August 23, 2002
Inside this issue!
1. Reminder: Tennessee Clean Water Network's 5th Annual Conference:
Early Bird Registration Deadline is Sept. 1!
2. Opportunity: Encourage Your Community to Sign the Clean Water
Proclamation
3. Party Time! PARTY UP THE CREEK
4. Grant Opportunity: USEPA Soliciting Grant Applications
5. Funding Opportunity: NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP) Funding Avaiable
6. Resource: US Geological Survey study on effects of urbanization
on stream ecosystems
7. Resource: Science Netlinks On-line Resource for K-12 Educators
8. Resource: NRDC Report on Opportunities for Using Low-impact Development
9. Tellico Reintrodution of Native Fish Species Planned
10. Opportunity: Coastal Technology Transfer Conference: Call for
Papers
11. Resource: Wetlands Scientific/Technical Activities and Tools
12. Corps of Engineers Public Notices
1. Reminder: Tennessee Clean Water Network's 5th Annual Conference:
Early Bird Registration Deadline is Sept. 1 (ONLY 8 DAYS LEFT)!
The Tennessee Clean Water Network's 5th Annual Conference will be
held on Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21 at The Factory in
Franklin, TN. Participants may attend Friday only, Saturday only
or both days.
On Friday, the conference will feature speakers on a variety of
topics addressing drinking water quality and opportunities to protect
drinking water in Tennessee. The day will close with a panel discussion
and, on Friday evening, there will be a benefit concert for TCWN
featuring bluegrass and folk music from regional musicians.
Saturdays agenda is designed specifically for watershed associations
and will include two tracks of workshops on topics such as organizational
development and raising awareness about drinking water issues. Harpeth
River field trips in the afternoon will involve watershed surveying
by participants from land and canoe.
For a full registration form and agenda, email May Sligh at [email protected]
Registrants will receive a discount if registrations are received
by September 1
Conference Schedule Friday, September 20, Boiler Room Theater 8:30-9:00
AM Registration/Coffee
9:00-9:20 Welcome Danielle Droitsch, TN Clean Water Network
9:20-10:30 The Source Water Assessment Program in Tennessee Nancy
Allen, TN Association of Utility Districts & Scotty Sorrells,
TDEC Water Supply Division
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:30 Protecting Groundwater Sources: Quality & Quantity
Randy Gentry, UTK Civil & Environmental Engineering (formerly
with the University of Memphis Groundwater Institute)
11:30-12:15 The Connection Between Public Health and Drinking Water
in Tennessee Bonnie Bashor, Tennessee Public Health Association
12:15-1:30 Lunch on your own at The Franklin Factory
1:30 - 2:15: Using the Clean Water Act to Strengthen Drinking Water
Protection David Sligh, American Rivers
2:30 Panel Discussion.
4:00 Closing remarks
7:00-10:00 PM Benefit Concert at the Boiler Room Theater Featuring
the Bluegrass & Folk Music
Saturday, September 21, Boiler Room Theater 8:30 9:00 AM Registration/Coffee
9:00 -9:20 Welcome Danielle Droitsch, TCWN
9:30-10:45 Workshop A Track I: Understanding Consumer Confidence
Reports Julia Krall and Paul Schwartz, Clean Water Action, Washington,
DC
Track II: Working with Non-traditional Allies in Your Watershed
Rita Harris, Sierra Club and May Sligh, TCWN
Track III: Forming New Watershed Organizations Dorie Bolze and
John McFadden, Harpeth River Watershed Association 10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:15 Workshop B Track I: Benchmarking: Sustaining New Organizations
Elaine Chaney, Institute for Conservation Leadership, Takoma Park,
MD
Track II: Raising Awareness About Drinking Water Through River
Networks River Smart Campaign Margo Farnsworth, Cumberland
River Compact & Danielle Droitsch, TN Clean Water Network
Track III: Protecting Lake Communities Through Water Quality Monitoring
Presenter to be announced
12:20-1:00 Summary & Instructions for Field Trips Canoeing
or Nature Walk Watershed Surveys on Harpeth River
1:00-4:00 Lunch & Watershed Surveys along Harpeth River
REGISTRATION FORM ____Yes, I want to take advantage of this special
opportunity to join TCWN right now at the reduced rate of $20. [If
you join now, you can take advantage of our lower conference rates.]
