Monday, September 19, 2011

Mississippi River-Basin Relevant Congressional Hearings and Meetings for the Week

Below are the Senate and House Committee hearings and legislation mark-up meetings scheduled for the upcoming week and related to Mississippi River Basin/Gulf Coast water resource issues (links are to the respective hearing or meeting web site):

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Friday, September 16, 2011

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Budget and Appropriations Update
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday introduced a $1.043 trillion Continuing Resolution (CR) designed to keep the Federal government running through November 18, when the House is scheduled to recess for Thanksgiving week.  Congress will take up the stopgap appropriations bill in earnest next week.  The bill would cut discretionary program spending by 1.4 percent compared to last fiscal year over those first seven weeks of this, the 2012, fiscal year.  Those cuts would be in line with the mandate contained in the the Budget Control Act of 2011, which established the $1.043 trillion budget cap for fiscal 2012 spending (the full text of the House CR can be viewed here as a PDF file).  Although bipartisan Congressional leadership is describing the bill as “clean,” it is a tad "dirty," containing several policy riders, including a provision extending Federal Flood Insurance availability.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has been gradually unveiling its broad outline for an omnibus spending bill that will cover Federal funding for the remaining 45 weeks of this fiscal year following the expiration of the CR.  House leaders have all but resigned themselves to going along with the Omnibus approach (see related link below under "Federal Budget").  Senate appropriators have set a goal of finishing the omnibus bill by the weekend heading into the House Thanksgiving recess.
 
In the meantime, the debt reduction "supercommittee" has met several times now, both publicly and in private. Their next public meeting has been set for September 22, while under the committee's own rules, private meetings may occur at any time and without public notice.  For a "Deficit Reduction Supercommittee Primer," including an overview of the committee, its activities and deadlines (and how its work might impact Federal program spending this fiscal year and into the future), see our article here.  That primer includes a listing of the 12 supercommittee members and links to their Congressional web pages.
 - - - - - - - - - -

There was not much other pressing news being generated this week.  But as David Brinkley once observed about his journalistic medium, “The one function that TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.”  So, in that spirit and in the absence of substantive news, we press on with this week's "Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week"

Agriculture -
  • House Agri Comm completes audit series to increase committee members farm policy understanding, pre-Farm Bill drafting http://1.usa.gov/pVENnu
  • Editorial: Iowa Farm Bureau farm subsidy switch "disheartening" http://bit.ly/qJkQ1Q
  • Farm Foundation launches initiative to deliberate critical issues facing modern food & agricultural systems http://bit.ly/oz3LVY
  • Nat. Corn Growers Assoc's Agriculture Disaster Assistance proposal would replace ACRE & direct payment programs http://bit.ly/ps7Klt
  • Midwestern Governors Assoc co-hosts meeting Monday PM: advancements in biofuels; Minneapolis, MN agenda link here: http://bit.ly/rmYGBr
  • Case study: U of MN farm nutrient loading monitoring effort looks to solve runoff debate http://bit.ly/nfE0gt
  • MPR: "Farm runoff – 'If you won't swim in it, you can do better' http://bit.ly/qDQnI2
  • Clean Up the River Environment fosters conversations between traditionally at-odds groups like farmers & enviros http://bit.ly/ne49l9
Water Quality -
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -
In the States -
  • Kentucky DEP proposes settlement with coal company over 1000s of alleged violations of Clean Water Act http://bit.ly/o6hqeN
  • State study may provide framework for discussion & more integrated approach to dealing with MN water problems http://bit.ly/pXlaTn
  • IL Lt. Gov. Simon relaunches Science Advisory Committee; mission-protect IL rivers & reduce flood damage http://1.usa.gov/q1Ps8T
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • MN state officials propose Action Plan for combating spread of Asian Carp http://bit.ly/obWgh2
  • Asian carp search enters new phase on Mississippi, St. Croix, Minnesota rivers; new round of environmental DNA tests http://bit.ly/q3o6yB
Federal Budget -
  • House Appropriations Committee introduces $1.043 trillion stopgap measure to keep government running through Nov 18 http://t.co/Kz6Y9ffh
  • Debt supercommittee is unlikely to "go big" & find more than $1.5 trillion in budget cuts http://bit.ly/r1VNnr
  • Next super committee public hearing Sept. 22 & will feature testimony from top tax code expert http://bit.ly/pb41v7
  • House Republicans almost sure to bundle 12 annual appropriations bills into one package http://politi.co/oTgaCA
Gulf Coastal Area-
  • Gulf of Mexico dead zone research recognized with Heinz award for extraordinary contributions to the environment http://bit.ly/otF4KO
  • Native Americans demand a say in Louisiana gulf coastal restoration plans http://bit.ly/qZmoja
Resource extraction -
Events -
  • October 25 Water Resources Summit: Sustaining Our Nation's Water Resources; College Park, MD http://bit.ly/kPiTwx
e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -
  • The Horinko Group's Sept. environmental e-newsletter is now available online (with many upcoming events) http://bit.ly/q0aglm
Other news-
  • Clean Water Network of Florida criticizes USEPA water quality decision: Obama "as bad or worse than Bush" http://bit.ly/oNZP0u
  • EPA seeks comments on proposed atrazine ban http://1.usa.gov/nlCrRV (Federal Register notice)
  • EPA adds Sandoval, Illinois, heavy metals contamination site to Superfund National Priorities List http://1.usa.gov/prwEvN
Political Scene -
  • Race Ratings: Wisconsin GOP likely to keep US House seat majority http://bit.ly/nS2N9n
  • Study of major House votes: narrative of tea party freshmen frustrating will of GOP leadership is not true http://politi.co/roDw82
  • EPA Administrator Jackson staying put despite speculation that she might step down after White House smog limit shift http://politi.co/pijTPo
  • Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-3) officially opts out of Wisconsin Democratic US Senate primary http://bit.ly/ny452r

