Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mississippi River Basin Blog

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-02-10T05:57:00.001-05:00

Farm Bill Conservation Hearing Details Emerge
The Senate Agriculture Committee has provided additional details on two of its upcoming Farm Bill related hearings (see the Committee's hearing calendar overview page here). Of particular relevance to Mississippi River Basin water issues, the Committee's Farm Bill Conservation Title hearing ("Strengthening Conservation Through the 2012 Farm Bill") will be held on Tuesday, February 28, at 10 AM (EST) in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building (the Committee's link to hearing details and streaming video can be found here).

Federal Budget and Appropriation Season Kicks Off in Earnest
Discussion of and Links to Key Resources
As the Administration and Congress gird themselves for what is likely to be a long and arduous election-year battle over Federal spending, key milestones in the annual budget and appropriation's ritual are on the immediate horizon. House Appropriations subcommittees have sent out official calls for Fiscal Year 2013 spending and language requests that Members wish to be included in appropriation bills, and the President is set to release his Administration's FY 2013 budget proposal next Monday, February 13. And this is just the beginning! For an overview of the upcoming Federal budget and appropriation season, and a discussion of and links to key resources, see here. Watch this blog space next Monday for updates on what the Obama Administration budget proposal means for vital River Basin water resource issues.

Groups Seek Broad Organizational and Business Support for Farm Bill Conservation Programs
Several conservation groups (including American Farmland Trust, American Forest Foundation, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Land Trust Alliance, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, The Nature Conservancy and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership) have taken the lead in drafting a Farm Bill conservation program support letter that will be sent to U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership. It is available on-line to review and (for organizations and businesses interested in signing) for Internet sign-on at this link. The deadline for signatures is Friday, February 24.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

USDA awards $40 million grants to boost local farm/food projects http://reut.rs/zgE8tV
US Sen. Grassley (IA-R) questions USDA Secretary Vilsack about USDA's announced Farm Service Agency office closures http://bit.ly/z2kN9p
Scientific American/Reuters: Eying Greener Acres, New Farmers Reap Growing U.S. Aid http://bit.ly/zMKd2S
Reminder: March 12-April 6 USDA general signup for farmers to participate in Conservation Reserve Program http://1.usa.gov/zHx5uk

Farm Bill-

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition highlights “major factors influencing" 2012 Farm Bill debate http://bit.ly/AhOSng
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): "If we don’t get a farm bill done by June, there won’t be a farm bill" http://bit.ly/AERCSZ

Water Quality -

Region 7 EPA director to agribusiness: no standards for N levels in water that could impede the use of N fertilizers http://dmreg.co/xusTWO
Scientific American: What is stormwater runoff, and why does it matter? http://bit.ly/xw3IoR
NRDC report recommends range of actions to promote private investment in green urban stormwater retrofits http://bit.ly/w1uDIf
EPA approves all but one of WV's proposed water quality standards (except "weight of evidence" nutrient standard) http://bit.ly/x4xLbb
175 miles of Knoxville, TN wastewater transmission system replaced/rehabilitated to stop sewage overflows http://bit.ly/wqMwP6

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

With levees rated unacceptable, officials along Mississippi River fight the Army Corps "unreasonable" safety standards http://nyti.ms/wzGDP0
Here's a [Google map based] snapshot of river restoration efforts in the US via American Rivers http://ow.ly/8RqwC
Baraboo River (WI) is longest stretch of river in US restored to free-flowing, after multiple dam removals http://1.usa.gov/AxnJ3J
Corps of Engineers will not recommend controversial "Plan H" Mississippi River flood control plan to Congress http://bit.ly/w35dvx
Army Corps today released fiscal year 2012 civil works plan; link to report: http://1.usa.gov/xn5eba; critique here: http://bit.ly/yEUWYP
Taxpayer group believes Army Corps of Engineers FY 2012 work plan is effort to end-run Congressional earmark moratorium http://bit.ly/yEUWYP
Oklahoma governor asks Chickasaw and Choctaw nations to withdraw water rights lawsuit vs. state http://bit.ly/wzKIvg

In the States -

MN's conservation "Legacy Fund" is being used to cover cuts to conservation programs, as stakeholders argue the matter http://bit.ly/zE9dfC

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Congress members prod Army Corps on new plan to sever Great Lakes & Mississippi River watersheds (re: Asian Carp) http://on.wsj.com/wzH3jR
Wisconsin bill being considered that would require state Dept. of Natural Resources to create Sandhill Crane season http://fondul.ac/yQ89Bj

Gulf Coastal Area-

Already low and vulnerable Louisiana coast prepares for sea level rise http://post.cr/zxyAzB
Report: Louisiana's coastal restoration & levee projects should anticipate average 3.3-ft sea level increase http://bit.ly/AkdLLs

Resource extraction -

OH DNR considers "all aspects" of oil/gas exploration-related regulations as it crafts new legislation recommendations http://bit.ly/zQn1UJ
Are a mild winter, sluggish economy and stricter federal law enforcement brewing the "perfect storm" against coal? http://bit.ly/yENtmG

Federal Budget -

Next week's Obama 2013 FY budget plan to mirror his plan from Sept 2011, related to deficit-reduction deal http://on.wsj.com/xe61HU

Events-

Free EPA Webinar on Tool for Comparing Impaired Waters Restorability; February 22, 1-3 PM EST; details and register: http://bit.ly/xHxIbe
Association of State Wetland Managers meeting; March 13-15; "Sustaining Commitment to No Net Wetlands Loss" http://bit.ly/wLHynx
Save the Date: 2013 National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration dates and location have been set. Don't miss it! http://bit.ly/zesXv1
Assoc. of State FloodPlain Managers May 20-25 2012 Conference Program and Registration Now Available http://bit.ly/yebctq

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

American Rivers River Policy Monthly Update: "2011 Wrap-Up" is now on line http://bit.ly/yOf0j2
Northeast-Midwest Institute has a new Mississippi River Basin water policy Google+ page: bit.ly/xTUS1D
American Farmland Trust's February E-news issue is now available on line http://bit.ly/zet1Er
America's Waterway February 2012 River Currents (Mississippi River) Newsletter now online http://bit.ly/xj4u5h

Political Scene -

Former Sen. Kerrey won’t make bid for US Senate, leaving Dems with no viable run for retiring Sen. Nelson's seat (D-NE) http://bit.ly/ziUxiS
Poll shows Adam Kinzinger tied with Don Manzullo for GOP US House primary race in newly redrawn Illinois 16th district http://bit.ly/zSljKd
KY state Legislature deadlocked over new US Congressional redistricting map, courts may need to resolve http://bit.ly/xWVMmf

Last Word -
In light of the results of a new Gallup poll (released this past Wednesday) showing an historic low for the U.S. Congressional approval rating (now at 10 percent), it seems appropriate to leave this week's "last word" to Pogo and his 1971 Earth Day message, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Senate Agriculture Committee Provides Additional Details on Upcoming Farm Bill Hearings

2012-02-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

The Senate Agriculture Committee has provided additional details on two of its upcoming Farm Bill related hearings (see the Committee's hearing calendar overview page here).

The Committee's hearing to "examine policies that make investments in jobs and opportunities for farmers and rural businesses through new markets, entrepreneurship, regional strategies and energy innovation" (entitled "Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America") will be held on Wednesday, February 15, at 9:30 AM (EST) in room G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building (link to hearing details and streaming video here). The Committee will also hold a general business meeting at that time to vote on several Federal appointment nominees (link to details here).
Its Farm Bill conservation title hearing ("Strengthening Conservation Through the 2012 Farm Bill") will be held on Tuesday, February 28, at 10 AM (EST) in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building (link to hearing details and streaming video here).

Groups Seek Broad Organizational and Business Support for Farm Bill Conservation Programs

2012-02-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Several conservation groups (including American Farmland Trust, American Forest Foundation, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Land Trust Alliance, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, The Nature Conservancy and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership) have taken the lead in drafting a Farm Bill conservation program support letter that will be sent to U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership. It is available on-line to review and (for organizations and businesses interested in signing) for internet sign-on at this link. The deadline for signatures is Friday, February 24.

Questions on the letter and related issues should be emailed to K. Diane Hoskins, khoskins@tnc.org, Federal Legislative Campaigns, at The Nature Conservancy.

Federal Budget and Appropriation Season Kicking Off in Earnest - Discussion of and Links to Key Resources

2012-02-08T09:52:00.005-05:00

As the Administration and Congress gird themselves for what is likely to be a long and arduous election-year battle over Federal spending, key milestones in the annual budget and appropriation's ritual are on the immediate horizon. House Appropriations subcommittees have sent out official calls for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 spending and language requests that Members wish to be included in appropriation bills, and the President is set to release his Administration's FY 2013 budget proposal next Monday, February 13.

Next week's Obama FY 2013 budget plan (which can be found on this Office of Management and Budget site early Monday morning) is widely expected to mirror the rather austere spending plan from September 2011 (called the "President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction"), which was released following the August deficit-reduction deal (see news coverage here). Traditionally, the release of the Administration’s budget proposal sets the stage for development of a Budget Resolution, for hearings on the President’s budget proposal and for appropriation bill development.

Chairpersons of the House Labor-HHS-Education, Financial Services, and Interior-Environment Appropriations subcommittees have kicked off that process, each sending "Dear Colleague" letters to House Members, calling for spending request submittals and setting a March 20 deadline for their submission via an electronic database (accessible starting on February 13). Similar letters from the other nine House appropriation subcommittees are expected to follow shortly. During this period of each year's fiscal planning cycle, House Members often hear from constituents in their respective districts (and other advocates) regarding stakeholder spending priorities. Those priorities can sometimes be reflected in Member-submitted spending requests.

House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI-1) is reported to be already preparing a Budget Resolution. Congress would typically negotiate and adopt the Budget Resolution as its response to the President’s budget proposal. The Budget Resolution is used, in part, to set spending ceilings for appropriations bills that would fund the government during the upcoming fiscal year.

Following approval of the Budget Resolution (assuming it is, in fact, approved), Appropriations Committees in both the Senate and House would normally go about developing legislation to allocate funds, in line with Fiscal Year 2013 spending ceilings set by the Budget Resolution. The appropriations subcommittees with jurisdiction over funding for Federal departments and agencies that manage key Mississippi River Basin programs, and links to their web pages are:

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (USDA, except the U.S. Forest Service) - House Internet Site; Senate Internet Site
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies (Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior-Bureau of Reclamation) - House Internet Site; Senate Internet Site
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (USEPA; U.S. Forest Service; Department of the Interior, except Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project) - House Internet Site; Senate Internet Site

The words “traditionally,” “typically,” and “normally” are used very intentionally in the above descriptions of what may be to come. During many (if not most) years the process does not follow any “traditional” pathway at all (look to the Fiscal Year 2012 funding process as a prime example). An informative Congressional Research Service introduction to the Congressional appropriations process and its multiple variations can be found here (as a pdf file).

Save the Date: 2013 National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

2012-02-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

The date and locale for the 2013 National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration ("NCER 2013") have been set The renowned biannual restoration conference will be held in the Great Lakes Region (specifically in the Greater Chicago, Illinois area at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel) from July 30-August 2, 2013. You won't want to miss this one. Here is the NCER home page to view past conference information and get a flavor for what will be coming in just 18 short months!

Mississippi River Basin-Related Congressional Hearings for the Week and Beyond - Including Farm Bill Hearing Schedule Updates

2012-02-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

There is only one U.S. Congressional hearing scheduled this week of particular relevance to Mississippi River Basin water resource issues. That is:

House Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee hearing on "regulatory impediments" to construction of the dams and reservoirs. 10 AM, Tuesday, February 7; Room 1324 House Longworth Office Building.

Looking beyond this week, on the hearing schedule, here are the currently-scheduled, upcoming Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Farm Bill Hearings (note the schedule change of the Conservation hearing):

Wednesday, February 15: Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America
Wednesday, February 28: Strengthening Conservation through the 2012 Farm Bill (note that this is a date change from the originally-announced February 29 date)
Wednesday, March 14: Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition
Wednesday, March 21: Risk Management and Commodities in the 2012 Farm Bill

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-02-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

Senate Agriculture Committee Sets Farm Bill Hearing Schedule
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has announced the Committee’s Farm Bill hearing schedule for February and March. It includes a February 29 hearing on the Conservation Title (Title 2), entitled "Strengthening Conservation through the 2012 Farm Bill." The hearings will set the stage for an anticipated Spring 2012 Farm Bill "Chairwoman's mark;" a draft bill that will be considered by the full Senate Committee. For more details and the complete hearing schedule through the end of March see this Committee announcement.

Controversial St. Croix River Crossing Project Bill Passes U.S. Senate
On January 23, the U.S. Senate passed the St. Croix River Crossing Project Authorization Act (S. 1134) by unanimous consent, clearing the way for the much-debated and controversial measure to be considered by the House. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would permit "any federal agency to authorize and assist in the construction of a new bridge crossing" over the St. Croix River as long as certain mitigation measures are included within the project. Two issues have consistently arisen at the center of a running controversy regarding the appropriateness of the bridge replacement project: the project's cost and its suitability, especially given the St. Croix River's Federal designation as a Wild and Scenic River. For more information, including bill proponent and opponent views, and links to the bill and related details, click here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

USDA announces a 4-week Conservation Reserve Program general signup, March 12 - April 6 http://1.usa.gov/xZwp7d
PRI's "The World" - Farms, factories, and a dangerous nitrogen overload http://bit.ly/AyobZS
US cattle herd shrinks to smallest size in 60 years; news: http://bloom.bg/y5Q2Zr and USDA report: http://bit.ly/yjSjIj (PDF file)
The Central US search for grazing land that is not parched is "reshaping the US livestock industry" http://reut.rs/zTCTu7
MinnPost Editorial: Cities, industries have reduced their Mississippi River pollution; now it's farmers' turn http://bit.ly/xir7MZ
Sign-up for USDA's Conservation Stewardship Program that ended Friday was higher than expected; NRCS "stunned" http://bit.ly/wD5bBr

Farm Bill-

Op-ed: "Attaching conservation measures to crop insurance should not be a bad thing" http://dmreg.co/z6Wt9I
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-3) hopeful that Congress in 2012 reforms farm policy that spends billions of $$ in crop subsidies http://bit.ly/wTOui2
Leaders of major farm and commodity groups look to end their very public feud over Farm Bill safety net priorities http://bit.ly/yGdruq
40 leaders from 13 farm commodity organizations meet and agree to work together on Farm Bill issues http://bit.ly/wAMY1c

Water Quality -

EPA pushes to reduce environmental and water quality impacts of 2,300-acre WV mountaintop mine project http://bit.ly/wFayWA
OH EPA to use alum in fight to control excessive phosphorous in Grand Lake St. Marys (Ohio River Basin) http://bit.ly/zkWfqA
Louisiana draft 2012 impaired waters report delists nearshore impaired waters, cites lack of data; links/comment: http://1.usa.gov/w5LfwD
Natural resources district eyes use of N-inhibitors in attempt to control farm region drinking water contamination http://bit.ly/Adn7uN
EPA seeks Mississippi River Basin nutrient pollution impact photos for education and outreach http://bit.ly/yIB51w
Sierra Club: EPA pollution control standards (TMDL) set but little has been done to improve Hinkson Creek's (MO) condition http://bit.ly/AsPo78

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

Report: Policy & $ changes needed to support US freshwater system efficiency, reliability & environmental upgrades http://bit.ly/zJrQIs
Army Corps of Engineers performing daily inspections of previously-breached Mississippi River's Birds Point levee (MO) http://bit.ly/xCz0f5
Army Corps creates 700,000 acre-ft additional Missouri River basin flood storage capacity; says flood concerns low http://argusne.ws/xtDdJT
128 floodplain homes to be purchased by Louisville KY Metropolitan Sewer District; area will then collect floodwater http://cjky.it/zczkBO
Rebuilding river delta wetlands by managing the muddy Mississippi http://bit.ly/AbYucj

In the States -

Indiana Dept of EM effort to establish numeric standards for phosphorus in lakes and reservoirs moving forward slowly http://bit.ly/yxmTYZ

Forestry -

USFS's 1st planning rule in 30 yrs places more emphasis on watershed protection in 193 million acres of land http://1.usa.gov/zHHHdz

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Missouri ban on porous angling waders to take effect on March 1 http://bit.ly/zM2wRe (aquatic invasive species issue)
New MN law requires mandatory zebra mussel training for those in dock and boat service businesses http://bit.ly/yelnIc
Report proposes dividing Great Lakes, Mississippi basins http://bit.ly/x66Dt3
Report demonstrates that permanent physical barriers to protect Great Lakes & Mississippi River "feasible" http://bit.ly/z7m46L [Asian carp]
Great Lakes Commission: natural divide between Mississippi River & Great Lakes can be rebuilt; suggests 3 alternatives http://bit.ly/yLLBXc
UMN River Life blog: We Can’t Afford to Stop Invasives; We Can’t Afford Not To http://bit.ly/wVtZLo
IL DNR trying to create consumer demand for Asian carp in effort to rid state’s waterways of them http://bit.ly/xMagwD
MN panel in charge of deciding how to spend state Legacy fund debate its use for Asian carp fight http://bit.ly/wkX1od
Many frac sand companies mine in WI ; only 1 applied for permit to legally destroy endangered butterfly habitat http://bit.ly/xn4lzj

Gulf Coastal Area-

New study finds Louisiana's second Gulf of Mexico dead zone is 4x larger than that found in 2010 http://bit.ly/wKBpwG
OP-ED: "The Mississippi River Delta Must Be Restored" (NY Times) http://nyti.ms/ySIomE
Times-Picayune editorial: "Take the long view on Louisiana's coastal restoration plan" http://bit.ly/xED6ab
LA scientists lay groundwork to create carbon storage industry that could help rebuild coastal wetlands http://bit.ly/zjTtQn

Resource extraction -

SELC list of southern endangered ecosystems includes VA and TN mountains in Mississippi River Basin (coal mining) http://nyti.ms/yNdzC9
RT @americanrivers: Collateral damage from fracking: runoff from roads surrounding hydrofracking wells http://ow.ly/8L36W [Ohio River Basin]
IL state House bills aim to control fracking to extract natural gas http://bit.ly/AzShkN

Federal Budget -

House Budget Committee Chair Ryan will work off FY 2012 budget the GOP passed last year when writing new FY 2013 budget http://bit.ly/z9VIcO

Events-

EPA annual Rachel Carson “Sense of Wonder” contest; 4 water-focused categories: photography, essay, poetry & dance http://1.usa.gov/TC8OR
2012 National River Management Symposium; April 24-26; Asheville, NC; for information and registration: http://bit.ly/zgUSkK

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center February E-News Update now available http://bit.ly/zdeDak

Other news-

UN: world running out of time to assure enough food, water & energy to meet needs of rapidly growing population http://huff.to/wdqoie

Political Scene -

MN & ND's American Crystal Sugar cooperative-one of US's most powerful lobbying groups; calls for sugar price supports http://bit.ly/xAa0IU
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL-8) faces tough reelection fight after redistricting; but is focusing on defeating Obama http://bit.ly/yHH4dA
New survey: Western state voters of all political affiliation call themselves conservationists; views differ from DC's http://bit.ly/xZzSbq
US Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-5), a 15-term congressman, announces that he will retire at the end of this term http://bit.ly/y5rKGX
Rep. Latham (R-IA) has campaign bankroll ~4x that of opponent Rep. Boswell (D-IA) heading into redrawn district race http://bit.ly/xWyKNp
KY Legislature, long-deadlocked over US Congressional redistricting map, takes big step toward passage of final map http://bit.ly/x5CBYi

Last Word -

Paula the Penguin

"Are you talking about the penguin that just defecated on the floor?" Kentucky State Senate President David Williams, asked of State Senator Katie Stine. Stine was describing a resolution, thanking the Newport Aquarium "for its contributions to the ecology of our world and the economy of Kentucky," including the "second most diverse collection of cold-weather penguins in the country." Paula, the Aquarium's "pooping penguin," as it quickly became known, was in the Senate chamber for a reading of the proclamation. Click here for a video of the ensuing frivolity.

