House Agriculture Committee Democratic Members Announced

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7th) today announced the Democratic members who will serve on the House Agriculture Committee during the 112th Congress. 

Beside Ranking Member Peterson, the other Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee, listed alphabetically, are:

• Joe Baca, California
• Leonard Boswell, Iowa
• Dennis Cardoza, California
• Jim Costa, California
• Joe Courtney, Connecticut
• Henry Cuellar, Texas
• Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
• Tim Holden, Pennsylvania
• Larry Kissell, North Carolina
• James McGovern, Massachusetts
• Mike McIntyre, North Carolina
• Bill Owens, New York
• Chellie Pingree, Maine
• Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands
• Kurt Schrader, Oregon
• Terri A. Sewell, Alabama
• David Scott, Georgia
• Timothy J. Walz, Minnesota
• Peter Welch, Vermont

Army Corps Announces Additional Public Meetings Regarding Scoping of Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") has announced a series of additional public meetings (http://glmris.anl.gov/involve/pubschedule/index.cfm) related to the Corps' Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS).  GLMRIS is an evaluation of alternatives that might be used to prevent the transfer of aquatic nuisance species (sometimes called "ANS") between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic pathways (see our initial article on GLMRIS here).

The Corps is providing these meetings (along with providing an opportunity for written comments) to help "refine the scope of GLMRIS to focus on significant issues, as well as eliminate issues that are not significant from further detailed study," according to a January 18 Corps' announcement. 

The locations and dates of upcoming meetings are:

• Minneapolis, MN-Jan. 20
• Green Bay, WI-Jan. 25
• Traverse City, MI-Jan. 27
• Cincinnati, OH-Feb. 1
• Ann Arbor, MI-Feb. 3
• St Louis, MO-Feb. 8
• Vicksburg, MS-Feb. 10
• Milwaukee, WI-Feb. 15
• New Orleans, LA-Feb. 17

Persons wishing to provide oral comments at one of these meetings are asked to register at http://glmris.anl.gov/involve/pubschedule/index.cfm.

Until March 31, 2011, the Corps will also accept public comments on the GLMRIS scope via this web site.

EPA Announces Senior Management Staff Changes

On Friday, January 14, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced some staffing changes at the agency through an email sent to EPA staff.  According to the email, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Pete Silva "will leave the EPA on February 12 and plans to return to his home and family in California."  Nancy Stoner, EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, will then serve as acting Assistant Administrator.
Jackson also announced that Bicky Corman has been appointed as EPA's Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy, and that Joel Beauvais will join the EPA as senior advisor in the Office of General Counsel.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

University of Minnesota's Water Resources Center Releases Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework Report

On January 12, the University of Minnesota's Water Resources Center  released a report designed to protect and preserve Minnesota's lakes, rivers, and groundwater for the 21st century and beyond.  Entitled "Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework," the report was completed in response to a charge by the 2009 Minnesota Legislature, and is meant "to serve as a legislative road map with time lines and benchmarks for future investments in water resources, including the estimated $86 million a year dedicated for the protection of water as a result of Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Act," according to a Center media release. In preparing the Framework, its authors surveyed Minnesotans’ attitudes and beliefs about water through more than 4,500 surveys and during nine listening sessions around the state.   

The Framework contains specific recommendations to help assure a sustainable water resources future, including:

• A comprehensive survey of Minnesota's ground water resources to understand what's available and how our current withdrawals are impacting the long-term supply;
• An overhaul of the state's water permitting process that would include an electronic database and a method of calculating the ecological impact of water withdrawals;
• A mandatory statewide plan to decrease nutrient runoff from agricultural sources—a key to the plan being farmer-led, performance-based Agricultural Management Areas organized along the state's 45 watershed districts that would provide technical resources and incentives;
• Promotion of "green" chemistry through incentives for industry and consumer education and advocacy to prevent future water contamination;
• Integrated water and land sustainability planning at the watershed level; and
• The restructuring of municipal water pricing to more accurately reflect the ecological, as well as infrastructure, costs of water use.

The report is available at this University web site, and can be downloaded as a 36.8 MB-sized pdf file here.
Through January 31, the public can provide comments and feedback on the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework report on this web site. 

