VT TNC Distributes Vermont Monthly Invasives Update as e-newsletter

The Vermont Chapter of Nature Conservancy's Wise on Weeds! program distributes a well-produced Monthly Invasives Update chock full of usefull information covering terrestrial and aquatic invasive species. This newsletter should be of interest to residents throughout the Northeast and not just Vermont. If you would like to like to receive the newsletter, or have something to contribute, please contact Sharon Plumb at splumb@tnc.org. 

Here's the June 2009 Table of Contents to give you an idea of what you can expect:

1. Species Spotlight: Japanese Knotweed

NOTEWORTHY NEWS
2. Vermont Aquatics Nuisance Bill
3. The Conservancy's Wise on Weeds! Program Receives EPA Educational Grant
4. The Conservancy's Wise on Weeds! Program Receives Wellborn Ecology Grant  

LEARNING  OPPORTUNITIES
5. Managing Invasive Plants in Your Forests
6. Invasive Plant Management for Road Crews Workshops
7. Invasive Plants 101! Landowner Workshop at Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park  

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
8. Get outside with The Nature Conservancy and Pull it Up!
9.      Burlington Parks & Rec Invasive Plant Removal Program
10. Volunteers Needed to Assist in European Frogbit Management    

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
11. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the 2009 "Pulling Together" Initiaitive
12. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the 2009 Native Plant Conservation Initiative (NPCI) grants cycle  

RESOURCES
13. Wild Ones Promotes Native Plants
14. Invasive Species Middle School Curriculum
15. Goutweed Soup

Aquatic Invasive Speces Rapid Response Plan Approved for Lake Champlain Basin

Thanks to the dedicated work of the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) Aquatic Nuisance Species Subcommittee and Rapid Response Workgroup, the Lake Champlain Basin Rapid Response Action Plan for Aquatic Invasive Species has been approved by the LCBP Steering Committee. This plan is intended to ensure that appropriate protocols, trained personnel, equipment, permits, and other resources are in place to contain and potentially eradicate newly detected nonnative aquatic invasive species as they are reported in the Basin. The plan envisions a task force comprised of members from Quebec, New York, and Vermont to implement and oversee rapid response actions.

This plan will be very helpful should hydrilla (for example) be found in Lake Champlain. Hydrilla has rapidly spread since it was introduced into Florida waters by an aquatic fish dealer and is now found in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. The aggressive invasive poses a looming threat to Lake Champlain as it is very adaptable and difficult to control once it has established a population. The Rapid Response plan will limit its impact on the Lake and prevent hydrilla from clogging waterways.

For more information about hydrilla or other aquatic nuisance species, visit www.lcbp.org/nature.htm.

Source: Lake Champlain Basin Program

$10 million Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program

EPA is announcing the availability of up to $10 million in "Climate Showcase Communities" grants for local and tribal governments to establish and implement climate change initiatives. EPA requests proposals which create replicable models of sustainable community action, generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions, and improve the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community.

How many grants will be awarded?

The agency expects to award a total of approximately 30 cooperative agreements ranging from approximately $100,000 to $500,000.

Approximately 5% of the fund ($500,000) are set-aside for tribal
governments. EPA expects to award 1-3 grants under the tribal set aside.

Who is eligible for the grant program?

Eligibility for the program includes local governments (a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government), federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and inter-tribal consortia.

(Ed. note: Are you an eligible party with an idea but need help developing a succesful proposal? LakeStewardship.org can help by connecting you with leading scientists & researchers in the field of climate change. Email Michael at LakeStewardship.org >> michael@lakestewardship.org)

Are applicants required to provide matching funds?

A 50% cost-match or cost-share is required for this program with the exception of tribal governments and intertribal consortia which are exempt from matching requirements. The cost share and/or match can be in the form of cash or as in-kind contributions, such as use of volunteers and/or donated time, equipment, expertise, etc.

What is the application deadline?

Proposals are due by July 22, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. EDT. An optional notice of intent to apply is requested by July 1, 2009.

Who will administer the grant program?

The Grant program is administered by EPA's Local Climate and Energy Program, an initiative to assist local and tribal governments to identify, implement, and track policies and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions within their operations and surrounding communities.

What resources will be available to grant recipients?

Over the course of the grant program, EPA will offer peer exchange, trainings, and technical support to grant recipients. Each grant recipient will be profiled online and in EPA materials. EPA will share lessons learned from the grant program with communities across the nation.

For more information: http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/showcase.html

To view the Request for Applications: http://www.epa.gov/air/grants/09-08.pdf

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Source: Anne Weinberg & NPSINFO listserv (see NPSINFO Resource Center epa.gov/nps/npsinfo for more information)

Rain Gardens - Inexpensive & attractive treatment of stormwater runoff

A rain garden is a shallow depression in the ground that captures runoff from your driveway or roof and allows it to soak into the ground, rather than running across roads, capturing pollutants, and delivering them to nearby lakes and stream. Rain gardens are placed between stormwater runoff sources (roofs, driveways, parking lots) and runoff destinations (storm drains, streets, lakes, streams). Plants and soil work together to absorb and filter pollutants and return cleaner water through the ground to nearby streams.