Senate Agriculture Committee Sets Farm Bill Hearing Schedule

2012-02-02T06:54:00.000-05:00

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has announced the Committee’s Farm Bill hearing schedule for February and March. It includes a February 29 hearing on the Conservation Title (Title 2), entitled "Strengthening Conservation through the 2012 Farm Bill." The hearings will set the stage for an anticipated Spring 2012 Farm Bill "Chairwoman's mark;" a draft bill that will be considered by the full Senate Committee. For more details and the complete hearing schedule through the end of March see this Committee announcement.

EPA Seeks Mississippi River Basin Nutrient Pollution Impact Photos for Education and Outreach

2012-01-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water has announced that it is looking for digital photographs depicting the adverse impacts of nutrient pollution within the Mississippi River Basin (i.e., those showing algal blooms or fish kills, or other impacts on recreation, tourism and public health). EPA hopes to use the images collected for public outreach and education in order to raise public awareness about the negative results associated with Mississippi River Basin nutrient pollution.

Photos should ideally be medium to high quality (size: 300 dpi or greater). Interested persons should contact Patricia Scott at scott.patricia@epa.gov to discuss details.

Mississippi River Basin-Related Congressional Hearings for the Week

2012-01-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

Only one particularly Mississippi River Basin-relevant hearing is scheduled to take place this week on Capitol Hill. That one is:

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee's Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing on EPA science program improvement; February 3, 10 AM (Eastern); room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building (Note that this will be the third in a series of Subcommittee hearings on the general topic of "Fostering Quality Science at EPA: Perspectives on Common Sense Reform." The first hearing was held on November 17 and the second on November 30, 2011. The subcommittee's information for those two hearings can be found here (November 17) and here (November 30)).

Controversial St. Croix River Crossing Project Bill Passes U.S. Senate

2012-01-27T13:56:00.002-05:00

Stillwater Lift Bridge

On January 23, the U.S. Senate passed the St. Croix River Crossing Project Authorization Act (S. 1134) by unanimous consent, clearing the way for the much-debated and controversial measure to be considered by the House. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), with three cosponsors would permit "any federal agency to authorize and assist in the construction of a new bridge crossing" over the St. Croix River as long as "specified mitigation items" contained in a "2006 St. Croix River Crossing Project Memorandum of Understanding for Implementation of Riverway Mitigation Items" are included within the project conditions. The new bridge would replace an 80 year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge, which most people agree was never intended to carry the level of traffic that it currently does, is gradually failing structurally, and needs to be replaced.

However, two issues have consistently arisen at the center of a running controversy regarding the appropriateness of the bridge replacement project approved by the Senate's bill: the project's cost and its suitability, especially given the St. Croix River's Federal designation as a Wild and Scenic River. Proponents, including Senator Klobuchar and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN-6), maintain that the new bridge represents a safe and efficient alternative to the lift bridge that it would replace. Bridge opponents argue that the project is not fiscally responsible and would be environmentally damaging, especially in light of what they say are readily-available, less costly alternatives (see, for example, this release from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) and this from American Rivers, both in response to the Senate passage of St. Croix River bridge legislation).

The St. Croix River originates in northeastern Wisconsin, flowing out of Upper St. Croix Lake. It joins the Namekagon River, and a few miles downstream of that confluence a considerably wider St. Croix River forms the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin (for approximately 130 miles until its confluence with the Mississippi River).

The bill has been referred to the House Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Budget committees for consideration. To date, no action has been scheduled in any of those committees on the measure.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-01-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Farm Bill-

Rep. Peterson (D-MN-7): ‘relatively optimistic’ about new Farm Bill this year; Rep. Walz (D-MN-1): little prospect http://bit.ly/yn3J9x
MN DNR estimates 550,000 acres of MN ag land will expire from Conservation Reserve Program in next 3 years http://bit.ly/yLirDg
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) doubts Congress will find will to write new farm bill this year; looks to extension instead http://argusne.ws/AkMK7m
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas feels strong urgency to complete Farm Bill in 2012 http://bit.ly/xR08Pm

Water Quality -

EPA study to focus on clean water value to various economic sectors: tourism, farming, fishing, manufacturing, etc. http://1.usa.gov/xwJBY4
TN issues water quality violation notice to coal company for discharging >1.4 M GAL into New River http://bit.ly/yseMBP
House Natural Resources Comm GOP threatens subpoena Administration to get upcoming stream protection rule documents http://bit.ly/yF91OI PDF

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

J of Soil & Water Conservation: Impacts of 2011 induced levee breaches on Mississippi River Valley agricultural lands http://bit.ly/xMDLYW
Agreement moves ahead for refurbishment work on Coon Rapids Dam (Mississippi River - MN) http://bit.ly/wvifUQ
Inland Waterways Users Board caught in "bureaucratic limbo" as its authority to exist expires http://bit.ly/yIO56l
Crown Hydro seeks new hydroelectric project location from Corps on St. Anthony Falls lock & dam property (MN) http://bit.ly/zrUut8
Army Corps will clear (dredge) barge traffic chokepoint at mouth of Mississippi River w/ $5 Million in extra funds http://bit.ly/zSOlEH
May 2011 Mississippi River floods created legacy of damage in 100s of agricultural acres http://bit.ly/wuNmYY
Iowa to receive $10.8 Million in Federal (USDA) farm-flood recovery funds http://bo.st/wP1bjC
Fracking in Kansas pushes water use permits to new high, even as sections of state struggle with drought http://bit.ly/wXEpu5
Harpeth River (TN) advocates excited at this summer's dam removal and prospects for improved fish/mussel passage http://tnne.ws/waslkf
Research calls into question whether constructed wetlands compensate for destroyed/buried ones they "replace" http://nyti.ms/x4g8vH

Agriculture -

Kansas Governor, Attorney General object to proposed EPA Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Reporting Rule http://bit.ly/z9EMyq
Op-ed: "President Obama Should Spend $6 Billion in Corn Ethanol Subsidies on Biofuels and Renewable Energy" http://bit.ly/wDiryq
USDA releases new map of nation's growing zones; confirms what many already know: warmer winters http://bit.ly/A4lXrV
USDA Announces New Ag Energy Website http://bit.ly/wyTlss
Agriculture and Climate Change, Revisited (NY Times): Future climate talks need strong food production focus http://nyti.ms/xYtFO4
EPA meets w/ Region 7 & 8 state agriculture directors to discuss ag sector interests & concerns; news: http://bit.ly/zZ490u & EPA release: http://1.usa.gov/AeGhKk
Nat Geog: "Raiding the Bread Basket: Use and Abuse of the Mississippi River Basin" http://bit.ly/wJCONb [costs of industrial agricultural]
U of MN River Life blog overview of major federal-state effort to curb farm-based water pollution starting up in MN bit.ly/wHEy8x
Sen. Cardin (D-MD) calls for end to preferential treatment of corn-based ethanol http://wapo.st/A5jcWd
Congressional Research Service releases new report: “The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy” http://bit.ly/zscMA7 (PDF)
National Assoc of Farm Service Agency County Office Employees calls on Congress to review proposed USDA office closures http://bit.ly/xEec7n

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Australian company to harvest carp from MN waters & open new MN processing plant http://bit.ly/A5pdye
Parish along Ouachita River has highest number of invasive plant species in Louisiana (359) http://tnsne.ws/ylOB9Y
NOAA & USFWS Draft National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy open for Public Review thru March 5 http://bit.ly/w6PQhD

Gulf Coastal Area-

Louisiana state $923 million coastal restoration & hurricane levee spending plan proposed http://bit.ly/we0dBY
Louisiana's new flood plan relies more on wetland restoration; not past's heavy reliance on levees and seawalls http://bit.ly/wxBwgv
Fishers object to LA proposed 50-yr coastal restoration & protection plan reliance on freshwater & sediment diversions http://bit.ly/w2f1dR

Resource extraction -

WV state legislator to introduce >20 bills this session to amend Marcellus Shale measure passed last month http://bit.ly/z5kr18
Ohio House members looking into ways to tighten state's regulation of fracking & injection disposal wells http://ohne.ws/yiLyx5
VW DEP: Study finds no link between mining and complaints of polluted groundwater in southern WV http://bit.ly/xIs6k8
WI DNR has no plans for new limits on growing sand mining industry http://bit.ly/wwDNec

Federal Budget -

Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) confirms that House Republicans will move a budget resolution this year http://bit.ly/zvUwEe
Obama Administration delays 2013 budget release one week until February 13 http://bit.ly/wlOrVW
See our Federal Budget &Appropriations Update here for the latest on where things stand politically & legislatively http://bit.ly/yBTgCL

Events-

Great Waters Coalition Webinar on Regional Restoration Program Authorizations; Feb 9; 4 PM EST http://bit.ly/AwqN8E (PDF file)
Registration deadline for the 2012 Upper Midwest Stream Restoration Conference is THIS Friday, January 27 http://bit.ly/xbTKQw
EPA Nutrient Removal Webinar: Nitrogen Control at Wastewater Treatment Plants; March 8, 1:00-4:30 PM EST http://1.usa.gov/AASLZZ
WI Assoc for Floodplain, Stormwater & Coastal Mgmt Feb. 16 seminar on fish passages at road crossings; Waukesha, WI http://bit.ly/yFW2fd
USDA Webinar: "Assessing the Vulnerability of Water and Watersheds to Climate Change" February 2, 12:00 PM EST http://1.usa.gov/xuMTUz
Horinko Group Webinar: Agricultural Water Usage-Trends, Indicators, and What It All Means; February 16, 1:30 PM EST http://bit.ly/xwN869
RT @InvasiveNotes: National Invasive Species Awareness Week, February 26 - March 3, 2012 Washington, DC bit.ly/4vuLqO

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

January edition of "Mississippi River Basin Update" now available online; full of River Basin policy & science news http://bit.ly/woxjwQ

Other news-

Minneapolis had the first centralized hydroelectric power in the nation http://bit.ly/ydx80y
Scientists develop way to use satellites to help farmers improve harvests http://reut.rs/x3ynXH could be available for wide use in 2 yrs
Johnson Foundation Report: urban water and sewage systems will need to overhaul to adapt to climate change http://bit.ly/xrybNh (PDF file)
Nijmegen's (Netherlands) "Room for the River" plan receives "Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award 2011" http://bit.ly/Ah4r1H

Political Scene -

Freshman US Rep. DesJarlais (R-TN-4) catches break and will not face a primary challenge from state Sen. Ketron http://bit.ly/zP9y0B
US Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) suffers serious stroke but should be able to return to his full Senate duties http://politi.co/xZ3llo
US Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN-6) confirms that she will run for 4th term in Congress this year http://bit.ly/xPAgnR
New Tennessee Congressional district map helps assure Republican dominance http://bit.ly/wUZqMa

Last Word -
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."– Albert Einstein

Federal Budget and Appropriations Update

2012-01-23T16:09:00.004-05:00

The Obama Administration has announced that it will release its 2013 Fiscal Year budget proposal on Monday, February 13: a budget highly-expected to be more frugal on Federal discretionary spending than last year’s version. Anticipating criticisms from the left, the White House has preemptively hinted that their proposal will present a disappointingly slim budget, warning its political allies to brace themselves for an austere plan.

“Traditionally,” the release of the Administration’s budget proposal kicks the Federal appropriations process into high gear. Following its release, members of Congress would customarily start to negotiate and adopt a Budget Resolution in response to the President’s budget; House and Senate committees would schedule and hold budget hearings regarding the agencies under their jurisdiction, and Appropriations Committees in both the Senate and House would go about developing legislation to allocate funds (ostensibly in line with Fiscal Year 2013 spending ceilings set by the Budget Resolution). There are twelve appropriation subcommittees in each chamber, and each would be tasked with drafting legislation to allocate funds to government agencies within their respective jurisdictions.

However, few fiscal years end up reflecting that “traditional” appropriations approach. Last year’s example was a case in point, when the House developed a Budget Resolution, only to look on as the Senate declined to follow suite.

House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI-1) confirmed earlier this month that House Republicans plan to once more move a Budget Resolution forward in 2012, laying to rest rumors that the House would wait first for the Senate to act, in order to avoid a repeat of 2011.

An informative, June 2011, Congressional Research Service introduction to the Congressional budget and appropriations process can be read on-line or downloaded here (PDF file).

The latest news on appropriations efforts in Congress can be tracked on the respective House and Senate Appropriations Committee’s web pages, or on this Library of Congress web page.

January Mississippi River Basin Update Now Available On-Line

2012-01-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

The January edition of the "Mississippi River Basin Update" is now available for reading or downloading online (PDF file here). The January edition includes these stories:

RIVER BASIN NEWS AND NOTES

New Farm-Water Quality “Regulatory Certainty” Strategy to be Piloted in Minnesota
2012 Water Protection Network Annual Meeting to Have a Mississippi River Basin Focus
Federal Draft Ocean and Coastal Implementation Plan Includes Mississippi River Basin Actions
NRCS Issues Request for Proposals under its Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative
Applicants Sought for Mississippi River Policy Manager Position in River Region
EPA Advisory Committee Completes Water Quality-Agriculture Report
Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops

LEGISLATION, BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS

2012 Farm Bill
Water Resources Development Act
Federal Budget and Appropriations Update

New Farm-Water Quality "Regulatory Certainty" Strategy to be Piloted in Minnesota

2012-01-20T07:59:00.004-05:00

One of the more significant River Basin related news items for the week was a Tuesday announcement by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, together with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, of a new program to be piloted in Minnesota to increase voluntary use of farm conservation practices. The related USDA news release can be seen here.

The program is part of a wider federal strategy that would effectively give farmers "certainty" with respect to water quality regulations if they voluntarily choose to put land conservation practices in place for the benefit of improved water quality. Agricultural producers who implement a significant degree of conservation practices to reduce nutrient run-off and erosion would receive assurance (or "certainty") from Minnesota that their farms will meet the state's water quality standards and goals throughout the duration of the certainty agreement.

According to the USDA news release, the USDA and EPA will "offer support to Minnesota in developing its certainty process for water quality improvements on private agricultural lands and eligible tribal lands in high priority watersheds. While this idea is new to protection of water quality, 'certainty agreements' have been successful for encouraging private landowners to conserve wildlife habitat."

Details of the program have yet to be developed, and Minnesota plans to form a Technical Advisory Committee to help it develop those details. That committee will solicit input from stakeholders in designing the initiative. One group of stakeholders, the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, responded to Tuesday's announcement with a press releasesetting forth the key elements that the Partnership believes "any agricultural water pollution clean-up program must" contain, including ensuring water quality will meet standards, targeting resources to the greatest needs, ensuring accountability from farm operators, and being consistent with existing pollution reduction programs and laws.

EPA has been exploring a variety of certainty mechanisms in conjunction with USDA and several states for some time, and the Minnesota pilot certainty initiative could be viewed as one component of the Obama Administration's draft action plan to address the challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, announced on January 12 and reported on here last week. Among other goals, that action plan calls for the "development of State regulatory certainty programs for reducing nutrient and sediment loads that will accelerate the adoption of voluntary conservation efforts" by 2013.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-01-20T07:51:00.004-05:00

New "Regulatory Certainty" Strategy to be Piloted in Minnesota
On January 17, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, together with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, announced a new program to be piloted in Minnesota to increase voluntary use of farm conservation practices that mitigate nutrient runoff and soil erosion. According to an accompanying USDA news release, the USDA and EPA will "offer support to Minnesota in developing its certainty process for water quality improvements on private agricultural lands and eligible tribal lands in high priority watersheds. While this idea is new to protection of water quality, 'certainty agreements' have been successful for encouraging private landowners to conserve wildlife habitat."

