Conservation
Blueprint for America's Wetlands
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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)
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| 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.
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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.
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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.
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Ozark
Natural Science Center
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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.
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