| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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National Academies' NRC Water Science and Technology Board Meeting
On March 30 and 31, the National Academies' NRC Water Science and Technology Board will hold its first meeting for their project entitled "Improving Principles and Guidelines for Federal Water Resources Planning." The committee meeting will be in Washington, DC, with the March 30, 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM, meeting portion open to the public. In December last year, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released their proposed revisions to the Principles and Guidelines to the National Academies for their review. This is the first public meeting in that process. Terry Breyman, Deputy Associate Director for Natural Resources for the Council on Environmental Quality, and JoEllen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works are among the scheduled presenters. There will be a one-hour window for public comments in the afternoon. For other details about the meeting, including contact information to attend the public session, you can visit here. For more about the proposed Principles and Guidelines, visit this CEQ web page.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman (202-464-4015)
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March Mississippi River Basin Issues Update
The March Update from
the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues: Update.
This month's Update contains these news items: -
Extended
April 5 Deadline for Commenting on the Draft Revised Water Resources Planning
Principles and Guidelines
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April 15 Mississippi River Basin
Congressional Briefing
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Screenings of the documentary Big River,
and its prequel: King Corn
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Publications
of Note
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Conference, Seminar and Meeting
Announcements
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Federal
Legislative Updates
- Federal Budget
and Appropriation Updates
For more information, contact Mark Gorman (202-464-4015)
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Highway Trust Fund Revenue Proposal
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (MN-8) discussed an option for funding the Highway Trust Fund. The plan calls for the Treasury Department to loan $130 billion to the Highway Trust Fund which it would start repaying in about 4 years. Once the economy improves the federal gas tax--now 18.4-cents--would be raised by 10 or 15 cents providing $450 billion over six years. Rep. Oberstar indicated it was not a formal proposal. See the E&E PM article here.
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Mississippi River Federal Program Briefing
The Northeast-Midwest
Institute, in coordination with the Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional
Task Force and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is sponsoring a Washington, DC briefing
on existing and proposed Federal programs designed to conserve and restore
water and natural resources in the Mississippi River Basin. Presenters
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island, District, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service and US EPA Office of Water will discuss such
issues as the Environmental Management Program, Mississippi River Healthy
Watersheds Initiative, and EPA's proposed new $17 million funding targeted at
Mississippi River Basin nonpoint source mitigation, with time set aside for
questions and discussion.
The briefing will take place
on April 15 from noon to 1:00 PM. The location will be announced in
future Weekly Updates. A light lunch will be provided.
If
you plan to attend or have any questions please RSVP/contact Mark Gorman (202-464-4015). |
Green Infrastructure Briefing Highlights
Benefits Green in Urban AreasOn March 17, the
Northeast-Midwest Institute, in coordination with the Northeast-Midwest
Congressional Coalition, sponsored and organized a staff briefing to
highlight the benefits of incorporating more green space and permeable
surfaces into urban areas. Specifically, the event looked into two
bills, HR 2222 The Green Communities Act, sponsored by Rep. Allyson
Schwartz (D-PA) and HR 4202 The Green Infrastructure for Clean Water
Act, sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD). Representative
Schwartz and Edwards both spoke to the audience about the importance of
greening and how their legislation will benefit both the economic and
environmental-especially water- quality of urban areas. Other
presenters at the briefing included Blaine Bonham of the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society ( presentation slides), Ken Kirk of
the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and Katherine Baer of
American Rivers ( presentation slides). For
more information contact Greg Lewis,
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. | |
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