The program is part of a wider federal strategy that in would effectively give farmers "certainty" with respect to water quality regulations if they voluntarily choose to put land conservation practices in place for the benefit of improved water quality. Agricultural producers who implement a significant degree of conservation practices to reduce nutrient run-off and erosion would receive assurance (or "certainty") from Minnesota that their farms will meet the state's water quality standards and goals throughout the duration of the certainty agreement. Program details, and links to relevant press releases, reactions and related federal initiatives, can be found here. Additional news coverage of the announcement is provided under the "Agriculture" section, below.
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

USDA: $10 million in funds available to enhance water quality credit trading effectiveness; seeks project proposals http://1.usa.gov/wJ7PGJ
Novel "regulatory certainty" strategy to reduce farm erosion nutrient runoff will be tested starting in MN http://bit.ly/ydroo5
Details yet to be worked out for newly announced MN-USDA-EPA program to protect water quality http://bit.ly/xVMYlf
Op-ed: How Iowans manage land leaving Conservation Reserve Program is critical to maintaining past conservation gains http://dmreg.co/xQIr2e
Biofuel companies account for >50% of top 50 recipients of IA state tax credits & incentives http://dmreg.co/y4nPNg
Ohio farms are flush with manure; and right now the conditions are far from good http://bit.ly/xJkar9
Sustainable Ag conference topic: Microbe-based soil enhancer promises higher crop yields & reduced fertilizer need http://bit.ly/A3Sw3d
Big-city mayors are starting to see local food policy as key in getting healthy, affordable food to their constituents http://n.pr/xzFRdh

Farm Bill-

Great Waters Coalition to host January 25 informational conference call on Farm Bill reauthorization http://bit.ly/xjIEut
Many farm policy experts are predicting a highly contentious debate on the 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/zzxA8a
Sen. Agriculture Committee Chair Stabenow: Upcoming debate in Congress over 2012 Farm Bill likely to be difficult http://bcene.ws/wZv6Fp
As GOP maps strategy, farm bill reauthorization in 2012 likely to get caught up in fight over how to pay for programs http://fxn.ws/zKfZGA
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) is committed to passing a Farm Bill in 2012 but admits that may not happen http://1.usa.gov/A2xJ7O
Rep Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-3): "a year from now we will be will living with a Farm Bill extension" (not a new bill) http://bit.ly/yPQaQb
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) doubts any real headway will be made towards writing a new farm bill this session http://bit.ly/z3eCJO

Water Quality -

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency adding another 500 lakes & stretches of river to its list of impaired waters http://bit.ly/ws4y4U
USDA: $10 million in funds available to enhance water quality credit trading effectiveness; seeks project proposals http://1.usa.gov/wJ7PGJ
Op-ed: gutting the Clean Water Act won't revive the economy http://bit.ly/zXwzIJ
Environmental Integrity Project: toxics in wastes going into coal ash disposal ponds is increasing http://bit.ly/Aar61d
New law clinic at West Virginia University to focus on the New and Gauley river watersheds http://bit.ly/xvOiHf
EPA adds updated USGS SPARROW data to its nitrogen & phosphorus pollution data access tool 1.usa.gov/wptHew
Enviro group fears US congressional letter to EPA is step backwards in efforts to maintain OK river's water quality http://bit.ly/AgV9mF

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

Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division prepares for 2012 flood season http://bit.ly/ys8N8t
Army Corps of Engineers releases its 2012 Missouri River management plan with little additional flood storage space http://bit.ly/A4UCVG
FEMA faces criticism for increasing risky development behind levees http://bit.ly/yHKCnm (PDF file)
Army Corps of Engineers gets busy on Mississippi Rive flood control projects as river levels drop http://bit.ly/yMKvWm

In the States -

OHEPA called overreaching, unreasonable, ludicrous, unfair, hypocritical & secretive at water quality standards meeting http://bit.ly/xFEMGy

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Reintroduction of whooping cranes in LA conservation ares undergoes rough 1st year as only 3 of 10 juveniles survive http://bit.ly/yb3yvq

Resource extraction -

IL county board agrees to allow sand mine adjacent to Starved Rock State Park (Illinois River) http://trib.in/yjfm7o
USEPA: Soon-to-be largest coal mine in eastern US isn't regulated enough http://trib.in/wNBwpQ
US State Dept official announcement rejecting Keystone XL pipeline: 1.usa.gov/yYwz0j

Events-

Webinar on EPA's 2012 Draft Recreational Water Quality Criteria; January 25, 1-3 pm EST http://bit.ly/yGEgtj
Great Waters Coalition January 25 informational conference call on Farm Bill reauthorization http://bit.ly/xjIEut

Political Scene -

Missouri Supreme Court orders closer look at Congressional district line redrawing http://bit.ly/xKOZ5D
WI Democrats file Gov. Walker recall petition before deadline http://usat.ly/zrtPsY

Last Word - “If you think this is bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) describing the highly partisan state of the U.S. Congress, adding that the bar has been set so low that “even a hard-charging, fast-digging mole” couldn’t find it.

USDA Seeks Proposals for Projects to Improve Water Quality Markets; $10 Million in Funding Available

2012-01-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today (January 13) that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer up to $10 million in grants for proposals on how to set up and improve water quality trading markets, a potential market-based financing mechanism for the cleanup of impacted surface waterways such as the Mississippi River, northern Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay. NRCS is providing funds for the projects through its Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program, with up to $5 million focused on water quality credit trading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Proposals for projects are due March 2, 2012.

A webinar will be held January 24 at 3:00 PM (Eastern) to provide more details to potential applicants. In the webinar USDA officials and staff will discuss the goals of the program and answer questions about its request for proposals. For more webinar details go to this CIG website.

Great Waters Coalition to Host Farm Bill Reauthorization Informational Conference Call

2012-01-13T12:02:00.001-05:00

America's Great Waters Coalition has announced that it will host a January 25 informational conference call on the issue of Farm Bill reauthorization to "brief Great Waters Coalition members and . . . allies on the latest policy proposals being proposed for the new Farm Bill, discuss how they can benefit restoration efforts, and explain ways . . . the Great Waters restoration community can be involved." Presenters during the call will include Tina May, Senior Professional Majority Staff Member for the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and Sara Hopper, Agricultural Policy Director for the Environmental Defense Fund.

Interested persons can dial into the call at 1-877-890-9502 (Participant Passcode: 8599270#). The call will convene at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern).

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-01-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

Federal Draft Ocean and Coastal Implementation Plan Includes Mississippi River Basin Actions
On January 12 the White House's National Ocean Council released for public comment, a draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan, touted by the Council as "an action plan to address the most pressing challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources." The draft Implementation Plan details more than 50 Federal actions to be taken to "improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes," including several actions which relate explicitly in the Plan to reducing the impacts of point and non-point sources of nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River Basin. For each action, the Plan outlines key milestones, identifies responsible Federal agencies, and sets an anticipated time frame for completion. Major actions specifically related in the Plan to the Mississippi River Basin include (1) Improving water quality by reducing the impacts of trash, marine debris, and sources of excess nutrients, sediments, pollutants, and pathogens; and (2) Minimizing impacts of hypoxia. To read more Mississippi River Basin-related details and link to the draft Plan and on-line public comment portal, see here.

EPA Advisory Committee Completes Water Quality-Agriculture Report
EPA's Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee completed a significant Water Quality-Agriculture report in December, and submitted that report to the EPA on January 5. The 85-page report advises the agency on how to best focus its efforts in protecting and improving water quality with respect to impacts from agricultural practices. The report suggests how to most effectively manage the nation's water quality issues and how best to improve water quality across the country, as they relate to agricultural production. It also offers specific recommendations for (1) increasing support for certainty programs, (2) increasing stewardship, and (3) coordinating resource allocation and use with the USDA, with land grant universities and with the agricultural sector. For a more complete review and links to the full report and transmittal letter see here.

2012 Water Protection Network Annual Meeting to Have a Mississippi River Basin Focus
The Water Protection Network has announced plans to hold its 2012 Membership Meeting along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri from March 18-20. The meeting theme will be "Working With Nature to Protect Communities," and will include a field trip to the nearby Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site, workshops on becoming a more effective advocate for water protection projects and permits, and a panel discussion on the 2011 Mississippi and Missouri River floods. For more details and links to meeting and sponsorship information, read our blog story here.

“Our Upper Mississippi River: Connection, Inspiration, Transformation” Essay Contest Announced
Prairie Rivers Network in collaboration with 1Mississippi have invited interested persons to enter their “Our Upper Mississippi River: Connection, Inspiration, Transformation” Essay Contest. Written submissions can be made on line between now and the March 16 deadline. Further instructions and details can be found here.

Applicants Sought for Mississippi River Policy Manager Position
The Biodiversity Project and Mississippi River Network (MRN) seek applicants for a Mississippi River Policy Manager position to be located either in the Chicago, Illinois area (near the Biodiversity Project office) or elsewhere at a location near the Mississippi River. According to the position announcement, "The Policy Manager will provide key analysis and proactive policy development in issues relating to the restoration and conservation of the Mississippi River, analyze proposed legislative or administrative changes to Federal policy and law related to the River, educate members of MRN, the public, and the media on such policies and proposals, and cultivate support for those policies and proposals among policymakers and other stakeholder organizations." Details are available here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

USDA announces agency-wide program/office cuts in "Blueprint for Stronger Service to Increase Efficiency" http://1.usa.gov/xsd1gW
USDA plans to close 249 offices this year; half of them local county offices that deal directly with farmers http://reut.rs/w3xnfs
Satellites show groundwater levels dropping fast in stretches of US & globally in past 9 years; farm withdrawal blamed http://bit.ly/sTj05X
Sioux County, Iowa is "ground zero" for nation's farm boom http://bit.ly/xs5NsS
EPA Farm Ranch & Rural Communities Comm completes agriculture & water quality report; news http://bit.ly/ADnsi9 rpt http://1.usa.gov/zDcOXm
University of WI-Madison economist: atrazine use helps farmers reduce aggregate soil erosion by up to 85 M tons/yr http://bit.ly/wVMxhc
WI Dept of Agriculture: many WI landowners not requesting Farmland Preservation tax credits they’re entitled to receive bit.ly/wzA2m1

Farm Bill-

Congress could slash US farm subsidies far more than expected, perhaps 2x that proposed just 2 months ago http://bit.ly/yBAkeL
Economist provides explanation of Farm Bureau’s Systemic Risk Reduction Program farm bill proposal http://bit.ly/y0SHUJ
American Farm Bureau Federation Congressional Relations Director gives 50-50 odds on getting new farm bill done in 2012 http://bit.ly/wZvIXT
Environmental Working Group: "Farm Bill is a Climate Bill” & climate change activists should be concerned over cuts http://bit.ly/xjFiyG
Members of American Farm Bureau Federation vote to rewrite much of group’s farm programs policy http://bit.ly/ydqI2d
Farm Bureau will continue to press Congress for some form of protection against catastrophic revenue losses http://bit.ly/zbKW4j
Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND) doesn't see a farm bill being passed before the 2012 general election http://bit.ly/w7plu4

Water Quality -

EPA approves IA DNR designated use changes for 430 water bodies; disapproves changes for 89; press release: http://1.usa.gov/xmcXxs (PDF of EPA letter http://1.usa.gov/w8c2G0)
EPA and coal company reach a settlement over Indiana mining discharges to surface water http://bit.ly/wQJfq2
EPA releases new recovery potential screening tool for surface water quality protection & restoration http://1.usa.gov/zX43Qd
3M turns the tables in Mississippi River pollution lawsuit in a counterclaim filed Monday http://bit.ly/yB7tEW

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

Argument For Chicago waterway changes strengthened by Army Corps commercial shipping study results http://bit.ly/xUHaBP
NY Times: Along Mississippi River in MO, rebuilding Birds Point levee after 2011 spring flooding http://nyti.ms/ycXgt7
Army Corps seeks to assure public that underground drainage canals won't worsen Hollygrove, LA flooding http://bit.ly/z4DpF6

In the States -

Towns look to stop OH EPA from imposing new limits on wastewater discharged into Mahoning River (Ohio River basin) http://bit.ly/weypPU
WI Wetlands Association op-ed: State's "wetlands legislation goes too far; everyone will pay the price" http://bit.ly/ApOYq9
AR DEQ will ask EPA to allow more time to study Crooked Creek problems, over concerns about meeting TMDL requirements http://bit.ly/wjqE5A

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

MN DNR launches new prevention efforts in 2012 to slow spread of aquatic invasive species http://bit.ly/xf8xDr
All Minnesota boats will face DNR roadside checks for aquatic invasive species http://bit.ly/xJWzZ3
National Great Rivers Museum Brings "Masters of the Sky" to Alton, IL [along Mississippi] http://1.usa.gov/yrToCi

Gulf Coastal Area-

Louisiana officials release 50 billion, 50-yr plan to rebuild coastal land; increase protection from storm surge http://bit.ly/xWDsmA

Resource extraction -

Natural gas and oil boom spurs sand mining (for fracking) in Midwest http://post.cr/zR0rKQ
In Illinois, along Illinois River, it's come down to "Starved Rock State Park versus sand mining" http://trib.in/wkcqpR
WV lawmakers unlikely to revisit Marcellus shale issues in 2012 despite notable absence of issue resolution http://bit.ly/yKo8Jh

Fedral Budget -

Obama set to reprise 2012 tax & deficit-reduction proposals in FY 2013 Budget Proposal (goes to Congress on Feb. 6) http://buswk.co/yzZsW5

Events-

Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Assoc. Workshop; June 12-13; Lowell, MA http://bit.ly/Aj2T3E (abstract deadline Feb 15)
8th National Monitoring Conference (National Water Quality Monitoring Council) April 30-May 4, Portland, OR http://bit.ly/ycevNG
River Rally 2012 sponsored by River Network & Waterkeeper Alliance; May 4-7, Portland, OR http://bit.ly/yu3ji6
EPA workshops on Achieving Water Quality thru Integrated Municipal Storm & Wastewater Plans under Clean Water Act http://1.usa.gov/zBQYl3
2012 North American River Management Society Symposium; April 24 - 26, Asheville, NC http://bit.ly/zgUSkK
2012 Water Protection Network Annual Meeting to have a Mississippi River Basin focus http://bit.ly/wznFZ2
Assoc of State Wetland Managers' State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Mtg; March 13-15, Shepherdstown, WV http://bit.ly/w4juVf

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

The Horinko Group's monthly newsletter is now on line, with news of a new Mississippi River Corridor staff person http://bit.ly/zOYWD4
Soil and Water Conservation Society's, January 12 Conservation News Brief: http://bit.ly/wW0hn4

Other news-

National Agricultural Research Alliance - Beltsville http://www.facebook.com/AgAdvocate grateful for your "like" in support of efforts
Louisville KY names city’s first director of sustainability http://cjky.it/xHIpHR

Political Scene -

NE Attorney General defending himself from charges he funneled $100,000 grant to farm group to help US Senate run http://bit.ly/y9uh8E
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) believes that he will face a recall election this June http://bit.ly/x8MhcX
Arduous KY GOP primary ahead for any ambitious GOP candidates vying to replace retiring Rep. Davis (R-KY-4) http://bit.ly/wk2iXg
GOP businessman John Raese files to challenge US Sen. Manchin (D-WV) in rematch of 2010 Senate race http://bit.ly/yoCprV

Last Word
"It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings." - Wendell Berry

Federal Plan to Address Oceans and Coasts Includes Mississippi River Basin Actions

2012-01-12T15:59:00.005-05:00

Today (January 12) the White House's National Ocean Council released for public comment, a draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan, touted by the Council as "an action plan to address the most pressing challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources." The draft Implementation Plan details more than 50 Federal actions to be taken to "improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes," including several actions which relate explicitly in the Plan to reducing the impacts of point and non-point sources of nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River Basin. For each action, the Plan outlines key milestones, identifies responsible Federal agencies, and sets an anticipated time frame for completion. Major actions specifically related in the Plan to the Mississippi River Basin include:

Improving water quality by reducing the impacts of trash, marine debris, and sources of excess nutrients, sediments, pollutants, and pathogens; and
Minimizing impacts of hypoxia.

Under the Plan action item of "reduc(ing) rural sources of excessive nutrients, sediments, toxics, and pathogens," the Plan designates six Federal agencies (USDA, EPA, USGS, NOAA, USACE and DOI) to be responsible for "reducing pollutants from rural sources (to) improve local water quality and enhance ecosystem services and benefits within rural watersheds and in downstream waters." Specific milestones applicable to the Mississippi River Basin under this action item are (with responsible Federal entities and milestone dates indicated in the parentheses):

Establishing Priority Watersheds within current Regional Landscape Initiatives (e.g., Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative) and other water quality restoration efforts on public and private lands. (USDA, EPA, USGS; 2012)
Evaluating the effectiveness of restoration efforts and BMPs for mitigating hypoxia through watershed nutrient loading reductions, using quantitative performance measures and an adaptive management approach. (NOAA, NRCS; 2013)
Establishing integrated interagency monitoring, modeling, and assessment partnerships in priority watersheds to better evaluate the effectiveness of land treatment practices (e.g., the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative). (USDA, EPA, USACE, DOI, NOAA; 2013)
Making financial cost-sharing assistance available to assist private landowners in priority watersheds (e.g., Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative) on a voluntary basis with the application of conservation practices to reduce excessive nutrient and sediment loadings from entering the Nation’s waters. (USDA; 2012)
Completing implementation of the EPA 2008 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations regulation. (EPA; 2012)
Implementing environmental market pilot projects between Federal and regional partners for nutrient and sediment reduction. (USDA, DOI, EPA; 2013
Supporting the development and implementation of State-wide nitrogen and phosphorus reduction strategies in the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf region, working collaboratively with interested states, and verify and communicate these results to the public. (EPA; 2014)
Targeting State Clean Water Act section 319 programs to current regional landscape initiatives and other priority areas identified by States as they develop comprehensive strategies for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, and encouraging the use of Clean Water State Revolving Fund funding to high-priority projects in each state, including those that address nutrient pollution. (EPA; 2015), and
Supporting development of State regulatory certainty programs for reducing nutrient and sediment loads that will accelerate the adoption of voluntary conservation efforts. (USDA, EPA; 2013).

Under the Plan's action item of minimizing the adverse impacts of hypoxia, NOAA, USDA, USGS, the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, EPA and DOC will be responsible for meeting the objective of "increas(ing) scientific knowledge and more effective environmental monitoring and forecasting (to) provide decision-makers with the necessary information to minimize and mitigate impacts of hypoxia on regional ecosystems, fisheries resources, wildlife, and human populations." Mississippi River Basin-relevant milestones under the hypoxia-reduction action include:

Identifying collaborative measures with regional partnerships to improve water quality in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA, USDA, USGS, Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force; 2012)
Advancing the development and application of scenario-based ecosystem models to quantitatively evaluate hypoxia causes and impacts, using an integrative modeling approach, and developing outreach tools to communicate advanced understanding to coastal managers and other stakeholders. (NOAA, USGS; 2013)
Producing and implementing at least 12 State-wide nutrient reduction strategies. (EPA; 2013)
Providing results of integrated modeling and resulting tool kits for communicating hypoxia-related information to coastal managers and other stakeholders. (NOAA, USGS, USDA; 2013)
Producing an interagency report on socioeconomic benefits to coastal communities of restoring hypoxic zones. (NOAA, EPA, DOC; 2015), and
Developing a national hypoxia data portal for seamless data sharing and information dissemination, building on the success of the EPA/USGS data portal, and link to ocean.data.gov. (NOAA, USGS, EPA; 2015).

The draft Implementation Plan will be available for public comment through February 27, 2012.

EPA's Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee Completes Water Quality Report

2012-01-12T12:45:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - established Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC) has completed a report for the EPA that advises the agency on how best to focus its efforts in protecting and improving water quality with respect to impacts from agricultural practices (see the January 5 report transmittal letter and full report as PDF files).

