• Roadless Act Introduced in the Senate
  
• Everglades Draft Improved, Still Flawed
  
• Brownfields Grants Support Smart Growth
  
• Energy Department Funds Biotech Research
  
• Federal Programs Address Fire, Drought Damage
  
• Farmworker Arrested for Poisoning Birds
  
• Underwater Research Targets Deep Sea Coral Reefs
  
• Invasive Weed Is a Real Irritant
  

Roadless Act Introduced in the Senate

The National Forests Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2002 was introduced by a bipartisan group of seven Senators, including Democrats Maria Cantwell of Washington, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, John Rockefeller of West Virginia, and Max Cleland of Georgia, along with Republicans John Warner of Virginia, and Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island. The House version of the bill, introduced in June, had 178 cosponsors.

"We commend Senators Cantwell and Warner for their leadership on forest protection," said Jane Danowitz, director of the Heritage Forests Campaign, a national alliance of organizations working to protect our national forests. "With timber sales moving forward in the Tongass National Forest and road maintenance backlog at an all time high, expanding bipartisan support for roadless protection couldn't come at a more critical time."

The bill would codify the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a sweeping land conservation measure introduced under the Clinton administration to protect remaining undeveloped forests from most commercial logging and road building. The incoming Bush administration suspended implementation of the rule, and is considering revisions that would leave far fewer forest acres protected.

Like the roadless rule, the new bill would allow new roads to be constructed in order to fight fires, ensure public safety and provide for thinning to protect forest health.

There are already about 400,000 miles of roads in America's national forests, and a recent report by the group Taxpayers for Common Sense revealed a nationwide backlog of road repairs amounting to $8.4 billion. Sixteen states including Alaska, California, Washington and Michigan each have a backlog of forest road repairs amounting to more than $100 million.

"We should focus on fixing and maintaining existing roads before building more roads to add to the backlog of needed road repairs," said Danowitz.

The roadless rule was approved following years of scientific study and more than 600 public meetings across the country. To date the Forest Service has received more than 2.2 million comments favoring roadless protection - almost 10 times more comments than those generated by any other rule in history.

"Americans deserve this strong bill to protect forests from the Tongass in Alaska to Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains," said Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope. "These increasingly scarce unspoiled places are crucial for providing quality hunting and fishing, for protecting watersheds that supply clean drinking water, for offering magnificent scenery and providing backcountry recreation, for our families, for our future."

"The administration has voiced support for forest protection while consistently working to undermine it, planning to move forward with dozens of timber sales and other destructive projects in wild roadless forests," Pope added. "The Roadless Area Conservation Act turns forest protection rhetoric into reality."

Everglades Draft Improved, Still Flawed

The proposed regulations establish the framework for the detailed planning and implementation of the $8 billion CERP, which will be funded by the federal government and the state of Florida. The regulations help to define the relationships and responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal, state, local and tribal partners in the restoration effort, which involves 68 separate public works projects.

"The Corps is committed to ensuring that the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan will accomplish its restoration goals while providing for the other water related needs of the area," said under secretary of the Army Les Brownlee. "These regulations include strong assurances for ecological restoration, including a process for the development of interim hydrologic and ecological goals. I'm also pleased with their strong emphasis on science, including the RECOVER advisory body and independent scientific review, as well as the process for adaptive management."

Brownlee said the regulations were drafted with the help of several federal and state agencies, the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, and the South Florida Water Management District.

"We are pleased with the proposed programmatic regulations," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "The proposed rule addresses concerns the Department has raised and it will provide an important framework for achieving restoration of the Everglades. Moreover, the proposed rule provides a strong role for the Department and we look forward to working in partnership with the Corps and the State of Florida."

The proposed regulations represent a major revision from an earlier draft, released in December 2001, that drew heavy criticism from environmental groups. Among the changes are a greater role for the Department of Interior, language requiring the creation of readily measurable environmental goals by December 2003, and a new definition of Everglades restoration that requires improvements to water quality and ecosystem health, as well as restored historic water flow.