Last Word - “No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut.” - Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years in the 48th, 50th and 52nd Congresses, the longest House Speaker tenure in U.S. history.
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Friday, September 9, 2011

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Federal Budget and Appropriations
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (or "supercommittee"), formed under provisions of  the Budget Control Act of 2011, held its first public meeting on Thursday, formally kicking off its two-month-long attempt to trim $1.2  to $1.5 trillion from the Federal deficit over the next ten fiscal years.  Also this week House and Senate appropriators indicated that they plan to schedule a vote on a stopgap spending bill (or Continuing Resolution (CR)) to fund the Federal government before going on their respective recesses during the last week in September.  The plan is to craft a CR that lasts at least until November 23, the day before Thanksgiving, and also the supercommittee’s deadline for making its proposal for cutting Federal program spending.

The way the supercommittee and appropriations calendars are meshing, it appears likely that Congress will be poised to consider one, massive 2012 spending bill for the entire Federal government (an Omnibus bill), at about the time the CR authority runs out.  The CR would appropriate $1.043 trillion for fiscal 2012 spending; a spending limit established under provisions of the Budget Control Act, and no longer in dispute.  What is up for debate, however, is exactly how the $1.043 trillion should be divided among specific agencies and programs.  On Wednesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled its proposed discretionary spending caps for their respective spending bills (known as 302(b) allocations).  And Senate maximums differ from their corresponding House versions (PDF file). 

Even though no new individual appropriations committee spending bills will be voted on by either chamber, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will still work to prepare each of their respective 12 spending bills for Fiscal Year 2012, since their details would form the basis for debating the details of the Omnibus measure.  The appropriators hope to have the spending bills prepared while allowing enough time for negotiations on the Omnibus spending package.  The more detailed spending levels for particular agencies and their programs contained in the respective House and Senate spending bills are certain to differ, and be open for debate as the Omnibus spending measure is being hammered out.

Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act Passes Senate Committee
On Thursday (September 8) the Senate Committee on Banking and Urban Affairs passed “Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act,” its version of a bill to extend the authorization of the fiscally-nonviable National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until September 2016 and add a measure to pay down its nearly $18 billion debt through a series of annual rate increases for policyholders.  The NFIP is set to expire at the end of the month unless Congress acts.  The bill now goes to the full Senate, although there is yet no schedule for the full Senate consideration.  The Senate bill differs somewhat from a similar measure passed by the House on July 12.  For more on both bills and their prospects for passage, see here.

Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar Rescheduled Following Earthquake
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will host the last webinar in a series of four Natural Floodplain Function Alliance-sponsored presentations on floodplain issues. The "Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar," originally scheduled on August 23, was postponed due to that day's east coast earthquake.  The new date for the webinar is Wednesday, September 21, 2011 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT). This webinar will present an overview of the Task Force: its history, goals and objectives, and current activities. Presenters will include Pete Rabbon, Special Assistant on the National Flood Risk Management Program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, John McShane, with the USEPA's Office of Water, and Dave Stearrett, Chief, Floodplain Management Branch at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  Click here to be directed to the webinar registration page. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. 

