Mississippi River Basin Blog: February 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

New EPA Senior Agricultural Adviser Named

Sarah Bittleman

Sarah Bittleman, a senior official at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), has moved to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to serve as that agency's Senior Agricultural Counselor, replacing Larry Elworth, who recently retired. Bittleman had been serving as senior adviser to USDA Secretary Vilsack, specializing in energy and the EPA. Before joining USDA, she worked at the Department of Interior, and before that as a Senate and House staffer, specializing in agriculture, energy, natural resources, Native Americans and climate change. Bittleman will advise EPA on how environmental issues that the agency addresses affect farmers and ranchers, according to an EPA statement, which also noted that “EPA is dedicated to an open and constructive working relationship with the agriculture community, as with all stakeholders. Sarah’s work will continue to ensure that the overlaps among environmental and agricultural issues and the concerns of rural communities are carefully considered in every action EPA takes."

She received a bachelor's degree in political science from Union College in New York, a master of public administration from East Carolina University and a juris doctorate from Tulane University School of Law.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Asian Carp Symposium to Be Held During National Invasive Species Awareness Week
Save the March 6 date for a special Capitol Hill symposium during National Invasive Species Awareness Week and Great Lakes Days to learn more about federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private coordinating efforts and response to combat invasive Asian carp in the Ohio River watershed, Upper Mississippi River basin, Mississippi Delta, Missouri River, and Great Lakes.

When: Wednesday, March 6 – 3:30 to 5 PM (EST)
Where: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s Congressional Meeting Room South

Presenters will include representatives of the business, government, and environmental organizations and communities, who will speak of best control and management practices, proposed legislation, and management strategies across various river and lake watersheds. Attendees will have the opportunity to pick up additional information on Asian carp both in general and specific to different water basins.

USDA Announces Conservation Innovation Grant Availability for Mississippi River Basin Work
On February 14, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Fiscal Year 2013 to, as put by NRCS, "stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies."
Among several grant categories there is a special "Mississippi River Basin Category" for this CIG grant cycle. Under that category pre-proposals must address "(1) at least one bulleted topic specific to the Mississippi River Basin and (2) the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives to manage and optimize nutrient management, reduce downstream nutrient loads, maintain agricultural productivity, and enhance wildlife and other ecosystem services." To read more about the special Mississippi River Basin grants, follow the links above or see our blog post.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

Fish living in water with trace amounts of human medication exhibit hyper, anti-social and aggressive behaviors http://bit.ly/YwoCxQ
Company charged with violating Clean Water Act: dumped 1000s of drilling waste gallons into Ohio River tributary http://n.pr/Y2zJjW
Water contaminated by gas well development and mining plagues West Virginia community http://bit.ly/153hwVA
Newly published UN report cites need to produce more food and energy with less nutrient pollution http://bit.ly/Y2CLok
United Nations report says fertilizer crisis is damaging the planet http://ind.pn/XjI6Va
Groups call on Administration to finalize policy to "protect America’s streams, wetlands and other critical waters" http://bit.ly/VSPH24
Illinois River (OK) water quality is focus of 3-year study under agreement announced by Oklahoma and Arkansas officials http://bit.ly/VSXjlk
EPA Inspector General: EPA must bolster response plans for oil and other hazardous pollutant spills http://1.usa.gov/VT0HMO (PDF file)

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

Sen. Casey (D-PA) plans bill to boost investment in inland waterways infrastructure; reform Army Corps of Engineers http://1.usa.gov/W1lfTj
Mississippi River bridge project to replace earthen dam has wide environmental implications (Minnesota) http://bit.ly/VSWFEn

Drought-

National Drought Mitigation Center
(click to enlarge)

National Drought Mitigation Center: Plains dry pattern and Midwest deep soil dryness continued last week http://bit.ly/rak0SU
NOAA National Drought Early Warning Outlook: half of U.S. will remain in drought or develop drought conditions over 3 months http://lat.ms/VT69zi and http://usat.ly/VT6rX0
Heavy winter middle-U.S. snowstorm is welcomed by winter wheat farmers worried about the drought http://reut.rs/VT8BWD
The top 10 hardest-hit states for 2012 U.S. drought crop damage are all Mississippi River Basin states http://bit.ly/Xipkk6
Bipartisan Senate bill would reauthorize and upgrade a national drought monitoring program for the next five years http://1.usa.gov/W1kZU7
U.S. farmers will plant crops this spring under the shadow of a persistent drought http://reut.rs/Y2FTR1
Meteorologists: upcoming precipitation will provide some drought relief for spring crops in U.S. Plains and Midwest http://reut.rs/1344ngy

Farm Bill-

From George Washington University's Face The Facts USA: the 'farm' may be the least of the Farm Bill funding recipients http://bit.ly/Yws1N7
Washington Post editorial board opinion on government farm subsidies is not at all positive http://wapo.st/Ywzmfs

Agriculture -

Study documents loss of 1.3 million acres of grassland over 5-year period in parts of corn belt (SD, ND, NE, MN, IA) http://bit.ly/1344JDX
PNAS article: doubling in commodity prices created landowner incentives to convert grassland to corn and soybeans http://bit.ly/1345kWf
Number of U.S. farms, amount of land in use and average farm size all dropped slightly in 2012 http://bloom.bg/1345D3j
USDA announces Conservation Innovation Grant availability with special funds targeted for Mississippi River Basin http://bit.ly/ViFwRI
USDA to provide additional funding for Mississippi River Basin projects http://bit.ly/Y2BT32
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announces USDA will have a new enrollment period for Conservation Reserve Program http://bit.ly/YwyTdd
House Agriculture Committee hearing to review state of rural economy; February 26, 10:00 a.m. EST http://1.usa.gov/W1kpWz
House members introduce bipartisan Protect Our Prairies Act, creating nationwide “Sodsaver” provision http://1.usa.gov/VXknK2
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition endorses Protect Our Prairies Act http://bit.ly/VXkzcj
Senate Democratic leaders' sequester-replacement bill would eliminate $27.5 billion in agricultural subsidies http://bit.ly/WLm94J
NSAC: Senate Majority Leader Reid's (D-NV) fiscal package would fill farm bill extension program authorization gaps http://bit.ly/W1jGVb
WI Dept of Agriculture assessment of Agricultural Enterprise Area program says it successfully conserves farmland http://1.usa.gov/VSSdFC (PDF file)

