WaterWired

CRS Reports: 1) 'USACE Section 70001 Annual Report on Future Studies and Projects'; 2) 'Dam Safety: Federal Programs and Authorities'

Two brief (a few pages) CRS Reports (both updated 9 December 2019) from Anna E. Normand: 1) 'Army Corps of Engineers: Section 7001 Annual Report on Future Studies and Projects'; and 2) 'Dam Safety: Federal Programs and Authorities'.

1) Download CRS_InSight)_USACE_Section7001_9Dec2019

Introduction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), through its civil works mission, undertakes water resource development studies and projects and other assistance activities that are specifically authorized by Congress. In Section 7001 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014 (P.L. 113-121; 33 U.S.C. §2282d), Congress established an annual process for identifying proposals for site- specific studies and projects within USACE’s water resource mission and authorities. The process includes a call for nonfederal proposals and concludes with a report by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASACW) to USACE’s congressional authorizing committees.

Congress authorizes USACE studies and projects prior to appropriating funds and typically considers omnibus USACE water resource authorization bills biennially, typically titled as Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs). Most project-specific authorizations in WRDAs fall into three categories: feasibility studies, construction projects, or modifications to existing authorizations. (See this CRS reportfor more on the USACE authorization process.)

Inclusion of a proposal in a Section 7001 annual report does not provide congressional authorization or appropriation. Rather, inclusion facilitates congressional consideration of the proposal’s authorization (in a manner consistent with congressional earmark moratorium policies). For example, Congress has used Section 7001 annual reports from 2015 through 2018 in developing WRDA 2016 (Title I of P.L. 114-322) and WRDA 2018 (Title I of P.L. 115-270). USACE accepts nonfederal proposals for consideration in Section 7001 annual reports over a 120-day period. The submission period for nonfederal proposals for the 2020 report was open from April 29, 2019, to August 27, 2019. Transmission of the report to Congress is expected in February 2020.

Note: the online version has some hot links embedded.

This picture is from a GAO report.

2) Download CRS_InFocus_Dam_Safety_9Dec2019

Introduction

In recent years, several incidents have highlighted the public safety risks posed by the failure of dams and related facilities. From 2015 to 2018, over 100 dams breached in North Carolina and South Carolina due to record flooding. In 2017, the near failure of Oroville Dam’s spillway in California resulted in a precautionary evacuation of approximately 200,000 people and cost more than $1.1 billion in emergency response and repair. The 2019 failure of Spencer Dam in Nebraska resulted in the first dam- failure fatality in the nation since 2006. In response to these incidents, Congress may consider additional oversight and legislation that could improve dam safety.

This In Focus summarizes the U.S. dam inventory, rehabilitation and repair estimates, federal dam safety activities, and related issues for Congress. For more detailed information, see CRS Report R45981, Dam Safety Overview and the Federal Role.

Enjoy!

"True heroism serves the common good, or it is not really heroism at all." - Richard Rohr

Josh's Water Jobs and More! 10 December 2019

Josh's Jobs!

Highlighted:   1) Local recruitment: Programme Associate (SDG 6) – Global Water Partnership (GWP)(Stockholm): 31 December   2) Technical Officer (GEF-International Waters) – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Rome): 19 December   3) Early Stage Researcher (ESR) – Deltares (Netherlands): Until filled   4) Spanish speakers/junior consultant: Especialista en Programación para el estudio “Elaboración de escenarios climáticos en el Sistema hídrico del Lago Titicaca, Río Desaguadero, Lago Poopó y Salar de Coipasa (TDPS) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Peru): 11 December   5) Research officer (TOR for producing State of Knowledge on women and rivers) – International Rivers (Home-Based): 15 December   6) Menstrual Health Strategy Design Facilitator – Splash (Home-Based): Until filled   7) Chief Executive Officer – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled   8) Water Policy Advisor to The Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti – Liberty Hill Foundation (Los Angeles, CA, USA): Until filled   Deadline today (10 December)!   9) Bangladesh/India institutions: Meghna Basin Socio-ecological Analysis (Bangladesh and India) – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Bangladesh/India): 10 December   10) Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Large-Scale Hydrologic Modeling – Arizona State University (Arizona, USA): 10 December   11) WASH Specialist – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Cameroon): 10 December   12) Consultant on Stakeholder Engagement for Uranium Legacy Remediation in Central Asia Climate Change Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Istanbul): 10 December   13) Pennsylvania Grassroots Specialist – Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Harrisburg, PA, USA): Until filled

Minimum years experience requested:

0-2 years   14) Hydropower Sector Analyst – International Hydropower Association (IHA)(London): 5 January 2020   15) German speakers: Juniorfachkraft (m/w/d) für Klimarisikoversicherung – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Myanmar): 16 December   16) Assistant Consultant / Consultant (Climate, Resilience and Sustainability) – Wood (United Kingdom): Until filled   17) Australia nationals: Project Officer Environmental Water – Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) (Australia): 11 December   18) U.S. nationals: Hydrologic Technicians (multiple vacancies) – U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (NY/PA, USA): 11 December   19) U.S. nationals: Hydrologic Technician – U.S. Bureau of Land Management(Butte, MT, USA): 23 December   20) Environmental Program Manager (Watershed Management) – Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (Montpelier, VT, USA): 18 December   21) Chinese speakers: Program Officer (Nature-based Development) – ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (Beijing): 15 December   22) Hindi and Punjabi speakers: Research Associate – Centers for International Projects Trust (CIPT) (Delhi): 17 December