USGS Water Quality SPARROW Model “Featured Collection” in Journal of the American Water Resources Association
There will be a USGS Water Quality SPARROW Model “Featured Collection” in the next issue of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (here is a related USGS press release).  The full articles are available for reviewing on line now.  A listing of all of the "Featured Collection" articles – all available with full public access and many bearing on nutrient loading modeling and load reduction management and planning - are available at this Journal link.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week: 

Agriculture -
  • Op-ed: Next farm bill must address long-term food needs http://bit.ly/pfaU7H
  • Des Moines Register Editorial: Iowa Farm Bureau farm subsidy policy switch disheartening http://bit.ly/qJQnPC
  • National Farmers Union top Farm Bill priority will be federal crop insurance http://bit.ly/qnQe63
  • National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Updated Farmers’ Guide to Conservation Stewardship Program http://bit.ly/qH1TMA (PDF)
  • EPA issues compliance orders to 6 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Iowa, Kansas & Nebraska http://1.usa.gov/pSLZz1
Water Quality -
  • USGS Water Quality SPARROW Model “Featured Collection” in Journal of the American Water Resources Association bit.ly/pxfDLz (see article above)
  • Company to pay $430,000 civil penalty for Columbia, MO construction stormwater violations http://1.usa.gov/oP9YwU
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -
  • Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee approves flood insurance reform bill as program lapse nears http://bit.ly/oN0Cln
  • Nominations open for American Rivers’ 2012 America’s Most Endangered Rivers; nomination form: http://bit.ly/rgkFBj
  • Frustration with Corps levee inaction in Louisiana reemerges in wake of Tropical Storm Lee http://bit.ly/pe71B0
  • One-third of Iowa continues to be parched by drought despite rain http://bit.ly/pcCOpY
  • Unprecedented flooding from Montana to Missouri along Missouri River lasts from Memorial Day to beyond Labor Day http://bit.ly/pjwAlz
  • Army Corps: Missouri River flooding should ease by mid-October http://bit.ly/oswDnA
  • As Missouri River Valley waters recede, levee and disaster aid funding debates rise http://lat.ms/qRd80D
  • From NW TN to LA, Mississippi River tried changing course during flooding, leaving >$750 million bill http://bit.ly/qXkhw0
In the States -
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • Southern Illinois University researchers study economics of turning Asian Carp into preferred food http://bit.ly/py4a5w
  • Search fails to catch any Asian carp in St. Croix River over nine days http://bit.ly/nQ5fFw
Federal Budget -
  • Budget cut recommendations' deadline to Supercommittee for standing committees: Oct 14; Senate Ag Comm lagging http://bit.ly/ntwQht
  • With Senate & House time running out, Fiscal Year 2012 short-term continuing resolution likely by Sept. 30 http://bit.ly/pWJ0nJ
  • Opening meeting of bipartisan debt ‘supercommittee’ will be held Sept. 8; first public hearing Sept. 13 http://bit.ly/nSEgtZ
  • Super committee writing a plan to slash federal budget deficit that's expected to target direct farm payments http://bit.ly/rtHGvM
  • Congressional Research Service report on current status of 2012 FY Agriculture spending legislation: http://bit.ly/rhbHKH (PDF)
  • Congress in deal-making mood & moving fast on spending bills with Sept. 30 deadline looming http://politi.co/nqGoaA
  • Senate Appropriations Comm decides how $1.043 trillion in FY 2012 spending is to be divided among 12 spending bills http://bit.ly/n3fsaH
  • Senate Appropriations Committee approves 2012 ag spending bill that cuts farm conservation programs http://1.usa.gov/qDFdNB
  • Land conservation programs take hit in Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2012 spending bill http://bit.ly/pNbkkl 
  • Senate Appropriations Committee releases overview of its 2012 agriculture spending allocations http://1.usa.gov/qEueot 
  • 16 of nation’s leading hunting & angling groups oppose disproportionate cuts to Farm Bill conservation spending http://bit.ly/r8qVqT (PDF)
  • Senate Appropriations Comm votes on bill that maintains steady Army Corps funding http://1.usa.gov/oOrwBP
Gulf Coastal Area-
Resource extraction -
  • Ohio natural gas drilling opponents to seek moratorium on hydraulic fracturing  http://bit.ly/niZafG
  • Hydrofracking prompts water quality and use controversy in Kansas http://bit.ly/rl6eRK
  • Chief executive of one of top US natural gas producers attacks critics of fracking http://bit.ly/qGm6Tw
  • Missouri coal ash waste lagoon has been leaching contents into groundwater since 1992 http://bit.ly/niqRXr
  • Goodhue County MN officials want to study impacts of Mississippi River valley sand mining before allowing operations http://bit.ly/qrMNmy
  • Oil company disappointed in one-year moratorium on frac sand mining in MN county http://bit.ly/qj8beV
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources sand mining health impact report "inconclusive" http://bit.ly/oLsFOQ
  • PA sues coal company over massive 2009 fish, mussel, amphibian kill along 30 miles of PA and WV stream http://bit.ly/nXiG0d
Events -
  • American Planning Assoc. workshop "Planning for Flood Resilient Communities" Nashville, TN, Sept 28, 2011 http://bit.ly/qaT6jo
  • Tennessee Sustainable Economy Summit; Nashville, TN; October 28-29 http://conta.cc/pKUZi8
  • Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar; Sept. 21; 3 PM EDT (Rescheduled from "earthquake day") http://bit.ly/ne4iGW (see article above)
e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -
Other news-
Political Scene -
  • Washington Post: On environmental regulations, Obama administration strategy confounds both right and left http://wapo.st/r4ONbP
  • Washington parlor game: Will EPA's Lisa Jackson leave in wake of Obama smog regulation shift? http://politi.co/p80PbS
  • Liberal Senate Dems to White House: Don’t retreat on other EPA rules after smog-ozone cave http://bit.ly/pwcBho
  • 2 state legislators enter Democratic race for WI 2nd district US House seat http://t.co/tRpFelJ
Last Word - “Your proposition may be good, but let’s have one thing understood: Whatever it is, I’m against it! And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it, I’m against it.” - Groucho Marx in the 1932 movie “Horse Feathers”
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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act Passes Senate Committee

