ARTICLES

Note: The PDF sign indicates articles available for download (to subscribers only) for download in Portable Document Format (.pdf).

New Regulations to Improve Wetland and Stream Compensatory Mitigation PDF

by Palmer Hough and Mark Sudol

On March 31, 2008, EPA and the Corps issued revised regulations governing compensatory mitigation for authorized impacts to wetlands, streams, and other waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. This article examines highlights of the new rule.

Palmer Hough is an environmental scientist in the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Wetlands Division. Mark Sudol is chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.

Rule Offers Philosophy Change to Mitigation PDF

by David T. Urban

After years of relying on agency guidance, mitigation bankers finally have a rule to call their own. The author looks at some of the issues the rule addresses from a mitigation banker’s perspective and offers recommendations to ensure that the rule results in an overall reduction in wetland losses.

David Urban is Director of Operations at Land and Water Resources, Inc., in Rosemont, Illinois. He is also Treasurer of the National Mitigation Banking Association.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.

Avoidance: Still the Best Solution to the Compensatory Mitigation Challenge PDF

by Robin Mann and Jan Goldman-Carter

The environmental community has never been shy in warning about the pitfalls of the national compensatory mitigation program. Two environmental advocates offer their views on the compensatory mitigation rule’s strengths and weaknesses.

Robin Mann is a member of the Sierra Club’s National Wetlands Working Group and serves on Pennsylvania’s Water Resources Advisory Subcommittee on Wetlands. Jan Goldman-Carter is Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel for the National Wildlife Federation.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.

Global Warming and Coastal Dead Zones PDF

by Donald F. Boesch

Massive, low-oxygen “dead zones” unable to support marine life can be found in coastal waters worldwide. Excessive nutrients, primarily from chemical fertilizers, are mostly to blame. Absent immediate action, climate change will only exacerbate the problem.

Dr. Donald Boesch is the President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He was recently recognized for lifetime leadership in ecological restoration at the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.

The Entrepreneurial Wetland Banking Experience in Chicago and Minnesota PDF

by Morgan Robertson

Entrepreneurial banking accounts for close to 70% of all wetland banking transactions. Two recent studies examined the wetland credit markets in Chicago and Minnesota between 1994 and 2002. Their findings are summarized in this article.

Dr. Morgan Robertson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky. He previously served as a post-doctoral fellow in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds. Morgan received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.

Coastal Wetlands of the Eastern United States: 1998-2004 Status and Trends PDF

by Susan-Marie Stedman and Thomas E. Dahl

This fall, NOAA-Fisheries and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will issue a report on coastal wetland status and trends for the eastern United States. This article offers a preview to their findings.

Susan-Marie Stedman is a Fishery Biologist and Wetland Scientist in the Office of Habitat Conservation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service.Thomas E. Dahl is the Senior Scientist, Wetlands Status and Trends in the Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

National Wetlands Newsletter subscribers click here to log in and download this article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click here for more information.