| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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Delaware River Basin Conservation Legislation Introduced
Congressman Mike Castle (DE), along with the three other Delaware River Basin Task Force co-chairs-Reps. Rush Holt (NJ), Charles Dent (PA), Maurice Hinchey (NY) and Rep. Joe Sestak (PA) unveiled the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4698).
The bill is intended to direct the US Fish & Wildlife Service to establish a program to increase coordinated conservation efforts throughout the four-state basin. The legislation also includes a grant-making and technical assistance provision to provide resources to support on-the-ground restoration and other projects. Project priorities-determined in conjunction with other watershed entities-may include but are not limited to: habitat restoration, water quality, flood management, recreation and public access, and monitoring and evaluation.
For more information, contact Rachel Dawson, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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St. Patrick's Day Green Infrastructure Briefing
The Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition is sponsoring a briefing on two green infrastructure bills, HR 2222, The Green Communities Act and HR 4202, The Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act. In recognition of the tremendous economic benefits of community greening projects, HR 2222, introduced by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) would create a technical assistance and grants program through the Economic Development Administration. Because of declining water resources, particularly in urban areas, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) has sponsored HR 4202, legislation that would develop centers of excellence for green infrastructure. The centers would conduct research and develop best practices in utilizing "green" to manage water quality.
The briefing will take place on March 17 from 2 to 3:30 in Rayburn 2253. St. Patty's Day cookies and refreshments will be provided. For more information contact Greg Lewis, 202-464-4005, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
Unemployment, Transportation Extensions Stalled in Senate
A bill providing $10 billion and one-month continuing resolutions for many major programs was pushed back after Sen. Jim Bunning (KY) objected to unanimous consent. Benefits for the programs ended at the ended on Sunday. Programs affected included unemployment benefits, COBRA, transportation (SAFETEA-LU), the Small Business Administration, and others. The House had already passed extensions. The Senate will likely take up the measure later this week.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative RFP
The USDA's Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) Request for Proposal (RFP), which covers the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP), will be published in the federal register early the week of March 1. Using CCPI, WREP, and Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) funds, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to work collaboratively with producers and partners to help manage and optimize nutrients and improve water quality in a targeted fashion within the Mississippi River Basin through voluntary application of a core suite of conservation systems and wetlands restoration.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Institute Introduces New Board Members
The Northeast-Midwest Institute expanded its Board of Directors by six at its annual meeting bringing the total membership to 13. New members include:
- Belden Hull Daniels
- Charles Bartsch
- David Lovenheim
- Doreen M. Frasca
- Robert Clarke Brown
- Vincent DeVito
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Series of Free Public Colloquia on New York City's Waterfront and Harbor
New York's future waterfront in 1609 was an arcadian shore of forests, wetlands, beaches, and sand bars. That landscape is lost forever, and by the mid-20th Century, the city was "walled off" from its shoreline by wharves, railroads, highways, power plants, and waste facilities. As maritime activities have moved elsewhere, the vision of a post-industrial, neo-natural, and people-centered waterfront have abounded. And, under the guidance of PlaNYC and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the transformation of New York's waterfront is in full swing.
This colloquium series, taking place on Feb. 24, March 17, April 7, and April 28 will celebrate the transformation progress to date and highlight what remains to be done.
For more information visit the event's website at: http://www.cunysustainablecities.org/.
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USDA Agricultural Research Service's Water Forum The USDA's Agricultural Research Service's Water Forum will be held in St. Louis, Missouri on March 2. Information on the meeting is available at http://watershowcase.mwa.ars.usda.gov. Forum discussion topics will include: - Managing land to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in water
- Pesticides, pathogens, and pharmaceuticals in water
- Water management practices to enhance agriculture, nursery, and other specialty crops
- Conservation practices and their impact on water quality decisions
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NRC Committee on Economic and Environmental Impacts of Increasing Biofuel Production Session
The National Research Council's next open session of the Committee on Economic and Environmental Impacts of Increasing Biofuel Production will be held March 5(Friday), 2010 from 1:00 PM to 6:40 PM. Information about the Committee and its project can be found here. Persons interested in attending this open session should contact:
Karen L. Imhof, Administrative Assistant, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources at the National Research Council 500 Fifth Street, NW (Keck WS633) Washington, DC 20001. Phone: 202-334-3507 / Fax: 202-334-1978 / Email: kimhof@nas.edu
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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