Earlier today (September 8) the Senate Committee on Banking and Urban Affairs passed “Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act,” its version of a bill to extend the authorization of the fiscally-nonviable National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until September 2016 and add a measure to pay down its nearly $18 billion debt through a series of annual rate increases for policyholders.  The NFIP is set to expire at the end of the month unless Congress acts.  The bill now goes to the full Senate, although there is yet no schedule for the full Senate consideration. 

The Senate bill differs somewhat from a similar measure passed by the House on July 12, H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011.  For example, the House version would attempt to reach actuarially sound flood insurance rates by allowing rates rise at a rate up to 20 percent a year. The Senate bill caps the maximum rate at 18 percent.  The Senate version would forgive the NFIP's current debt, which the House bill does not.

Assuming that the Senate passes its legislation, the House and the Senate will have to come to a compromise soon to renew the program by September's end.  U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL), Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, and sponsor of the House bill, has been quoted as saying, "The House and Senate versions of this bill include far more areas of agreement than disagreement, and I’m confident that we can work out a compromise."
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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar (Rescheduled)

Your are invited to attend the last in a summer series of four Natural Floodplain Function Alliance-sponsored webinars on floodplain issues: the Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar, hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Institute.  This webinar was originally scheduled to be held on August 23, but was postponed in the aftermath of the east coast earthquake.

The Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force was authorized and established by Congress in 1975 to develop a “unified national program for floodplain management.” The Task Force works to advance that goal by promoting flood hazard mitigation and environmental stewardship of floodplains. This webinar will present an overview of the Task Force, its history, goals and objectives, and current activities. Presenters will include Pete Rabbon, Special Assistant on the National Flood Risk Management Program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, John McShane, with the USEPA’s Office of Water, and Dave Stearrett, Chief, Floodplain Management Branch at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Title: Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force Webinar
Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT)

Click here to be directed to a webinar registration page. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

USGS Water Quality SPARROW Model “Featured Collection” in Journal of the American Water Resources Association


There will be a USGS Water Quality SPARROW Model “Featured Collection” in the next issue of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (here is a related USGS press release).  The full articles are available for reviewing on line now. 

