$1.4 Million Earmarked to Batte Milfoil, Phragmites and Other Aquatic Invasive Species

The NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation announced grants to finance local projects to eradicate troublesome invaders

More than 30 municipalities and organizations will receive a total of $1.4 million to help wipe out infestations of non-native aquatic species across the state, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. The Aquatic Invasive Species Eradication grants will be used by recipients to help fight zebra mussels, water chestnuts, round goby, Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife, and phragmites, and other invasive threats to New York’s ecosystems.

“Aquatic invasive species, particularly plants, have a wide range of environmental, recreational and economic impacts - they spread rapidly, congest water ways, and disrupt native fish populations,” Grannis said. “Once infested by invasives, lakes and rivers can become unusable, and the negative impacts boating, fishing and swimming can adversely affect local economies that are dependant on these waterbodies. These grants will help local communities and environmental groups in their work with DEC to actively address this important issue.”

Invasive species are non-native and can cause harm to ecosystems, food supplies, landscaping, industry and infrastructure. Invasive species are a threat to New York’s biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. Invasives come from around the world and the rate of invasion is rising along with the increase in international trade that accompanies globalization.

In April 2007, Grannis announced the availability of state grants to municipalities and not-for-profit corporations for projects that help eliminate infestations of aquatic invasive species. State funds can be used to pay for up to one half of the total costs of a selected eradication project. Grants for terrestrial invasive species eradication programs will be awarded separately in early 2008.

For the aquatic invasive species grants, DEC received applications seeking almost $2.1 million. A competitive evaluation process ranked and prioritized the proposals for the $1.4 million in available funds. Individual grants were awarded for a minimum of $7,500 and maximum of $100,000. The projects selected were viewed to have the best potential for achieving long-term reductions in the presence of invasive species.

Visit the DEC’s Aquatic Invasive Species Eradication Grant Program web page at:
www.dec.ny.gov/animals/32861.html

The list of grant recipients can be downloaded from the Department's November 2007 Press Releases web page

Public Invited to Comment on Revised Plan to Reduce Nutrients from 31 States to Mississippi River

Public Invited to Comment on Revised Plan to Reduce Nutrients from 31 States to Mississippi River
The Gulf Hypoxia Task Force, chaired by EPA, yesterday released its 2008 revised Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan that identifies efforts to track progress, update the science and adapt actions to reduce nutrients flowing from 31 states into the Mississippi River. Those excess nutrients impair waterways throughout the states and result in an annual "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We're all committed to improving water quality and reducing nutrient pollution in America's largest watershed. This science-driven action plan is a roadmap for real progress through cooperative conservation, interstate collaboration and local innovation," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water.

The revised plan, which is open for public comment until Jan. 4, 2008, includes several improvements over the current action plan, first published in 2001. It increases accountability and specificity for state and federal partners; shifts the lead for nutrient reduction strategies from Mississippi River sub-basin teams to the states; charges federal agencies to prepare complementary federal nutrient reduction strategies for appropriate federal programs and projects; and enhances mechanisms for tracking and reporting.

The revised plan is an outgrowth of new information gained from experience, scientific studies and public comment during the reassessment period. Federal agencies and states within the entire Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin have been working together to reduce the size of the dead zone through a collaborative approach, while protecting and restoring human and natural resources of the basin. The solutions must balance environmental, cultural, and economic demands to protect coastal fisheries and resources and water quality in the basin.

Hypoxia occurs when excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorous, trigger excessive algae growth that results in reduced sunlight, loss of aquatic habitat and a decrease in oxygen in the water. Excess nutrients can come from agricultural fertilizers, factory and wastewater treatment plant discharges, runoff from developed land, atmospheric deposition and soil erosion. Shrimp and other benthic communities are unable to escape hypoxic bottom waters, but the full extent of the impact of hypoxia on this nationally significant ecosystem has only begun to be understood.

The size of the dead zone is 20,500 square kilometers. The goal is to reduce or make significant progress toward reducing the five-year running average to less than 5,000 square kilometers by 2015. The hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the second largest hypoxic zone in the world.

The task force, which is officially known as the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, leads efforts to promote and support nutrient management and hypoxia-related activities throughout the vast Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico watershed, and encourages public participation in the process.

The revised action plan: http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/

Click on Title link to view entire article. Thanks to EPA's Water Headlines for the submission.

Two U.S. EPA Projects to Remove Marine PCB’s via Dredging

Two recent U.S. EPA projects involving removal of marine PCB's through the use of dredging appear in the news.

