The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Clemson University’s Restoration Institute as a Center of Excellence for Watershed Management, representing the first such center in South Carolina and only the third in the Southeast region. EPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the university and its partner, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, during a ceremony July 8. The center will provide leadership and resources to watershed-based stakeholder groups, local governments, regulated entities, and other parties interested in improving and maintaining water quality in the state. One project under development by the center is a cyber infrastructure-based digital watershed designed to provide real-time data about environmental characteristics of watersheds via the Internet. For more information, link to the press release. (7-8-08)

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is re-issuing a stormwater Construction General Permit (CGP), which expired July 1, 2008, for a two-year time period. The permit will apply only where EPA is the permitting authority: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Idaho and Alaska; Washington, D.C.; most territories; and most Indian country lands. The general permit regulates the discharge of stormwater from construction sites that disturb one acre or more of land, and from smaller sites that are part of a larger, common plan of development. The permit requires operators of the construction sites to use stormwater controls and develop stormwater pollution prevention plans to minimize the discharge of sediment and other pollutants associated with construction sites in stormwater runoff. For more information, link to the Construction General Permit on the EPA website. (7-2-08)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has posted the Draft Federal Geographic Data Committee Wetlands Mapping Standard on its national wetlands inventory website. The objective of the standard is to support the accurate mapping and classification of wetlands while ensuring mechanisms for their revision and update. It is designed to direct the current and future digital mapping of wetlands. For more information, link to the Draft Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Wetlands Mapping Standard. (July 2008)

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The Federal Highway Administration's Office of Bridge Technology has issued a revised version of FHWA Hydraulic Engineering Circular (HEC) 25, “Highways in the Coastal Environment, 2nd edition.”  The publication provides guidance for the planning, analysis, design, and operation of highways and bridges in the coastal environment. It includes information on tides, storm surge, water levels, waves; coastal sediments and sediment transport; revetments and other coastal structures; receding shorelines and roadway overwashing; coastal bridge scour, wave forces, and other issues. For more information, link to Hydraulic Engineering Circular (HEC) 25 cover memo. (6-23-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a program intended to help coastal communities build capacity to adapt to climate change. The agency has selected six estuaries under its National Estuary Program as pilots to receive technical assistance in identifying vulnerabilities to climate change and developing adaptation strategies. The agency will recognize individual estuaries and coastal communities that develop plans approved by their local stakeholders as “Climate Ready Estuaries.” The program is one of 46 specific actions for responding to water-related impacts of climate change outlined in EPA’s draft strategy for the National Water Program. For more information, link to Climate Ready Estuaries. (6-19-08)

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, has published a new brochure that highlights several key concepts related to potential impacts of climate change on forested watersheds. The brochure will be followed by a report exploring the likely impacts of climate change on water resources and associated management on national forests and grasslands. For more information, link to In Brief – Climate Change and Water; Prespectives from the Forest Service. (6-18-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to reissue its stormwater construction general permit for a two-year period. The general permit, which is applicable in five states, most territories, and most Indian country lands where EPA is the permitting authority, contains the same terms and conditions as its 2003 construction general permit expiring in July 2008. EPA also is soliciting comment on the criteria it will use to incorporate local erosion and sediment control program requirements in this and future general permits. Comments are due June 16, 2008. For more information, link to EPA’s Construction General Permit webpage. (5-15-08)

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The Association of State Wetland Managers will hold it’s annual conference on Sept. 15-18, 2008, in Portland, Ore. Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change will focus on topics such as strategies for managing wetlands in response to long-term climate changes, wetland research priorities, monitoring trends in wetlands and related resources, invasive species, and policy responses to a changing environment. The conference will include field trips and workshops. For more information, link to Wetlands 2008 and ASWM’s Wetlands and Global Climate Change website. (5-13-08)

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The Association of State Wetland Managers has developed a new webpage on wetland assessment. The new webpage includes an article on wetland assessment, a checklist of suggested considerations in development wetland assessment methods for states, and links to state and federal resources. For more information, link to the Wetland Assessment webpage. (4-14-08)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made available for viewing maps of the National Wetlands Inventory using Google Earth software. The inventory includes wetlands data for approximately 60 percent of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. For more information, link to the Wetland Digital Data and Mapping website. (4-22-08)