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week: 

In the States -

• Minnesota Organic  Farming Conference Set For St. Cloud this Friday and Saturday  http://bit.ly/g8uwvE
• Minnesota Corn Growers Association urges farmers to pay attention to U of MN framework for improving water quality http://bit.ly/ezPXsi
• National Weather Service report: forecasting errors occurred related to deadly 2010 Nashville, Cumberland River floods http://bit.ly/hfj4We

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Wall Street Journal: Deferred Army Corps lock maintenance hampers river shippers nationwide & economy as a whole http://on.wsj.com/frAUUx
• Consultant: Coon Rapids Dam (MN) upgrade could turn dam into barrier vs Mississippi River Asian carp migration  http://bit.ly/grx0l4

Agriculture -

• Farm Bureau: EPA Chesapeake Bay plan will ruin regional agriculture & become model for similar restrictions nationally http://wapo.st/f8KZ8I
• Farm Bureau sues EPA over Chesapeake Bay cleanup http://wapo.st/fJat0y
• Sen Ag Comm Chair Stabenow (D-MI) to work w House Republicans & address agribusiness environmental regulation concerns http://bit.ly/fQgwVB
• Farm Bureau leaves annual convention without making major suggestions on Congress cutting 2012 Farm Bill spending http://lat.ms/hS6OzU
• MN Assoc of Soil & Water Conservation Districts honors Scandia couple for conservation efforts http://bit.ly/dQ0Q8W

Water Quality-

• Commission on BP Oil Spill & Offshore Drilling identifies hypoxia as a major impediment to Gulf of Mexico's recovery http://bit.ly/hVMF5A

Events -

• EPA Watershed Academy Webcast: "Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution and Harmful Algal Blooms in Lakes” Jan 26 http://bit.ly/dCcmO0
• Clean Water Network's "Clean Water Week" March 1 - 2; Washington DC http://bit.ly/gOaKqZ
• August 2011 National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration extends abstract submission deadline to January 21 http://bit.ly/fbRj5x

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Minnesota DNR's plan against aquatic invasive species begins to take shape http://bit.ly/hIaB6c & http://bit.ly/fHuB9Z
• Asian Carp fish processing plant plans blocked for time being in North Central IL  http://bit.ly/eyQ1Y3

Other news-

• La. coast among top 10 at-risk global environments; mismanagement of Mississippi River one cited reason http://bit.ly/edqezd
• Global Risks 2011 report highlights global inability to cope with interconnected risks tied to water, food & energy http://bit.ly/hcQX84
• Valero - Iowa’s largest corn based ethanol producer - commits to MI cellulosic ethanol plant http://bit.ly/gYl3Wa

Political Scene -

• Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) is new GOP ranking member on Senate Agriculture Committee http://bit.ly/eui0zP (1/2 way thru article)
• GOP appropriators plan to craft a spending-cut appropriations package for floor action at end of January http://bit.ly/fEF8qR
• Illinois’s State Legislature approves 66 % increase in state’s income tax rate in response to fiscal crisis http://nyti.ms/i6f1qV
• EPA "desperate for some friends in the Senate" on issue of limiting EPA's authority http://bit.ly/fBKTmy

NCER 2011 - The National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration - Call for Abstracts

Individuals working in ecosystem restoration are invited to submit abstracts for NCER 2011 - The National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration.  NCER is an interdisciplinary conference on large scale ecosystem restoration presenting state-of-the art science and engineering, planning and policy in a partnership environment.  The purpose of NCER is to provide an interactive forum for physical, biological and social scientists, engineers, resource managers, planners and policy makers to share their experiences and research results concerning large-scale ecosystem restoration on both national and international levels. NCER 2011 will be held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront from August 1 - 5. 

The abstracts should describe the author's efforts, science, projects and results. Oral and poster presentations will be selected from abstract submissions, and abstracts from all presentations will be published online in the conference book of abstracts. Poster presentations will be divided into two sessions and formal poster sessions will be held for each grouping to allow maximum time for discussion with individual authors.  The abstract submission deadline has been recently extended until January 21.  Abstracts can be submitted on-line via this web site.