Here is a listing of key articles – all available with full public access - that have a bearing on nutrient loading modeling and load reduction management and planning (not included below but available in the Journal are additional articles that are of a regional nature and outside of the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico, including the Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes regions):
  • New USGS SPARROW models for 6 United States regions help to target nutrient pollution reduction efforts http://bit.ly/qaBPl3
  • Nutrient Sources and Transport in the Missouri River Basin, With Emphasis on the Effects of Irrigation and Reservoirs http://bit.ly/ojRT44
  • Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico From Streams in the South-Central United States http://bit.ly/q6fYmj
  • Source and Delivery of Nutrients to Receiving Waters in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States http://bit.ly/q4CUd9
  • The Regionalization of National-Scale SPARROW Models for Stream Nutrients http://bit.ly/ojMwi7
  • Factors Affecting Stream Nutrient Loads: A Synthesis of Regional SPARROW Model Results for the Continental United States http://bit.ly/oFBB7i
  • Nutrient Loadings to Streams of the Continental United States From Municipal and Industrial Effluent http://bit.ly/rh45Hz
  • Nutrient Dataset Used to Estimate Loads, Improve Monitoring Design and Calibrate Regional Nutrient SPARROW Models http://bit.ly/mRBOD6
  • Web-Based Decision Support System for Assessing Regional Water-Quality Conditions and Management Actions http://bit.ly/p9rtHQ
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Thursday, September 1, 2011

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


Let the Games Begin
The US Congress returns from its month-long recess next Tuesday and will immediately dive into the task of addressing two Federal spending issues.  Here is what we can expect to happen:

  1. The "Supercommittee," formed under provisions of  the Budget Control Act of 2011 signed into law on August 2, will have a window of opportunity to make targeted cuts from Federal programs running over the next ten Federal fiscal years (that window, under the new law lasts until November 23). If a proposal is developed and then approved by the Supercommittee, the committee’s report and legislative language is required to be issued by December 2, and then be presented to the House and Senate on a "take-it-or-leave-it" basis. Congress will need to vote on the Supercommittee's proposal by December 23.  There is more to the process, which those policy junkies among you can read up on in our August monthly Mississippi River Basin Update.
  2. Although provisions to raise the debt limit and create the Supercommittee drew most of the attention to the Budget Control Act, the measure also importantly established Federal spending limits for the next two fiscal years (2012 and 2013). So now that they know how much spending authority they have for the 2012 fiscal year, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees next week will jump headlong into preparing the twelve spending bills that will ultimately determine specific Federal agency spending limits for the next fiscal year.   And while members of Congress will likely still disagree over how much spending is funneled toward which Federal agencies and to defense, Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike have noted that the bipartisan compromise on 2012 and 2103 spending contained in the budget control legislation makes it unlikely that an appropriation's impasse will bring Congress to the brink of closing the government.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:  
Agriculture -

  • IA Farm Bureau: compliance with conservation programs should not be condition for purchasing fed-subsidized insurance http://bit.ly/qeG0yr
  • US cotton growers drop insistence that Congress preserve existing system of farm subsidies http://bit.ly/rtkZhr
  • August 9 Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative Partner meeting info  now posted online by NRCS http://1.usa.gov/o9kpXo
  • Converting cropland from corn to higher-ethanol-yielding biofuel crops could put pressure on H2O resources http://bit.ly/pcPROv
  • This week's High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal issue focuses on "Protecting Our Waters" & Gulf hypoxia http://bit.ly/nGzYrV
  • FarmPolicy.com transcript of last Thursday's Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill field hearing (Kansas City) http://bit.ly/rnpAW9 (pdf)
  • Good economic times return for corn-based ethanol industry http://bit.ly/r9lprV while candidate dodges ethanol question http://bit.ly/oHqkiP
  • Net 2011 farm income is forecast by USDA ERS to be up 31 percent from 2010 http://1.usa.gov/5s7CpE
  • IA Farm Bureau president praises "farmer friendly" environmental & regulatory policies of Gov. Branstad http://bit.ly/qOWXB9
  • Corn Growers Assc policy objective for next farm bill: development of "effective, affordable crop insurance program" http://bit.ly/pe41yb

Water Quality-

  • Electric Power Research Institute to use Conservation Innovation Grant for Ohio River Basin water quality trade pilot http://bit.ly/oPgfSi
  • Poll finds national support for protecting & restoring LA's coastal wetlands & limiting Mississippi Basin pollutants http://bit.ly/pLypSF
  • USGS: Widely-used herbicide (Roundup) commonly found in Mississippi River Basin rain & streams http://on.doi.gov/phrzAz
  • Ohio River Basin part of pilot water quality trading market program http://bit.ly/nHPcqc
  • EPA holds public meeting in first step to determine new pollution limits for impaired Floyds Fork watershed (KY) http://bit.ly/pFpSIw

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

  • Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX): FEMA is "Deeply Flawed" System http://bit.ly/rjSiEI
  • Federal FEMA disaster aid has been made available to Iowa for July 27-29 storms & flooding http://1.usa.gov/nSAvON
  • Documentary "The Big Uneasy" - much of Katrina damage to New Orleans preventable with better planning/engineering http://bit.ly/r9DvUi
  • Agreement between Louisiana & Corps re: Lower Mississippi River study draws conservation community praise http://bit.ly/o21ANd