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The Council on Environmental Quality has released the fourth in a series of annual reports describing how federal agencies are implementing President Bush's goal to conserve 3 million acres of wetlands by Earth Day 2009. The report finds that the goal Bush announced on Earth Day 2004 has been achieved a year early, with a total of 3.6 million acres of wetlands restored or created, improved, or protected. The report also anticipates an additional 893,000 acres of wetlands will be conserved by Earth Day 2009. For more information, link to Conserving America’s Wetlands 2008: Four Years of Partnering in Accomplishing the President’s Goal. (April 2008)

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency have issued a final rule that sets standards to mitigate the loss of wetlands and associated aquatic resources. According to EPA the rule will improve planning, implementation, and management of compensatory mitigation projects designed to restore aquatic resources affected when activities such as construction disturb a half-acre or more of wetlands. According to the agency, the rule emphasizes a “watershed approach” to wetland restoration; consolidates existing guidance; clarifies stream mitigation standards; expands public participation; and establishes performance standards and criteria for three types of wetlands mitigation: mitigation banks, in-lieu programs, and permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation. A fact sheet, background materials, and pre-publication version of the final rule are available on EPA’s Compensatory Mitigation website. (3-31-08)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft strategy for responding to the potential effects of climate change on clean water, drinking water, and ocean protection programs. The draft strategy describes 46 specific actions that the National Water Program will take to respond to climate change in topic areas including adaptation, research, mitigation, and education. Comments are due May 27, 2008. For more information, link to the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. (3-28-08)

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The Environmental Law Institute has published a final report on a study of the seven core elements of all 50 state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities. The report focuses on status and trends, model programs, and a summary of data for all 50 states. For more information, link to State Wetland Protection: Status, Trends & Model Approaches. (March 2008)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has released a new manual on the development of environmental indicators for measuring progress in management of estuaries. The manual provides a logical, stepwise process for selecting, validating, and implementing environmental indicators to help assess the status and trends of an estuarine system and the effectiveness of management efforts. For more information, link to the Indicator Development for Estuaries manual on EPA’s National Estuary Program website.  (February 2008)

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Two reports published by the Environmental Law Institute address requirements for avoidance and mitigation of wetland impacts under federal and state permitting programs. The reports describe the current state of policy, including regulations, guidance, and administrative and judicial precedent, on avoidance and minimization procedures under CWA Section 404. For more information, link to The Federal Wetland Permitting Program: Avoidance and Minimization Requirements and the State Wetland Permitting Program: Avoidance and Minimization Requirements (both available for free download). (March 2008)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has provided links on its website to information and events marking the 18^th anniversary of  American Wetlands Month in May 2008. For 2008 the agency is encouraging Americans to learn about wetlands, explore a local wetland firsthand, and to take action to protect and restore wetlands. For more information, link to EPA’s American Wetlands Month website. (3-26-08)

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The Environmental Law Institute has announced the winners of the 2008 National Wetlands Awards recognizing individuals who have demonstrated excellence in wetland conservation. The seven awardees are: Valer and Josiah Austin (Arizona), Caroline Dean (Alabama), John Dorney (North Carolina), Mildred Majoros (Florida), Dianne Nygaard (California), and Raymond Semlitsch (Missouri). The winners will be honored at a May 2008 awards ceremony. For more information, link to National Wetlands Awards. (3-12-08)

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A self-assessment tool for helping local watershed program managers improve their decision making on watershed restoration priorities now is available on the Center for Watershed Protection’s website. The Smart Watershed Benchmarking Tool also is designed to help local watershed groups determine how their community compares to others and work with local governments to improve watershed restoration efforts. The tool includes an overview of smart watershed programs, guidance on how to complete the tool and interpret community scores, case studies and tips for program implementation, and details on restoration budgeting. The tool is available either as a PDF file for free download or for purchase as a bound workbook and CD kit. For more information, link to the Center for Watershed Protection website. (2-11-08)

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District has issued an addendum to its compensatory mitigation guidance for activities permitted under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The district’s existing guidance includes two documents dated Jan. 12, 2007, the Mitigation Plan Checklist and Mitigation Plan Checklist Guidance. The addendum provides recommended ratio “rules of thumb” for compensatory aquatic resource mitigation required by the district based on the complexity of the impacted system, the likelihood of mitigation success, the degree to which functions are replaced, and temporal losses for certain functions. For more information, link to Addendum to New England District Compensatory Mitigation Guidance. (12-18-07)