3-4 years   23) Environmental Economist – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Micronesia): 23 December   24) Research Associate – Technische Universität Dresden (Germany): 9 January 2020   25) Communications Officer (Social Media and Analytics) – Wetlands International(Netherlands): 10 January 2020 26) Mexico nationals: Consultor(a) Especialista en Políticas Ambientales y de Cambio Climático – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)(Mexico City): 18 December   27) Canada nationals: Senior Water Resource Specialist – British Columbia Public Service (Victoria, BC, Canada): 12 December – Or Bachelor’s plus 5 years   28) Canada nationals: Senior Policy Analyst (Climate Action Secretariat) – British Columbia Public Service (Victoria, BC, Canada): 12 December   29) Program Associate (Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners) – Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA, USA): 29 December   30) Senior Staff Attorney – Delaware Riverkeeper Network (Bristol, PA, USA): 31 December   31) Natural Resource Policy Specialist – National Association of Conservation Districts (Washington, DC): 13 December   32) Pennsylvania Student Leadership and Education Coordinator – Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Harrisburg, PA, USA): 13 December   33) Program Associate – David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Los Altos, CA, USA): Until filled   34) Knowledge Management and Communications Coordinator (USAID) – PM Consulting Group (Washington, DC): Until filled   35) Climate Resilience Associate – Cadmus Group (Various, USA): Until filled

5-7 years   36) Project Manager (RMI ACWA) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Marshall Islands): 16 December   37) Senior Project Manager – United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)(Sudan): 17 December   38) Technical Officer (Water Management) – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Pakistan): 17 December   39) Technical Adviser – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)(Pakistan): 17 December   40) Communications Officer (Content and Media) – Wetlands International(Netherlands): 10 January 2020 41) Senior Research Officer (Hydromorphology and Fisheries) – Inland Fisheries Ireland (Dublin): 10 January 2020   42) Economic Affairs Officer (Environment Division) – United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) (Geneva): 11 December   43) Programme Management Officer – UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) (Geneva): 15 December   44) Project Manager: Brown to Green Report – Climate Analytics (Berlin): 13 December   45) Communications Officer (ADAPT: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Resilient Societies) – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Serbia): 15 December   46) Manager (Government Affairs) – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)(Washington, DC): Until filled   47) Riparian Restoration Director – Forterra (Seattle, WA, USA): Until filled   48) Environmental Coordinator – Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians(Oakhurst, CA, USA): Until filled

8-9 years   49) Dzongkha speakers: Country Office Director – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (Bhutan): 31 January 2020

10+ years   50) Senior Vice President (Climate Change) – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)(Washington, DC): Until filled   51) Head of Project Management Unit (Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project) – Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Solomon Islands): 20 December

Not specified:   52) Associate or Senior Editor (Nature Climate Change) – Nature Research (New York or London): 3 January 2020   53) Australia nationals: Project Officer (Major Water Assets) – Government of South Australia (Berri, SA, Australia): 13 December   54) Australia nationals: Senior Project Manager – Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) (Colac, VIC, Australia): 15 December   55) Australia nationals: Statutory Planning Team Leader – West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (Traralgon, VIC, Australia): 16 December   56) Australia nationals: Various Directors, Assistant Directors, Senior Policy Officers/Advisors and Project Officers – Murray–Darling Basin Authority (Australia): 19 December   57) Australia nationals: Various Positions – Murray–Darling Basin Authority(Australia): 19 December   58) Australia nationals: Various Positions – Murray–Darling Basin Authority(Australia): 19 December   59) Australia nationals: Executive Level 1 Various Positions – Murray–Darling Basin Authority (Australia): 19 December   60) Australia nationals: Executive Level 2 Various Positions – Murray–Darling Basin Authority (Australia): 19 December   61) Australia nationals: Project Support Officer – Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government (Canberra, ACT, Australia): 20 December   62) Australia nationals: Policy Officer (Drought) – Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government (Canberra, ACT, Australia): 18 December   63) Hydrologist – Rio Tinto (Perth, WA, Australia): Until filled   64) Head of Environment – Tesco (United Kingdom): 11 December   65) Climate Change Policy Adviser – British Government (Canberra, ACT, Australia): 23 December   66) U.K. nationals: Officer 2 (Environment Team x4) – Natural Resources Wales(Wales): 15 December   67) U.K. nationals: Officer 2 (Environment Team) – Natural Resources Wales(Wales): 19 December   68) U.K. nationals: Hydrologist – The Coal Authority (United Kingdom): 3 January 2020   69) Senior River Restoration Adviser – River Restoration Centre (United Kingdom): 5 January 2020   70) U.K. nationals: Environmental Monitoring Officer 2 (Analysis and Reporting) – Environment Agency (United Kingdom): 17 December   71) Consultant / Senior Consultant (Climate, Resilience and Sustainability) – Wood(United Kingdom): Until filled   72) Canada nationals: Wetlands Education Program Assistant – BC Wildlife Federation (Vancouver, BC, Canada): 15 December   73) U.S. nationals: Interdisciplinary Supervisory Biologist/ Hydrologist – U.S. National Park Service (Fort Collins, CO, USA): 13 December   74) Riverkeeper – Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (Sunbury, PA, USA): 15 December   75) U.S. nationals: Hydrologic Technician – U.S. Bureau of Land Management(Glasgow, MT, USA): 26 December   76) Deputy Development Director – Lake Hopatcong Foundation (Landing, NJ, USA): 31 December   77) Senior Staff Attorney – Western Resource Advocates (Boulder or Denver, CO, USA): 1 January 2020   78) U.S. nationals: Civil Engineer (Hydrologic) or Hydrologist (2) – U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Albuquerque, NM, USA): 16 December   79) M&E Specialist (USAID) – PM Consulting Group (Washington, DC): Until filled