One article covers the recent dredging of PCB-contaminated sediments from the New Bedford Harbor and appears in U.S. EPA Harbor Cleanup News / New Bedford Superfund Site newsletter. To read more see: http://www.epa.gov/ne/nbh/pdfs/275434.pdf

Another article covers the Fox River Phase I site clean-up in Wisconsin. A description of the dredging and overview of the project appear on the Fox River Phase I web site. To read more see: http://www.foxriverphase1.com/dredging/dredging.html

Thanks to Phil Grove of Ellicott Dredging for the submission.

Seventh Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, February 7-9, 2008

Mark Your Calendar! The 7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference will be held February 7-9, 2008 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.
Visit the conference Web site at http://www.NewPartners.org in the coming months for more details on this important event!

EPA Announces Winners of 2007 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement

States and Cities Recognized for Smart Growth

Manhattan, NY; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Barnstable, MA; Vermont Praised for Environmentally Sensitive Development

Release date: 11/14/2007

Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - Nov. 14, 2007) EPA today recognized one state and four local authorities for innovative community development that protects the environment, preserves community identity and expands economic opportunity.

The winners of the 2007 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement went to the Housing Authority of Portland, Ore.; the Seattle Housing Authority; the state of Vermont; the town of Barnstable, Mass.; and Manhattan.

"President Bush and EPA see smart growth as smart for our environment, smart for our economy and smart for our quality of life," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "And together with our vital community partners - including these 2007 award recipients - we are helping America responsibly build toward that healthier, brighter future."

As communities around the country look for ways to grow that protect and enhance their natural environment and create prosperity, many are turning to smart growth strategies. They are cleaning and reusing previously developed land; providing more housing and transportation choices; preserving critical natural areas; and developing vibrant places to live, work, shop and play. In addition to creating great communities, these smart growth strategies also protect the quality of our air, water and land.

The awards ceremony was held today in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Details on each of the winners:
epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards/sg_awards_publication_2007.htm

The awards categories and winners are:

Overall Excellence: The Housing Authority of Portland, Ore., partnered with public and private stakeholders to redevelop an isolated and distressed public housing site into New Columbia, a neighborhood that improves economic opportunity, community livability, and environmental quality. Local residents were engaged in design workshops and employed for portions of the construction. The project increased the number of houses, including affordable units and maintained the neighborhood's ethnic diversity. Innovative stormwater management and street design enhancements encourage walking and biking and reduce the neighborhood's impact on the Columbia River Slough.

Built Projects: The Seattle Housing Authority worked with community members to turn a dilapidated neighborhood into High Point, a mixed-use, mixed-income, and environmentally sensitive community. Using green
building principles, High Point's more than 1,700 new units are expected to consume less water, electricity, and natural gas than the old community's 716 units. High Point was developed with leveraged funds from public and private sources and with input from a design committee composed of neighborhood residents. It includes new parks, a public library, and a health clinic, with retail space to come in 2009.

Policies and Regulations: The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB), an independent, state-supported agency, promotes compact settlements surrounded by countryside. VHCB pursues affordable housing, land conservation, and historic preservation initiatives under a single program that balances competing priorities. Since 2002, VHCB investments of $84 million have supported the development of more than 3,000 affordable homes, the preservation of 44 historic buildings, and the conservation of more than 37,000 acres of farmland, natural areas, and recreation lands.

Waterfront and Coastal Communities: The town of Barnstable, Mass. created a development strategy for one of its seven villages, Hyannis, that encourages growth and development in the town center, while reducing growth pressure on environmentally sensitive areas along the coast. Specifically, the town adopted expedited permitting processes, invested in streetscape and wastewater treatment infrastructure, directed development from outlying areas to downtown, and improved public access to the waterfront. These policies have resulted in almost 100 new residential units (nine of which are for lower-income households), with nearly 150 more planned; 22,000 square feet of commercial space, with another 100,000 square feet planned; and more than 300 jobs. They have also focused development around existing water and sewer infrastructure, encouraged low-impact design techniques, and protected sensitive natural areas.

Equitable Development: The borough of Manhattan developed a cooperative strategy to expand the housing and commercial options for central Harlem. The Abyssinian Neighborhood Project area was once marked by vacant lots and abandoned buildings. With help from public and private partners, including the Abyssinian Baptist Church and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, the Abyssinian Development Corporation launched a community development initiative. Comprehensive programs linked education, job training, and cultural enhancement; 200 affordable housing units were built, with an additional 200 planned; and the project created 15,000 square feet of commercial space for five local businesses. The project also increased access to public transit, created new green space, and minimized stormwater runoff by reusing paved surfaces.

EPA created the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in 2002 to recognize outstanding approaches to development that benefit the economy, the community, public health, and the environment. Over the past six years, EPA has received 481 applications from 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The competition was open to state, regional, and local governments and other public sector entities. Winners were selected based on how effectively they used smart growth strategies to improve their communities and how well they engaged citizens and fostered partnerships.