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Millions of birds have descended on the south-central Kentucky city of Hopkinsville; climate change blamed http://bit.ly/W1gw3O
Minnesotans fighting invasive Asian carp think they may have temporary and permanent ways to slow its advance http://bit.ly/VST5tS
Study: the presence of Asian carp DNA may not signal the presence of actually live fish http://on.wsj.com/ZupjMQ

Resource Extraction -

Critics of silica sand mining industry will request that lawmakers halt its expansion in Minnesota http://bit.ly/W1gIQB
Small governments in southeastern Minnesota seek state help on studying and regulating frac sand mining http://bit.ly/VT2x0e
Minnesota state lawmakers start silica sand mining hearings http://bit.ly/VT3gyF and http://bit.ly/VT3tSf
Mountaintop coal mining removal protest in Louisville takes aim at Kentucky political leaders http://cjky.it/Y2BmOo

Federal Budget -

As sequestration cuts near, focus is on blame; Obama and the Republicans shift to finger-pointing http://wapo.st/13481Ha
The sequester and USDA farm bill programs: an overview of the situation from DTN http://bit.ly/1343W5P
House, Senate recessed for the week; leaving only four days to deal with $85 billion sequester on their return http://bit.ly/W1jmpy

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar

2013 Ohio Stormwater Conference registration now open; May 8-10, Sharonville, OH http://bit.ly/zESU32
Missouri Coalition for the Environment Annual Meeting, March 3, 1-3 PM, St. Louis MO http://bit.ly/W1hDQZ
"Watershed Valuation: A Closer Look" webinar; February 26, 4-6 pm PST. For registrations and details, go to http://goo.gl/fKTCf
US EPA to host (free) Water Quality Standards Academy; May 6 - 10, Washington DC; details and registration: http://bit.ly/YwqzdC
Environmental visionaries coming to Twin Cities area (MN) for 3 March and April evenings of engaging ideas and entertainment http://bit.ly/YwsVZT
Asian Carp Symposium, March 6, 3:30-5 pm, Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC http://bit.ly/ZrxjhE (Invasive Species Awareness Week activity)
Association of State Floodplain Managers June 9-14 National Conference web site now "live" for information and registration http://bit.ly/HAkCsO

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

The Wetlands Initiative's February 2013 e-newsletter on efforts to restore the wetland resources of the Midwest http://bit.ly/VSOJTu
EPA Office of Water's weekly "Water Headlines" including a Mississippi River Basin "success story" http://bit.ly/1342nVq
Latest issue of University of Wisconsin-Madison Aquatic Sciences Chronicle is now online: http://bit.ly/VSQAI7
American Farmland Trust's February E-News: http://bit.ly/VSRzry

Other news-

Congressional caucus criticizes Interior Dept “National Blueways” program recognizing river conservation efforts http://1.usa.gov/W1lXQc
Department of Labor wants federal judge to order immediate shutdown of potentially dangerous WV coal slurry impoundment http://bit.ly/Y2yEsu
Effects of climate change on Midwest detailed in new Indiana University atmospheric science professor's book and report http://bit.ly/Y2AQQv
Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN-8) joins with others in U.S. Congress to form bipartisan Mississippi River Caucus http://bit.ly/1342MY3
Kansas bill asks teachers to question climate change in class; calls climate change 'scientific controversy' http://bit.ly/13aJLyV
Two Ojibwe women walking Mississippi River length to focus attention on "Mother Earth's water plight" http://bit.ly/Zrisnt

Political Scene -

League of Conservation Voters unveils its annual U.S. congressional environmental scorecard http://bit.ly/153GiVG and http://bit.ly/VT02Lu
League of Conservation Voters: most Louisiana members of Congress rarely took the "environmental position" http://bit.ly/VSXQ6N
Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns (R) announced Monday that he would forgo re-election for the US Senate in 2014 http://bit.ly/W1fEw5
Agriculture Secretary and former Gov. Tom Vilsack will not run in 2014 for US Senate in Iowa http://dmreg.co/W1h89J
Matt Bevin is a potential Tea Party challenger to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in 2014 http://bit.ly/1340GYl
Republican primary in Louisiana could spoil party's chances at ousting Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu http://bit.ly/VSVsN9
Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN-8) announces that he has been placed back on House Agriculture Committee http://1.usa.gov/VT7Dtu

Last Word -

"We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change." - Katharine Hepburn

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Asian Carp Symposium to Be Held in Washington, DC During National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Save the date for a special Capitol Hill symposium during National Invasive Species Awareness Week and Great Lakes Days to learn more about federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private coordinating efforts and response to combat invasive Asian carp in the Ohio River watershed, Upper Mississippi River basin, Mississippi Delta, Missouri River, and Great Lakes.