The report recommends how to most effectively manage the nation's water quality issues and how best to improve water quality across the country, as they relate to agricultural production. It also offers recommendations for (1) increasing support for certainty programs, (2) increasing stewardship, and (3) coordinating resource allocation and use with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with land grant universities and with the agricultural sector.

In four meetings over the past 15 months, the committee studied interactions between agriculture systems and the environment, and related policy and technical issues, including federal, state and local regulatory and voluntary program conditions. The committee gathered information from a variety of water, conservation and farm experts on water and environmental issues in general, and those issues specifically related to some of the country's major aquatic ecosystems, including the Mississippi River Basin, Puget Sound, Florida Everglades, Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes.

Among the Committee's recommendations discussed in detail in the report are that EPA should:

Ensure that nutrient criteria and new suspended and bedded sediments (SABS) criteria are science-based and rely upon a clear cause-effect relationship.
Use adaptive management to inform the ways in which nutrients and SABS can be managed most effectively to reduce off-site movement into waterways.
Always use the EPA Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses, and ensure that they are updated as appropriate.
Develop a coordinated public engagement plan to exchange information on agricultural and environmental issues.
Ensure it has adequate resources to work effectively in the field with agriculture on environmental issues.
Work proactively and often with agriculture to address water quality issues.
Continue to encourage and support state certainty programs, especially with respect to stewardship.
Continue to improve the effectiveness and reach of currently available resources by leveraging resources with others, including the USDA.
Enable and provide resources for a partnership resulting in improved measurement, documentation and verification of water quality benefits from agricultural practices.
Convene, support and facilitate a partnership to evaluate and advance more effective approaches to delivering real improvements to nutrient management and other critical conservation practice efforts, and to advance more effective use of federal and state resources invested in conservation programs.

EPA formed the FRRCC in 2008 to provide independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the Agency on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. FRRCC members include representatives from academia, industry (e.g., agriculture and allied industries), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and state, local, and tribal governments.

2012 Water Protection Network Annual Meeting to Have a Mississippi River Basin Focus

2012-01-12T09:11:00.001-05:00


May 2011 Mississippi River Flooding

The Water Protection Network has announced plans to hold its 2012 Membership Meeting along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri from March 18 – 20. The meeting theme will be "Working With Nature to Protect Communities," and will include a field trip to the nearby Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site, workshops on becoming a more effective advocate for water protection projects and permits, and a panel discussion on the 2011 Mississippi and Missouri River floods.

The Water Protection Network is seeking sponsors for the meeting. Sponsorship information can be found here (PDF file). Additional meeting information can be found at these web locations (also as PDF files):

The Water Protection Network home Internet page notes that it is a coalition of hundreds of organizations from around the country that "supports member groups advocating to ensure water projects and policies are economically and environmentally sound."

Applicants Sought for Mississippi River Policy Manager Position in River Region

2012-01-11T16:21:00.002-05:00

The Biodiversity Project and Mississippi River Network (MRN) seek applicants for a Mississippi River Policy Manager position to be located in the Chicago, Illinois area (near the Biodiversity Project office) or elsewhere at a location near the Mississippi River. According to the position announcement, "The Policy Manager will provide key analysis and proactive policy development in issues relating to the restoration and conservation of the Mississippi River, analyze proposed legislative or administrative changes to Federal policy and law related to the River, educate members of MRN, the public, and the media on such policies and proposals, and cultivate support for those policies and proposals among policymakers and other stakeholder organizations." Details are available here.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2012-01-06T09:05:00.002-05:00

NRCS Issues Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative Request for Proposals
In a January 3 Federal Register article USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a Request for Proposals and announced the availability of Fiscal Year 2012 financial assistance in the amount of (up to) $36.74 million through its Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). The funding is available for new MRBI farm conservation proposals within 54 designated focus areas in 13 Mississippi River Basin states. The projects will be funded through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative ($11.74 million) and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program ($25 million). All proposals must be received on or before March 19, 2012. See more details, including a map of the focus areas and applicable states, here.

Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee to Hold Illinois River-Focused Meeting
The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has announced an upcoming meeting on the topic of "Fishing Down the Bighead and Silver Carps: Reducing the Risk of Invasion to the Great Lakes." The meeting will include an overview of Aisan Carp prevalence in the Lower Illinois River and the possibilities of their control in that River stretch. The meeting, co-hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Southern Illinois University will be held at the Northwest Indiana Forum, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, Indiana, on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, from 8:30 AM – noon (Central Time), and will also be webcast live. To see the meeting agenda and webinar link information, see here.

"Family Farms, Rural Landscapes and the Farm Bill" Webinar
The Horinko Group's Water Division is hosting a "Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill" webinar on January 18, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm (Eastern). The webinar will explore issues and opportunities tied to moving the nation forward on a path of sustainable agricultural practices, while strengthening small family farms, diversifying rural economies, and fostering livable rural communities. Webinar panelists include Dick Warner, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resource Ecology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Robert Stewart, Executive Director of the Rural Community Assistance Action Project (RCAP); Mark “Coach” Smallwood, Executive Director, Rodale Institute; and Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst, Northeast-Midwest Institute. To register for the free webinar, visit this web page.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

Lack of corn seed could mean the second year in a row of tumult for US corn market http://on.wsj.com/zN3rsA
Center for Agricultural & Rural Sustainability, U of AR researcher defines "sustainable agriculture" in presentation: http://bit.ly/v3Hh7K
EPA Extends Public Comment Period for Proposed CAFO Rule bit.ly/rDCvkq
Save Our Rural Environment alarmed about potential impact of confined animal feeding operation on LaMoine River http://bit.ly/tBNGW1 & http://bit.ly/sevSnl
Oct. NRCS Managing Water, Harvesting Results (ag drainage water management) slides, videos & itineraries now on-line: http://bit.ly/sFnhcn
NPR: Congress allows era of ethanol subsidies to lapse http://n.pr/vFpFC1
NRCS: ranking period cut-off date for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is Jan. 13 http://bit.ly/sv2q2r
USDA blog takes "A Closer Look At the Benefits of Farmers Markets" http://1.usa.gov/AeIS6e
Deadline for USDA 2012 Conservation Innovation Grant Pre-proposals is Jan. 31; nutrient management is program priority http://bit.ly/w0rAuf

Farm Bill-

American Farm Bureau convention delegates expected to engage in spirited debate on 2012 Farm Bill safety net http://bit.ly/wMCKo7
Senator Grassley (R-IA): new farm bill needs to be done by mid-summer; if not may not get done until after election http://bit.ly/xHRzN2

Water Quality -

PennEnvironment, Sierra Club announce Clean Water Act lawsuit against PPG Groups re: Allegheny River pollution http://bit.ly/zJg8RI
USGS Cooperative Water Program posts new web pages on water availability, hazards & quality, ecosystem health, etc. http://on.doi.gov/vLVaCY
Human-sourced nitrogen from fossil fuels & fertilizer found in world's most isolated lakes http://bit.ly/u7V0yX
EPA releases 2012 draft Recreational Water Quality Criteria; accepts comments until Feb 21 http://1.usa.gov/tmkKvj & http://1.usa.gov/tcmYrH
Environmental groups file federal lawsuit vs coal company for alleged KY Clean Water Act violations (Se contamination) http://bit.ly/xSBOJp
2 US senators & US Rep try steering development of federal water-quality standards for Illinois River (Oklahoma) http://bit.ly/AAniil

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

Army Corps: raising levees along Mississippi River west bank will not put east bank residents (New Orleans) at risk http://bit.ly/rwcXWY
Mississippi river: Political reality swamps ecologists' restoration dreams http://bit.ly/u8pye0
Billions needed to upgrade America's failing water & wastewater infrastructure http://wapo.st/vqEUAY

In the States -

3 weeks after MN environmental oversight group head was fired, mystery remains over what led to dismissal http://bit.ly/A4Tvnv
MN Pollution Control Agency announces public meetings on its new impaired waters listing http://bit.ly/spRKOI (list available there)
MN Pollution Control Agency releases the list of 16 waterways that don’t meet state & federal standards (news story: bit.ly/spUtyZ)
Louisiana businesses fined $2.5 million in pollution penalties via 1,803 enforcement actions during 2011 http://bit.ly/yQxdX9
Wisconsin issues proposed biennial "impaired waters" list; now available for comment http://bit.ly/yNYxd2

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Several consecutive years of Missouri River high water boost rainbow trout populations http://bit.ly/vqu5P2
Statewide NGO "Minnesota Waters" to expand its training portfolio to include aquatic invasive species monitoring http://bit.ly/rWbN1y
New 2012 Kansas rules designed to prevent Asian carp & zebra mussel invasion concern some Kansas anglers http://bit.ly/vKzTEP
Snowy owls migrating into the upper Midwest this winter - a previously rare phenomenon http://bit.ly/vRuqaY
Mississippi River Eagles bring out bird watchers for miles around bit.ly/uvlF57
All eyes are on US bald eagles as national survey begins: http://on.msnbc.com/wkSy6Y
Army Corps releases "Inventory of Available Controls for Aquatic Nuisance Species - Chicago Area Waterway System" http://bit.ly/rJhQ4p
North Dakota man charged with transporting Zebra Mussels to Minnesota's Rose Lake bit.ly/xlL7bT
Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Announces Illinois River Asian Carp Meeting (webcast available) bit.ly/xZSu01

Gulf Coastal Area-

NY Times Editorial: Rescue for the Gulf of Mexico http://nyti.ms/twRSDF
Tampa Tribune Editorial: Gulf of Mexico needs bipartisan help http://bit.ly/uwbDRX
The Maritime Executive Washington Insider primer on Gulf Coast restoration http://bit.ly/AgAAXE

Resource extraction -

Louisiana oil & gas industry is fighting back against claims fracking is threat to drinking water http://bit.ly/smjO9S
Mountaintop removal in Tennessee prompts Appalachian Voices to open office in Nashville http://bit.ly/szPiqL
Ohio State University economists: economic boon of shale gas is overblown http://bit.ly/uFw1CJ

Events-

12th National Conference on Science, Policy & the Environment: Environment and Security, Jan 18-20, Washington, DC http://bit.ly/mFPshp
Aquatic Invasive Species Legislative Summit to convene in Minnesota on January 14 (re: MN lakes) http://bit.ly/smnDiD

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

Association of State Floodplain Managers December newsletter available here http://bit.ly/uCs9bS (pdf file here: http://bit.ly/rUKc6r)
December 2011 issue of "Mother Pelican: A Journal of Sustainable Human Development" posted http://bit.ly/szMKza
Water Environment Federation January 2012 Stormwater Report now online: http://bit.ly/wxdtws

Other news-

Ohio earthquake linked to wastewater injection well http://usat.ly/wGB4BZ
Groups release report on potential impact of increased federal spending on water & wastewater infrastructure projects http://bit.ly/shaF6i
USDA’s Economic Research Service releases useful report: “Major Uses of Land in the United States, 2007” http://1.usa.gov/w2ZPwA

Political Scene -

Dems on House Committee on Energy & Commerce say House was "most anti-environment" in history of Congress http://bit.ly/tRyWvp
"Must-do" list of business on the president’s 2012 congressional agenda very short [welcome to the election year] http://on.wsj.com/sFNK7L
There are few 2012 US House races more uncertain than Minnesota's 6th district held by Rep. Michele Bachmann http://bit.ly/ul0Luz
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R) announces he’ll seek re-election in Illinois’ redrawn 16th district http://bit.ly/vIWVCK
State Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington (R) becomes 1st to announce campaign for retiring Rep. Geoff Davis’ (R-KY-4) seat http://bit.ly/tfqG3F
Federal three-judge panel rules against redrawn West Virginia congressional map http://bit.ly/z4YXAp
Federal three-judge panel implements new Mississippi Congressional map, essentially unchanged http://bit.ly/zZh8Td

Last Word - "Shortsighted men . . . in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things." - President Theodore Roosevelt

Deadline for USDA 2012 Conservation Innovation Grant Pre-proposals is January 31

2012-01-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a press release on January 4, reminding applicants that January 31 is the last day to submit project pre-proposals for fiscal year 2012 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) from the NRCS.

This year's CIG projects focus on nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, wildlife and CIG projects assessment. NRCS notes that it is especially interested in projects that demonstrate:

Optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement and timing that improve nutrient recovery by crops.
Procedures for refining the usefulness of the phosphorous index in reducing phosphorous losses.
Suites of conservation practices that protect water quality.
Renewable energy systems that reduce the use of fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency on farms.
The impacts of cover crops, crop rotations, tillage and other conservation practices on soil health.
Conservation practices that increase the water-holding capacity of soils.
Decision tools that help producers assess their operations and conservation needs in order to improve wildlife habitat.
Assess the technology transfer potential of completed CIG projects.

CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the Nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations. NRCS administers CIG. CIG funds will be awarded through a competitive grants process. 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.

To view NRCS's complete Announcement of CIG program funding, visit the Conservation Innovation Grants program page. The announcement can also be viewed online as a PDF file at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1046237.pdf

Webinar on Sustainable Farm-Urban Economies and Their Links to Watershed Conservation

2012-01-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

The Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst, will make a presentation on sustainable farm-urban economies and their links to watershed conservation during The Horinko Group's "Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill" webinar on January 18, 2012 from 1:30 – 3:00pm (Eastern). Mr. Gorman's presentation, "Local Cheese and Chinese Pork," will highlight a Pennsylvania case study that successfully reestablished an urban market as the hub of a community-based food system, while catalyzing urban revitalization, value-added local food production, and farmland conservation.

The webinar, hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division, will explore issues and opportunities tied to moving the nation forward on a path of sustainable agricultural practices, while strengthening small family farms, diversifying rural economies, and fostering livable rural communities. In addition to Mr. Gorman, presenters will include Dick Warner, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resource Ecology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Robert Stewart, Executive Director of the Rural Community Assistance Action Project (RCAP); and Mark “Coach” Smallwood, Executive Director, Rodale Institute.

To register for the free webinar, visit this web page.

Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Announces Illinois River Asian Carp Meeting

2012-01-04T11:56:00.001-05:00

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has announced an upcoming meeting on the topic of "Fishing Down the Bighead and Silver Carps: Reducing the Risk of Invasion to the Great Lakes." The meeting will include an overview of Asian Carp prevalence in the Lower Illinois River and the possibilities of their control in that River stretch.

The meeting, co-hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Southern Illinois University will be held at the Northwest Indiana Forum, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, Indiana, on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, from 8:30 AM – noon (Central Time), and will also be webcast live at https://www.mymeetings.com/tetratech/join/ (Conference number: PG2535005; Passcode: ASIAN CARP; audio available by calling 888-603-8914).

The meeting agenda consists of:

1. Introductions – Illinois Department of Natural Resources
2. Efficacy of Control in the Lower Illinois River – Dr. James Garvey, Southern Illinois University

Overview
Immigration of Asian carp and movement
Density and biomass of large fish in the lower Illinois River;
Ecosystem impact
Nutrition
Contaminants
Marketing research
Is control possible?
The fishing experiment

3. Questions and Answers

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee is a group of 22 federal, state, local and private entities whose goal is to create a "sustainable Asian carp control program to prevent introduction and implement actions to protect and maintain the integrity and safety of the Great Lakes ecosystem from an Asian carp invasion via all viable pathways."

NRCS Issues Request for Proposals Under its Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative

2012-01-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) and announced the availability of Fiscal Year 2012 financial assistance in the amount of (up to) $11.74 million under the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and (up to) $25 million in the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). The $36.74 million is available for new MRBI proposals. The funding availability announcement appeared in the January 3, 2012 Federal Register. All proposals must be received on or before March 19, 2012.

According to the Federal Register announcement, NRCS will provide assistance to eligible participants in the 54 designated focus areas (8-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs)) in the following 13 States: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Wisconsin (click on the figure on the left to see an enlarged map of the focus areas). Proposals from potential partners are to be based on one or more 12-digit HUCs within the 54 designated focus areas. Partners who are currently involved in approved MRBI agreements through CCPI or WREP and want to work in other 12-digit watersheds must submit new proposals for a new project. The specific 8-digit HUC "Designated Focus Areas" for the MRBI in FY 2012 are listed in the Federal Register announcement.

For additional information about this RFP, interested parties should contact Deena Wheby, MRBI Coordinator, NRCS Conservation Initiatives Team, by telephone at 859-224-7403 or by e-mail at deena.wheby@ky.usda.gov.

Holiday Greetings

2011-12-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

The Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mississippi River Basin Blog and your FNB ("friendly neighborhood blogger") are taking a holiday vacation until January 3. Please have a safe, happy and peaceful time, wherever you are this season.

December Mississippi River Basin Update

2011-12-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

Here is the link to the December Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues. The December Update contains these news items:

RIVER BASIN NEWS AND NOTES

Task Force Final Strategy for Restoring Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ecosystem
GAO’s Report on Actions Needed to Resolve Environmental and Flooding Concerns Surrounding Mississippi River Training Structures
EPA’s Extension of Public Comment Period for Proposed CAFO Rule
USDA Revised National Nutrient Management Standard Issued
CRS and USDA Overviews of Conservation and Other Farm Bill Programs
Report Calls into Question One Motivation for Expanding Mississippi River Locks and Dams
Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops

LEGISLATION, BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS

2012 Congressional Calendar
Consolidated Appropriations Package Cuts EPA Significantly; Provides Army Corps with Flood Reconstruction Money
Spending Bill Rider Blocks Army Corps from Implementing Updated Water Policy
Farm Bill Update

EPA Extends Public Comment Period for Proposed CAFO Rule

2011-12-20T07:40:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the public comment period for its proposed CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) rule in response to requests from the public for additional time to submit comments. The comment period is now extended to January 19, 2012. EPA says that it "proposed the rule in order to more effectively carry out its CAFO permitting programs on a national level and ensure that CAFOs are implementing practices to protect water quality and human health."

For information on the proposed rule, including instructions on how to submit comments, visit this EPA web site.

Last Minute Spending Bill Rider Blocks Army Corps from Implementing Updated Water Policy

2011-12-19T10:39:00.004-05:00

A rider added at the last minute to a large Federal spending package passed by the House would block the Army Corps of Engineers from implementing updates to the U.S. water resource management policy (known as the "Principles and Guidelines;" under development by the White House Council on Environmental Quality) for the next Fiscal Year (see this Environment and Engineering news article on the rider and its impact - PDF file). On Friday (December 9), the House passed a massive ($1 trillion) Federal appropriations ("megabus") bill that will fund the Federal government through the remainder of the 2012 Fiscal Year. The rider was among several attached to the legislation. Final passage of the spending package came on a 67-32 Senate roll call vote on Saturday, which followed on a 296-121 bipartisan House vote on Friday afternoon.

