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

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):

• Meeting Brochure/Agenda
• Registration Form
• Strategic Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.