When: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 – 3:30 to 5 PM (EST)
Where: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s Congressional Meeting Room South

Presenters will include representatives of the business, governmental, and environmental communities, who will speak of best control and management practices, proposed legislation, and strategies across all river and lake watersheds. Attendees will have the opportunity to pick up additional information on Asian carp both in general and specific to different water basins.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

USDA Announces Conservation Innovation Grant Availability for Mississippi River Basin Work

Today (February 14) the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 to, as put by NRCS, "stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies."

Among several grant categories there is a special "Mississippi River Basin Category" for this CIG grant cycle. Under that category pre-proposals must address "(1) at least one bulleted topic specific to the Mississippi River Basin and (2) the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives to manage and optimize nutrient management, reduce downstream nutrient loads, maintain agricultural productivity, and enhance wildlife and other ecosystem services." The NRCS announcement contains nearly four pages of "bulleted topics" specific to the River Basin, under the general categories of Program Outreach, Water Management, Soil Health, Vegetative Practices, Nutrient Management, and Adaptive Management.

Support of this program in FY 2013 will be up to $25 million, nationally. At least 50 percent of the total cost of CIG projects must come from non-federal matching funds, including cash and in-kind contributions provided by the grant recipient.

The CIG grant award process is a two-step process, and only pre-proposals are being solicited at this time. Applications for the pre-proposal phase should be received by NRCS before 4 p.m. (EDT) on March 15. NRCS will announce the selected CIG pre-proposal applications by April 5, and selected applicants will be required to submit a full proposal to NRCS by May 3.

Here is the link to the full CIG grant announcement.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week-Early Edition

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

Clean Water Act lawsuit filed by Springfield, Illinois against the US Environmental Protection Agency may be settled http://sgfnow.co/U5XCab
Group cites problems with Kentucky Energy cabinet’s proposed new standard for selenium pollution in water http://cjky.it/U62trN
Vermillion River Watershed District working to address groundwater and surface water contamination from agriculture http://bit.ly/YoMcLD
Kansas company to pay $2.3 Million to EPA for past Clean Water Act violations and clean up costs (2007 oil spill) http://1.usa.gov/VSgMCe

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

Click to enlarge

Army Corps says Missouri River will be low, but navigable during upcoming navigation season despite drought http://bit.ly/VWVGNM
Farmers, environmentalists await seventh analysis of 60-year-old, New Madrid flood plain, Mississippi River levee plan http://wapo.st/VPsAjs
Ag Professional Editorial: Mississippi River levee gap may be closed to the benefit of New Madrid flood plain farming http://bit.ly/VWXnuu
Op-ed: "It's Time to Talk About the Future of U.S. Water Infrastructure" http://huff.to/YRUNsn
Army Corps of Engineers awards its final levee repair contract to repair 2011 Missouri River flood damage http://bit.ly/X4KJKp
Railroads would be shipping option if barges cannot move enough cargo through drought-starved Missouri River basin http://bit.ly/X4KZJp
Army Corps of Engineers asked to explain why it allowed Missouri River water use for oil drilling but not navigation http://bloom.bg/YoMVwd
House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair: committee will work first on new Water Resources Development Act http://bit.ly/XavAXO
House passes Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, would streamline small hydropower project permitting http://bit.ly/Xav7oE

Drought-

National Climatic Data Center
Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

U.S. drought conditions continued to improve in the Upper Midwest and Northern and Southern Plains this past week http://bit.ly/rak0SU

Farm Bill-

Lobbyist speculates that Farm Bill may not move until after May; more likely between September and December (if at all) http://bit.ly/Z5dNY4
AGree group issues series of 2013 Position Papers on Farm Bill issues being debated in Congress and the Administration http://bit.ly/Z5eeBO
House Ag Committee Ranking Member sees Farm Bill work starting "after we deal with all of these budget issues" http://bit.ly/XaBf05 (video)

Agriculture -

U of IL Agricultural Economists: Ethanol Blend Wall, Biodiesel Production Capacity, and the RFS; Something Has to Give http://bit.ly/XaCs7E
Senate Committee hearing: Drought, Fire and Freeze-Economics of Disasters for Agricultural Producers; info here: http://1.usa.gov/YJ0clc
20 ethanol plants cease production as farmers struggle to produce corn during ongoing drought http://b.globe.com/YRVPEK
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduces bill to set a per-farm Federal subsidy cap maximum at $250,000/year http://bit.ly/VSifbN and http://1.usa.gov/VSigMV
Southern cotton farmers expected to shift significant acreage into more profitable corn and soybean crops http://bloom.bg/VSiBir

In the Cities -

Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative mayors to hold meeting in St. Cloud, MN, June 26-28 http://on.sctimes.com/VWWD8R

In the States -

Kentucky state legislative hearing held on administration proposals to weaken water quality standards for selenium http://cjky.it/YoMCl9

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Environmental groups file Notice of Intent to Sue for TN strip mine threatened species impacts, including Blackside Dace http://bit.ly/Z5inFP
10 ways to observe National Invasive Species Awareness Week (March 3-8) http://bit.ly/Z5o0DN (Week's web page: http://www.nisaw.org/)
2012 fish surveys indicate rainbow and brown trout numbers are up in Montana's Missouri River http://bit.ly/X4KrTK

Gulf Coastal Region-

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council announces Louisiana public hearings re: BP oil spill fine money http://bit.ly/Z5hVXX

Resource Extraction -

U.S. House hearing: how states regulate hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas; Feb 15; 9:30 AM http://1.usa.gov/YlHePz
Environmental concerns about Winona County, Minnesota frac sand mining expansion are voiced by a competing firm http://bit.ly/U61UON

Federal Budget -

Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY): $85 billion in automatic spending cuts very likely to go into effect March 1 http://bit.ly/VSiROr
House Appropriations Committee crafting spending bill to extend current continuing resolution through Sept. 30 politi.co/Ufsyol

