| Conservation
Blueprint for America's Wetlands
| With
increased attention to wetlands over the last few years, the National Wildlife
Federation has developed a “Blueprint” for America’s Wetlands that
we believe represents the best hope for ensuring the future of these valuable
systems for wildlife and future generations. We invite your organization to add
your voice in support of this proactive agenda. We are urging our elected officials
to work to: - Ensure
that avoidance of wetland impacts, where possible, is the guiding principle for
wetland protection.
- Pass
Legislation to ensure that all wetlands, lakes, rivers and streams are protected
under the federal Clean Water Act.
- Ensure
full funding for incentive programs that encourage farmers and other private landowners
to restore wetlands on their property.
- Ensure
natural wetlands are protected from pollution, such as unregulated storm water
discharges, mercury contamination, and other sources of pollution.
- End
federal subsidies that promote the large-scale destruction or degradation of wetlands.
- Support the
establishment and implementation of a national wetlands restoration plan to ensure
a diversity and abundance of wetlands across the country.
- Launch
a new “Marshall Plan” for the restoration of large scale ecosystems
such as coastal Louisiana, the Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi River, Puget Sound,
Chesapeake Bay and the Everglades.
- Prevent
rising sea levels from inundating coastal wetlands by working to address global
climate change.
- Create
a comprehensive new national wetlands monitoring and tracking program and establish
concrete goals for all federal departments to contribute to the net gain of wetlands.
- Ensure public
transparency and participation in all aspects of wetland incentive, tracking and
regulatory programs.
What
you can do:
To
endorse the Blueprint or for more information, please send an email to grassroots@nwf.org.
Individuals can endorse by logging on to: www.nwf.org/action/ Click
here to view the Conservation Blueprints
brochure (pdf) |
| | World
Water Monitoring Day - September 18 through October 18, 2003 |
The
2002 National Water Monitoring Day last October was one of several successful
"Year of Clean Water" events celebrating the 30th anniversary of the
Clean Water Act. Over 75,000 people participated in water quality monitoring,
water festivals and other educational outreach activities last fall. There were
over 5,100 sites registered across the country. Every state, as well as the District
of Columbia and Puerto Rico, was represented. In addition, local press covered
the event and raised awareness of the continued need to care for local watersheds.
Desiring to build
on the success of the first year, America's
Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) and its new international partner, the International
Water Association (IWA), are joining together to coordinate World Water Quality
Monitoring Day with existing partners, such as Project
WET and Healthy Water,
Healthy People. Once again we hope to bring professional water quality monitoring
agencies, volunteer monitoring organizations, educators and first-time citizen
monitors together to screen the health of local watershed across the United States.
In addition, we will invite select countries to pilot the event internationally.
As with the first National Water Monitoring Day, this year's event will focus
on the four basic parameters of temperature,
acidity
(pH), dissolved
oxygen (DO) and clarity/turbidity
to introduce citizens to water monitoring and help them understand its importance
in protecting our water resources. Mark
the date. We encourage you to join this important effort as we again celebrate
October 18th as World Water Monitoring Day. This year, the actual monitoring window
will run from September 18th through October 18th in order to account for
weather conditions and preexisting volunteer monitoring programs.
A new website is under
construction for World Water Monitoring Day (www.worldwatermonitoringday.org)
and should be completed by June 15. It will provide helpful information
about ways to increase local involvement in your watershed and how to register
sites this year. Until
then, please visit www.yearofcleanwater.org
and click on "National Events" or contact e.moyer@acwf.org
for additional information. Plan
now to participate in WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY and encourage others to
join you by sharing this announcement within your networks. By working together,
we can make a difference in our global waters.
| AWAG
Sponsors Grantseeker's Workshop for Watershed Groups
The Ozark Natural Science
Center (ONSC) was the location for a grantwriting workshop for three watershed
groups located in Northwestern Arkansas. Beaver Lake Watershed Partnership, Lake
Fayetteville Watershed Partnership, and Leatherwood Creek Watershed Group participated
in the two-day workshop along with AWAG members representing the Arkansas Department
of Environmental Quality, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas
Geological Commission, and The Nature Conservancy. Bonnie Johnson of Nonprofit
Resources was the instructor of the class. She presented information on becoming
a fundable organization; program planning and evaluation; compiling a grant proposal;
and identifying, approaching, and cultivating funders. Mina Marsh of ONSC presented
information about searching for funding over the internet.
| |
The ONSC is located in a
beautiful setting of an Arkansas hardwood forest in the King's River Watershed.
After the class Friday night workshop participants were given a chance to participate
in the ONSC's nighttime hike called "Eyes in the Dark". The instructors
provided information about constellations and sensory awareness was discussed.
Intriguing experiments were conducted using magic markers and wintergreen lifesavers. Everyone
enjoyed the natural environment setting of the ONSC. Evaluation information indicated
that the workshop was helpful to the group and that the structure of the workshop
promoted a well-received "networking environment" among the participants.
Several participants requested more information be provided on forming a watershed
group and others asked that more time be devoted to writing the grant proposal.
In general, the workshop was deemed a success, and workshops will be scheduled
for other Arkansas areas in the future. | |
Ozark
Natural Science Center
|
The workshop was organized
and funded by an EPA 104(b) (3) Grant through the Environmental Preservation Division
of the Arkansas Department Environmental Quality. Food, lodging, and the course
were provided to participants fee of charge. | |