The rider, in its entirety, reads:
"Water Resources Principles and Guidelines.-No funds are provided for the line item proposed for Water Resources Principles and Guidelines, as this is considered a new start. No funds provided to the Corps shall be used to develop or implement rules or guidance if an update or replacement to the document dated March 10, 1983, and entitled "Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies" is finalized during the fiscal year period covered by the Energy and Water Development Act for 2012. The Corps shall continue to use the Water Resources Principles and Guidelines in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act during that same period."

For additional details, including a summary packet and links to the legislation, visit this House Appropriations Committee web site.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Final 2011 Edition

2011-12-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

NRCS to Hold Briefing on Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative and Related RFP
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has scheduled a December 22, 10 AM (Eastern) meeting to update conservation and agricultural partners on the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative (MRBI). The briefing has been timed to coincide with the publication of the next MRBI Request for Proposals (RFP) (to be published in the Federal Register the week of December 19). Interested parties can attend in person, or connect remotely by telephone and internet. Read details here.

GAO: Actions Needed to Resolve Mississippi River Training Structures' Environmental and Flooding Concerns
In a December 9 report, the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that Army Corps of Engineers' Middle Mississippi River projects have not always complied with all environmental requirements, and may in the long run have destroyed habitat and worsened flooding along the River. Here is a link to the GAO report summary web page, which includes links to the full report and a report highlights' sheet. The GAO prepared the report at the request of Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-NY-1), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, and Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL-11) Ranking Member of the T&I Subcommittee on Aviation.

CRS and USDA Provide Comprehensive Overviews of Conservation and Other Farm Bill Programs
On November 30, the Congressional Research Service published a new guide to Agricultural Conservation Programs managed by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). Entitled "Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs," the report provides an overview of 22 NRCS and FSA programs available to assist producers and landowners who wish to practice conservation on agricultural lands (download or view the Guide as a PDF file here). On a related note, the USDA's Economic Research Service on December 15 released its “Farm Program Atlas,” an on-line resource designed to provide "access to an array of public data on Federal farm programs that will allow users to visually explore a core component of U.S. agricultural policy." The reports should prove to be valuable resources over the upcoming months, as Congress considers changes to and consolidation of many of those programs during its Farm Bill discussions.

Highly-Anticipated Revised National Nutrient Management Standard Issued by USDA
On December 13, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) revised its national conservation practice standard on nutrient management, and released the long-anticipated revised standard ("Standard 590"), along with an accompanying general National Nutrient Management Policy manual and National Instruction. In a summary accompanying the standard's release, NRCS said that it is the intent of the "national conservation practice standard on nutrient management to help producers better manage the application of nutrients on agricultural land," while protecting and improving "ground and surface water, air quality, soil quality and agricultural sustainability." You can read more details, and find links to the relevant standard documents, here).

Congress to Pass Megabus Federal Spending Bill Today; Cuts EPA Significantly; Provides Army Corps Flood Reconstruction Money
Last evening members of a joint Senate-House Conference Committee agreed to the provisions of a massive ($1 trillion) Federal appropriations ("megabus") bill that, when approved by Congress and signed by the President later Friday, will fund the Federal government through the remainder of the 2012 Fiscal Year. The megabus is the same as the 1,219-page Consolidated Appropriations bill package posted late Wednesday night by House appropriators, with the exception of two changes in provisions related to relationships with Cuba and the funding level for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. For an updated summary of the three-bill package, you can visit here (PDF file). For additional details, including a summary packet and links to the legislation, visit this House Appropriations Committee web site.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week
Agriculture -

NPR: Putting farmland on a fertilizer diet: USDA's new national nutrient management standard http://n.pr/u4qMaZ
Midwestern farmers may see steep increases in crop insurance premiums because flood-damaged levees not repaired http://wapo.st/soDbCY
US farmers enjoying best run in decades due to high crop, land & livestock prices & demand for corn used to make ethanol http://wapo.st/u6ygIe
High commodity prices and harsh winters threaten Conservation Reserve Program, habitats and wildlife in farm belt http://bit.ly/vWogbq
Battle over elimination of ethanol subsidies goes down to last minute as stakeholders vie for congressional attention http://dmreg.co/rTxs7T

Farm Bill-

Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program at a crossroads http://bit.ly/tTdVpl
Op-ed: “Why the farm bill needs a robust energy title” by James Greenwood & Roger Johnson http://bit.ly/t18fhG
Farm Bill conservation programs threatened by anticipated budget cuts http://huff.to/roIAJL

Water Quality -

House committee examines US wastewater infrastructure issues in light of EPA policy and funding http://1.usa.gov/uBY4FW
Senators issue bipartisan call at hearing for more spending to fix nation's water and wastewater infrastructure http://1.usa.gov/v4Y2sD
Coal company to pay $4.5M Clean Water Act penalty for WV selenium dumps http://bit.ly/umyNIa
Chicago to eliminate raw sewage flow into Chicago River under settlement; news- http://bit.ly/rOVjkx; EPA page- http://1.usa.gov/rQsyl9
Op-ed: Renewing America’s commitment to clean water (by Jan Goldman-Carter, National Wildlife Federation) http://bit.ly/u3aiMW

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

Senate testimony calls for fundamental changes to US water policy http://bit.ly/twAHGi
$1.6 million Army Corps study looks for ways to restore lost wildlife & plant habitat along lower Mississippi River http://trib.in/vbp7Qk
GAO: Army Corps Actions Needed to Resolve Environmental & Flooding Concerns in Middle Mississippi River http://bit.ly/rHQvnd
Corps cuts flow from Missouri River Gavins Point Dam to increase later flood storage capacity downstream http://bit.ly/vNfkv2
Dredged material from Army Corps Mississippi River channel project expected to form new island, but no one knows where http://bit.ly/rqc9dM
Federal Claims court trial opens in shipping canal & Army Corps rolls in Katrina flooding http://bit.ly/t6T1Nh
Army Corps of Engineers short on levee-repair money after Missouri River flooding http://bit.ly/t1OUkl
FEMA $1.6 M grant to Winnebago Co, IL for acquisition/removal of homes repeatedly damaged by Rock River flooding http://1.usa.gov/s4K88e

In the States -

Louisiana is one of worst states in country at enforcing environmental laws, EPA Inspector General finds http://bit.ly/uDwdBd (see related link below in "Other News")
KY environmentalists ask court to vacate Clean Water Act settlement btw KY Energy & Environment Cabinet & coal company http://bit.ly/vu3ghp
EPA and IA DNR want 4 cities to fix stormwater problems before renewing wastewater treatment plant permit http://bit.ly/veigH3
IL Dept of Ag approves hog farm construction although county board advised denial due to water resource concerns http://bit.ly/uR71oM
Coalition of MO environmental groups urges National Park Service to strengthen Jacks Fork and Current Rivers management http://bit.ly/uCvQy8 & http://bit.ly/u7cvXW

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Coalition of Minnesota conservation groups: Close Mississippi River Ford Dam lock to keep Asian Carp out http://bit.ly/t4fQlb
Kentucky assigns four-mile “Outstanding State Resource Water” Ohio River area to protect endangered mussels http://bit.ly/vDPCKz
Minnesota sees new setback in fight against invasive Asian carp http://bit.ly/rZWNOo

Federal Budget -

Shutdown averted: Deal reached on $1 trillion omnibus spending bill http://bit.ly/seSpzm and http://politi.co/uoXyFl
Congress to Pass Megabus Federal Spending Bill Today; significant cuts to EPA remain in final package http://bit.ly/uLpmDT

Gulf Coastal Area-

Officials release first round of BP oil spill Gulf restoration project proposals (totaling $57 million) http://bit.ly/rJMFUm

Resource extraction -

Duke University study links mountaintop mining to degraded waterways http://bit.ly/vfHR6f
Environmental Integrity Project report: 20 coal-ash dumps in 10 states linked to groundwater & soil contamination http://bit.ly/uui295
West Virginia governor to sign Marcellus gas regulatory bill http://on.wsj.com/vk5lyc and http://bit.ly/rBCCjx

Events-

Horinko Group Webinar: Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill January 18, 1:30 PM EST http://bit.ly/vyfon4
USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum 2012 - Moving Agriculture Forward; February 23-24; Arlington, VA 1.usa.gov/cPKpGZ
NRCS December 22 Briefing on Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative & Related RFP (phone call-in available) http://bit.ly/ts9DFb
2 free upcoming Farm Bill webinars: Conservation: Dec 16, 11 am; Local & Regional Food Systems: Dec 19, 11 am http://bit.ly/vYZ0GR

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

TNC Great Rivers Partnership Monthly e-Newsletter http://bit.ly/u0YGb7

Other news-

EPA Inspector General: Inadequate State Oversight by EPA Leads to "Weak and Inconsistent" Enforcement (PDF of report: http://1.usa.gov/sfjw7M)
USDA: increasing wheat supplies helping to drive down global food costs http://on.wsj.com/sJsmh7 & PDF report: http://bit.ly/v1CPSi
Bipartisan group of House members introduce bill to expand hydropower http://1.usa.gov/tpBhO5 (PDF of bill)

Political Scene -

USA Today poll: Resurgent Republicans close gap in 12 key Presidential swing states http://usat.ly/tBBNF4
Former school administrator Brad Harriman has announced he will run for retiring Rep. Jerry Costello’s (D-IL) seat http://bit.ly/srs6TL
Do White House politics trump science? http://politi.co/uZZ0HZ
Milwaukee County prosecutors secretly probing WI Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) campaign staff; arrest made http://bit.ly/sa1C8w
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY-4) announces that he will retire http://bit.ly/s8LEc1

Last Word - We leave this year's final "Last Word" to Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a/k/a Mark Twain), who reminds us that "The Mississippi River will always have its own way. No engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise." And what better way to illustrate Clemens' 1866 wisdom than with this 2011 aerial view of some of the homes inundated within the Mississippi River's floodplain last spring and summer (these near Vicksburg, Mississippi on May 23).

Congress to Pass Megabus Federal Spending Bill Today

2011-12-16T07:51:00.006-05:00

Last evening members of a joint Senate-House Conference Committee agreed to the provisions of a massive ($1 trillion) Federal appropriations ("megabus") bill that, when approved by Congress and signed by the President later today, will fund the Federal government through the remainder of the 2012 Fiscal Year (FY). The bill package is the same as the 1,219-page Consolidated Appropriations bill package posted late Wednesday night by House appropriators, with the exception of two changes in provisions related to relationships with Cuba and the funding level for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. For an updated summary of the three-bill package, you can visit here (PDF file).

Notably, with respect to Mississippi River Basin natural resource issues, the substantial (18 percent) cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget and provision of flood control reconstruction money to the Army Corps of Engineers remain identical to those described in our article on the consolidated bill package here.

House Democrats were able to resolve most of the major disagreements that they had with their Republican colleagues regarding legislative riders to the appropriations bills. You can find the summary of the legislative riders that remain and key funding levels in the legislative package here (with a nod to NWF's Joshua Saks (Senior Legislative Representative) for this latter link).

UPDATE: Final passage of the spending package came on a 67-32 Senate roll call vote on Saturday, which followed on a 296-121 bipartisan House vote on Friday afternoon. A rider added at the last minute to the spending package blocks the Army Corps of Engineers from implementing updates to the U.S. water resource management policy (known as the "Principles and Guidelines" under development by the White House Council on Environmental Quality) for the next Fiscal Year (see this Environment and Engineering news article on the rider and its impact - PDF file).

The rider, in its entirety, reads:
"Water Resources Principles and Guidelines.-No funds are provided for the line item proposed for Water Resources Principles and Guidelines, as this is considered a new start. No funds provided to the Corps shall be used to develop or implement rules or guidance if an update or replacement to the document dated March 10, 1983, and entitled "Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies" is finalized during the fiscal year period covered by the Energy and Water Development Act for 2012. The Corps shall continue to use the Water Resources Principles and Guidelines in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act during that same period."

Consolidated Appropriations Package Would Cut EPA Significantly; Provide Army Corps with Flood Reconstruction Money

2011-12-15T13:01:00.004-05:00

The House Appropriations Committee late last night released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, 1,219-page Consolidated Appropriations bill package. Should the House and Senate leaders come to an agreement with respect to moving ahead on a "megabus" spending package, this (or something closely resembling it) would likely be what the two chambers agree to vote on (for a summary of the three separate bills, click here (PDF file). However, it will likely take into Friday (or even into the weekend) before divisions between the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-led House are overcome and a deal reached on the "megabus" package or on yet another Continuing Resolution (avoiding a long-term government shutdown, which would start on Friday night, absent new spending authorization). Nonetheless, the announced package is probably a good road-map of what will eventually come out of this protracted end-of-the-year appropriations process.

According to the Committee's summary, overall funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be reduced by $1.8 billion (-18.4%) from calendar year 2011 spending levels. The summary seeks to justify these cuts by noting that "funding for EPA has been unparalleled over the past several years, leading to unnecessary spending and contributing to the agency’s regulatory overreach, which has a detrimental effect on American businesses and the recovering economy." The conference agreement would fund EPA at $8.4 billion for FY 2012; a $233 million reduction below the FY 2011 enacted level and $524 million below the President’s budget proposal request. The conference agreement would specifically cut:

$14 million (-6%) in clean air and climate research programs;
$12 million (-9.5%) in EPA’s regulatory development office; and
$14 million (-5%) to air regulatory programs.
$101 million (combined) from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds: $1.469 billion provided for the Clean Water and $919.363 million for the Drinking Water funds.

In addition, the bill includes:

A 33% reduction to the EPA Administrator’s immediate office;
A $78 million reduction for EPA operations/administration, which includes $41 million (-5%) in cuts to EPA’s regulatory programs;
A $14 million (-6.2%) reduction for uncoordinated climate and other air research; and
An elimination of $4 million in funding that EPA has used to delay the processing of Appalachian mining permits.

According to the summary the following are among other Mississippi River Basin-relevant provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations bill package:

$1.7 billion in funding for disaster recovery assistance through the Army Corps of Engineers to "help repair damage to critical infrastructure caused by recent storms and floods, and will help prepare for future disaster events."
$1.5 billion in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; a cut of $28 million below last year’s level. Funding for mitigation fish hatcheries is restored.
National Park Service (NPS) is funded at $2.6 billion, which is $32 million below last year’s level. This funding level "will allow all National Parks to remain open and NPS activities to continue" according to the summary statement.

The Consolidated Appropriations bill package consists of three separate bills (H.R. 3671 — "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012;" H.R. 3672 — "Disaster Relief Appropriations Act;" and H. Con. Res. 94 — "Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 3671").

New CRS Report: "Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs"

2011-12-14T11:55:00.001-05:00

On November 30, the Congressional Research Service published a new guide to to Agricultural Conservation Programs managed by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) (download or view the Guide as a PDF file here). Entitled "Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs," the report provides an overview of 22 NRCS and FSA programs and subprograms that are available to assist producers and landowners who wish to practice conservation on agricultural lands. The report offers a concise overview of the current regime of Farm Bill programs, and should prove to be a valuable resource over the upcoming months, as Congress discusses changes to and consolidation of many of those programs during its 2012 Farm Bill debates.

Following an overview of the available conservation programs, information on each program is presented in a tabular format in the report. Each program table includes a brief program description; major program amendments included in the 2008 farm bill; national scope and availability; states with the greatest participation; backlog of program applications (or other measures of program interest); program funding authority; Fiscal Year 2011 and 2012 funding; statutory authority; program authorization expiration date; and a link to the program’s website.

NRCS to Hold Briefing on Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative and Related RFP

2011-12-14T08:14:00.003-05:00

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has scheduled a meeting to update conservation and agricultural partners on the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Waters Initiative (MRBI). The briefing has been timed to coincide with the publication of the next MRBI Request for Proposals (RFP) (to be published in the Federal Register the week of December 19). NRCS’s goal for the meeting is “to address changes made in this RFP, answer questions related to the RFP, and provide additional guidance on the monitoring and evaluation portion of the RFP.”

The briefing will occur on December 22, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EST) in Room 5104 of the USDA-NRCS office at 14th and Independence Ave., S.W. (South Building), Washington, DC. There will be an audio portion telephone number available for those who cannot attend in person (call-in number 1-888-469-1762; participant code: 7553244). The following link can be accessed live during the meeting to view its PowerPoint presentations: (https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/ Conference Number: PW2505711; Audience Passcode: 7553244).

Persons planning to attend the briefing in person should RSVP to Myron Taylor (Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative Coordinator) by email at myron.taylor@mn.usda.gov.

The draft agenda for the meeting (including NRCS staff leading the discussion) includes these topics:

Introduction and Goals - - David White, Chief
Mississippi River Basin Initiative Overview - - Tom Christensen, Regional Conservationist
RFP Review - - Myron Taylor
Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy - - Howard Hankin
Questions and Answers - - Tom Christensen, Martin Lowenfish, Myron Taylor
Timeline and Next Steps - - Myron Taylor

MRBI is designed to bring together a variety of stakeholders within the Mississippi River Basin to voluntarily implement conservation practices that avoid, control, and trap nutrient runoff in watersheds where high nutrient loading is particularly problematic. The conservation measures put into place also frequently improve wildlife habitat, and can often have the benefit of improving agricultural productivity.

Long-Anticipated Revised National Nutrient Management Standard Issued by USDA

2011-12-13T12:50:00.004-05:00

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has revised its national conservation practice standard on nutrition management, and released that standard ("Standard 590" - available here as a PDF file), along with an accompanying general National Nutrient Management Policy manual and National Instruction, earlier this afternoon (December 13). In a press release accompanying the standard's publication, USDA said that it is the intent of the "national conservation practice standard on nutrient management to help producers better manage the application of nutrients on agricultural land," while protecting and improving "ground and surface water, air quality, soil quality and agricultural sustainability."

NRCS Chief Dave White, in a morning briefing for agricultural and environmental stakeholders prior to the standard's release, said that the revised standard will emphasize the concepts of (1) the four "Rs" of nutrient management (Right Source of Nutrients, Right Time of Application, Right Rate, and Right Method of Application); (2) new and advanced technologies, such as adaptive nutrient management; (3) soil nutrient tolerance levels; (4) coordination of multiple practices; and (5) effective management of manure (i.e., relating to application to frozen, snow-covered and saturated soils). The nutrient management conservation practice is an important tool to help farmers and ranchers apply their nutrients efficiently, while still assuring the protection of the nation's water resources, White stressed.