In the States -

  • DesMoines Register op-ed: Iowa DNR's confined feedlot water quality enforcement continues to be non-existent http://bit.ly/oRTxLb
  • AR commission grants mining company relaxed new treated water quality standards to the dismay of area residents http://bit.ly/nS5GCM

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

  • Fish and Wildlife Service director: must work to restore credibility re: what drives FWS endangered species listings http://nyti.ms/n97h68
  • SD Dept. of Game, Fish & Parks pheasant brood survey shows 46% decline from 2010; weather & CRP acreage loss blamed http://bit.ly/pakRHs
  • Six attorneys general seek Great Lakes, Mississippi basin split http://trib.in/reQXCk

Federal Budget -

  • Here is a handy primer on the deficit reduction Supercommittee and what it will be doing through the end of the year http://bit.ly/qJVMxX
  • Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) predicts the new deficit-cutting supercommittee will fail http://bit.ly/nJmhcv

Gulf Coastal Area-

  • New Orleans post-Katrina recovery still "spotty" http://usat.ly/oNsDB1
  • Poll finds national support for protecting & restoring LA's coastal wetlands & limiting Mississippi Basin pollutants http://bit.ly/pLypSF
  • Gulf of Mexico oil spill research grants go to 8 consortia ($112.5 million over 3 years) http://bit.ly/oOLyAO

Resource extraction -

  • Op-ed: The Pacific Institute calls for better monitoring of water contamination from fracking http://bit.ly/npCzGe

Events - 

  • 2011 Horinko Group Water Resources Summit; October 25; U of MD College Park http://tinyurl.com/3zganno
  • 13th Biennial Governorís Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System; Oct 4-6; Peoria http://bit.ly/8YbqO
  • 2011 Upper Mississippi River Conference; Sept 21-23, Bettendorf, IA http://bit.ly/lp0jXH
  • First Biennial IL River RiverWatch Symposium, Peoria, Illinois, October 4 bit.ly/o3swiZ
  • Iowa university extensions' Sept. 12 webinar to address recovery for flood-impacted cropland http://bit.ly/oMar5g
  • Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative 2011 Statewide Mtg; Sept 29-Oct 1, Green Bay, WI http://bit.ly/oYe7OM
  • Farm Foundation Forum: Data Collection on Agriculture in a Time of Fiscal Constraints; Washington DC; Sept. 13 http://bit.ly/olCIp3

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

  • Northeast-Midwest Institute's August Update (PDF file) on Mississippi River Basin issues is now available bit.ly/oKo9HY

Other news-

  • Clean Water America Alliance accepting US Water Prize nominations through December 7 http://bit.ly/ntdj3k
  • GAO: EPA research/technical activities fragmented; largely uncoordinated after not implementing 1992 recommendations http://nyti.ms/oelKvo
  • Indiana power companies warn of a "regulatory train wreck" due to new Fed air, water & waste regulations http://bit.ly/nOTtLT
  • Complexity theorist formula predicts social unrest related to corn price trends & ethanol-related price spikes http://bit.ly/pfm7f4
  • USGS study of 23 trace elements & radon in groundwater nationwide from 1992-2003 http://on.doi.gov/nQiKAN
  • GOP lawmakers accuse major environmental groups of profiting from taxpayers by suing the federal government http://1.usa.gov/oZIDov

Political Scene - 

  • Former GOP Rep. Mark Neumann enters WI US Senate race http://bit.ly/pYf7v6
  • WI state Speaker Fitzgerald (R) joins in race for soon-to-be open Senate seat (US Sen Kohl's seat) http://bit.ly/qDdTCK
  • House Majority Leader Cantor (R-VA) outlines GOP agenda for thwarting EPA & other regulations http://1.usa.gov/nnPVCK
  • Republican Beth Ann Rankin, who lost to Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) in 2010, will run for US House again http://bit.ly/oUCp8g

Last Word - "Cultivate a better world."
Coldplay's song "The Scientist" is performed by Willie Nelson in this new short (2:20 minute) film entitled, "Back to the Start" and posted on YouTube. The animated film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer who slowly turns a family farm into an industrial animal operation before opting for a return to a much smaller scale operation.  Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle, so there is a very innocuous add placement for chipotle.com at the end of the piece, along with the message, "Cultivate a Better World."
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