But some groups say the latest draft still does not ensure that the Everglades will be restored.

"The draft released today by the Bush Administration is fundamentally flawed and must be improved during the 60 day public comment period if the regulations are to have WWF's support," said Shannon Estenoz, director of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Everglades Restoration Program.

"WWF believes that strong and complete programmatic regulations are key to the future success of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan," added Estenoz. "The regulations, for example, must establish an appropriate leadership role for the Department of Interior, steward of half the remaining Everglades, and must also include clear interim and final restoration goals."

The Corps will publish the proposed regulations in the Federal Register this week and begin a 60 day period for public comment prior to the rules being finalized. The final rule will need to be approved by the state of Florida and the Department of Interior.

The proposed regulations are available at: http://www.evergladesplan.org

Brownfields Grants Support Smart Growth

Under the "Smart Growth: Saving Open Space, Revitalizing Brownfields" program, each community will receive $45,000 to incorporate smart growth approaches into the redevelopment of brownfields: abandoned properties where reuse is complicated by real or perceived contamination.

"With hundreds of thousands of brownfields needing attention across the country, it is clear that we must choose areas with real redevelopment potential," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "These communities have demonstrated a readiness to make the most of their redevelopments by embracing a smart growth approach."

The grant program supports the EPA's existing brownfields program by highlighting innovative approaches to brownfield redevelopment that integrate smart growth principles. Use of smart growth principles in brownfield redevelopments can increase project benefits by offering a variety of transportation choices and reducing demand for the development of pristine land.

Activities that will be funded under the grant program include a "Smart Sites" program to identify and market available brownfields sites and offer incentives to potential redevelopers. Regional approaches that connect urban Brownfields reuse with suburban and rural open space preservation will also be highlighted.

"These nine award winners will pave the way for other communities by demonstrating the environmental and economic benefits that can be gained by incorporating smart growth into their brownfields revitalization efforts," said EPA deputy administrator Linda Fisher. "All of you will continue to provide examples of creative, innovative approaches to dealing with the difficult challenges you face in converting your local eyesores into community assets."

Grant recipients include: Mystic Valley Development Corporation in Massachusetts; the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; Baltimore Development Corporation in Maryland; St. Louis Development Corporation in Missouri and Illinois; and the cities of Des Moines, Iowa; Trenton, New Jersey; Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; and Portland, Oregon.

For more information about the grant program and awardees, or the Administrator's initiative, go to: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/brownfields.htm

Energy Department Funds Biotech Research

The awards are part of the department's new "Genomes to Life" program that plans to take advantage of solutions that nature has already devised to help solve problems in energy production, environmental cleanup and carbon cycling. Through a systems approach combining the biological, physical and computational sciences, the program seeks to understand entire living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

"This innovative research program offers biotechnology solutions that can help us produce clean energy, clean up the environment and make a significant contribution to the President's policy on climate change," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

"One could hardly imagine when the Energy Department began the human genome project in the '80s that the resulting information and technologies could yield such diverse benefits," he said.

The research will be conducted at six national laboratories, 16 universities and research hospitals and four private research institutes.

As part of this initiative, the Energy Department's Office of Science requested proposals for large, multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary projects involving both the biological and computational sciences.

Scientists have long tried to understand the workings of individual genes or small groups of genes. The new projects will focus on entire networks of genes and even entire biological systems - single celled organisms at first and later more complex creatures including humans.

This new research is possible because of the information and technology now available to scientists on the human genome and the rapidly growing list of other organisms - from microbes to plants to worms to mice - that provide new perspectives on the inner workings of biological systems.

The project's 10 year goal is to make advances in systems biology, computation and technology that will contribute to increased sources of biological based energy, help understand the earth's carbon cycle and design ways to enhance carbon capture, and lead to cost effective ways to clean up the environment.

