (via @DonEWG) http://bit.ly/Jng5tm
• MO farmers battling "flash drought" - quick burst of dry heat that parches plants and threatens crops http://bit.ly/KO2CHv
• MN Dept. of Agriculture to provide $20M in low-interest loans to help farmers with water pollution mitigation projects http://bit.ly/KKK8Z2
• For Midwest corn and soybean farms, government payments averaged only about 2.26% of total 2011 revenues http://bit.ly/KKNF9N

Farm Bill-

• Senate Agriculture Committee formally files its new farm bill with the full Senate chamber http://bit.ly/KKN5sq
• The Atlantic: farm bill has "a long way to go, but here's where lawmakers have found some common ground" http://bit.ly/LoLQkB
• House Agriculture Committee hears criticism of Senate Committee's Farm Bill insurance & commodity provisions http://bit.ly/K59TFB
• House Agriculture Committee Chair Lucas (R-OK): high probability that we’ll see an extension of the 2008 farm bill http://bit.ly/Ko4TLF
• Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-7) hosting series of farm bill meetings this week in western Minnesota http://bit.ly/K5huUD
• Rep. Collin Peterson outlines $30 billion in "likely cuts to Farm Bill" http://bit.ly/Ko5FIH (video and text)
• Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Stabenow expects farm bill to come up on the Senate floor in early June and to pass http://bit.ly/LxVu7v
• Senate Majority Leader Reid has promised floor time to Stabenow in June to try to move farm bill http://bit.ly/K7Nki8
• New release: Northeast Farm Bill Agenda: Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/MMJkad
• DTN Washington Insider analysis of likely Farm Bill timing; Senate amendment process: http://bit.ly/LsBvUU (3rd article down)
• Sen. Majority Leader sets ambitious agenda for month after Memorial Day recess; includes Farm Bill & flood insurance http://bit.ly/JA44lM

Water Quality -

• Cost to prevent raw sewage from discharging into Kansas City, MO area streams projected at $1.3 billion http://bit.ly/JmPdtL
• West St. Paul, MN considers ban on coal tar-based asphalt sealer to reduce PAHs in stormwater http://bit.ly/Ly0KYS
• EPA proposes new rules applying to stormwater running off logging roads http://bit.ly/JA2twr

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

• National Crop Insurance Services releases crop insurance educational video highlighting 2011 Missouri river flood http://bit.ly/Ko8sSc
• Sen. Vitter (LA) announcement on Senate's National Flood Insurance Program deal http://1.usa.gov/Jf6LmA
• US Senate approves a 60-day flood insurance extension; House expected to follow suit next week; reform debate in June http://bit.ly/KKPwLE
• EPA opposes proposed wetlands-filling permit for Louisville Gas and Electric coal-burning waste site (KY) http://cjky.it/KCcnqB

In the States -

• Environmental inspections by the WI DNR dropped sharply during the first year of Gov. Scott Walker's administration http://bit.ly/LxZHYI

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Scientific American: Northern MN moose population decline due to climate change; preventing extinction problematic http://bit.ly/KO1BPJ

Gulf Coastal Area-

• Washington Post article on climate and sea level adaptation challenges facing Louisiana’s Highway 1 (coastal) http://wapo.st/xgsfO9
• New (April) National Coastal Condition Reports describe ecological & environmental conditions in US coastal waters 1.usa.gov/KjLfk9
• Plaquemines Parish, LA to build a $1.5M, 40-acre barrier island to protect and help rebuild Cat Island http://bit.ly/KO3iMU

Resource Extraction -

• Environmental groups: Ohio governor's proposed fracking law fraught with loopholes http://bit.ly/Ly16yA and http://bit.ly/Lyma8b
• Environmental groups have major concerns about proposed OH fracking legislation http://bit.ly/KO2asT
• OH lawmakers rush to finish shale gas regulations despite complaints of laxness from environmental groups http://bit.ly/KCc1QA
• Keystone pipeline opponents file lawsuit challenging Nebraska's new oil pipeline review law http://usat.ly/KCcLVV

Federal Budget -

• Senate Majority Leader Reid sees no way to reach bipartisan agreement on deficit or taxes before November elections http://bit.ly/Ko9JZj

Events-

• Community Forestry Webinar, June 5,  12-1pm (EDT); Role of Trees and Forests in Managing Municipal Stormwater http://bit.ly/MDnc1L
• EPA free Webinar: Stormwater, Coal-Tar Sealcoat, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; June 14 http://bit.ly/MMJuOM

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• EPA’s Nonpoint [Water Contamination] Source News-Notes, Issue #91 (May 2012) now available at this link: http://1.usa.gov/KjHpHN
• Tennessee Clean Water Network's May 22 e-newsletter http://bit.ly/L2APpu
• Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) newsletter published (aquatic invasive species): http://bit.ly/MMLAOE (PDF) 

Other news-

• Study: even if we stabilize climate, sea level rise may occur simply due to how we use fresh water http://bit.ly/Mzalhj
• Midwestern Governors Association launches video contest to draw attention to region's unique qualities http://bit.ly/KO3ThM (water anyone?)
• Article on moving beyond superficial Rust Belt chic to real & sustained growth (via @hdentinger) bit.ly/KLi4YY
• New Orleans Regional Planning Commission to receive 2 $200,000 brownfields grants from USEPA http://1.usa.gov/JA1EDI
• St. Louis Development Corp to receive $400,000 in brownfields funds for hazardous substance; petroleum studies http://1.usa.gov/MMKpyT

Political Scene - 

• NY Times Magazine: "How Did Wisconsin Become the Most Politically Divisive Place in America?" http://nyti.ms/LIc3O8
• House incumbents win in easy Kentucky and Arkansas primary victories http://politi.co/Ko0jx6
• Attorney and GOP rising star Tom Cotton wins solid victory in Arkansas’ 4th House district Republican primary http://bit.ly/KnZbth
• Tea-party-affiliated Thomas Massie wins  4th district House GOP primary to replace retiring Rep. Geoff Davis (R) http://bit.ly/KRE0xT

Last Word - On May 29, the Presidential Medal of Freedom will be awarded to (among others) singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.  So, in this week's musical "Last Word" we feature an acoustic Bob Dylan performing "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in a video of his first-ever performance at the White House (February 10, 2010). 

And in case you'd like to sing along while you sip your coffee or sit at your desk, here are the lyrics to this visionary work~

Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you

Is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who

That it's namin'

For the loser now

Will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside

And it is ragin'

It'll soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers

Throughout the land

And don't criticize

What you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is

Rapidly agin'

Please get out of the new one

If you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is

Rapidly fadin'

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.