Not specified (academic): Professors/lecturers 80) Tenure-Track Position in Environmental Engineering (Groundwater) – Queen's University (Kingston, ON, Canada): 26 December   81) Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies – San Francisco State University (San Francisco, CA, USA): Until filled   82) Resident Lecturer in Political Ecology – The School for Field Studies (SFS)(Peru): Until filled   83) Assistant Professor of Watershed Hydrology – University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT, USA): 9 September 2020   84) Environmental Economist Associate or Full Professor – Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, FL, USA): Until filled Postdocs 85) Postdoctoral Position: Expert on ecosystem processes in soil and water responsible for ecosystem services provisioning – Biology Center ASCR (Czechia): 20 December   86) Research Associate in FutureDAMS Project – University of Manchester (United Kingdom): 2 January 2020   87) Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Environmental Management) – Edith Cowan University (Australia): 10 January 2020   88) Postdoctoral Researcher: History of Middle Eastern Water Management – Radboud University (Netherlands): 10 January 2020 89) Post-doctoral research analyst – climate change scenarios and policy – Standard Life Aberdeen (London or Edinburgh): Until filled – Only requires a Master’s, which kind of goes against the title of the job…   90) Postdoctoral Associate: Decision-Driven Advances in Integrated Assessment Modeling of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus – University of Maryland (College Park, MD, USA): Until filled Researchers/other 91) Programme Manager – Imperial College London (London): 15 December   92) Director (National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE)) – University of Mississippi (University, MS, USA): 1 January 2020   93) Research Fellow – University of Warwick (United Kingdom): 2 January 2020   94) Research Fellow (Institute for Waters Futures (IWF)) – Australian National University (ANU) (Canberra, ACT, Australia): 2 January 2020   95) U.S. nationals: Researching Novel Geospatial Modeling Approaches and Ecosystem Services Methods – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(Philadelphia, PA, USA): 6 January 2020   96) German speakers: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin / Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter (w/m/d) im Fachgebiet Siedlungswasserwirtschaft / Umweltbiotechnologie – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) (Germany): 31 December   97) Towards a sustainable water use in Mediterranean rice-based agro-ecosystems – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Progetto (Italy): 20 December

WASH: 0-2 years 98) Technical Officer (WASH) – International Organization for Migration (IOM)(Bangladesh): 11 December   99) French speakers: WASH Officer – Oxfam Intermón (Central African Republic): 29 December   100) Hindi speakers: Project Manager – Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh (GPSVS) (India): 11 December   101) Niger nationals: Assistant Watsan Officer – International Rescue Committee (IRC) (Niger): Until filled   102) Niger nationals: Assistant hygiene promotion Officer – International Rescue Committee (IRC) (Niger): Until filled 3-4 years   103) French speakers: Responsable Eau Hygiène et Assainissement – Croix-Rouge Française (DRC): 20 December   104) Portuguese speakers: Business Development Junior WASH Consultant (Water Sanitation and Hygiene Finance (WASH-FIN) Program) – Tetra Tech (Mozambique): 20 December   105) WASH Coordinator – Solidarités International (Bangladesh): Until filled   106) International Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist, Rural WASH Project – SEED Madagascar (Madagascar): 31 December   107) Syria nationals: WASH Technical Officer – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)(Jordan): 17 December 5-7 years 108) Programme Officer (WASH) – International Organization for Migration (IOM)(South Sudan): 11 December   109) WASH Specialist (Climate & Environment) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Jordan): 11 January   110) Project Manager WASH – COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale (Sudan): 23 December   111) Senior Infrastructure Finance Advisor – Tetra Tech (Arlington, VA, USA): 16 December   112) WASH Technical Coordinator (Whole of Syria) – ACTED (Jordan): 28 December   113) Project Delegate National Society Development & WASH – German Red Cross(South Sudan): 5 January 2020   114) Chief Technical Adviser / Team Leader – SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (Nepal): Until filled   115) Programme Coordinator (Proposal and Content Development) – WaterAid(Delhi): 12 December   116) Niger nationals: Senior WASH Manager – International Rescue Committee (IRC) (Niger): Until filled 10+ years 117) Director (Partnership Development) – Simavi (Amsterdam): 5 January 2020   Not specified   118) French and German speakers: Berater (m/w/d) im Vorhaben "Breitenwirksame Trinkwasser- und Sanitärversorgung" – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (DRC): 13 December   119) WASH Coordinator – Solidarités International (Nigeria): Until filled   120) IPC WASH Delegate – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (Geneva): Until filled   121) U.S. nationals: Environmental Engineer/Physical Scientist (Safe Drinking Water) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Helena, MT, USA): 19 December   122) Iraq nationals: Shelter and Infrastructure (WASH) Assistant – Danish Refugee Council (Iraq): 31 December   123) Nigeria nationals: EH/WASH Infrastructure Officer – International Rescue Committee (IRC) (Nigeria): Until filled   124) Canada nationals: Water and Wastewater Technician – Ontario Clean Water Agency (Mississauga, ON, Canada): 11 December