NCER 2011 Program topics will include several that relate directly or indirectly to restoration in the Mississippi River Basin, and are:

• Adaptive Management toward Restoration Objectives
• Chesapeake Bay
• Climate Change and Restoration Goals
• Coastal Habitat Restoration
• Comparison and Contrast of Restoration Programs
• Ecosystem Goods and Services
• Ecosystem Restoration on Private Lands
• Ecosystem Restoration Program Management and Large-Scale Project Implementation
• Ecosystems of National Significance
• Environmental Benefits
• Estuarine Ecosystem Restoration
• Federal Principles and Guidelines and Ecosystem Restoration
• Governance and Management Decision Making
• Implementation and Political Challenges to Ecosystem Restoration Programs
• Instream and Freshwater Inflow Development
• Invasive Species
• Integration of Science and Engineering in Ecosystem Restoration Programs
• International Ecosystem Restoration
• Legal Issues in Ecosystem Restoration
• Louisiana Coastal Restoration
• Mapping/Remote Sensing
• New Planning Approaches Cumulative Response and Socioeconomic Considerations
• Riverine Recovery
• Role of Fire in Ecosystem Restoration
• Stakeholder Engagement and Perspectives
• Upland Habitat Restoration
• Urban Ecosystem Restoration
• USDA NRCS Mississippi River Basin Initiative
• Water Quality Nutrients Contaminants and Sustainable Sediment Management

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

112th Congress and Federal Funding
The 112th Congress convened on Wednesday, January 5.  One of the priority tasks facing the new Congress will be providing funding for Federal programs beyond March 4, 2011, when a Continuing Resolution (CR), passed and signed into law on December 21, expires.  Before then, Congress will have to enact spending measures for the balance of the 2011 Fiscal Year, ending September 30, either (1) passing a series of twelve individual appropriations bills for the remainder of the Fiscal Year, (2) passing an omnibus appropriations package, containing an amalgam of the twelve separate appropriations bills, or (3) passing at least one additional CR that would keep the Federal government programs funded through all or part of the Fiscal Year. 

The House Appropriations Committee sets the appropriations agenda, and the very tight legislative schedule established by House Republicans makes it very unlikely that the House could pass separate appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2011.  Between now and March 4, the House is scheduled to be out of session for 20 working days out of 41 remaining possible legislative days.  The Senate, with its Democratic majority, will have to buy into any House spending plan, and the Senate is currently in recess until January 25.

Complicating that Fiscal Year 2011 appropriation's picture is the fact that Congress at the same time will begin considering appropriations for the 2012 Fiscal Year, which begins October 1, 2011.  Congressional consideration of the next budget historically begins with the release of the President's annual budget proposal.   The release date for the Obama Administration's 2012 Fiscal Year budget proposal has been pushed back from a planned, Monday, February 7 date to some time the following week.

Earmarks
One spending issue that will dominate the new Congress is that of earmarks: legislative provisions directing that authorized funds be spent on specific projects (often at the request of a single legislator).  House Speaker John Boehner (OH-8th) has told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) that he will not allow spending bills with earmarks to be considered on the House floor.  And Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (IL) has said that he does not believe that the Senate would have the 60 votes necessary right now for passing spending bills that include earmarks.  A key earmark question that remains and is currently in the process of being clarified on the Hill is what, exactly, determines the definition of an earmark (for example, would the EPA's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative or USDA's Mississippi River Basin Initiative be considered earmarks?).  Attempts have been made in the past to define earmarks in either ethics and budget reform legislation.   However, none of those definitions have been widely accepted.

Although many Republicans generally oppose earmarks, especially in the House chamber, that opposition is not unanimous.  For example, Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), the number three leader in the Senate Republican Conference, has noted that “Earmarks are still a subject that we have to work out.  A moratorium is a good idea so members of Congress understand exactly what an earmark is. They are finding out that some of the things we call earmarks we need to do."