Please select one of the following three options below. A.____Please
sign me up for the conference for FRIDAY ONLY. ____I am a TCWN member.
Registration cost $15* (add $10 after September 1) ____I am NOT
a member of TCWN. Registration cost $25* (add $10 after September
1)
B.____Please sign me up for the conference for SATURDAY ONLY. Registration
includes lunch on Saturday. ____I am a TCWN member. Registration
cost $20* (add $10 after September 1) ____I am NOT a member of TCWN.
Registration cost $30* (add $10 after September 1)
C.____Please sign me up for the conference for BOTH FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. Registration includes lunch on Saturday. ____I am a TCWN
member. Registration cost $30* (add $10 after September 1) ____I
am NOT a member of TCWN. Registration cost $50* (add $10 after September
1)
*To make it possible for everybody to attend, registration fees
are based on a sliding scale. The minimum is required, but if you
can pay more, the extra amount will be placed in to a scholarship
fund.
For Saturday attendees: An integral part of Saturdays workshop
is an educational (and fun) outing to the Harpeth River. You may
attend this workshop on foot or boat. Please indicate your preference
.
____Canoe trip on the Harpeth River ____Nature walk along the Harpeth
River ____I can bring gear for the river trip for myself and/or
others. Lunch is provided on field trip. Please indicate meal preference:
___ Garden Wrap Chicken ___ Caesar Wrap
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Organizational Affiliation:________________________ _____________________________________________________
FULL Mailing Address:_________________________ ____________________City:___________________State:_______Zip:_________
Email:________________________________Phone:________________________
BENEFIT CONCERT: Concert tickets are available for purchase before
Sept. 15 for $15.00 per person for conference attendees only. You
may pick up tickets during registration at TCWN table. I plan to
attend the benefit concert Friday night and wish to order ____#
tickets . $_______________ is enclosed.
LODGING: Conference participants are responsible for their own
lodging. Rooms are available at the Best Western in Franklin for
the reduced rate of $49.88 (Friday night only) to conference-goers.
You must reserve rooms with a credit card before Sept. 13 to get
this special rate. To make a reservation, call 1-800-251-3200. There
are many other options in Franklin so check the web for listings.
SCHOLARSHIPS: A limited number of scholarships are available. Scholarships
can be applied for lodging and mileage. ALL participants must pay
the registration fee. Individuals requesting scholarships must send
their requests to Danielle Droitsch via snail mail, fax (865/329-2422)
or email ([email protected]) by September 1 with the following information:
1. Organizations name and annual budget (if applicable) 2.
Person requesting scholarship 3. Amount requested. Please make checks
payable to TCWN. Mail to TCWN, Box 1521, Knoxville, TN 37901; Phone:
865/522-7007; For additional information, email: [email protected]
2. Opportunity: Encourage Your Community to Sign the Clean Water
Proclamation Cities Across America Recommit to the Clean Water Act!
Sounds good, eh? Help make this a reality by participating in the
Clean Water Network's City Clean Water Proclamation Campaign this
summer! Back in January the Network kicked off a campaign to get
100 cities across the country to sign a proclamation praising the
Clean Water Act for the progress that we have made, but also highlighting
our theme of 'The Clean Water Act at 30: Time to Keep the Promise'.
The Proclamation puts your city or local government on recordx
as supporting clean water. It also gives your organization a positive,
proactive opportunity to work with your local government to recommit
to the Clean Water Act on its 30th anniversary. Click here for more
information: http://www.cwn.org/docs/30thanniversary/.