Consultancies: 125) Co-moderator for SuSanA Discussion Forum – Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) (Home-Based): 31 December   126) Feasibility Assessment on Water Resources and Hydrogeologic Survey of Borehole & Environmental Impact Assessment – World Vision (South Sudan): 13 December   127) International Consultancy (Sanitation Business Model) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Malawi): 13 December   128) International Consultant (Sanitation Financing Assessment) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Ghana): 17 December   129) Feasibility Study, Climate Project (WASH) – Sign of Hope (Rwanda): 18 December   130) Feasibility Study, WASH Project – Sign of Hope (Uganda): 18 December   131) International Consultant - Supporting the Development of National Sanitation & Hygiene Strategy and Sector Plan – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)(Afghanistan): 19 December   132) Team Leader (technical feasibility and PPP study for wastewater recycling) – Niras (Zimbabwe): 27 December   133) French speakers: Spécialiste environnement, santé et sécurité – Niras (West Africa): 31 December   134) Individual Consultant-Scoping Study on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions in Aanganwadis in Six States – WaterAid (India): 11 December   135) Terminal Evaluation Terms of Reference – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Home-Based): 12 December   136) Uruguay nationals: Consultor/a nacional para apoyo a la actualización del manual “Diseño de Sistemas de Aguas Pluviales Urbanas – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Uruguay): 11 December   137) Somalia expatriate nationals: Water Policy and Regulation Consultant (Ministry of Energy and Water Resources) – International Organization for Migration (IOM)(Somalia): 13 December   138) Philippines nationals: Senior Environment and Natural Resources Specialist – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Philippines): 16 December   139) Thailand nationals: Terminal Evaluation Terms of Reference – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Thailand): 12 December   140) Laos nationals: Developing Guidelines for Flood and Drought Recovery in Lao PDR – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Laos): 16 December

RFP: 141) Final Project Evaluation "Re-use of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation in Southern Gaza Strip" – Oxfam (Palestine): 17 December   142) Integrated Water and Environment Management – The World Bank (China): 19 December

Internships: 143) Internship for Partnerships – Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) (Seoul): 31 December   144) Intern (Environment Affairs) – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Paris): 17 December   145) Sustainability Advocate (Paid Internship) – Clean Water Action (Various, USA): Until filled   146) Environmental Policy Coordinator/Intern – Silicon Valley Leadership Group (San Jose, CA, USA): Until filled   147) German speakers: Intern: Project Development – Climate Analytics (Berlin): 11 December   148) German speakers: Praktikant (m/w/d) im Cluster Umwelt, Klimawandel und Biodiversität, Fokus: Wassersicherheit und Klimaanpassung – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (New Delhi): 19 December   149) German speakers: Praktikant (m/w/d) im Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien (Schwerpunkt Umwelt) – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Germany): 19 December

Scholarships: 150) French speakers: PhD: Rural Water Finance in Africa – University of Oxford(United Kingdom): 16 December   151) PhD: Governing Informal Markets in Eastern Africa – University of Oxford(United Kingdom): 16 December   152) PhD: Pesticide management for better water quality – National University of Ireland (Ireland): 20 December   153) Spanish speakers: Intern (Environment Affairs) – United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) (Mexico City): 24 December   154) PhD: Soil Hydrology – Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel): 26 December   155) PhD: Environmental science: How much water is there when there’s no water? – Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (Israel): 2 January 2020   156) Graduate Research Assistant – Washington State University (Pullman, WA, USA):  3 January 2020   157) PhD: Status of Malawi’s Water and Land Resources: to aid policy and donor decisions (SMaWaL) – The James Hutton Institute (Scotland): 6 January 2020   158) PhD: Future-Proofing Scotland’s Water Security: Delivering Safe and Resilient Water Supplies – Centre of Expertise for Waters (Scotland): 6 January 2020   159) PhD: Dam beavers: quantifying the impacts of nature's water engineers on the fluvial geomorphology and flood regimes of streams and rivers – University of Exeter(United Kingdom): 6 January 2020   160) PhD: Water for the Future: Investigating the Effects of Future Land Use and Climate Change on Water Quality in Scotland – The James Hutton Institute(Scotland): 6 January 2020   161) PhD: Towards sustainable surface water ecosystems in India: Predicting the fate, transport and effects of urban wastewater pollutants in rivers – University of Leicester (United Kingdom): 10 January 2020 162) PhD: Taking a high frequency pulse of rivers: the new wave of water-quality and pollution checks to support integrated real-time river basin management – University of Manchester (United Kingdom): 10 January 2020   163) PhD: Global River Networks Based on Remote Sensing Imagery and Hydrodynamic Modelling – Loughborough University (United Kingdom): 10 January 2020   164) PhD: Digital Twins for Natural Flood Management – Loughborough University(United Kingdom): 10 January 2020   165) PhD: Seeing the water through the trees: how much water will forests of the future hold? – University of Birmingham (United Kingdom): 10 January 2020   166) PhD: History of Middle Eastern Water Management (Subproject 2) – Radboud University (Netherlands): 10 January 2020   167) PhD: History of Middle Eastern Water Management (Subproject 1) – Radboud University (Netherlands): 10 January 2020   168) Graduate Research Assistant: Decision-Driven Advances in Integrated Assessment Modeling of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus – University of Maryland(College Park, MD, USA): Until filled   169) Graduate Research Assistant: Decision-Driven Advances in Integrated Assessment Modeling of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus Research – Tufts University(Medford, MA, USA):  Until filled   170) Spanish speakers: Graduate Research Assistant: Decision-Driven Advances in Integrated Assessment Modeling of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus – Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ, USA): Until filled