House Committee Assignments
House Committee assignments announced to date are summarized here (pdf file).  House committees and subcommittees are now chaired by members of the chamber’s Republican majority, while their House Democratic colleagues take on committee “Ranking Member” and minority statuses.   Key Committee Chair assignments that impact directly upon Mississippi River Basin water resource issues include: Agriculture (Frank Lucas (OK-3rd)); Appropriations (Harold Rogers (KY-5th)); Budget (Paul Ryan (WI-1st)); Natural Resources (Doc Hastings (WA-4th)); and Transportation and Infrastructure (John Mica (FL-7th)).

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the End of 2010 and First Week of 2011: 

In the States -

Illinois

• Book author: Large-scale livestock operations rapidly setting up in Illinois http://bit.ly/ia1AFy

Iowa

• Keokuk, IA reaches agreement with EPA to address untreated sewage discharges  to Soap Creek & Mississippi River http://bit.ly/enlNFy 
• County Board of Supervisors wants to establish new Mississippi River Basin Water Quality Center in Dubuque IA http://bit.ly/fzjqxM 
• Beef Feedlot in Sioux County IA to Pay $30,000 Civil Fine for Wastewater Discharges into Otter Creek http://bit.ly/dNkX9m 
• NGO groups: Governor-elect Branstad's ideas on deregulating Iowa's ag industry are risky http://bit.ly/fobnkg

Kentucky

• U.S. District Judge signs settlement requiring Lexington KY to overhaul sewer system over 10 years http://bit.ly/fP0zh2

Minnesota

• MN Legislature to be presented with 25-year plan for clean water on Wednesday http://bit.ly/eBclo1 
• One MN ethanol production facility pays water pollution fines http://bit.ly/ftXKhK ; another seeks to expand http://bit.ly/euc9b3 (pdf)
• Potentially controversial (for some GOPs) Aasen chosen by new Governor to head MN Pollution Control Agency http://bit.ly/dE50Fk 
• Environment, outdoors issues up for debate in MN state legislative environmental committees starting tomorrow http://bit.ly/gsJcqx 
• Mankato Free Press editorial: Don't let up on fixing Minnesota river http://bit.ly/icQcIw 
• MN AG files suit against 3M for pollution cleanup costs caused by chemicals leaching into Mississippi River http://bit.ly/fFGDcr 
• MN NGO analysis from 2005-2009: 2/3 of wastewater facilities violated permits at least 1x, but only 11% paid penalty http://bit.ly/hUkPyA 
• Environmental law firm report: MN fines water polluters only about one in 10 times http://bit.ly/f7lanX 
• MN Beet processor to pay $50,000 penalty & promises to implement corrective action re: East Grand Forks facility http://bit.ly/eJkQjk 
• St. Cloud State U study of endocrine disruptors in 11 MN lakes published http://bit.ly/gd4UiM (news piece: http://bit.ly/fFICHR)

Wisconsin

• Water quality groups worried about WI Gov Scott Walker agenda http://bit.ly/gZAhhy
• WI DNR aggressive waterways P clean-up plan could face stiff opposition from incoming GOP administration & Legislature http://bit.ly/dPrUUG

Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Des Moines Register Editorial: Maintain Mississippi waterway infrastructure http://bit.ly/efopX6
• MN state order for Xcel Energy to either remove or renovate Minnesota River dam presents dilemma http://bit.ly/flYOSU

Agriculture -

• USDA 2011 Conservation Stewardship Prog sign-up extended from Jan 7 to the 21st http://bit.ly/efs0d0 w/ 20 new conservation enhancements
• USDA's Conservation Reserve Program faces threats from budget constraints, ethanol demand & high crop & land prices http://bit.ly/i1QRgG
• American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Atlanta next week - the first farm-policy debate of 2011 http://bit.ly/eUkVa8
• Minnesota River-Lake Pepin Friendship Tours: Farmers Talking to Farmers about Protecting Water Quality http://bit.ly/gackbY
• Farm Bureau leader Rick Robinson aims to shape ag policy in 2011 http://bit.ly/gLKI24
• Food prices globally rising to dangerous levels with talk of coming crisis http://nyti.ms/fB34oF
• Rep. Kind (D-WI): We are going to have to say ‘no’ (to farm bill spending) to get serious about deficit reduction http://bit.ly/en7B1k
• Rep. Lucas (R-OK), chairman-designate House Ag Comm, to wait until current Farm Bill expires to begin work on new bill http://bit.ly/hN3Ngd
• NGO groups: Governor-elect Branstad's ideas on deregulating Iowa's ag industry are risky http://bit.ly/fobnkg
• Good primer: Congressional Research Service's Report “Farm Safety Net Programs: Issues for the Next Farm Bill” http://bit.ly/gcTdiS
• Tide turns against corn ethanol, as it's buffeted by economic crisis & oil price drop http://bit.ly/fW7YRZ
• Several US oil refiners won’t sell gas containing 15% (usually corn) ethanol despite recent EPA authorization http://on.wsj.com/hosW87