3. Party Time! PARTY UP THE CREEK Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at Audubon Acres, a 130-acre wildlife sanctuary near Chattanooga.
Everyone mark your calendars for this family fun day to benefit
the work of South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance and Tennessee
Clean Water Network. Not only is there a delicious picnic lunch,
but canoe rides, wetland nature walks, water games and exhibits
too. All for $12 ($6 per child aged 3-12)! Volunteers are needed
to make this event a big success. There are set up and break down
tasks along with food service, canoeing help, sign making, game
leading, etc. Call 423-892-1499 for more information, directions
and to obtain tickets.
4. Grant Opportunity: U.S. EPA Soliciting Grant Applications The
Environmental Protection Agency as of July 29 is soliciting grant
applications from privately-owned community drinking water utilities
that regularly serve 100,000 or more people. The grants may be used
to develop a vulnerability assessment, emergency response plans,
security enhancement plans and designs, or a combination of these
efforts. EPA will award up to $115,000 to each eligible utility
system. The request for applications is available online at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/rfa_private_grants.pdf
5. Funding Opportunity: NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP) Funding Avaiable The 2002 Farm Bill authorized $15 million
in funding for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)--
funding that will be lost if it is not spent by the end of thisfiscal
year in September. Take advantage of this excellent opportunity
to enhance wildlife conservation by applying to NRCS before the
end of August. A list of State NRCS contacts and other program information
on WHIP can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/.
In addition, there are links to States with specific program information.
Landowners, and those assisting landowners, can go to http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov
and click on "eForms" in the center of the page to complete
a WHIP application form to send to their local NRCS office. State
wildlife agencies, conservation districts, and conservation groups
worked hard to secure this funding. Now everyone needs to work fast
to ensure that it is used!
6. Resource: US Geological Survey study on effects of urbanization
on stream ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey has been studying
the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems since 1999. At
the end of this year they will be publishing their findings based
on studies conducted in Boston, Salt Lake City, Birmingham, Los
Angeles, Anchorage, Dayton, Philadelphia, Chicago.
Preliminary findings show that: - Rapid degradation occurs early
in the process of watershed urbanization. For example, in Anchorage
biological degradation is evident when watersheds reach about 5
percent imperviousness. - Early, rapid degradation is associated
with processes like deforestation. In some areas biological communities
are severly degraded by physical factors before contaminants from
nonpoint sources of pollution begin to degrade communities. - Historic
land uses signficantly affect magnitue and patterns in stream ecosystems
response to urbanization. Impact of urbanization on streams draining
forested or range lands is much greater than on streams draining
areas dominated by row agriculture.
Seven additional studies just began in the metropolitan areas of
Atlanta, Denver, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Dallas-Fort Worth,
Portland-Eugene, Milwaukee and Carson City-Truckee.
For more information, or if you have specific questions about one
of these urban areas, please contact Dr. Carol Couch with USGS at
c[email protected] or 703-648-5074.
7. Resource: Science Netlinks On-line Resource for K-12 Educators.
This collection of reviewed lesson plans and Internet resources
is produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The site is part of an Internet-based learning initiative called
MarcoPolo,sponsored by the WorldCom Foundation, and is a partnership
among the AAAS, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council
of the GreatCity Schools, the National Council on Economic Education,
the National Geographic Society, the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts. The free interdisciplinary lessons and linked resources cross
ecology, history, economics, art, and many other subjects. See http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/
and http://marcopolo.worldcom.com/.
8. Resource: NRDC Report on Opportunities for Using Low-impact Development.
NRDC's new report on opportunities for using low impact development
(green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and other lot level
source control techniques) in the District of Columbia was released
today and is available in full on NRDC's web site -- www.nrdc.org.
We are sending hardcopies primarily to DC-area folks, but if you'd
like one, please contact Jim Woodworth, the primary author of the
the report, or me, and we'll try to accommodate you.