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar

March 3-8: National Invasive Species Awareness Week; Washington, DC-Arlington, VA; website: http://bit.ly/4vuLqO agenda http://bit.ly/Z5nfe2
Conference on Students as Catalysts for Large Landscape Conservation; Colby College, ME, March 1, 2013 http://bit.ly/ST19XC
Izaac Walton League-MN Summit: “Watershed/Water Management Solutions–Policy to Action” Feb 23, all day, Bloomington, MN http://bit.ly/VdEuGr

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

Tennessee Clean Water Network February 10 e-newsletter http://bit.ly/Z5iFwh
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (Alton, IL) February e-news update http://bit.ly/Z5jCon
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's "Waterfront Bulletin" for February 2013 http://bit.ly/Z5kHg3
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's "Watershed Network News" - February 13 issue http://bit.ly/V9pdce
Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota e-newsletter http://bit.ly/VdFtXp (with coverage of new MN "ag certainty" program)

Other news-

US House members establish bipartisan "Mississippi River Valley and Tributaries Caucus" http://1.usa.gov/VPsTKZ
In light of reduced global phosphorus supplies, researchers investigate its conservation and recovery in soil and waste http://bit.ly/U5Yj36
Sen. Johanns (R-NE) introduces bills to promote "greater transparency and accountability" of EPA regulatory process http://1.usa.gov/ZaLlUL
Wisconsin DNR plans to transform Poynette environmental education center into hunting and fishing training center http://bit.ly/VWW9Q2

Political Scene -

Poll: USDA Secretary Vilsack is Iowa's top choice in race for retiring Sen. Harkin's (D) US Senate seat http://bit.ly/11YaO4s
Republicans nominate state Rep. Jason Smith for open US House seat in Missouri 8th District; June 4 special election http://bit.ly/Z5dmwP
Iowa state Rep. Pat Murphy announces that he will seek Iowa's US House 1st District seat being vacated by Braley http://bit.ly/XazCzy

Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei

Last Word - "The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." – Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei, born on February 15, 1564.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

EPA Seeks Comments on 2014-2016 National Enforcement Initiatives

Every three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") develops (with public input) national enforcement initiatives that serve to "focus civil and criminal enforcement resources and expertise on serious pollution problems affecting communities." On January 28, the EPA published notice in the Federal Register that it was accepting public comment and recommendations for its proposed fiscal year 2014–16 national enforcement initiatives (link here to the Federal Register notice PDF file). From a water standpoint, the 2014-16 proposed national enforcement initiatives include municipal infrastructure: "addressing sewage discharges from combined sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, and municipal separate storm sewer systems;" and preventing runoff from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (or "CAFOs") from contaminating ground and surface water. Comments can be submitted through February 27 through this Internet site.

U.S. Congress in 2013: House Natural Resources Committee
Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the House Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee work during the 113th Congress relating to Mississippi River Basin water issues. Lead by its Chair Doc Hastings (R-WA), and Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-MA), the Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal natural resource issues of importance from a Mississippi River Basin perspective. Those include fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges and conservation; forest reserves and national parks; the U.S. Geological Survey; interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation; irrigation and reclamation, including water supplies for reclamation projects and easements of public lands for irrigation projects; coastal zone management; public lands in general; and oceanography. The preview (available in full here) has complete Committee member rosters, and highlights and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's nine Mississippi River Basin members. To view previous coverage of Mississippi Basin-relevant 113th Congress' Senate and House committees, see:

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

EPA seeks comment on proposed fiscal year 2014–16 national enforcement initiatives; include sewer overflows; CAFOs http://1.usa.gov/VyUzUj (see story above)
Environmental groups protest water pollution agreement reached between Kentucky environmental regulators and mining companies http://bit.ly/VyYHUq
Coast Guard reopens Mississippi River to navigation in both directions after cleaning up thousands of gallons of oil http://bit.ly/Xj5m4G
EPA Releases State Enforcement Performance Information and Comparative Maps http://1.usa.gov/14Gb4no (includes a "water" based map)

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

Congressional Research Service: 113th Congress may face many issues related to water resources http://bit.ly/11q7NL0 (PDF file)
Federal funding to improve Mississippi River’s lock and dam system was main topic at Iowa Governor's conference http://bit.ly/12vYp82
Environment and Public Works Committee materials and video from Thursday's hearing on Army Corps of Engineers water policy http://1.usa.gov/VySFDf
Mississippi elected officials ask Army Corps to study impact of any proposed new southeast Louisiana levee construction http://bit.ly/VyZTXP
Army Corps of Engineers seeks opinions on a proposed Little Missouri River bank project in North Dakota Badlands http://bit.ly/Xj4zRd
Army Corps repairs totaling more than $180 million to flood-damaged Missouri River levees beginning to wind down http://bit.ly/Xj4NrA and http://bit.ly/Xj51Px
Mississippi River could be a new passage for Canadian heavy crude oil in the race to bypass pipeline delays http://bit.ly/WpL1id
U.S. ports, locks, dams and inland waterways are old, underinvested in, and too often ignored http://econ.st/YQt7rp
Missouri's US Senators seek stakeholders meeting in effort to close 1500-foot Mississippi River levee gap in SE MO http://bit.ly/XnGo3W
Army Corps' Winter middle Mississippi River dredging ends following removal of twice the average amount of sediment http://t.co/5gMs0GJp

Drought-

February 7 Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

National Drought Mitigation Center: US Midwest drought conditions continue to improve; Plains drought relief minimal http://bit.ly/qBRrqC
U.S. needs more than average precipitation to end drought, while normal to below-normal rainfall is forecast http://bloom.bg/XX2QRx
National Geographic: How drought on Mississippi River impacts you http://bit.ly/WpGRa1
NPR: Drought causes ripple effect along mighty Mississippi River http://n.pr/WpIlRJ