Two controversial issues addressed in the revised standard include manure application to frozen (or snow-covered or saturated) soils and phosphorus application management.

The standard will still generally preclude the direct application of manure to frozen ground, as did its predecessor. But NRCS believes that there may be some conditions under which such applications could occur without degrading water bodies if additional nutrient control measures were to be implemented to protect water quality. The standard will allow for that flexibility in such instances.

With respect to phosphorus application, NRCS has adopted the use of a phosphorus index - a risk-based evaluation tool - to estimate on a case-by-case basis the risk of phosphorus moving into waterways, and then plan phosphorus management accordingly (applying less when the risk is higher than when the risk is lower, and potentially adding additional conservation measures where a high risk warrants such action).

State NRCS offices will have one year during which to fully implement and be in compliance with the revised standard. States have the ability to make further adjustments to the standard in an effort to improve its effectiveness before they are put into practice at the state level.

GAO: Actions Needed to Resolve Environmental and Flooding Concerns Surrounding Mississippi River Training Structures

2011-12-12T10:33:00.002-05:00

In a December 9 report to Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-NY-1), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, and Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL-11) Ranking Member of the T&I Subcommittee on Aviation, the General Accounting Office (GAO) finds that the Army Corps of Engineers' Middle Mississippi River projects have not always complied with all environmental requirements; and may in the long run have destroyed habitat and worsened flooding along the River. Here is a link to the GAO report summary web page, and links to the full report and a report highlights' sheet (the latter two being PDF files).

Among some of the GAO's key findings are that:

The Army Corps routinely assesses some of the hydrological impacts of the Middle Mississippi training structures that it constructs, but not of their environmental impacts (training structures being "dikes to 'train' the Mississippi River channel and maintain adequate depth for navigation").
Researchers have routinely highlighted two key areas of concern with respect to those river training structures: degradation of river habitat and increased flooding.
Regarding flooding, the Army Corps disagrees with researchers' concerns that its structures have led to an increase in Mississippi River stages during high flow events, and has undertaken various studies in efforts to support its supposition.

In response to these findings, the GAO recommends that the Army Corps:

Prepare an environmental assessment for river training structures in the Middle Mississippi River.
Obtain required water quality permits for any new structures, and
Conduct physical and numerical modeling to assess the cumulative impacts of those structures on River flood heights.

Congressional Committees to Examine U.S. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure This Week

2011-12-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

This week a House and a Senate Congressional committee have each scheduled a hearing to explore issues surrounding the nation's aging water and wastewater infrastructure.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife will explore the "challenges and opportunities" facing the country's water infrastructure in a hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13 in room 406 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building.

Meanwhile, the House Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has set a hearing on "Integrated Planning and Permitting: An Opportunity for EPA to Provide Communities with Flexibility to Make Smart Investments in Water Quality" for December 14 at 10:00 AM in room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-12-09T11:30:00.005-05:00

Task Force Releases Final Strategy for Restoring Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem; Some Plan Elements Address Mississippi River Sources
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on December 5 released its final strategy for long term ecosystem restoration for the Gulf of Mexico coastal region, and many of the issues addressed in the plan and its recommended solutions point directly to problems and solutions upstream within the Mississippi River Basin. You can read more details and get a link to the final strategy document here.

Report Calls into Question One Motivation for Expanding Mississippi River Locks and Dams
In November, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) revisited the findings of its 1999 report entitled "Feeding the World? The Upper Mississippi River Navigation Project." In their new report (as in its 1999 predecessor) IATP calls into question "agribusiness’ and the Mississippi River navigation industry’s claim that U.S. grain exports 'feed the world.'" Additionally, the shortfall in funding available to simply maintain, let alone expand upon, the Mississippi River Basin's (and nation's) system of locks and dams is becoming progressively more problematic. Read more, including links to resources on the issue, here.

2012 Congressional Calendar
For those looking ahead to next year on Capitol Hill (and who among us isn't!), the U.S. House and Senate have set their legislative calendars for 2012 (the second session of the 112th Congress). Next year, if things run as planned, the two chambers' calendars will be slightly less "out of sync" than they were in 2011, when House and Senate in-session weeks often did not coincide, self-limiting the opportunities for face-to-face, inter-chamber coordination and collaboration. Read a summary of the 2012 calendars and related details here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

RT @DonEWG: As prices soar, acres set aside for conservation dwindle in SD http://argusne.ws/uswOZM
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: family farms threatened by Obama Administration regulations http://cjky.it/tDYOG4
USDA: US farm productivity rose nearly 50 % since 1982, while cropland area decreased http://1.usa.gov/sz49qB
EPA memo to Monsanto: GMO corn may be failing, resistance evolving http://bit.ly/tAAn0D [Monsanto disputes]
Hotter and drier trends point to a climate increasingly unfriendly to agriculture http://bit.ly/saGHzT
IA sets new farmland price as 74-acre tract sells @ $20,000 /acre http://dmreg.co/uw1zKl but bubble may burst soon http://on.wsj.com/swHm0B
J of Soil & Water Conserv. presents studies on precision conservation management impacts on farm systems & environment http://bit.ly/urWtCS

Farm Bill-

Hill agriculture leaders plan to work on farm bill in early 2012 after supercommittee failure http://bit.ly/rIcD4R & http://bloom.bg/t1UDSE
Next-generation biofuel's funding likely to be limited in the next farm bill http://dmreg.co/vNwK6m
Idea of potentially including Farm Bill in end-of-year budget debate/spending bill being floated (lead story: http://bit.ly/uz6CRF)
House Ag Committee Chair Lucas: Farm Bill conservation title "will be received with the greatest amount of enthusiasm" http://bit.ly/uBzpQ5

Water Quality -

Florida regulators approve numeric nutrient water quality criteria (national implications) http://linkd.in/slvqiO
EPA $2 M in grants to restore urban waters by improving water quality, community access; proposals due 1/23/12 http://1.usa.gov/tUGclq
OH EPA developing long-range plan to reduce nitrogen & phosphorus in state waters; questions of cost & payment linger http://bit.ly/t8Yk9B

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

Kootenai Environmental Alliance files suit vs Army Corps re: order to remove 100s of levee trees http://bit.ly/vB80p9
Missouri River flooding issues fall under congressional scrutiny http://bit.ly/uYvtcG
Report questions if US grain exports “Feed the World” & need to expand & upgrade Mississippi River's locks & dams http://bit.ly/tyrAdE
Flood advisory issued to MS residents along Mississippi River through mid-December http://exm.nr/t436zo
Louisville’s (KY) pumping stations along Ohio River in use to prevent flooding-more than a month earlier than normally http://bit.ly/sti8KS

In the States -

KY environmentalist resigns from 2 state boards in protest of Gov Beshear's cuts to regulatory programs http://bit.ly/t1FpS1
City of Dickson, TN signs settlement in two TCE well contamination lawsuits http://tnne.ws/t6sQCg
Five-part Mankato Free Press series on the Minnesota River:

Part 1- Studies pin river troubles on farm drainage bit.ly/tXJ9EK
Part 2-sedimentation problems at mouth of Lake Pepin http://bit.ly/tCgjiN
Part 3-Landowner makes buffer strip changes to comply with law http://bit.ly/uwfjWG
Part 4-River channels move; encroach on farmland http://bit.ly/tNLw5P
Part 5-Alliances may help move river cleanup discussion forward http://bit.ly/t201ki

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

RT @PeoplePlanet: BBC: Threatened species need farmland http://alturl.com/akd2a
DNA tests suggest Asian carp have spread north of key Mississippi River MN dam http://bit.ly/tuoKUi

Federal Budget -

Both chambers of Congress will be trying to wrap up FY 2012 funding business before breaking for holidays http://bit.ly/teanG3 Prospects increasing that $900 billion-ish spending package could get done this month; precluding need for stopgap bill http://bit.ly/vWDKLr
Congress close on appropriations bill deal; next 2 days will be make or break http://politi.co/tqFjWh
Some Democrats willing to put farm subsidy cuts on bargaining table to pay for payroll tax break extension http://wapo.st/tCCmWm

Gulf Coastal Area-

Task Force releases final strategy for restoring Gulf of Mexico; release: http://1.usa.gov/qvYSmk & PDFhttp://1.usa.gov/vTv6Er Gulf Restoration Network's take on the Dec. 5 Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Final Strategy http://bit.ly/vcMJJp
Legislation to direct 80 % of BP oil spill fines to 5 Gulf Coast states won't come without fight http://bit.ly/sCHufi

Resource extraction -

Ex-Massey head Donald Blankenship starts new coal mining company in Kentucky http://cjky.it/udWGhp
EPA implicates fracking in groundwater pollution http://bit.ly/rFySq7

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

American Farmland Trust's December enewsletter is out http://bit.ly/rxa4oO

Other news-

NASA scientist: world's leaders have "run out of time" to save Earth's "traditional" climate http://bit.ly/vHtZGe
Study: Non-native species can play valuable ecological roles in new habitats http://bit.ly/tbvgrS
House passes bill requiring Congressional approval of all major federal regulations with $100 million or more effect http://bit.ly/szcEVu

Political Scene -

State Sen. Dave Koehler (D) drops out of IL 17th district race, cutting # of challengers vs. Rep. Bobby Schilling (R) http://bit.ly/vEdt3K
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL-14) will switch to run in IL 8th district next year-report in Human Events magazine http://bit.ly/u8EEOg
Washington Post: 2011 in the US Congress saw fewer bills, fewer laws and more blame http://wapo.st/rLJxfl
Numbers & percentages of independent voters surge; Dem/GOP #s drop in 8 key Presidential swing states (PDF file): http://politi.co/tAalQX

Last Word - "Teaching science without evolution is like teaching sentence structure without the alphabet." - Carin Bondar, one of many scientists interviewed in this video about why evolution needs to be taught in public schools

Report Calls into Question One Motivation for Expanding Mississippi River Locks and Dams

2011-12-05T15:05:00.003-05:00

In November, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) revisited the findings of its 1999 report entitled "Feeding the World? The Upper Mississippi River Navigation Project."* That new report (like its 1999 predecessor) calls into question "agribusiness’ and the Mississippi River navigation industry’s claim that U.S. grain exports 'feed the world.'" IATP's November report, entitled "Feeding the World? Twelve Years Later, U.S. Grain Exports Are Up, So Too Is Hunger," includes an analysis of changes to the food production-availability dynamic in the twelve years since the original "Feeding the World" report was released, explores how and whether increases in U.S. grain exports during that period have played a role in alleviating world hunger, and assesses what that means for calls to expand the nation's (and Mississippi River Basin's) navigation system. In particular, the IATP report looks to assess whether increasing the export capacity of the Mississippi River might have significant benefits for global food security, and whether such investments are cost-effective and sustainable from the global perspective.

IATP concludes in the five-page redux that "On the whole, the connection between increased U.S. grain exports and decreased global hunger is just as dubious today as it was in 1999," and that although the mandate for the U.S. to "feed the world" is used as a rationale to promote a variety of initiatives (including the expansion of the Mississippi River Basin navigation lock and dam system), such investments "would be better spent helping small-scale farming flourish around the world" (and, IATP goes on to argue, improving access to food by the world's poor).

Calls for increased investments to upgrade and expand the nation's inland waterway's navigation system also face ever-mounting arguments of an economic nature in today's increasingly-tight fiscal climate. In fact, the shortfall of funding available to simply maintain, let alone expand upon, the Mississippi River basin's (and nation's) system of locks and dams is becoming progressively more problematic (see the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2009 Inland Waterway's Infrastructure "Report Card" and the sections on infrastructure maintenance and costs in this 2010 Inland Waterways Users Board report to Congress, for example).

You can download and read the entire 2011 "Feeding the World" report here (PDF file).
__________________________
*Muller, Mark and Levins, Richard. December 1999. Feeding the World? The Upper Mississippi River Navigation Project (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy). 16 pages. (PDF file available here).

Congressional Calendar Roulette

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

For those looking ahead to next year on Capitol Hill (and who among us isn't!), the U.S. House (here (as a PDF file)) and Senate (here (HTML)) have set their legislative calendars for 2012 (the second session of the 112th Congress). Next year, if things run as planned, the two chambers' calendars will be slightly less "out of sync" than they were in 2011, when House and Senate in-session weeks often did not coincide, self-limiting the opportunities for face-to-face, inter-chamber coordination and collaboration.

Next year, the House will convene on January 17, following the January 16, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Federal Holiday. The House has scheduled constituent work days and other breaks away from Washington, DC for:

week of February 20
week of March 12
weeks of April 2, 9 and 30
week of May 21 (through Memorial Day and May 29)
week of June 11
week of July 2
August 6 through September 7
week of September 24
October 8 (Columbus Day) through November 12 (Veterans Day)
week of November 19

The House plans to adjourn for the year on December 14.

The Senate will convene a week later than the House (on January 23), and, as in 2011, has been more frugal in scheduling time away from the Hill, planning breaks for:

week of February 20
weeks of April 2 and 30
week of May 28
week of July 2
August 6 through September 7
October 8 (one day)
November 12 (one day)

Except for the last three days during the week-long break beginning May 28, all of the Senate's times off coincide with House breaks. The House plans additional time away from Washington the weeks of March 12, April 9, June 11, September 24 and November 19, and from October 10 through November 11 (although since that latter period overlaps with the end of the campaign run-up to the November 6 general election, many Senators may find themselves back in their home states during October and early November).

The Senate, as is tradition, has not (yet) targeted a session adjournment date.

Task Force Releases Final Strategy for Restoring Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem

2011-12-05T10:17:00.004-05:00

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on December 5 released its final strategy for long term ecosystem restoration for the Gulf of Mexico coastal region, and many of the issues addressed in the plan and its recommended solutions point directly to problems and solutions upstream within the Mississippi River Basin (final strategy available here as a PDF file). The Task Force’s strategy lays out four major goals for Gulf Coast restoration, which include:

Restoring and conserving habitat;
Restoring water quality;
Replenishing and protecting coastal and marine natural resources; and
Enhancing community resilience.

Within each of those four goals, the Task Force identified major actions that it believes require immediate attention. The full list of those actions can be found in the report (pages 21 - 47). Those of particular relevance to resource management in the Mississippi River Basin include:

Improving sediment management to maximize the quantity and effective use of sediments utilizing what the Task Force calls a “strategic use” approach to sediment management.
Restoring and preserving more natural sediment and freshwater distribution river processes.
Decreasing and managing excess nutrient levels in the Gulf by developing and implementing state nutrient reduction frameworks.
Reduce excess nutrients and hypoxia in coastal waters by focusing restoration measures in priority watersheds.
Coordinating and expanding water quality monitoring in support of adaptive management of programs and projects designed to improve water quality.

Along with the announcement of the Strategy release, the Task Force also announced that $50 million in assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service that will be used "to help agricultural producers in seven Gulf Coast river basins improve water quality, increase water conservation and enhance wildlife habitat," and that the Task Force plans to open a local office, headed by Task Force Executive Director John Hankinson, in the Gulf Coast region sometime in mid-December.

The Task Force developed its Strategy based upon its review of existing plans and remedial work, and by conducting public outreach over the last year. President Barack Obama established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on October 5, 2010, and it consists of representatives from the five Gulf States and 11 federal agencies.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-12-02T09:32:00.000-05:00

Federal Money Matters
The time to finish a large Omnibus Federal spending bill before current spending authority ends on December 16 is quickly slipping away, and Congress did little this week to advance their efforts toward that end. Therefore, it's looking more and more likely that yet another Continuing Resolution (CR) will be necessary before Congress recesses for the holidays, with a CR running until February the scenario expected by many.

Farm Bill Status in Light of the Super Committee Failure

Discussions surrounding the next Farm Bill will almost by necessity start from those parts of the Farm Bill (and the $23 billion in Farm Bill cuts over 10 years) contemplated in the Agriculture Committee leadership’s proposal to the Super Committee (officially known as the “Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction"). The Super Committee announced on November 21 that would not be able to come up with a plan to make at least $1.2 trillion in targeted cuts to Federal program spending, and that not report legislative language to make those cuts to Congress (missing a November 23 target date set in the Budget Control Act of 2011).