The program will also explore ways to use microbes to help solve energy and environmental challenges. Eight microbes will be studied in these research projects because of their potential for the bioremediation of metals and radionuclides, ability to degrade organic pollutants, produce hydrogen or sequester carbon, or because of their importance in ocean carbon cycling.

All of these individual microbes have had their genetic sequence determined under the department's Microbial Genome program.

More information on the Genomes to Life program is available at: http://DOEGenomesToLife.org

Federal Programs Address Fire, Drought Damage

"Although fires are still raging and this year's fire season is not nearly over yet, wildfires have already burned approximately 6.7 million acres, twice the annual average in recent years," said FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh. "The loss of trees, ground cover and other vegetation has greatly increased the possibility of flash floods and mudflows."

Allbaugh explained that when fires destroy vegetation and leave land barren, even small amounts of rain can cause erosion and flooding. Fire damage heightens the risk of flash floods, which strike fast and carry more debris than seasonal flooding, Allbaugh said.

FEMA officials emphasize that property owners do not have to be in a high risk flood zone to be at risk from floods.

"While wildfires can't always be predicted, the flooding dangers that follow them can be," said Anthony Lowe, advisor to the director for the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, which manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). "Homeowners, business owners and renters should take this opportunity to protect themselves against another disaster by purchasing federally backed flood insurance."

Landowners can also take advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

"This program will provide assistance to landowners for habitat damage caused by fire and drought," said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. "We continue to examine every available program to help those who have suffered from disasters."

Through WHIP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps landowners who wish to improve wildlife habitat conditions on their property. By providing technical expertise and up to 75 percent of the cost of implementing habitat improvement practices, NRCS can help landowners who wish to help their lands recover from habitat damage.

NRCS can enter into one year wildlife emergency agreements to help landowners meet the needs of wildlife affected by natural disasters. Efforts may include planting native seeds and forbs, leaving food plots within existing fields, establishing buffers and stabilizing steep slopes.

Standard five to 10 year WHIP agreements are available to help landowners implement wildlife habitat practices where natural processes have been compromised. Efforts may include installing water delivery systems, restoring natural landscape features, planting native shrubs and trees, and other wildlife habitat development practices that benefit targeted species.

NRCS may provide increased cost share assistance for long term agreements to help landowners create long lasting habitat for particularly vulnerable wildlife species. The 2002 Farm Bill authorizes up to $15 million for WHIP in fiscal year 2002 and an additional $30 million for fiscal year 2003.

More information about WHIP is available at: http://www.usda.gov/farmbill

Farmworker Arrested for Poisoning Birds

Keel applied Temik, a restricted pesticide that is often used in cotton fields, in a way that poisoned rodents. The protected birds were killed after eating poisoned animals.

Donald Ray Keel, 57, was arrested by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) special agent after being indicted by a federal grand jury. Keel is charged with nine counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) for unlawful take of the raptors and one count of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

If convicted of violating the MBTA, Keel faces up to four and a half years imprisonment - six months per count - and/or up to a $135,000 fine - $15,000 per count. If convicted of violating FIFRA, he could receive up to one year imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $100,000.

This is the first indictment achieved by the Western Tennessee Environmental Task Force, according to Sam Hamilton, southeast regional director of the USFWS. The task force is a coalition of state, federal and local law enforcement organizations and prosecutors' offices.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Environmental Protection Agency were among those involved in the investigation of this case," said Hamilton. "In the future, this task force will continue to investigate and prosecute criminal violations of environmental laws in western Tennessee counties between the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers."

Other state, federal and local agencies and offices participating in The Western Tennessee Environmental Task Force include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Also involved are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, and the District Attorney General for the 30th Judicial District, as well as the Memphis police and fire departments.

Underwater Research Targets Deep Sea Coral Reefs

The research mission, dubbed Islands in the Stream 2002: Exploring Underwater Oases, will explore spawning sites and habitats to better understand the dynamics of commercial and recreational fish populations, investigate the potential use of marine resources in human drugs, and research the role of bioluminescence.