Farm Bill-

Senate Agriculture Committee leadership shift could benefit Arkansas rice growers in farm bill debates http://bit.ly/XnFW5Z
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition analyzes Congressional Budget Office budget projection's farm bill impact http://bit.ly/XX1S7V (other CBO links below under "Federal Budget")

Agriculture -

USDA: Climate change could have a drastic and harmful effect on U.S. agriculture http://1.usa.gov/XX2nik
Senate Agriculture Committee hearing: “Drought, Fire and Freeze: The Economics of Disasters . . .” February 14 http://1.usa.gov/YJ0clc
Farm subsidy cuts (outside of the farm bill negotiation) are back in play as a possible offset in sequester bargaining http://bit.ly/14Xsf4K
Population drives food cost increases; UN Food & Agriculture Organization: global food output must rise 70% by 2050 http://bloom.bg/XkZyYv
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee top Republican calls for reevaluating EPA's biofuel-blending mandate http://bit.ly/YQtja9
Farmers could see less opportunity to enroll in some conservation programs if ‘sequestration’ go into effect http://bit.ly/XnFvIR

New York Times

http://t.co/oIyeynUE

In the States -

Violations reported by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in last half of 2012 more than double over prior period http://bit.ly/Xj95iK
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency seeking comments on permit that regulates construction stormwater throughout state http://bit.ly/XnEP6i

In the Cities -

Louisville, KY Mayor Greg Fisher charts environmental vision for city in draft sustainability plan http://cjky.it/WpKKMr

Forestry -

USFS: Effects of Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems; article: http://bit.ly/TOkdI3 report PDF file: http://1.usa.gov/XX2zho
Minneapolis, MN recognized as one of best for urban forests in United States out of 50 largest cities http://bit.ly/XnEhgE

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

23 GOP Senators question administration's proposed changes to Endangered Species Act economic impact analyses http://1.usa.gov/VyZ9BO
Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota is the latest premier state lake to become infested with zebra mussels http://bit.ly/WpKflx
New USA Rice Federation-Ducks Unlimited partnership to address rice production, waterfowl and water conservation http://bit.ly/Xl2ofT
Writer suggests giant Asian carp statue in Peoria, IL http://bit.ly/Vzk1ZN
Asian carp invade Will County Forest Preserve's 84-acre lake in Joliet, Illinois http://bit.ly/YWeP8A
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Dry conditions; habitat loss will significantly and negatively impact ducks http://bit.ly/XpR3Lx

http://on.wsj.com/Xqy8jH

Gulf Coastal Region-

Dispute flares over spending plans for more than $20 billion in BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill fines http://bit.ly/WVKceB
BP hit by new $34B Deepwater Horizon claim from local and state governments, including Louisiana and Mississippi http://bit.ly/XpRRjA

Resource Extraction -

Marcellus shale gas fracking and drilling continue to "produce jobs and controversy" in West Virginia http://bit.ly/Xj86z3
Frac sand mining companies leverage jobs and money to get their will in SE Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities http://bit.ly/Xj8xt7
Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky coal production projected to be cut in half by 2020 http://bit.ly/Xj8P3h
New York Times: The story of North Dakota's new oil boom, and its intended and unintended results http://nyti.ms/YOM11Q
At University of Tennessee's request, Tennessee panel delays decision on fracking research project http://bit.ly/WpKvRu
Red Wing, MN Mayor Dennis Egan has been hired to run frac sand industry lobbying and trade group http://bit.ly/XpRsOd

Federal Budget -

CBO releases ‘budget baseline’- used by House and Senate Budget Committees to form fiscal 2014 budget plans http://1.usa.gov/XnF4ye
Congressional Budget Office issues budget "baseline" projecting $845B budget deficit for 2013 http://bit.ly/XnDOv2
Obama sequester plan already DOA as Republicans don't want to postpone spending cuts http://politi.co/XnBPXq
House Appropriations Committee has started writing stopgap spending bill to fund government after March 27 http://bit.ly/TOizX0

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar.

NCER 2013 Planning Committee Meeting
Chicago, Illinois

National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration will host a sizable number of Mississippi Basin talks; late July-August; Chicago, IL http://bit.ly/14Eo24V
Ohio Stormwater Conference; May 8-10, Sharonville Convention Center http://bit.ly/zESU32
Women in Agriculture conference, March 22, Rock Island, IL - Quad-Cities Online http://dlvr.it/2v9q26
Free EPA Webinar, Stormwater Overview & Lessons Learned, February 12 http://bit.ly/XnD9JO

http://1.usa.gov/14GQ7ZA

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

The Army Corps' winter edition of "Our Mississippi" is available here: www.ourmississippi.org (link at upper right corner)
U.S. EPA Office of Water's weekly edition of "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/XnEuAl

Other news-

U.S. Senate launches bipartisan Mississippi River Caucus in effort to encourage commerce and address other issues http://bit.ly/YJj1oz
The Advocate editorial: "Mighty Mississippi River getting some vital attention" from The Big River Works initiative http://townta.lk/TkM02I
Minnesota Department of Transportation receives national award for its 800-mile Mississippi River Trail bikeway http://bit.ly/WqdK6t
Pennsylvanians choose Monongahela as 2013 River of the Year http://bit.ly/YQsfmO
Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) lays out GOP's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee legislative priorities http://cs.pn/Xl1HDv
Water Research Foundation announces almost $3 million for research projects focused on drinking water http://bit.ly/XnCN6f
New proposed House bill is first in the year to address the renewable fuel standard; would change EPA mandate http://1.usa.gov/UEeq9H