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EPA has released a new plan to promote ‘’green infrastructure’’ approaches for reducing stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, and nonpoint source pollution. The Green Infrastructure Action Strategy, developed in partnership with a group of state and national environmental organizations, describes how states, local governments, permitting authorities, and nongovernmental organizations can use green infrastructure practices such as green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, and porous pavements to reduce runoff from sites. The document addresses seven implementation areas: Research, Outreach and Communication, Tools, Clean Water Act Regulatory Support, Economic Viability and Funding, Demonstrations and Recognition, and Partnerships. For more information, link to Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Action Strategy 2008 on the EPA NPDES program’s Green Infrastructure web page. (1-17-08)

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The Center for Watershed Protection has published the fourth article in its six-part Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series, developed in cooperation with EPA to provide guidance to local communities on integrating wetlands into larger water protection efforts. The article provides guidance on using local ordinances to protect wetland functions and includes a model Wetland Drainage Area Protection Ordinance. For more information, link to A Local Ordinance to Protect Wetland Functions – Wetlands & Watersheds Article #4; other articles in the series are available at The Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series. (December 2007)

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The Environmental Protection Agency has announced an agreement with the District of Columbia to implement major green infrastructure enhancement intended to control stormwater runoff into the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. The enhancements include planting trees, converting paved areas such as median strips into green space, requiring new district-owned buildings to include green roofs, and installing rain gardens and rain barrels. The enhancements will be incorporated into the District’s NPDES stormwater permit. For more information, link to District of Columbia MS4 Green Infrastructure Enhancement web page. (12-4-07)

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The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have extended the comment period for the joint guidance on determining Clean Water Act jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2006 Rapanos ruling, published on June 8, 2007. The guidance specifies that wetlands and streams that flow intermittently or are linked indirectly to traditional navigable waters will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the two agencies to determine CWA jurisdiction. The guidance also identifies which waters of the United States are subject to federal jurisdiction under CWA Section 404. Comments now are due Jan. 21, 2008. For more information, link to the Federal Register notice and EPA’s website on the Clean Water Act Definition of “Waters of the United States." (11-28-07)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now provides for viewing of National Wetlands Inventory data using Google Earth software. A new file posted to the Wetlands Geodatabase website will automatically load wetlands data into Google Earth, allowing for viewing of Google imagery in combination with wetland polygon data for approximately 60 percent of the country. For more information, link to the Wetland Digital Data and Mapping website. (11-9-07)

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The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) has posted two new web pages related to wetland permitting. The first web page provides a guide to the hiring of wetland consultants to meet Clean Water Act Section 404 and similar state and local requirements, including a list of questions for local agencies about potential candidates. The second web page describes wetland delineator certification programs in four states and how such programs can affect the permitting process. Both new web pages include related links of interest. For more information, link to ASWM’s How to Hire the Right Wetlands Consultant and State Wetland Delineator Certification Programs web pages. (11-07-07)

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The Environmental Law Institute has published a report summarizing a workshop held in July 2007 on exploring integrating state wildlife action plans into improved wetland conservation and restoration. The workshop, which was co-hosted by the EPA, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Association of State Wetland Managers, identified opportunities for collaboration among state wetland programs and state wildlife programs. The report highlights five broad areas of collaboration including mapping, monitoring and assessment, acquisition and restoration, education and outreach, and regulatory decision-making. For more information, link to ELI’s workshop website. (11-5-07)

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The Environmental Protection Agency presented its 2007 National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards for outstanding stormwater management to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the city of Oakland, Calif. EPA recognized Caltrans for its research on highway runoff and related best management practices; implementation of a statewide public education campaign, “Don’t Trash California”; and establishment of stakeholder partnerships. Caltrans also participated in a watershed initiative along the state’s coastline to enhance maintenance practices of highway areas, used low-impact treatment controls, and conducted discharge and instream monitoring. EPA also recognized the city of Oakland for its watershed improvement program. For more information, link to EPA’s Clean Water Act Recognition Awards. (10-17-07)

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The North American Lake Management Society has released a second edition of its 1994 manual, Fundamentals of Urban Runoff Management. The manual has been updated to reflect new information available as well as the shift in stormwater program direction from the historic mitigation-based approach to a more source-based approach. For more information, link to Fundamentals of Urban Runoff Management: Technical and Institutional Issues. (10-17-07)

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Environmental Concern Inc. has announced the availability of one-year grant awards of up to $10,000 to support the designation of wetlands sites of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The grant funds also support projects that promote wetlands communication, education, and public awareness programs and initiatives associated with currently designated U.S. Ramsar sites. Applications are due Nov. 30, 2007. For more information, link to Environmental Concern Inc.’s Ramsar grant guidance and grant application. (10-10-07)

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