9. Tellico Reintrodution of Native Fish Species Planned. As part
of an effort to recover threatened and endangered species in the
Tennessee River ecosystem, four native fish species, the duskytail
darter, smoky madtom, yellowfin madtom and spotfin chub will be
released into the Tellico Rivers according to the US Fish and Wildlife
Service. The reintroduced species will be classified as a non-essential
experimental populations (NEP)under the ESA, thus "ensuring
that anyone killing or harming the fish as the incidental result
ofotherwise lawful activities would not be in violation of the law."
Although the fish will be protected under the ESA, NEP status significantly
reduces the Act's regulatory requirements such as those requiring
Federal agencies to modify their activities to protect the reintroduced
fish.
10. Opportunity: Coastal Technology Transfer Conference: Call for
Papers In celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Clean
Water Act and in celebration of the Year of Clean Water, EPA will
be highlighting January 2003 as coastal and oceans month. Mark your
calendars for an EPA sponsored conference Jan. 28-31, 2003 in Cocoa
Beach, Florida.
The conference will examine current and emerging coastal management
tools, techniques, and strategies as well as consider ways to enhance
our ability over the next 25 years to protect and manage coastal
ecosystems in the face of new challenges. The conference will be
organized around four broad themes: assessment, management, restoration
and measuring results.
The call for papers has been widely distributed. Abstracts describing
case studies, research projects, synthesis papers, and posters for
interactive sessions based on the four broad themes described above
are eligible. Abstracts must be submitted by Sept.16. For more information,
contact Noemi Mercado at 202-566-1251.
11. Resource: Wetlands Scientific/Technical Activities and Tools
EPAs Wetlands Division and the Heal and Ecological Criteria
Division have released a set of 12 booklets entitled Methods
for Evaluating Wetland Condition. These peer-reviewed booklets
provide state-of-the-science information that can help
you monitor and assess the biological and nutrient conditions of
wetlands in order to evaluate wetland health. Eight additional booklets
are planned for future publication.
You can order the entire set or specific copies of the booklets
from the EPA National Service Center for Environmental Publications
(NSCEP) by telephone at (513) 489-8190 or toll-free at (800) 490-9198,
or by email at [email protected] .net . To order the booklets by mail,
write to NSCEP at 11029 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242. The
publications may also be accessed through the web at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/bawwg/publicat.html
12. Corps of Engineers Public Notices The following is a list of
Public Notices that the Nashville District has issued for work in
waters of the United States. The notices listed are for applications
currently under review. All work is proposed unless otherwise noted.
If you wish to obtain a copy of these and/or other notices, click
on http://www.orn.usace.army.mil/cof/notices.htm. You can also contact
the Corps office at (615)369-7500 or by mail:
U.S.Army Engineer District, Nashville Corps of Engineers Attention:
Regulatory Branch 3701 Bell Road Nashville, Tennessee 37214 To view
a file in pdf format, click on the public notice number Notice No.
02-55 Expires 09/21/2002, City of Clifton and Mr. Gene Davidson,
Proposed Commercial Covered Floating Boat Slips, Excavation and
Riprap Bank Stabilization, Tennessee River Mile 158.6R, Kentucky
Lake, Wayne County, TN
02-54 Expires 09/04/2002, O.T. Marshall, Proposed Community
Dock, Excavation for Boat Access Channel, Boat Ramp, and Riprap,
Bear Creek Mile 7.0L, Tennessee River Mile 225.0L, Pickwick Lake,
Tishomingo County, MS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee Clean Water Network News
This newsletter is intended to provide a quick look at current
clean water issues in Tennessee in addtion to resources available
to the concerned citizen.
Visit our web site (www.tcwn.org) to find more detailed information.
Comments and submissions for the newsletter are welcome. Send to
[email protected] or call us at 865/522-7007. Thanks for your participation!
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