Rain gardens are an inexpensive and attractive way to improve water quality and enhance the beauty of your yard or business.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension has developed an outstanding Web site that is dedicated to all aspects of building rain gardens. The website address is http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/raingarden/

Sources:
Bridget Munger, Stormwater Outreach & Education Coordinator
N.C. Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC

NC Cooperative Extension Rain Garden website

Wetland Program Development Grants Request for Proposals

On Friday May 29, 2009, EPA announced the release of the FY09 National Wetland Program Development Grants Request for Proposals (RFP). The total amount of expected federal funding available under this announcement
is approximately $550,000 and the federal portion of the awards will range from $25,000 to $225,000. Grants are awarded through Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act and are made to
build the capacity of all levels of government to develop and implement effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.

This year the RFP lists five national priority areas:
1) State/Tribal
Technical and Meeting Support;
2) Regulation;
3) Monitoring and Assessment;
4) Voluntary Restoration/Protection; and
5) Water Quality Standards for Wetlands.

The RFP will close at 7pm EDT on July 15, 2009, with decisions expected by the end of the fiscal year. The RFP can be viewed on the EPA wetlands website: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/HQrfp09.pdf

Source: Waterheadlines

4th Annual Adirondack Invasive Species Awareness Week is July 5 -11

The 4th Annual Adirondack Invasive Species Awareness Week is July 5 -11.  Awareness Week provides an opportunity to raise attention to invasive species and ways to stop their spread.  Groups across the region host activities locally which help to broaden the reach of our collective message. 

We're requesting that activities be submitted by June 24th so that we can alert media in advance.  Activities will be posted online at http://adkinvasives.com/InvasiveSpeciesAwarenessWeek.html.  

Need ideas?  Consider...
Plant pulls
Earthworm watches
Plant paddles
Forest pest trapping
Tips and tricks for I'd
Milfoil boat tours
Native plant landscaping
Free boat washing
River walks
Didymo dunk station
And more... 

We hope you will join in the effort during Awareness Week to protect the Adirondack region from invasive species. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Thank you! 
Hilary  

Hilary Smith
Director, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
The Nature Conservancy - Adirondack Chapter
PO Box 65
Keene Valley, New York 12943
518-576-2082 x 131 (tel)
518-576-4203 (fax)
hsmith@tnc.org
www.adkinvasives.com

Presidential initiative provides volunteers for your lake & watershed stewardship programs

SUBJECT: President's new service initiative provides opportunity to get new volunteers for your program - act quickly

Dear Watershed Organizations and Volunteer Monitoring Program Coordinators:

President Obama will soon be announcing a Summer of Service campaign which offers a new and exciting opportunity to help you build up your roster of volunteers and raise awareness about volunteer monitoring and watershed stewardship. This week the President will be encouraging nonprofit organizations with a need for volunteers to register at www.serve.gov.

On June 22, the President and his Cabinet will officially launch the Summer of Service and encourage Americans to volunteer for their communities. The President will direct potential volunteers to www.serve.gov to find local opportunities for service.

EPA is using this opportunity to promote volunteer monitoring and watershed stewardship. It is our hope that this Presidential initiative will encourage many more people to work to protect their watersheds.

Please consider registering your. program at www.serve.gov. You may get contacted by a number of volunteers eager to help your organization.

Think through what opportunities you might have for this summer, including monitoring workshops and events, debris cleanups, riparian restoration, community education, storm drain marking and other activities. If you want to sign up, you should do so as soon as possible, as a surge of web traffic is expected starting this week by
both organizations and individuals looking to get involved in volunteering this summer. However, if you're not quite prepared for a whole new cadre of volunteers, or for reporting the results of your summer volunteer activities at www.serve.gov, you may not want to sign up at this time. One of the goals of this effort will be sustainable volunteerism, so if you're not ready to sign up this summer, you can always do so later on.

Please go to www.serve.gov to register your program or for more information.
Thanks for all you do, every day.

If you have questions about this initiative, feel free to contact Alice
Mayio at mayio.alice@epa.gov.

LAKE STEWARDS ON DUTY AGAIN AROUND LAKE GEORGE

June 2, 2009 Lake George, NY - Again this summer, lake stewards will be at boat launches around Lake George to educate boaters about invasive species spread prevention and to inspect boats.

Stewards will be located at Norowal Marina and Dunhams Bay Marina in the south end, and Mossy Point, Hague Town Launch, Gull Bay Town Launch, and Rogers Rock in the north end on various weekends.

"We have a great group of stewards working for us this summer. They all grew up in the area. They love Lake George, and want to give back by helping protect it this summer," said Emily DeBolt, the Lake George Association's Education and Outreach Coordinator.

DeBolt and the LGA coordinate the Lake George Lake Steward program on behalf of the Lake George Watershed Coalition. Training for the stewards, as well as data collection methods, are done in coordination with the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smiths College and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Already, the lake stewards are off to a great start this season, removing 6 plants from boats over Memorial Day Weekend at Norowal Marina. 3 were native plants, and 3 were invasive plants: Eurasian watermilfoil, Curly-leaf pondweed, and Water Chestnut.