Fellowships: 171) U.S. nationals: Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Communications Fellow – U.S. National Park Service (Boston, MA, USA): 15 December   172) Bailey Conservation Fellow – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Lansing, MI, USA): 23 December   173) 2020 Switzer Environmental Fellowships – Switzer Foundation: 6 January 2020   174) Current Duke students: 2020 Stanback Fellow (Water and Climate) – Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (Chicago, IL, USA): Until filled

Other: 175) Call for experts: intergovernmental working group on drought – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): 31 December   176) Sustainability Business Forum & Ala Wai Watershed Collaboration (AmeriCorps VISTA) – Hawai'i Green Growth (Honolulu, HI, USA): 15 December     Last week’s list, in case you missed it   Post a job   Support Josh’s Water Jobs

2) Additional Jobs from WaterWired

117) Position: @CUBoulder (Boulder, CO) - Open Rank Faculty Positions in Environmental and Water Engineering. Full consideration: 15 December http://bit.ly/2CHXl7W

177) Position: City of Stanford (CA) - Water Operations Engineer Closes: 13 December https://sforce.co/2KrXeBD #JobWaWi

178) Position: @SiuslawWC (Mapleton, OR and elsewhere) - Education and Outreach Coordinator (0.6 FTE) http://bit.ly/2DeHYUL #JobWaWi

179) Positions: @CmccClimate (Milan, Bologna, Venice, Viterbo) - Various positions - modeling, data. Various closing dates. http://bit.ly/2QoHi7c #JobWaWi

180) Position: @GWPnews (Stockholm) - Global Coordinator, Strategic Partnerships. Closes: 11 December https://bit.ly/34sK4fz #JobWaWi

181) Postdoctoral Positions (2) - @UCSB (Santa Barbara, CA) - 1) Cartography of Movement; 2) Movement Data Science. OUF; Review of apps begin 15 December. http://bit.ly/386eZRd #JobWaWi

182) Position: @water_institute @UWaterloo (Waterloo, ON) - Senior Professorship in Water Governance and Policy. Closes: 28 February http://bit.ly/356Qf9K #JobWaWi #cdnwater

183) Position: @portlandwater (Portland, OR) - Hydrogeologist. Closes: 20 December http://bit.ly/2RBfP2F

184) Position: Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Quncy, WA) - Staff Engineer. OUF.
Download Staff_Engineer

3) Some General Employment Resources

AGU Career Center for research/academic jobs

GoodWorkCanada - Canada's Green Jobs Site

Congressional Research Service Positions 

Check out @AidJobs - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) https://aidjobs.org

UN Jobs in Water Resources

UN Jobs in Water Management

UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

Global Water Jobs

WASH Vacancies

Academic Jobs Online

Higher Education Job Site

Get Hydrology Jobs

AAG Jobs

@BCWaterNews Jobs Click View Jobs

@EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days. Click here. 

King County (WA) Jobs

Geoscience Job Board

California DWR Jobs

AZ Water Career Center 

Florida Water Jobs

NYC DEP 

Nature Conservancy jobs

State of Washington Careers

Idaho DEQ 

OSU Water Resources Program

Water District Jobs

Academic Jobs in Schools of Physical/Earth Sciences

Mac's List - Jobs in Portland and Beyond!

New Zealand Hydrological Society Jobs Board

California Water Jobs 

Government Jobs

Association of Oregon Counties Job Postings

Soil Science Societies Career Center

How to Find Work Overseas, with Marcelle Yeager. https://bit.ly/1pIopLT  

For the full list of Josh's active water jobs, please visit www.joshswaterjobs.com/jobs

Enjoy! 

"Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are only sitting on our own bottom." - Michel de Montaigne (quoted in @mtlgazette via @TheWeek)

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 9 December 2019

It's @ScienceTalk2020 26-27 March in Portland, OR! Early-bird registration expires 15 December! http://bit.ly/2Pua7Nv. I hope to attend this - almost made it last year....

Would you like to sign a document supporting an initiative to promote the sustainable use of groundwater? Click here.

Do you know of a colleague and/or student who would be interested in receiving  these Bulletin Board listings? Please forward this to them. A quick email to Geosciences-BBoard@att.net with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will  be added to the weekly distribution. 

Here are Elaine's BBs as Word/PDF documents:     

As PDF: Download Bulletin_Boards_9Dec2019

As Word: Download Bulletin_Boards_9Dec2019

Note: If a link does not work, try pasting it into your browser.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 9 December 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Single-celled microbes transitioned into complex multi-cellular organisms – Ediacaran Weng’an biota

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191127121231.htm
• Paper: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31429-0

Utah geologists highlight scenic wonders on 2020 Utah Geological Survey Calendar

• https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/11/30/20984476/utah-geological-survey-calendar-2020
• Online interactive: https://geology.utah.gov/calendar-of-utah-geology-2020/

Tectonic plate interactions that produced 2018 M7.1 Anchorage EQ

• https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2019/11/29/how-a-few-seconds-of-shifting-deep-below-the-earths-surface-caused-the-biggest-earthquake-in-anchorage-since-1964/

Study finds match between diminishing thickness of ice shelves and acceleration of glaciers feeding them on Antarctica – response called “instantaneous”