Islands in the Stream 2002 is funded and coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration. It incorporates researchers and scientists from NOAA, as well as Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI), University of North Carolina at Wilmington and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

The expedition will depart from the HBOI facility in Fort Pierce, aboard the HBOI Research Vessel Seward Johnson. From there, the scientists and crew will undertake numerous experiments and probe the waters of the continental shelf in the South Atlantic Bight from Florida to North Carolina.

Along the way, the Seward Johnson will dock in Charleston, S.C., for a port call Aug. 17, where students will have the opportunity to meet the scientists and crew, and visit the ship. The expedition is expected to end August 31 at HBOI in Fort Pierce.

The research will focus on topics important to this area of the ocean, including deep water coral reef ecology, biodiversity and exploration of natural resources that may have pharmaceutical benefits. Each of the four major projects will make use of the research vessel's laboratory facilities, as well as HBOI's deep sea submersible Johnson-Sea-Link.

"This is an exciting mission that holds lots of promise for advancing our knowledge of deep reefs along the continental shelf break," said John McDonough, project coordinator for Islands in the Stream 2002. "One of the best things about this expedition is that it's right out our back door in U.S. coastal waters. The findings we produce will add to our knowledge and understanding of these unique habitats we are exploring, and should prove useful in determining how to best manage activities in this region for the benefit of the environment and those who depend on its resources."

The expedition will involve students and teachers from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina in grades 5-12. Through a series of lesson plans, the students will engage in hands on activities, and have direct contact with scientists and researchers aboard the vessel and access to information from the ocean bottom.

"What makes this so engaging is the excitement of discovery and compelling video and other images that document findings almost as they occur on board the research vessel," said Paula Keener-Chavis, national education coordinator for NOAA Ocean Exploration. "This is a perfect way to capture the imagination and spirit of discovery for learners of all ages. In doing so, we can stimulate interest in ocean science when many of these students are considering possible careers."

Islands in the Stream 2002 images, ships logs and other information will be available on the NOAA Ocean Exploration website at: http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Invasive Weed Is a Real Irritant

Gardeners, landscapers, farmers, hikers and others who spend time outdoors are urged to watch out for the plant, which turned up last week in Granville, Massachusetts. The giant hogweed, a native plant of the Caucasus region of central Asia, was introduced into the United States as an ornamental plant.

Giant hogweed has become established in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington states. Infestations have also been reported in Maine, Michigan and Washington DC, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Massachusetts farmer Doug Roberts stands with one of the giant hogweed plants found on his farm, holding it with a carefully gloved hand. (Photo courtesy Craig Hollingsworth, UMass Extension)

State agriculture inspector Alfred Carl found the weed on a routine inspection in Granville.

"This plant is bad news," says Craig Hollingsworth of University of Massachusetts Extension. Hollingsworth coordinates the state's Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. "We have been on the lookout for giant hogweed for a couple of years. It has big seeds and is spread by birds, but the main culprits are gardeners."

Hollingsworth says that the plant can be spectacular, growing up to 15 feet tall with four inch stems that have purple splotches, leaves five feet across at its base, and large umbrella shaped flowers. He says that the plant has been irresistible to some gardeners who have imported it to grow in their gardens.

A similar related species, cow parsnip, is often mistaken for giant hogweed. Cow parsnip differs in that it reaches a maximum height of six feet and has no purple on its stems. Giant hogweed seeds are used in a Middle Eastern spice called golpar.

Brad Mitchell, director of regulatory services for the state Department of Food and Agriculture, says that it is important to remove giant hogweed wherever it is found.

"We're concerned about the potential consequences if this plant becomes as common as other introduced weed pests such as Japanese bamboo or purple loosestrife," added Mitchell.

Once established, giant hogweed is difficult to control without chemicals, Mitchell said. Cutting off flower heads will prevent this season's seeds from forming, but the root can send up new shoots every year and the roots can spread.