The failure of the Super Committee to meet its goals means that the Senate and House Agriculture Committees will now fall back to more “traditional” ways of moving a new Farm Bill through Congress. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said this week that she intends to push her Committee to mark up a Farm Bill in the early spring, 2012 and that she is shooting for 2012 passage. However, the window for passing a Farm Bill in 2012 will be narrow and the likelihood of that happening even more so, since political gridlock in the 2012 election year will be substantial (especially between Memorial Day and the November 6 general election). Nonetheless, the fiscal climate will not be much (if any) better in 2013. If anything, the combination of political and economic pressures following the 2012 election could potentially be worse from the standpoint of maintaining Farm Bill conservation funding.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week
Agriculture -

2012 likely to be a tipping point for conservation across Upper Midwest, including 300,000 acres in MN http://bit.ly/sMU3g3
Next generation opting to cash out of small, family-owned farms with land prices booming http://reut.rs/teUyRn
Recent farmland auction near Elkhart, IN brought in over $11,000 an acre http://bit.ly/vz260k
UN completes 1st global assessment of planet’s land resources: land degraded; farm production must rise 70% by 2050 http://wapo.st/ueTHN3
Op-ed on fertilizers vs organic-only approach; implications for resource availability, food production & pollution: http://bit.ly/s26QFk

Farm Bill-

Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) meets with SD's agricultural leaders to hear their priorities for Farm Bill rewrite http://1.usa.gov/v3C06T

Water Quality -

VW Gov. replaces 2 on WV Environmental Quality Board in battle with group over coal mining water quality standards http://bit.ly/sRu3zp
CONSOL Energy agrees in lawsuit settlement to clean up conductivity [water] pollution associated with WV valley fill http://bit.ly/w2MFrH
Two Illinois Cities Applauded For Green Infrastructure by Natural Resources Defense Council http://bit.ly/vfqAaJ
Atrazine in water tied to menstrual issues; low hormones (frequent in surface & ground water in farmland US Midwest) http://bit.ly/vz6A0m
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to finally disinfect sewage entering Chicago River http://econ.st/uAy0FB
EPA awards $485,000 to St. Joseph, MO for improvements to its combined sewer system http://1.usa.gov/usE3q3

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

KY residents seek compensation for flood damages in lawsuit filed vs 9 mining companies (for lack of natural drainage) http://bit.ly/viuy8s
Federal appeals court rejects most claims against Army Corps decision to permit major development in FL wetlands http://bit.ly/vp6r8h
NY Times: After Floods, Debate Over Missouri River Rolls On nyti.ms/orARMj [editor's note: Excellent article]
@RiverLifeUMN blog coverage of November's TNC-Army Corps Fifth National Partnership Conference http://bit.ly/vhPJOc
Highlights & Action Items from Upper Miss River Basin Assoc Nov. 16 EMP-CC meeting available as PDF: http://bit.ly/usyju1
House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee 11/30 hearing on Army Corps-Missouri River flooding; testimony here: http://1.usa.gov/v5trik
Lawmakers at hearing blame Army Corps for Missouri River flood damages; demand levee rebuilds & policy changes http://1.usa.gov/v16jtM

In the States -

Environmental programs fall victim to states' budget cuts http://bit.ly/sq6pQr
KY's commissioner of natural resources says he was shocked by his firing http://cjky.it/tcYIkG

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Pesticide-resistant corn & soybeans in US Midwest make Monarch Butterfly trip south rough http://bit.ly/sqtOB6
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MN) may usurp MN DNR's invasive species role; citing critical importance of issue http://bit.ly/twFs0j

Federal Budget -

Minibus funding bill Congress passed Nov. 17 included at least 75 policy riders; many re: USDA programs http://bit.ly/vsLXV2
Congressional Stage set for a contentious December, with budget at forefront http://bit.ly/ujSMju
Over coming weeks, Congress will strive to perform a basic function: funding the government http://politi.co/tqWeA4
Sen. Majority Leader Reid: it's "fantasy" to expect further compromise on appropriations caps enacted last summer http://politi.co/uG0uXl

Gulf Coastal Area-

Gulf Task Force defines need but not answers re: how many billions it will cost to fix Gulf; where money will come from http://bit.ly/vlDyiM
RT @EDF_Louisiana: EDF's new Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign website bitly.com/spJwfF?r=bb
Louisiana parish declares emergency as saltwater intrudes into freshwater Mermentau Basin http://bit.ly/ulmXQH
Gulf Restoration Network: public needs to be more involved in determining how to spend BP $1B oil spill damage money http://bit.ly/vKPTA3

Resource extraction -

Companies consider mining for gold in Wisconsin's Mississippi and Great Lakes basins http://bit.ly/tszZtG
WV lawmakers may hold special session on Marcellus shale http://bit.ly/rQHGOO

Events -

North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition: StormCon; Aug 19-23; Denver, CO (call for abstracts open) http://bit.ly/13sJMg
Call for abstracts now open: INTECOL International Wetlands Conference; Orlando, FL; June 3-8, 2012 http://bit.ly/viDqlP
44th annual Mississippi River Research Consortium, April 26-27, 2012 at the Radisson in La Crosse, WI http://bit.ly/vzsH3v
Videos of presentations from United Nations International Water Forum now online http://bit.ly/rDiXTY

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

November Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues: bit.ly/vwm1nt

Other news-

Delegates from 194 nations gather today in Durban, South Africa to try to advance world’s climate change response http://nyti.ms/tudFJE
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Climate change will make drought & flooding events more frequent http://wapo.st/td3sfY
New book from MIT Press "Collaborative Resilience: Moving Through Crisis to Opportunity” (as a collaborative community) http://bit.ly/thI0yC
Op-ed argument vs. unsustainable growth: "growth beyond sufficiency loses its power to increase welfare" http://bit.ly/sEyJJD
Northeast-Midwest Institute Position Available “Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative” Project Lead http://bit.ly/v5WAXl
Northeast-Midwest Institute Position Available “Water information Supply” Project Lead (in collaboration with USGS) http://bit.ly/ruiH8M
Research: Changes in plant community composition lag behind climate warming in lowland forests http://bit.ly/vGFPm4

Political Scene -

Rep. Joe Walsh may switch races to run in IL 8th district to avoid 2013 GOP primary vs. Rep. Hultgren http://bit.ly/vaabCJ
Effort to force recall election of WI Gov. Walker (R) is on track to get well more than required # of signatures http://gbpg.net/u84MQa
Rookie lawmakers have less faith than ever in ability to force big changes in Washington http://politi.co/siThsp ["Welcome to the Machine"]
Missouri congressional candidate Ed Martin (R) is considering switching to the state’s governor’s race http://bit.ly/tPMRBy

Last Words -
"I'm ashamed." - Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), in a Face the Nation interview, on how Congress has conducted its business.
“Can I scream?” Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND-at large), a North Dakota freshman lawmaker, expressing his frustration over an inability to generate significant change within the halls of Congress.

November Update on Mississippi River Basin Issues

2011-11-29T12:52:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to the November Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues. The November Update contains these items:

RIVER BASIN NEWS AND NOTES

New Online Tool for Accessing Information on USDA Conservation Programs
NRCS Special Wetlands Reserve Program 20th Anniversary Publication
Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework Announced
Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability
River-Related Employment Opportunities
Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops

LEGISLATION, BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS

Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act
Congress approves spending minibus and continuing resolution; falters on debt-reduction
Farm Bill Ramifications

Employment Opportunities: “Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative” and “Water Information Supply” Project Leads

2011-11-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

The Northeast-Midwest Institute has announced the availability of two new Project Lead positions and is seeking applications for the positions. Both have a direct bearing on water resource activities within the Mississippi River Basin.

The first is a “Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative” Project Lead. Funded by the Walton Family Foundation, this initiative's objective is to bring local leaders of Mississippi River cities and towns together to collaborate on Federal policy matters as they relate to the River and their municipalities. Those issues are expected to include water quality and habitat restoration, flooding and floodplain issues, River-focused recreation, sustainable economies and celebration of the River culture and history. The Project Lead will help the leaders catalyze an independent and on-going Mississippi River Cities and Towns organization that is an effective voice for the people, economies and environment in the River region.

The second position currently open is a “Water information Supply” Project Lead. Funded by and in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, this project's purpose is to inventory, assess and analyze the Northeast-Midwest region’s system of water quality and quantity monitoring and determine its capacity to address pressing questions raised by real-world resource-development and use scenarios (present and future), including intense hydraulic fracturing, agricultural development practices, and urban expansion. The Project Lead will lead this multi-year project to assess and improve the Northeast-Midwest Region’s “Water Information Supply.”

Applications are due by December 15, 2011. Full position descriptions and complete application information can be found at the above links.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Pre-Holiday Edition

2011-11-23T10:21:00.002-05:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday looming for those of us in the U.S., this week's Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week is a tad shorter than normal. We also have Congress to thank for our brevity by recessing for the week, and keeping political news to a minimum (apart from the failure of the Supercommittee to meet its mandate, that is).

Speaking of the Supercommittee, be sure to check out the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's blog, which looks in-depth at various Farm Bill and USDA funding scenarios in light of the debt-reduction impasse (links under "Farm Bill," below).

And speaking of Congress, don't miss this week's "Last Word" from the DC-based political satire group, The Capitol Steps.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy: US should adopt agriculture-climate change linked policies http://bit.ly/tWGlmk
Study: As High Plains Aquifer water table drops, Great Plains farmers must cut use by 75% http://bit.ly/sYH391
Incorporating trees into traditional agriculture makes crops more resilient in changing climate http://nyti.ms/ueEgQG
Wet springs in Illinois have caused an increase in crop tillage, according to study http://bit.ly/tN9Lzz
1st in series of AGree publications re: complex issues & policies related to US food & agriculture system http://bit.ly/tWN8Bd

Farm Bill-

Farm bill negotiators must now decide what can be salvaged from supercommittee’s wreckage http://politi.co/uFa548
House/Senate agriculture leaders to "continue process of reauthorizing the farm bill" despite supercommittee failure http://1.usa.gov/u8WGqr
Supercommittee failure halts farm bill's progress http://bit.ly/tC3jn2
Sequestration could cut ~$15 billion from Farm Bill programs, but some question whether lawmakers will go further http://bit.ly/v1FwZB
NSAC blog provides detailed analysis of potential future Farm Bill development scenarios http://bit.ly/v9giYV & http://bit.ly/smoWX0

Water Quality -

EPA requests proposals for Urban Waters Small Grants to restore urban waters by improving water quality http://1.usa.gov/rJHSQy
Wichita, KS council members seek to meet clean-water requirements but minimally http://bit.ly/vJDS5A

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

Congress weighing new ways of funding harbor/port projects without earmarks it's used to http://politi.co/v1wdJ9
A reprise of last week's TNC-Corps 5th National Partnership Conference: Explorations of water resource sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB
WI Governor Walker bill package includes proposed revamping of state's wetlands preservation rules http://post.cr/uynF7m
WI Wetlands Assoc selected to receive 2012 Wetland Conservation Award by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands http://bit.ly/w4ODpy
My take on the Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Princeton University study: Do not harm invasive species that pollinate http://bit.ly/syGfC5

Federal Budget -

Supercommittee not so super in the end; meets its kryptonite and goes out with a whimper http://bit.ly/t54d9H
Congress on track to wrap remaining 9 FY 2012 appropriations bills into single omnibus when it returns after Thanksgiving http://bit.ly/sorFT0

Resource extraction -

Environmentalists: Ohio gas drilling/fracking rules fall short http://bit.ly/vVJPyO
ND regulators are concerned about the validity of an EPA study into the safety of hydraulic fracking http://bit.ly/sCAnTC
Nebraska governor signs bills to reroute Keystone pipeline around Sandhills area http://reut.rs/w4G0az

Events -

Free Webinar: "Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies" Nov. 30 http://1.usa.gov/dCcmO0
My take on the Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

Winter 2011 Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee newsletter published (PDF file) http://bit.ly/siKA0j

Other news-

Scientists see little chance of arresting global warming this century http://wapo.st/vormZj

Last Word - "In the least shocking news of the week, the Super Committee was unable to reach a deficit reduction agreement. They also deadlocked when trying to decide if gridlock, dysfunction or partisan politics was to blame." - The Capitol Steps November 22 Facebook feed

Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability

2011-11-22T09:32:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of participating in the Fifth National Partnership Conference among The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, the Army Corps of Engineers and others last week in Memphis, Tennessee. The Partnership Conference is designed to periodically bring Federal, State and NGO conservation partners together to discuss and advance sustainable water resources projects across the country.

The agenda of the Conference included plenary talks, work sessions, poster presentations, networking opportunities and a day on the Mississippi River (looking at levee repair and conservation restoration projects near Memphis). I spoke to the group on two occasions, once to explore the meaning of sustainability, as it relates to the country's economy and environment and to our organizations, and a second time to probe the outdated road map we tend to follow while seeking a sustainable future (and suggest that it might be time for a new map) (Click here to see more photos from the Conference).

There were a lot of well-thought out and progressive recommendations that came out of the work group sessions and that emerged from the dialogue during and after the plenary and poster sessions. But as I left the conference I had to wonder (and this as an avowed tree-hugger from the woods of North-central Pennsylvania) whether this decade’s pursuit of very laudable environmental and watershed goals by the Corps-Conservation partnership isn’t just as narrow and short-sighted in its own way as were the pursuits of irrigation, navigation and flood control goals during past Corps’ partnerships with others.

Put another way, if, as I heard last week, we don’t really want to know the true cost of the salmon we recently bought at the store, because of the millions of restoration dollars heavily invested in fish ladders on rivers in the Pacific Northwest, then how long will it be until that true cost, and the true costs of hydroelectric dam investments before that, run headlong into the interests of others within and beyond those watersheds? Why weren’t those people at the table when those projects were being planned? And where were those people last week, while partners in Memphis, Tennessee debated the future of conservation in their watersheds?

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-11-18T06:41:00.005-05:00

Congress approves spending minibus and continuing resolution, falters on debt-reduction

Yesterday Congress easily passed a Fiscal Year 2012 "minibus" spending bill (H.R. 2112, approved in a 70-30 Senate vote, following a prior 298-121 House vote), and sent it on to the President for his signature, likely today. The measure also contains a continuing spending resolution that will keep the government funded and running through December 16. The minibus spending package includes the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture/FDA, Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS), and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills. The funding approved in the passed bill is in line with the $1.043 trillion spending cap that both parties agreed to within August's debt-reduction bill and among numerous cuts, reduces funding for agriculture conservation programs. USDA funding includes $844 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which ended up being $58 million above the original House appropriations bill amount and $7 million above the Senate's. And it includes $15 million for the Watershed Rehabilitation Program.

Congressional leaders have indicated over the past week that they plan to package the remaining nine appropriations bills into an omnibus bill, hoping to pass that before the current constituting spending authority ends on December 16.

In the meantime the deficit-reduction supercommittee's plan, due next Tuesday and meant to cut the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over a decade, is on life-support, with hopes of a deal fading (see series of news links below). However, should a supercommittee deal happen, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee told POLITICO yesterday that Senate and House Agriculture Committee negotiators were close to striking a deal to pass on to the supercommittee a five-year plan (effectively a new Farm Bill) that would help meet deficit-reduction targets by projecting cuts something on the order of $23 billion from Farm Bill spending over 10 years. Should the supercommittee not be able to reach agreement on an overall deal, the Farm Bill details now being negotiated for inclusion in the supercommittee's plan could be resurrected early next year as a beginning basis for what would then be a more "traditional" Farm Bill negotiation process.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

Grants available for farm/ranch sustainable agricultural practices in North Central US: MN & ND to KS, IL, OH http://bit.ly/uHn0dz

US farm-product exports surged 27% to record $137.4 billion in year ending Sept. 30; China tops importers http://bloom.bg/tS5FHr

Dry conditions have spread now into parts of the Southeast and Midwest, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor http://bit.ly/qBRrqC

Drought across US South thatís already cost $10 billion appears to be expanding its reach http://usat.ly/teU30B

Senators introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act http://bit.ly/sTH5CI

Ohio farmers battle sedimentation, nutrient runoff in creative ways http://tinyurl.com/86p2vg8

Farm Bill-

Ag Committee negotiators signal they are near agreement on 5-year Farm Bill plan for supercommittee; paragraph 2: http://tinyurl.com/84sn4ys

House and Senate Agriculture Committees are more than two weeks behind schedule on releasing Farm Bill details http://tinyurl.com/bqh8j87

Farm Bureau Fed president predicts direct payment elimination, Conservation Reserve Program cuts in new Farm Bill http://tinyurl.com/73jxf4g

Kansas State Agri Economist says multiple commodity Farm Bill program would have higher administrative costs http://tinyurl.com/d2tvyqq

Water Quality -

DC Circuit Court becomes latest court to rule that EPA overstepped authority & "regulated" via interim guidance http://tinyurl.com/8yz7hqj

NY Times editorial: Republicans just won’t give up on their misguided attempts to subvert the Clean Water Act http://tinyurl.com/6paqker

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

Union of Concerned Scientists: Power plant water use increasing stress on lakes, rivers & aquifers across US http://tinyurl.com/6tpap4t

In the States -

MPCA invites comments on water quality improvement report for streams in Zumbro River Watershed (MN) http://t.co/Ps3JGYt1

Federal Budget -

Congress gives final approval to $182 billion domestic minibus spending bill & continuing resolution http://tinyurl.com/bq4sp7r

If debt-reduction supercommittee is going to act, this is the week http://politi.co/vhiWjx & http://bit.ly/viRacD

Signs of supercommittee stalemate increasing, with the consequence of possible failure http://tinyurl.com/7ly4phl

Effort to combine Army Corps of Engineers funding with 2 other fiscal 2012 appropriations measures falls apart http://tinyurl.com/csnpjc9

Majority Leader Reid warns Senate they may stay in DC through Thanksgiving on budget issues http://tinyurl.com/bpxghsv

Events -

USGS Webinar: New Online Management Tool to Help Guide Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers & Estuaries; Dec. 2 http://on.doi.gov/uwN3IN

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

American Farmland Trust's November issue of its E-news is now on-line http://bit.ly/ugTVKv

Other news-

U.S. Forest Service Solicits Pre-Proposals for Urban Forest Innovation Grants - due December 1 http://tinyurl.com/8946ja8

Political Scene -

Third Democrat jumps into the primary to challenge US Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL) http://bit.ly/uaZ7Gf

Top-ten "vulnerable" US House incumbents include many in Mississippi River Basin http://bit.ly/tnZLf1

Maplight study shows agribusinesses have given generously to farm-state lawmakers over last decade http://tinyurl.com/76bmsnv

Court hearings begin on Republican lawsuit to overturn new IL Congressional map http://tinyurl.com/7mjoxpv

Last Word - "Pull a rabbit out of a hat." - what, according to House Speaker John Boehner, the deficit reduction supercommittee needs to do to meet its goal of finding $1.2 trillion in Federal budget reductions by next Tuesday.

Federal Appropriations Update

2011-11-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

The federal Fiscal Year of 2012 (FY 2012) began on October 1, 2011, and Federal program funding is currently being provided under the authority of a Continuing Resolution (CR) that ends on November 18, 2011. Since it is extremely unlikely that final appropriations bills will all be passed by November 18, it is widely expected that another CR will be needed after November 18, to authorize Federal spending until until late December, when Congress is supposed to consider the deficit package that would aim to save nearly $1.2 trillion over the next ten years (see background here).