• https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50625396

Analysis of seismic patterns as method to forecast magnitude of EQ aftershocks

• https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/rooi-asp120119.php
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11958-4

Swarm of seismic activity and 3.6M EQ at Mount Rainier in Washington State

• https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mount-rainier-caps-swarm-of-weekend-seismicity-with-3-6-magnitude-quake/

Possible mechanism responsible for Great Oxidation & Lomagundi events 2.5 byo

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-mysteries-linked-breathable-oxygen.html
• https://www.brightsurf.com/news/article/120219498146/breathing-thank-volcanoes-tectonics-and-bacteria.html

EQs, wildfires…and volcanoes in California – Margaret Mangan to retire after 7 years with CalVO

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-california-famous-earthquakes-wildfiresbut-dont.html

 “Big Tex” to drill 5-mile Mill Creek Tunnel beneath Dallas, Texas, to handle 9M gpm stormwater

• https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2019/12/03/officials-christen-the-great-big-digging-machine-that-will-carve-a-5-mile-tunnel-under-dallas/

New methodology for calculating soil properties most favorable for preserving pollen

• https://eos.org/articles/looking-for-prehistoric-pollen-check-the-floodplains

GPR study of footprints at White Sands sheds light on mechanics of mammoth footsteps

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/12/radar-reveals-ghostly-footprints-at-white-sands/

Low-level airborne magnetic survey of Eastern Mojave Desert

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/airplane-make-low-level-flights-over-parts-eastern-mojave-desert-california-and-nevada

During Late Cretaceous to Early Paleogene much of SW US had elevations in excess of 10,000 feet

• http://www.sci-news.com/geology/arizona-plateau-07874.html

Mimodactylus libanensis– Cretaceous fossil remains of previously unknown Pterosaur species

• http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/mimodactylus-libanensis-07872.html

Six new species of 50 myo dragonflies discovered in Okanagan Highlands

• http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/dragonfly-fossils-07864.html

Southern elephant seal helps gather data to improve understanding of heat transport by Antarctic Circumpolar Current

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Seal_takes_ocean_heat_transport_data_to_new_depths_999.html

New maps reveal changes in salinity of ocean surface

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/New_maps_of_salinity_reveal_the_impact_of_climate_variability_on_oceans_999.html

This extreme metallophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedulaprefers to eat meteorites

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Meteorite_loving_microorganism_999.html

Eyes of modern horseshoe crab have same structure as 400 myo Jaekelopterus rhenaniae

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/The_visual_apparatus_of_todays_horseshoe_crabs_goes_back_400_million_years_999.html

Herbivorous Mesozoic dinosaurs evolved common traits in the skulls and teeth

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191205141752.htm
• Paper: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31390-9

Rainfall intensity increases as winds and storm surge weaken in hurricanes

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191205130542.htm

Finding duck-billed dinosaur footprints and other biodiversity in Aniakchak, Alaska

• https://sciencetrends.com/duck-billed-dinosaurs-uncovered-in-aniakchak-alaska/

Mekong River usual yellowish-brown color changing to blue-green hue as sediment load decreases

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-7759199/Experts-say-Mekong-River-s-new-color-worrying-sign.html

Analysis of sea-floor cores suggest EQs on Cascadia fault may trigger tremors on San Andreas

• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03769-w

Red dust from bushfires in Australia changing the surface color of glaciers in New Zealand

• https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/new-zealand-red-glaciers-australia-bushfire-a4305301.html
• https://www.sciencealert.com/new-zealand-s-glaciers-have-turned-red-australia-s-bushfires-might-be-causing-it

Time-lapse video of disappearance of surface lake on Store Glacier in Western Greenland

• https://www.livescience.com/greenland-ice-sheet-lake-drains.html

Analysis of bones in aquatic reptiles shows some plesiosaurs were built for diving

• https://www.dispatch.com/news/20191201/geology--study-of-bones-in-aquatic-reptiles-shows-some-made-for-diving

Cascade effect in earthquakes

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-earthquake-cascade.html

Dr. Lucy Jones has been called the “Beyoncé of earthquakes”

• https://www.eugeneweekly.com/2019/12/05/the-new-big-one/

Geologist urges city of Burlington, Vermont, to take action to prevent landslides

• https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Geologist-urges-Burlington-to-take-more-action-in-preventing-Riverside-Avenue-landslides-565722591.html?ref=591

Cataclysm, mass extinctions, and consequent myths

• https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-important-events/cataclysm-0012949

New geomorphologic map of Titan

• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/titans-geomorphologic-map/

Canterra Gold suspended open-pit mining operations at Kumptor mine in Kyrgyzstan following significant waste rock dump moment and loss of 2 employees

• https://www.mining-technology.com/news/centerra-gold-suspends-kumtor-open-pit-mine-operations/
• https://www.mining-journal.com/gold-and-silver-news/news/1376986/search-continues-for-missing-kumtor-miners

NASA to undertake 5 airborne and surface field campaigns to record weather, ocean temperature & salinity, deltaic ecosystems and marine boundary layer clouds

• https://phys.org/news/2019-11-nasa-embarks-air-sea.html

Understanding the impacts of deep-sea nodule mining

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-impact-deep-sea.html

Storm-quakes are seismic activity on the seafloor by powerful storms

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-stormquakes-powerful-storms-seafloor-tremors.html

Detailing the slow-moving volcanic caldera collapse of the 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-klauea-caldera-collapse.html