Water Quality-

• EPA Completes Research to Inform Development of New Recreational Water Quality Criteria under Fed Court settlement http://bit.ly/hqwjZ0

Events -

• Free webinar-Positioning Waterside Communities as Tourism Gateways to America's Great Outdoors; January 19 http://bit.ly/h5yirD
• 9th Annual Urban Ecology & Conservation Symposium Jan 24 Portland OR http://bit.ly/dKy0Ln registration: http://bit.ly/gKYFS3

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• As many as 50,000 Pacific coast eagles may range as far as Mississippi River in search for food http://bit.ly/eKYs82
• Army Corps Launches Scoping of Great Lakes & Mississippi River Interbasin Study Amidst Environmental Group Concerns http://bit.ly/eZyqkg
• Op-ed: Wisconsin's Oneida County Should Drop Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Position http://bit.ly/hi7Dcg
• Invasive curly-leaf pondweed treatments will continue at SW Minnesota's Lake Benton http://bit.ly/dXQ4em
• Minnesota's Minnehaha Creek  Watershed District proposes new invasive species rules http://bit.ly/fnuBWF

Other news-

• Director of Southern Cotton Ginners Association reappointed for 9 years on Mississippi River Commission http://bit.ly/g4FtgC
• U.S. environmental groups are switching from DC-centered to grassroots approach to change http://wapo.st/evFAT8
• EPA's 2011 Regulatory Agenda released (semiannual publication of its regulatory agenda) http://bit.ly/ezB26K
• New Kansas City Federal Reserve economic analysis report released: “A Rural Rebound in 2010.” http://bit.ly/ibKrZU (pdf file)
• New MN "normal" temperature, rainfall & snow settings to be published later this year by National Climate Data Center http://bit.ly/hyD4yh
• New study: No-till farming releases far smaller amounts of greenhouse gas than conventional farming http://wapo.st/feZ8kt

Political Scene -

• Iowa’s 2012 musical chairs: 5 House members to run for reelection; but only 4 seats will remain http://bit.ly/fBThbV
• 112th Congress House of Representatives Committee Chairs http://bit.ly/hftNGy & House Committee Ranking Member http://bit.ly/hlcCjR
• 111th Congress historically chaotic in Senate with highest turnover (20%) since Congress of 1945-47 http://bit.ly/gHUDLd
• MN Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann isn't ruling out 2012 run for Senate vs incumbent Democrat Sen. Klobuchar http://bit.ly/gJZPVb
• US Census Bureau announcement today of census #s determines what states gain/lose House seats in reapportionment http://politi.co/e4Fj8Q
• Census Bureau: Rustbelt will lose House seats; Sunbelt gain them in 2012 http://bit.ly/hBGCIN

Northeast-Midwest Institute Appoints New President and CEO

Allegra Cangelosi has been appointed President and CEO of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, beginning January 2011.  She assumes the position following two decades of service to the NEMW Coalitions and Institute handling linked environmental and economic opportunities associated with ecosystem restoration, especially in the Great Lakes, and prevention of invasive species introductions to the region.  Prior to working with the NEMW Coalitions and Institute, Ms. Cangelosi was environmental staffer for the Coalition of Northeastern Governors.  In her new position as President and CEO of the NEMWI, Ms. Cangelosi plans to launch new tools and processes by which the NEMWI can reliably deliver high quality information services on on existing and emerging issues to the NEMW region's elected leadership in Congress, States and cities, and regional stakeholders generally.  In her new role, Ms. Cangelosi will retain leadership of the Great Ships Initiative, an important project of the NEMWI.