In the meantime, the Senate has begun work on a series of “minibuses;” a combination of several appropriations measures (background here). This minibus approach will allow the Senate and House to form a Conference Committee to reconcile differences between the various appropriation bills, including consideration of appropriations measures that passed the respective Senate and House Appropriation Committees but were never considered by the full chamber.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Pre-Holiday Edition

2011-11-10T12:48:00.000-05:00

This abbreviated edition of the Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week is coming out a day ahead of its normal Friday publication date because of tomorrow's Federal Veterans Day holiday.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

Crop Life America report touts economic benefits of farm chemicals http://bit.ly/tw1jyx (PDF)
Ohio State University Professor: overpriced farm land possibly constitutes speculative bubble that could burst http://bit.ly/thZDA9 (PDF)
EPA webinar on Proposed NPDES CAFO Reporting Rule; Nov. 17; 1-2:30 EST http://bit.ly/sAoD6Z
Forced to cut its budget, USDA has decided to eliminate dozens of reports http://nyti.ms/vyqjQx

Farm Bill-

Environmental Working Group criticizes crop insurance as excessive and inefficient http://bit.ly/vsgnRl
Regional differences emerge as lawmakers attempt rewrite of Farm Bill commodity title & cut $23B from ag spending http://bit.ly/trVljo
Crop insurance tops the U.S. wheat industry’s priority list for 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/trS6wj
Sen. Lugar & Rep. Stutzman (both R-IN) Op-Ed: “Reform farm programs and harvest savings” http://bit.ly/rFwGUY

Water Quality -

3M says that its MN Mississippi River cleanup is paying off http://bit.ly/sMabdG
Technical advisory group will recommend that OK's current phosphorus limit for scenic rivers be upheld http://bit.ly/tRJeWP
EPA Webinar: Tools for Developing State Nitrogen & Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies; Nov. 30; PDF info http://1.usa.gov/tCjjWA

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

Army Corps of Engineers has put its national levee database online for the public to access http://cjky.it/srtdkd

In the States -

Almost half the water samples in IA survey of 475 wells contained arsenic: high levels documented in 31 counties http://bit.ly/tzj3u9
No state penalties for Olin following Tennessee's Hiwassee River mercury pollution http://bit.ly/u2nckG
Technical advisory group will recommend that OK's current phosphorus limit for scenic rivers be upheld http://bit.ly/tRJeWP

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Invasive species on the move: the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins http://bit.ly/u1zisK (interactive map)
Invasive species spreading across America (10-minute CBS news video story) http://bit.ly/sDAVKC (includes IL River Asian Carp coverage)

Federal Budget -

House Approps Chair Rogers: 3 2012 spending bills to be packaged with stopgap bill funding Fed government into Dec http://wapo.st/vN5Phl
House & Senate conferees work on compromise on Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science & Transportation-HUD spending bill http://bit.ly/snxsnb
Republican supercommittee members might allow some additional tax revenue as part of deal with Democrats http://t.co/ZiSLIFLG & http://on.wsj.com/tqlWEc
Neither side appears optimistic about prospects for supercommittee breakthrough http://wapo.st/t1dsRj
Supercommittee blame game: Democrats beginning to seek ways to blame potential failure on the GOP http://t.co/pa6212cu
US scientific and engineering societies tell supercommittee to retain funding for the sciences in letter http://bit.ly/suyVea (PDF)
Democrats on supercommittee want war savings to fund new stimulus package; infrastructure projects http://bit.ly/vsr3z0

Gulf Coastal Area-

Federal deficit-reduction effort called threat to efforts to shrink Gulf of Mexico dead zone http://bit.ly/tRZuE6
Louisiana refuses to sign BP-Coast Guard oil spill cleanup transition plan http://bit.ly/vkOVer
Gulf Coast lawmakers optimistic about garnering 80% of BP oil spill fines for Gulf Restoration Trust Fund http://bit.ly/sBhiEi
Gulf Restoration Network launches campaign to persuade Congress to pass Gulf Restoration Trust Fund legislation http://bit.ly/tR8eCv

Resource extraction -

WV legislature takes up package imposing regulations on Marcellus shale gas industry http://bit.ly/vP9kRW
Nebraska lawmakers debate tightening eminent domain rules for procuring oil pipeline land http://reut.rs/rYkEtc
US State Department weighing change to Keystone pipeline route away from sensitive areas http://on.wsj.com/rUlzQj

Events -

Archived version of EPA Watershed Academy Webinar on "Conducting Effective Stormwater Outreach" http://1.usa.gov/sIhiRy
2012 Ohio Stormwater Conference; June 7-8; SeaGate Convention Center; Toledo, OH http://bit.ly/sKq8zE
Conservation Forward:Ideas That Work & How Science Can Effect Change; Nov 17-18; Nat Geographic Soc.; Washington, DC http://bit.ly/sKrFRt
EPA Webinar: Tools for Developing State Nitrogen & Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies; Nov. 30; PDF info http://1.usa.gov/tCjjWA
EPA webinar on Proposed NPDES CAFO Reporting Rule; Nov. 17; 1-2:30 EST http://bit.ly/sAoD6Z
Horinko Group's 2011 Water Resources Summit proceedings and resources now on-line http://bit.ly/qr8riN (very worthwhile)

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

4th edition of National Water Quality Monitoring Council's online National Water Monitoring News (PDF) http://1.usa.gov/ukq5rP
EPA's November Watershed News Now Available on line http://1.usa.gov/tiTbgK
Great Lakes & Mississippi River Interbasin Study Newsletter; November 2011 (PDF) http://bit.ly/sjc954 [invasive species]

Political Scene -

Former ND Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) makes her campaign for retiring US Sen. Conrad's (D) seat official http://bit.ly/uyr3Dp
Rep. Boswell (D-IA) is a top GOP target in his newly redrawn congressional district http://bit.ly/sufEvZ (near bottom of article)

Last Word - “I was wrong—see that didn’t hurt too bad.” - Former President Bill Clinton during a Tuesday night talk, announcing that he is trying once daily to say out loud “either ‘I don’t know' or 'I was wrong.'” “I think it would be therapeutic for everyone in Washington” to do the same, Clinton advised.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-11-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices
The National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) will convene a meeting, including a public session, on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices, on November 7 and 8, in Washington DC. Since August, the ad hoc NRC committee has been examining current FEMA treatment of levees within the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The committee has been tasked to provide advice in a report on how those levee-related policies and activities might be improved. The report is expected to be issued in early 2013. The study is addressing the following topics regarding how levees are considered in the NFIP:

risk analysis
flood insurance
risk reduction
risk communication

The public section of the two-day meeting will run from 10:15 AM through 4:30 PM (Eastern) on November 7. Those wishing to attend that public session or who need more information should contact Michael Stoever at mstoever@nas.edu (or by telephone at 202-334-1889).

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture -

Peoria Journal Star editorial: USDA needs adequate funds for conservation http://bit.ly/tmbmMT
EPA blasted in House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load http://1.usa.gov/sbXyt7
NASDA Research Foundation resource guide on Federal & State environmental regulations impacting agriculture http://bit.ly/rANYGM
USDA announces bioenergy program grant recipients under Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels http://1.usa.gov/sRSCyu
Groups/speakers call for end of federal aid to CAFO producers at National Conference to End Factory Farming http://bit.ly/orHvLp
Mississippi Farm Bureau pushes for end to state's eminent domain law in November 8 ballot referendum http://bit.ly/sMgpi3
Researchers report promising results from new farm conservation practice that removes nitrate from groundwater http://bit.ly/t131eb
National Farmers Union supports Local Farms, Food & Jobs Act, introduced by Rep. Pingree (D- ME) & Sen. Brown (D-OH) http://bit.ly/vPihmy

Farm Bill-

Economists & conservationists worry fragile lands will be farmed with USDA help without conservation compliance http://bit.ly/tgnfOj
Bipartisan group sends letter of concern to supercommittee re: House & Senate Agri Committees' “secret” Farm Bill http://bit.ly/thybVP (PDF)
More coverage (Rep. Ron Kind; WI-3): "27 Members Advise Super Committee to Avoid Secret Farm Bill" http://bit.ly/vX488g
Rep. Peterson (MN-7) rejects charge that House & Senate Agri Comms are secretly crafting Farm Bill; hopeful of result http://bit.ly/tVgqGN
In Iowa speech, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack underscores what is at stake with Farm Bill & deficit reduction http://bit.ly/vi5MmN
Sen. Conrad (D-ND) convenes meeting of his farm Advisory Comm to detail strategy on securing ND Farm Bill priorities http://1.usa.gov/sxZ9ZE
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition letter to House & Senate Ag Comm leaders sets top line Farm Bill priorities http://bit.ly/uKtFL1
House & Senate Ag Committees miss self-imposed Nov. 1 deadline to present plan to reduce agriculture spending by $23B http://bit.ly/tqybcg
Farmers fight cuts as billions in indemnity payments head to farmers with crops hurt by bad weather http://politi.co/vhdsVc

Water Quality -

Environmental groups threaten to sue operators of KY coal mine for violations of Clean Water Act http://bit.ly/tFCLLf (PDF)
Twin Cities Daily Planet: "Mississippi River facts scarier than Halloween" http://bit.ly/uQgOm2
IL water supply lawsuits over herbicide atrazine in court this week http://bit.ly/sEEU86
Consol Energy agrees to pay >$205 M in fines & costs re: alga' bloom that killed 1000s of Dunkard Creek PA/WV fish http://bit.ly/s9vuWv
WV chlorine manufacturing plant seeks to avoid 90% cut in mercury loading to Ohio River http://bit.ly/vIkZQ0 & http://cjky.it/sRQWUz

EPA and Water -

Sens Inhofe & Sessions; Reps Mica & Gibbs urge EPA to withdraw recently proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction guidance http://t.co/mfrHI8Jd
FL DEP moves forward with draft rules on numeric nutrient standards for state's waterways http://bit.ly/tbt2Uf (national implications)
EPA grants "preliminary" okay of Florida draft state-authored water pollution regulations; PDF of letter: http://1.usa.gov/rsRBNI (national implications)
In new guidance EPA says it will be flexible on municipal sewer overflows; relief for strapped cities http://1.usa.gov/uMbz5o (PDF file)
EPA announces a new planning process to help local governments deal with costs of wastewater & stormwater controls http://1.usa.gov/v3pkgi

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

Army Corps of Engineers: needs about $1 B to repair damage from 2011 flooding in Missouri & Mississippi basins http://bit.ly/uKkTFl
Army Corps making slow progress on national flood levee inventory http://bit.ly/rAqrE8
Senate's 2nd "minibus" spending bill debate starts this week; includes civil works budget for Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/vlt8sS
NRC meeting on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices Nov 7, Washington DC http://bit.ly/sbgFqq

In the States -

MN's clean water Legacy Fund goals are unclear bit.ly/rVyfan
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency finds numerous pollution problems throughout Sauk River watershed http://bit.ly/viryTR
178 environmental experts rank recommended MN nonprofit organizations that work on conservation/environment: http://bit.ly/vgr73r

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

MN DNR: finding invasive Asian Carp like finding "needle in a haystack" http://bit.ly/rtLzs0
Workers along Illinois River seek to turn Asian Carp into organic fertilizer; fillets; other commercial products http://bit.ly/vPafwA

Federal Budget -

Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction has far to go before any agreement can be reached http://bit.ly/rKEZUR
Nearing November 23 deadline, supercommittee holds public hearing on 2 old debt reduction plans http://bit.ly/w4Sl12
With barely 3 weeks remaining until supercommittee’s deadline, there is little outward sign of progress http://wapo.st/vSplYT
Senate passes USDA-Transportation-Commerce 2012 spending minibus bill; USDA cut slightly from 2011 http://bit.ly/uolpma; bill: http://bit.ly/w4233B
OMB Watch identifies numerous riders in Senate's just-passed minibus spending bill http://bit.ly/sPs96W
Obama vows to veto spending bills with too many riders or spending cuts in letter from OMB http://1.usa.gov/s01NJQ (p. 2 of PDF)
House & Senate appropriators to convene 1st conference committee in 2 yrs in search of compromise spending agreement http://bit.ly/s27mK5
Senate's 2nd "minibus" spending bill debate starts this week; includes civil works budget for Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/vlt8sS
House will conference with Senate on FY 2012 USDA spending bill that both chambers have approved; in different forms http://bit.ly/uLTJzR
Congressional Research Service detailed analysis of “Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2012 Appropriations” (PDF) http://bit.ly/sMWkxB

Resource extraction -

Marcellus shale issues explored at West Virginia University law school symposium http://bit.ly/slaXL2 & http://bit.ly/rG2EIE
Study by Center for Rural PA and Penn State U looks at water quality before & after Marcellus Shale drilling http://bit.ly/uz10LE
EPA announces Final Study Plan re: Congressionally directed study to evaluate fracking impacts on drinking water http://1.usa.gov/sBDYXq
Rerouting proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid Nebraska Sand Hills would add 50 miles to total 1,700-mile route http://bit.ly/rv2uRR
Lawsuit seeks halt to gas drilling in Ozark National Forest http://bit.ly/vpbns0

Events -

NRC meeting on Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices Nov 7, Washington DC http://bit.ly/sbgFqq
Restore America's Estuaries National Conference - Call for Proposals http://t.co/9LtyHODU

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center's monthly e-newsletter is out http://bit.ly/tFpUh9

Other news-

Earthjustice: EPA data reveals more dangerous coal ash ponds http://bit.ly/vCXzsN
Surge in mining & several proposals to streamline WI mining code could pose threats to WI water resources http://bit.ly/tzYkTa (mostly N WI)
Digital applications win U.S. EPA's Apps for the Environment competition http://bit.ly/ncymBT

Political Scene -

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) on President Obama: will campaign with him, while emphasizing their differences http://bit.ly/vqtllC

Last Word - “Good morning. It has been 916 days since the Senate passed a budget. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries could have married and filed for divorce over 12 times in that same span of time.” - Tuesday morning's House GOP daily whip notice

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-10-28T08:38:00.000-04:00

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"

2011-10-27T14:01:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-27T10:19:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-21T11:54:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-17T09:48:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

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)

2011-10-14T08:55:00.005-04:00

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

2011-10-07T09:11:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-05T10:03:00.000-04:00

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).

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

2011-09-30T12:40:00.003-04:00

Briefing on New USGS Water Quality Management Tool
The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Water Environment Federation invite you to an October 28 briefing in Washington, DC on new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) findings that provide vital information on major sources of nutrients to streams, on how nutrients move downstream, 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." For more briefing details, please see here.

Update on Congressional Appropriations and Debt Reduction Activities
The Senate and House have now passed a stop-gap continuing resolution (CR) to keep the Federal government running through October 4. Following Senate defeat of a House-passed CR last Friday, both chambers worked this week to pass the CR, with the Senate passing the bill on Monday, and the House on September 29. More details about upcoming appropriation's activities and the interrelated work of the debt reduction "supercommittee" can be found here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Agriculture-

World Resources Institute: A New Approach to Feeding the World http://bit.ly/o1OP1d
Rabobank Group believes world is entering into continuing period of food scarcity, rising prices & market volatility http://bit.ly/p9rNde
Newly formed US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance begins fresh PR campaign to reshape food supply dialogue http://nyti.ms/pyYlUL
EWG: 2 new polls show agreement on consumer concerns re: quality of food & how it’s produced http://bit.ly/qIpRHU
New report authors claim major river basins have enough water to sustainably double future food production http://bit.ly/qzbTmL (pdf file)
Renewable Fuels Assoc against proposal to waive portion of Renewable Fuels Standard when corn stocks-to-use ratio dips http://bit.ly/ofi8PG
New USDA ERS report: Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy http://1.usa.gov/opZxmJ

Farm Bill-

Chicago Tribune editorial board (re: Farm Bill subsidies): "giveaways at taxpayer expense must stop" http://trib.in/oKBY6E
National Corn Growers Assoc supports bipartisan Senate bill to replace direct payments with revenue-based safety net http://bit.ly/neu3a6
American Soybean Association board approves farm safety net proposal for 2012 Farm Bill http://bit.ly/r1T82k
Major US commodity groups working on proposals for reforming agriculture safety net http://bit.ly/mYws09
Coalition outlines key principles for Conservation Title of 2012 farm bill and ways to trim federal deficit http://bit.ly/oCbifF
Sen. Grassley (R-IA) unsure if farmers who buy fed-subsidized crop insurance should face land conservation requirements http://bit.ly/ohFBez
American Farm Bureau Federation Policy Recommendations for the 2012 Farm Bill (PDF) http://bit.ly/rkL4uG

Water Quality -

Missouri River Basin flood water inundating nutrient-rich land leads to algal blooms in Kansas reservoirs http://bit.ly/pr00pW
Coal industry & states blast Obama administration on mining stream proposal (hearing testimony): http://bit.ly/nTwD3t
EPA Announces Healthy Watersheds Initiative National Framework and Action Plan, 2011 http://1.usa.gov/pSg5Ud
Cap-and-trade system to protect Ohio River & Gulf of Mexico moving along slowly; could be operational in a few years http://bit.ly/pR4bnt

In the States -

KY Energy & Environment Cabinet proposes $507,000 fine for coal company's Clean Water Act violations http://bit.ly/ruZDPN
Homeowners say Wisconsin law favors big farms, leaves them powerless against smells, pollution http://wapo.st/qFPZYm

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states calls for disconnecting Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins http://bit.ly/mQcH2o

Federal Budget -

Senate leaders strike stopgap spending bill deal averting government shutdown http://bit.ly/raEKQY
House Budget Committee Chair Ryan (R-WI) plans to unveil new Congressional budgeting process reforms http://bit.ly/qcTDM2
Debt reduction supercommittee has become supersecret about most of what it’s doing http://bit.ly/ocXWhY
Calculating the odds of a US deficit deal: will it be "deal" "no deal" "partial deal" or delayed deal?" http://reut.rs/odZGsI
House passes stopgap spending bill to keep the Fed government going through Oct. 4 http://bit.ly/rc4oIE

Gulf Coastal Area-

Scientists & environmentalists cheer bill as "once-in-a-lifetime chance for major Gulf Coast environmental restoration" http://bit.ly/oSLncb
Science & engineering panel recommends Gulf of Mexico oil spill response should address overall ecosystem needs http://bit.ly/pe2Nii

Resource extraction -

Shale gas fracking wastewater is big business at Ohio underground disposal site http://bit.ly/qpSzrY
Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Rep. Markey (D-MA) letter to DOI: Feds not doing job on coal mining issues http://bit.ly/qovCz4
Contentious Tuesday Keystone pipeline hearing in Lincoln NE http://dld.bz/aghs
Parties advocate for and against tougher natural-gas-drilling industry regulation in Arkansas http://bit.ly/rhjUrn
Chesapeake Energy official: WV Marcellus and Utica Shale gas boom "only starting" http://bit.ly/qHwi9R

Events -

Call for Presentations & Posters: Wisconsin Wetlands Association 17th Annual Conference http://bit.ly/oASQXU
October 28 Briefing on New USGS Water Quality Management Tool; Washington DC bit.ly/qkCZ9a

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

September 29 Tennessee Clean Water Network e-newsletter http://bit.ly/oEm1g4
September Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues bit.ly/n3iVVr

Other news-

Nitrogen pollution disrupts Pacific Ocean ecology http://bit.ly/qvPWFd
Water scarcity, flooding & poor sanitation disproportionately affect women worldwide http://bit.ly/pmYdwG
USDA Economic Research Service releases "Rural America at a Glance, 2011 Edition" report http://1.usa.gov/q4Gyss

Political Scene -

Some supporters of ex Wisconsin Gov. Thompson want him to stay retired rather than run for US Senate seat http://bit.ly/oXZM8W
The Other ‘L’ Word: Can Tammy Baldwin win Wisconsin US Senate seat as a 'liberal?' http://bit.ly/qals02
US House is having a polite year, according to new report that assesses chamber insults http://bit.ly/ojubbj

Last Word - "And there's always next year." - White House Press Secretary Jay Carney at the top of yesterday's press briefing, referring to the Boston Red Sox monumental September collapse - but, nonetheless, good advice for us all.