The geologic legacy of Clyde Wahrhaftig

• https://eos.org/articles/the-layered-legacy-of-clyde-wahrhaftig

Fleet of 50+ MERMAID floating sensors to clarify massive lower mantle plume in South Pacific

• https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/asoa-moj120219.php

Using radio-telescopes and InSAR to monitor changes on Earth on global scale

• https://eos.org/articles/more-than-just-astronomy-radio-telescopes-for-geophysics

Predictive model large igneous province causing carbons emissions flux 55 myo – NAIP & PETM

• https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2019/12/05/Volcanic-rock-movements-caused-dramatic-shift-in-climate-55-million-years-ago/1411575575703/
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12957-1

Volcanic eruptions in 1690s helped create modern Scotland

• https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/12/how-volcanic-eruption-helped-create-modern-scotland

New report compiles data & examines groundwater in Northeast Wyoming

• https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/state-geological-surveys-report-details-northeast-wyomings-groundwater-resources#stream/0
• Report: https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/products/wsgs-2019-tm-08.pdf

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 9 December 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

      E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from Salinas, California, now in 23 states

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-california-romaine-lettuce-expands-more-than-100-ill/ar-BBXM1QH

Soil is a non-renewable resource – growing concern over “alarming rate” of erosion and nutrient runoff – World Soil Day not just 5 Dec 2019 but every day

• http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/en/
• https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980911000268 
• http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2019/11/27/alarming-rate-of-soil-erosion-and-nutrient-runoff/
• https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/nuclear-techniques-help-reveal-high-rate-of-soil-erosion-in-benin
• https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/12/02/2151193/world-soil-day-soil-a-non-renewable-resource
• https://globegazette.com/business/carney-iowa-is-leaking-nutrients-better-left-in-its-soil/article_0ab4d2dc-5e9b-5574-bee5-f426839a2d66.html
• https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/horrifying-environmental-impacts-of-worsening-erosion/
• https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2019-12-02/How-Spain-s-farmers-are-battling-climate-change-and-desertification--M4CXP6cF0Y/index.html
• https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/11/04/soil-erosion-a-concern-for-vatulovona-villagers/
• https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farm_life/conservation/farmers-climate-adaptation-vital/article_669fd1e9-c398-5a27-ac5f-b93179bf4ded.html

Conservation tilling promotes soil management, reduces erosion & runoff, improves water retention & crop yields

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-soil-tilling-soils-yields.html

$1B per year flood risk calculated over 40 years due to “atmospheric river” storms in Western US

• https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/atmospheric-river-storms-create-1-billion-year-flood-damage
• Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/12/eaax4631

Black Friday sparks protests over environmental concerns & consumer culture

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-friday-sales-climate-protests-kick-around-world-n1093296

Montreal Protocol banning CFCs had greater impact than Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-ozone-layer-global.html

EU ban on pesticide chlorpyrofis that causes developmental defects in humans will be effective in 2020

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-eu-controversial-pesticide.html

Technological risk:  smart TVs

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/now-even-fbi-warning-smart-194715311.html

Disabled bear named Usko who used wheelbarrow for mobility has died in Greek sanctuary Arcturos – injury caused by humans who killed his mother on 2015

• https://news.yahoo.com/first-wheelbarrow-bound-bear-dies-greek-wildlife-group-135230983.html
• https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/763763-first-wheelbarrow-bound-bear-dies-greek-wildlife-group

Germany on schedule to close all nuclear power plants – where to “dispose” of 28,000 cu m of radioactive waste?

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/germany-is-closing-all-its-nuclear-power-plants-now-it-must-find-a-place-to-bury-the-deadly-waste-for-1-million-years/ar-BBXxJfK

Perspective:  Consequences of the “green” movement

• https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/11/29/greta-thunberg-goes-full-marxist/

CRS Report:  “Central Valley Project:  Issues & Legislation” – area of significant & continued groundwater withdrawal and consequent land subsidence in California to which band-aids are applied

• https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45342

Barn fire at African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio kills 10 animals – giraffes, river hogs, bongos & springbok

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/giraffes-among-10-animals-killed-in-tragic-ohio-safari-wildlife-park-fire/ar-BBXunZc/

US birth rate falls for 4^thyear in a row – lowest level in 3+ decades

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2019/11/30/another-record-low-will-the-us-fertility-rates-collapse-ever-end/#3d1a5ce05e45
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/us-birth-rate-falls-for-4th-year-in-a-row/ar-BBXoN1W
• https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/472287-birth-rate-falls-for-fourth-consecutive-year

Ilisu Dam reservoir in Turkey will stretch nearly 100 miles, displace 70,000+ people, wipe out endangered species, flood ancient settlements & reduce flow of Tigris & Euphrates Rivers

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-turkish-dam-is-about-to-flood-one-of-the-oldest-continuously-settled-places-on-earth/ar-BBXqipm

President of Brazil blaming Leonardo DiCaprio for destructive fires in the Amazon – Leo responds

• https://qz.com/1759093/leonardo-dicaprio-responds-to-jair-bolsonaros-amazon-fire-claims/
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonardo-dicaprio-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-fires_n_5de2b9b4e4b0913e6f7fb665

Blocked sewer main flooded basements and pushed human waste into about 300 homes in New York City

• https://news.yahoo.com/sewer-line-backs-queens-pushing-233441413.html

Illegal drone use at Crater Lake National Park

• https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2018/04/18/drone-crater-lake-national-park-officials-plan-step-up-enforcement/522629002/