Political Scene -

Iowa Democratic U.S. House Rep. Bruce Braley to run for Harkin's empty Senate seat in 2014 http://usat.ly/UHM3rc
We can expect a competitive race for Braley's Iowa US house seat (Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo area) http://bit.ly/VIlNI5
Former state Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D) announces that he is running for Congress in Colorado’s 6th District http://bit.ly/VyTxaO
Top air quality official reportedly President's preferred choice to head Environmental Protection Agency http://bit.ly/VyTPyr
Outgoing EPA head Lisa Jackson's deepest regret: failing to reach out to rural, often conservative U.S. regions http://reut.rs/Xl55y9
Sally Jewell is President Obama’s pick to lead Department of Interior http://wapo.st/YFuFAK
Vulnerable US Senate Dem Mississippi Basin incumbents in 2014: Johnson (SD), Landrieu (LA), Pryor (AR), Baucus (MT) http://lat.ms/YWd5MF

Last Word -

“People are in danger of losing their patrimony, not to mention their sources of food.”- Michael Kugelman, in a February 6, 2013, New York Times op-ed entitled "The Global Farmland Rush." Kugelman is a senior program associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and is co-editor of “The Global Farms Race: Land Grabs, Agricultural Investment, and the Scramble for Food Security.”

Monday, February 4, 2013

EPA Solicits Comments on 2014-2016 National Enforcement Initiatives

U.S. Congress in 2013: House Natural Resources Committee

Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the House Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee work during the 113th Congress relating to Mississippi River Basin water issues. Lead by its Chair, Doc Hastings (R-WA), and Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-MA), the Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal natural resource issues of importance from a Mississippi River Basin perspective. Those include fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges and conservation; forest reserves and national parks; the U.S. Geological Survey; interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation; irrigation and reclamation, including water supplies for reclamation projects and easements of public lands for irrigation projects; coastal zone management (except for issues relating to pollution of navigable waters); public lands in general; and oceanography.

Reps. Hastings and Markey return to the same Committee leadership positions that they held during the 112th Congress, when they led the predominantly-Western populated Committee in efforts to expand oil and gas development on public land and in off-coast waters such as in the Gulf of Mexico. The two leaders in the past have been at odds, particularly on issues where Markey (one of the most liberal House Members) promoted or opposed ideas in conflict with the aims of the Committee's majority (i.e., such as championing renewable energy, or opposing nuclear and oil industry expansion). During the last Congress, the panel consistently pushed back on the Obama Administration's use of Executive Orders to set aside land for protection, and that trend should continue into 2013.

The Committee will likely conduct hearings early this year on any Obama Administration Energy and Interior Department budget proposals under its jurisdiction, and the year may see the Committee take up reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act ("ESA"), a law that was last updated over 23 years ago. The last serious attempt to reauthorize the ESA occurred (and failed) in 2005. In the last Congress, the Committee held several ESA oversight hearings, indicating its ongoing interest in the extent of the law's reach and impact. Those hearings primarily focused on ESA litigation and settlements. Rep. Hastings, in particular, has seen an ESA overhaul as something that Congress should focus on.

Below, alphabetically by party, is the Committee member roster. It highlights the Committee's 13 new members (italicized) and the eight members from Mississippi River Basin districts (underlined), and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's Mississippi River Basin members.

Majority Members

Mark Eugene Amodei (R-NV-2)
Daniel J. Benishek (R-MI-1)
Robert Bishop (R-UT-1)
Paul C. Broun, Jr., MD (R-GA-10)
Kevin J. Cramer (R-ND-AT LARGE)
Steve Daines (R-MT-AT LARGE)
Jeffrey D. Duncan (R-SC-3)
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. (R-LA-4)
William H. Flores (R-TX-17)
Louie Gohmert (R-TX-2)
Dr. Paul Anthony Gosar (R-AZ-1)
Andrew P. Harris (R-MD-1)
Doc Hastings (R-WA-4) Chair
Raúl Rafael Labrador (R-ID-1)
Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1)
Douglas L. Lamborn (R-CO-5)
Cynthia Marie Lummis (R-WY-AT LARGE)
Thomas McClintock (R-CA-4)
Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2)
Jon Daniel Runyan (R-NJ-3)
William Steve Southerland, II (R-FL-2)
Chris Stewart (R-UT-2)
Glenn W. Thompson (R-PA-5)
Scott R. Tipton (R-CO-3)
Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1)
Donald Edwin Young (R-AK-AT LARGE)

Minority Members

Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU)
Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29)
Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-17)
Jim Costa (D-CA-20)
Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-4)
Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS)
Jose Antonio Garcia (D-FL-26)
Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7)
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa (D-HI-1)
Rush D. Holt (D-NJ-12)
Steven A. Horsford (D-NV-4)
Jared William Huffman (D-CA-2)
Alan S. Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
Edward J. Markey (D-MA-7) Ranking Minority Member
Grace Flores Napolitano (D-CA-38)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6)
Pedro R. Pierluisi (D-PR)
Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36)
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP)
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-1)
Nicola S. Tsongas (D-MA-5)

The Committee office is located at Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-2761
Fax: (202) 225-5929

To view our previous coverage of Mississippi Basin-relevant, Senate and House committees, see:
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Senate and House Agriculture Committees
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Friday, February 1, 2013

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Senate EPW Committee Leaders Expect New WRDA Proposal Within Weeks
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA) both emphasized in a Thursday (January 31) hearing that they intend to have a bipartisan Water Resources Development Act, or "WRDA," available for the Committee's and full Senate's consideration sometime within the next several weeks. The bill would be intended in part, Sen. Boxer noted, to fix ongoing problems related to the funding for maintenance of and improvements to the nation's harbors and inland waterway navigation system. In Thursday's hearing (information available here), focusing on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a consistent theme made by most Committee members and several witnesses was that far less than all of the revenues coming into that Trust Fund were being targeted each year for harbor maintenance work around the country. And although not an official hearing topic, the insolvency of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund was also mentioned by panel members as a problem in search of a solution in a new WRDA bill. For more information on WRDA and the January 31 hearing, you can see this Blog coverage.