The awards were presented by Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, on behalf of EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (OPEI). OPEI is home to the Agency's smart growth program which, in addition to presenting the annual awards, conducts research and policy analysis on growth issues, provides direct technical assistance to state and local governments, delivers outreach and public education, and collaborates with partners in the Smart Growth Network (www.smartgrowth.org), a coalition of more than 30 state and national organizations focused on development issues.
-----------------------------
Tim Torma
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (1807-T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460

email - torma.tim@epa.gov
ph - 202-566-2864
fax - 202-566-2868

FedEx/Courier delivery Address
EPA West Building (room 1416-F)
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Spotlight: Watersheds at Work - Batie Creek, VA

Virginia - Batie Creek Restoration Helps to Protect Unique Karst Habitats

Batie Creek was listed on Virginia's 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company's improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek's headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319-funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. For more information about this success story, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/state/va_batie.htm

Click on Title link for more information. Thanks to EPA Water Headlines for the submission.

Next N-STEPS Webcast: Development of a Nutrient Biotic Index for Nutrient Criteria

How can biological responses be incorporated into the development of nutrient criteria? AJ Smith of the New York State Department of Conservation will discuss how they developed a Nutrient Biotic Index (NBI) for use in wadeable streams, and how they are applying it towards the development of nutrient criteria for large rivers. Tom Belton of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Conservation will describe how they are also using an NBI to establish eutrophic stream classifications. Tune in to the next N-STEPS webcast on Wednesday, November 7th from 3:00 -4:30 pm EST to hear about these exciting State programs!

The N-Steps web-based technical support center is a "One Stop Shop" for National, Regional, and Local nutrient criteria development. You can register for this Webcast at http://n-steps.tetratech-ffx.com/NTSChome.cfm .Click on the title of the Webcast, which will bring up a form for you to type in the information necessary to get set up.

If you are unable to access the N-STEPS site, you can also register directly through ON24, the third party Webcast provider. For more information, please contact Steve Potts at (202) 566-1121 or potts.steve@epa.gov.

Thanks to EPA Water Headlines for the submission.

Hypoxia Task Force Completes Assessment

The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force has completed its assessment of progress to reduce the size of the Gulf hypoxia zone. The Task Force, at its 15th meeting in Cincinnati, October 29-30, 2007, approved draft revisions to the 2001 Action Plan, and authorized release of the draft for public comment. The final draft will be posted to the Task Force website at http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/ by November 9, 2007, and the comment period will be open until January 4, 2008.

Click on Title link for more information. Thanks to EPA's Water Headlines for the submission.

Due to Drought, NYS DEC Closes or Delays Fishing in Some Areas

Due to Drought, DEC Closes or Delays Fishing in Some Areas - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation:

"Because of dry conditions and low water levels in Hinckley Reservoir, flows into West Canada Creek have been reduced to record low levels. As a result, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be issuing emergency regulations closing this renowned trout stream to all fishing from its mouth (the Mohawk River) upstream to the dam at Trenton Falls.

The regulations affect a 28-mile section of the creek, take effect immediately and run through Nov. 30, the end of the regular season. However, catch-and-release fishing will be allowed beginning Dec. 1 on a stretch of the creek beginning at Trenton Falls Dam and running downstream for 2.5 miles to the Cincinnati Creek.

Low water in the riffles of West Canada Creek impede fish passage, and, as a result, trout and other fish are forced to concentrate in deeper pools. This makes them vulnerable to warmer water temperatures, reduced food supplies and, potentially, low oxygen levels. The trout population also would be subjected to increased levels of angler catch rates and harvest.

Click on the Title for the complete article

Delaware River Plan - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Delaware River Plan - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation:

"New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis has endorsed a new water-management proposal for the Delaware River reservoirs, saying it would improve trout habitat, bolster flood-mitigation efforts and restore a more natural flow to the river. The new program was agreed to unanimously by New York State, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, through the Delaware River Basin Commission. The reservoirs not only feed the Delaware and other rivers but also supply drinking water to 17 million people."

Click the Title for the complete article

Invasive Algae (didymo) Found in Additional Fishing Waters - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Invasive Algae Found in Additional Fishing Waters - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation:

"Invasive Algae Found in Additional Fishing Waters The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the presence of the invasive algae didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) in two additional fishing water bodies in New York State. Samples taken by DEC have confirmed that didymo is present in the east branch of the Delaware River. In addition, may be present on the west branch of the Delaware River as well. These are the latest recorded incidents of this aquatic nuisance species-also called 'rock snot'-in New York State. Early this summer, didymo's presence was confirmed in a section of the Batten Kill in Washington County."

Click the Title for the complete article