Water Chestnut has widespread negative impacts on Lake Champlain, but the invasive weed is not currently found in Lake George.Last summer, the stewards inspected 2,964 boats at launches around the lake between Memorial Day and mid-August, removing a total of 61 specimens of aquatic invasive species.

In addition to inspecting boats and providing information about invasive species, the stewards ask boaters a number of questions as part of a survey, which will be used to gain a better understanding of how invasive species are spread and to gauge the public's knowledge on the issue.

As part of the survey, stewards ask what body of water the boat was last in. Last year, boaters reported having come from 159 different waterbodies in 19 different states before arriving at Lake George. 

Some of those boats, 25 to be exact, reported having last been in Great Sacandaga Lake, where the first invasion of the spiny waterflea in an inland waterbody in New York, was discovered last fall. The spiny waterflea is a tiny zooplankton that could disrupt our fishery, and it, along with many other potential invaders, are on the stewards' radar for this summer.

The stewards will also be spreading the message about the new DEC firewood regulation, which limits the movement of untreated wood to 50 miles in an effort to protect our forests from insect invaders, such as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), which have devastating impacts on tree populations in the Great Lakes and the Northeast. One of the prime methods for spread of these pests is through the transportation of firewood. EAB has been moving from Michigan to Ohio, Pennsylvania and Quebec. ALB has been found in the New York City area, as well as Worcester, Pennsylvania.

By definition, invasive plant and animal species are non-native, yet are well adapted to the conditions and face no natural controls in the form of predators. When established, invasive species reproduce quickly and outcompete native species for necessary resources, such as food, space, oxygen, and sunlight. Eventually, native species can be completely displaced by the invader. Invasive species also have the potential to cause significant economic impacts and impacts to human health.

Some funding for the program has been provided by the New York State Department of State and by the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

For more info about the Lake Steward program, or ways you can get involved in helping protect Lake George, contact the LGA at 668-3558 or go online to www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

Source: Lake George Association - P.O. Box 408 - Lake George, NY 12845(518) 668-3558 - Fax (518) 668-4702 - www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Help Protect Adirondack Waters from Invasive Species

Early detection of invasive species increases chances of successful eradication. Get on-board with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program's 8th annual aquatic invasive plant training and learn aquatic plant identification tips and survey techniques. Volunteers are asked to conduct an annual survey on an Adirondack lake of their choice to search for aquatic invasive plants. 

To-date, 371 aquatic enthusiasts have spent over 4,000 hours surveying 216 Adirondack waterways. From the Fulton Chain to Lake Champlain, volunteer efforts are making a difference! 

The training is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP by June 8th to Tyler Smith, Aquatic Invasive Species Project Coordinator, at tyler_smith@tnc.org or 518-576-2082 x119. 

Select a training location that best suits you. All sessions are from 10am-2pm. 
• June 16, Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Bolton Landing
• June 18, Goff-Nelson Memorial Library, Tupper Lake
• June 23, Hudson River-Black River Regulating District Field Office, Mayfield 

Returning volunteers are encouraged to attend the plant identification portion as a refresher.

Lake Stewardship:A Resident’s Guide to Understanding, Protecting, Restoring and Managing Lake & Pond Water Quality

I am writing a book on lake stewardship based on my 20+ years of experience managing lakes and working with lake stewards across the United States. I've included an excerpt from the introduction that tells a bit more about the why and what of this book. There are several good references out there that provide the nuts and bolts, and I intend to provide some of that as well. More importantly, I hope to distill my experience into a valuable and unique resource for those of you out there who live on and care about lakes. As the book progresses, I will likely share portions on-line here. Meanwhile, feel free to write me, the Wandering Limnologist, and tell me what are your main questions and concerns so that I can continue to provide answers on this blog (see Ask the Wandering Limnologist post) and further refine the book so it meets your needs.

Introduction
Managing your lake or pond is going to be the most demanding socio-politico-economic-environmental undertaking in your life. Say goodbye to summers spent swinging in the hammock and hello to squabbles with seasonal friends and neighbors, endless meetings, . . . Well, it’s not all bad. Your lakefront property is an investment that needs protecting, an economic investment related to your retirement, a legacy to leave your offspring. While complicated at times and fraught with the real potential for conflict, acting as good stewards of your lake is one of the most rewarding ways you can spend your valuable free time.

The purpose of this book is to get you up to speed on lake stewardship by sharing my lake management knowledge accumulated through more than two decades of experience working on literally hundreds of lakes and ponds across the eastern half of the United States. You will learn important aspects about lake ecology and water quality. You will learn how your presence on the shore of a lake impacts lake ecology and water quality. You will learn the things you can do to preserve your lake. And you will learn about the things you can do if you need to restore your lake to a more pristine condition. While the science of applied limnology, the study of freshwater systems, and lake management can be complicated, I will do my best to present this material in a way that helps you understand what is going on beneath the surface of your lake.