U.S. Congress in 2013: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee agenda items this year that relate to Mississippi River Basin water issues. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal issues important from a Mississippi River Basin perspective, including irrigation, water resource reclamation projects, including those related to flood control purposes, energy development impacts on water resources, groundwater resources and management, hydroelectric power and low head hydro power. The preview (available in full here) has complete Committee member rosters, and highlights and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's nine Mississippi River Basin members. To view previous coverage of the 113th Congress' Senate and House committees, see:
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Senate and House Agriculture Committees
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

EPA giving communities more time to clean up waters because of financial burden of stormwater; wastewater projects http://bit.ly/115rhn9
EPA Memo "Assessing Financial Capability for Municipal Clean Water Act Requirements" http://bit.ly/115rMNT (re: Clean Water Act obligations)
Iowa State U: Sediment deposition rate in Iowa lakes due to erosion has increased exponentially over last 50 years http://dmreg.co/TwX8e2
Barge with 80,000 gallons oil hits Vicksburg, MS, Mississippi River bridge; leaks http://bit.ly/Ws1TEp but contained http://bloom.bg/Ws1YrK
U of MN study: triclosan a dominant source of forms of dioxin in lakes which receive sewage treatment plant effluent http://bit.ly/YbOmjr
Blue Spring Creek, Missouri considered sacred by Northern Cherokee Nation tribe in an effort to stop treatment plant http://bit.ly/YcdLJI
Levels of perfluorinated chemicals found in Mississippi River fish below Twin Cities area declining but remain high http://bit.ly/VilfdJ
Minnesota pollution agency finds PFCs diminishing in Mississippi River, although still at "significant" levels in spots http://bit.ly/XK3h1v
EPA announces its approval of Missouri's change to state water quality standards rules http://1.usa.gov/ViqmKP
WV Sierra Club; WV Highlands Conservancy; OH Valley Environmental Coalition threaten to sue EPA over alleged lax WV DEP oversight re: mining water pollution http://bit.ly/Wd7Aqh
Appalachian Mountain Advocates; other groups move to restart lawsuit over Bush Administration mining 'stream buffer' rule http://bit.ly/XeBpUY (PDF of notice)

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

Article looks at sediment transport dynamics in Mississippi River; proposes increasing dredged material beneficial use http://bit.ly/X40HDm
Iowa flood planning goes high-tech, as new research models offer better data for future protection http://bit.ly/115tBdM
Army Corps of Engineers seeks comments on development plans for Audubon Bend, along the Missouri River http://bit.ly/115wH1j
New FEMA National Flood Insurance Program maps could be good news for many New Orleans-area flood-insurance customers http://bit.ly/TLLXhO
Mississippi River barge crash and oil spill occurred at one of the two most difficult turns on the river http://bit.ly/XK3xh9
More than 1,000 barges were backed up Wednesday on Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi due to barge accident http://reut.rs/XnA8Lc
International Energy Agency: fresh water consumption for energy production on track to double within next 25 years http://bit.ly/XnCIki
Senate hearing testimony from President of Associated Branch Pilots focuses on Mississippi River navigation system http://1.usa.gov/Vq8egv

Drought-

January 29 U.S. Drought Monitor Map
Click to Enlarge

National Drought Mitigation Center: Midwestern rain did not "move the drought off its mark;" so status quo is the word http://bit.ly/rak0SU
Unrelenting drought gripping key farming states in the U.S. Plains shows no signs of abating http://reut.rs/WjeudN
USDA: drought continues to hit Oklahoma http://1.usa.gov/129tLkG and Kansas http://1.usa.gov/129tNZH hard
Army Corps of Engineers has begun final step of its project to keep drought-stricken Mississippi River open to barges http://reut.rs/Vw1Sl3
Stretches of Upper Mississippi River near record-low levels http://1.usa.gov/WC0o6s
Some drought-starved Midwestern rivers that had been near record low levels were on verge of flooding Wednesday http://bit.ly/XnzGwF

Farm Bill-

2013 farm bill fate could come down to early February meeting between House Speaker and Agriculture Ranking Member http://bit.ly/YbQ4kI
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN): passing five-year Farm Bill will be a top priority; expects House to be more open to passage http://1.usa.gov/WjdZ3b

Agriculture -

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) announces that he will chair the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture http://1.usa.gov/Xnyt8w
Three senators introduce legislation seeking to extend some lapsed agriculture disaster programs http://bit.ly/YbQFD3
Federal appeals court rules that USEPA is overestimating amount of biofuel that can be produced http://bit.ly/YbRgET
Environmental and Energy Study Institute: High Crop Prices Driving US Land Use Change at Increasing Environmental Cost http://bit.ly/YbTeFf
University of Iowa professor: Midwestern U.S. aquifers being pumped at an unsustainable rate because of corn ethanol http://bit.ly/T2R9fK
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency "Feedlot Update" covers Ag water quality certification program 'listening sessions' http://bit.ly/XK15qP
MN Dept of Ag to host public meetings seeking input on proposed state Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program http://bit.ly/XK1slg
Project aims to teach farmers how to best apply fertilizers to avoid unnecessary nitrous gases from reaching atmosphere http://bit.ly/WC4HhZ
Side by side comparison of organic and conventional agriculture indicates that organic is better for environment http://bit.ly/Xaufzl

In the States -

Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approves new way of funding $15M/year in water quality improvement projects http://bit.ly/129sl9D

In the Cities -

City of St. Paul, MN proposes stormwater management program to state http://bit.ly/Wr3erW public comment period open http://bit.ly/Wr3hUN
Minneapolis, MN Stormwater Management Program proposal to state open for public comment http://bit.ly/Wr3vLF Plan: http://bit.ly/Wr3Aiu

Forestry -

WWF's Zero Net Deforestation and Forest Degradation goal to stem forest-based biodiversity-ecosystem services depletion http://bit.ly/iwKrAz

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

United States Geological Survey and National Wildlife Federation map depicts spread of invasive Asian carp since 1970s http://bit.ly/Xat0jK
Wisconsin's Natural Resources Board considers which species to list as endangered http://bit.ly/XFwoDO
Annual aerial surveys show ducks making good use of Illinois River Valley, as duck use trends upward http://bit.ly/XB1vjc
MN DNR Aquatic invasive species training available for Minnesota lake service providers http://bit.ly/Wr4nzW
Minnesota hunters and anglers: a warming climate is already affecting fish and wildlife across U.S. and in the state http://bit.ly/Xatma7
Minnesota’s U.S. senators will co-sponsor new legislation to help stop spread of Asian carp up the Mississippi River http://bit.ly/XUSJxm

Gulf Coastal Region-

Gulf Coastal restoration task force approves $57.8 million for wetlands projects, begins to design four more http://bit.ly/TwY2aB
Mississippi River Delta Science & Engineering Team answers "10 Fundamental Questions About the Mississippi River Delta" http://bit.ly/QJ6TDb
Pipeline construction to deliver Mississippi River sediment to Barataria Basin to create coastal land may start in 2013 http://bit.ly/XsARcT
New USGS and NOAA report outlines the extent of known science regarding climate change in coastal regions. Press release: http://1.usa.gov/Vt7egO Report: http://1.usa.gov/XMMqvG (PDF file)
Study designed to protect and restore Southwest Louisiana's coastline could be finished next year; nearly 3 years late http://bit.ly/XK3Xnt

Resource Extraction -

Natural gas fracking is coming to Illinois; while environmental concerns and disagreement over state taxes rise http://bit.ly/TwWlKc
East Tennessee may soon find itself front and center in the growing fracking debate http://bit.ly/Ycdjv1
Environmental groups ask State to prevent use of fracking drilling technique on forested University of Tennessee tract http://bit.ly/XnFuWQ
University of Tennessee releases details of its controversial fracking project proposal http://bit.ly/XnGdqZ

Federal Budget -

Both parties predicting that deep, across-the-board spending cuts will probably hit U.S. federal agencies on March 1 http://wapo.st/Wf9uXD
House GOP leaders insist that across-the-board sequestration cuts are coming, while senators scramble for solutions http://nyti.ms/WjehHv
Once unthinkable, severe Federal spending cuts (sequestration) now seem plausible http://bit.ly/W4oFCJ
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) predicts that the Federal budget "sequester is going to happen” on March 1 http://bit.ly/YbPtzJ

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and also as a stand-alone calendar.

Sustainability Summit and Exposition: Sustainability: An Economic and Ecologic Imperative; March 6-8, Milwaukee, WI http://bit.ly/129rm9A
EPA Stormwater Webcast: Overview & Lessons Learned, Feb 12, 1-3 PM ET flier: http://1.usa.gov/129sXvZ register: http://bit.ly/129sVnR
MN Dept of Ag to host public meetings seeking input on proposed state Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program http://bit.ly/XK1slg
68th Annual meeting of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee; March 20-22; Winona, MN http://bit.ly/Xnwot4
Eighth Annual running of the Missouri River 340 (340-mile canoe race ) is set for July 23-26 http://bit.ly/Xav23h

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

Weekly Newsletter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water: "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/VlxV1C
Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee Winter 2012 Newsletter (PDF file) http://bit.ly/WC5Hms

Other news-

Monsanto Co. succeeds but continues to have its share of controversy: "Battered, Bruised, and Still Growing" http://on.wsj.com/XK2Sfz
National Caucus of Environmental Legislators asks President to address climate change during second term http://www.ncel.net/ (PDF file of letter: http://bit.ly/XnEfqP)

Political Scene -

Washington Post: The reason the makeup of the U.S. Congress hasn't really changed and won’t change (in two charts) http://wapo.st/129BjDY
Former U.S. congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) is interested in replacing Ray LaHood as transportation secretary http://bit.ly/129Byic
Iowa Democratic US Senator Tom Harkin will not seek 6th Senate term, says ‘it’s time’ http://wapo.st/VpUirX
Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-1) exploring a bid for US Sen. Tom Harkin's seat when Harkin retires http://bit.ly/YbN5sx
Iowa Republicans lining up to vie for U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) http://bit.ly/XGrIg9
New Louisville Courier-Journal poll finds that Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY) has weak public support http://politi.co/Wd7TS9
Former Rep. John Boccieri, Democrat from central Ohio, will attempt to return to Congress in 2014 http://bit.ly/129u7rx

Last Word - "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present." - The first sentence of a 1000-plus-page "The US National Climate Assessment Report," authored by the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee. The draft report is available for review on-line here and is open for public comment through April 12, 2013. Among the report's key findings: "There is increasing risk of seasonal water shortage . . . as well as water contamination due to sediment and contaminant concentrations caused by heavy downpours."