Outbreak of measles on Pacific Island of Samoa - increasing cases and more deaths

• https://news.yahoo.com/samoa-measles-cases-deaths-more-043432925.htm

Link between prevalence of ramen restaurants and higher risk of strokes & heart attacks

• https://qz.com/1758980/japanese-study-links-ramen-shop-prevalence-to-high-stroke-risk/
• Paper: https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-019-0482-y

SCOTUS to consider whether CERCLA bars state lawsuit against ARCO to restore Anaconda Smelter hazardous waste site in SW Montana

• https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/11/argument-preview-justices-to-consider-whether-cercla-bars-state-lawsuit-to-restore-hazardous-waste-site/

Reusable plastic shopping bags are making the problem worse

• https://qz.com/1759150/reusable-plastic-shopping-bags-are-making-the-problem-worse/

Japan to begin removing Fukushima nuclear debris beginning in 2021 – 10 years after meltdowns

• https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/japan-to-begin-remove-fukushima-nuclear-debris-in-2021/1661314

Colorado has 27 of 400 high-hazard dams operating under restrictions – new rules apply to future dam designs

• https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/01/colorado-dam-safety-climate-change/
• map: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/01/colorado-dams-high-hazard/

New Jersey Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report shows some improvement – many waters fail official standards in six categories

• https://www.njspotlight.com/2019/12/rivers-lakes-show-some-gains-some-losses-in-water-quality/
• Report: https://www.nj.gov/dep/wqmp/docs/202190916-int-wqa-report.pdf

US Army COE awards yet another contract for more structural controls in Fargo-Moorhead for diverting Red River

• https://apnews.com/b5e5391db5af4ab8a232d0bb881c0ebe

Ahhhh, the joys of traveling in an electric car over the Thanksgiving holiday & Black Friday

• https://www.thedrive.com/news/31274/more-teslas-on-the-road-meant-hours-long-supercharger-lines-over-thanksgiving

After human activity decimated the Everglades – now attempting to save it

• https://apnews.com/161c4638d88c4fe19b8797df33784815

Video Series:  “What Can Be Saved” -

• https://apnews.com/WhatCanBeSaved

SFO to begin environmental studies for $587M seawall project as San Francisco Bay continues to subside

• https://www.wired.com/story/how-airports-protecting-rising-seas/
• https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-bay-area-is-sinking-into-the-ocean-2018-3
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/07/climate/san-francisco-sinking-land-flooding-climate-change.html

$12.7M dam project intended to protect 1,648 residents in village of Hatch, New Mexico, from flooding

• https://apnews.com/e3bca342e25b42b5be9141d62427166d
• http://www.villageofhatch.org/arts_and_culture/history_of_hatch
• https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2016/08/14/memories-hatch-flood-still-vivid-10-years-later/88642750/

USDA restores original intent of SNAP – assistance through difficult times – not a way of life

• https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/12/04/usda-restores-original-intent-snap-second-chance-not-way-life
• https://tucson.com/opinion/national/sonny-perdue-the-dignity-of-work-and-the-american-dream/article_a9109ba1-cd48-5038-b00a-41aecddd91fa.html

Pioneertown residents in California getting clean water from the tap after 3 years of bottled water use

• https://www.sbsun.com/2019/12/02/pioneertown-residents-now-have-clean-tap-water-for-the-first-time-in-decades/

30 places on Earth with the most polluted air quality (PM2.5 + PM10)

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-30-most-polluted-places-on-earth/ss-BBXFHNA

30 places in America with poorest air quality (PM2.5 + ozone)

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-30-most-polluted-places-in-america/ss-BBXIaMW

Worst American cities to drive in based on driving related measures

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/research/americas-worst-cities-to-drive-in/ss-BBX3V0w

Most hazardous contaminated sites in America

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/causes/americas-most-hazardous-contaminated-sites/ss-BBWu38w

Race against time to save genetic diversity

• https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/12/03/784259743/raiders-of-the-lost-crops-scientists-race-against-time-to-save-genetic-diversity

Migrating bison in Yellowstone manipulate the landscape – influence lushness and nutrition of grasses

https://www.usgs.gov/news/yellowstones-migrating-bison-manipulate-springtime-green

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 9 December 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Royal Caribbean cancels 2020-2021 cruises to Puerto Rico after docks privatized

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/royal-caribbean-cancels-sailings-to-puerto-rico-for-2020-2021-season/ar-BBXq5hS

4M gallon raw sewage spill prompted closure of ocean & bay water areas in Orange County, California

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/major-sewage-spill-in-orange-county-calif-closesseveral-beaches/ar-BBXxkmL

CRS Report: Changes in the Arctic

• https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41153

Trinidad Bay lighthouse no longer at risk of coastal erosion – conflict between town & tribes

• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-29/lighthouse-sea-rise-native-americanshumboldt

Concerns for whales as offshore wind energy is developed

• https://www.npr.org/2019/12/05/782694371/offshore-wind-may-help-the-planet-but-will-ithurt-whales

Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan process

• Part 1: https://www.sonomacountygazette.com/sonoma-county-news/changes-to-our-coastthe-local-coastal-plan-lcp

• Part 2: https://www.sonomacountygazette.com/sonoma-county-news/part-2-threat-to-ourcoast-updating-the-local-coastal-plan

Coastal flooding research along the Curry coast

• https://www.currypilot.com/news/environment-coastal-flooding-research/article_da02d720-12c3-11ea-883e-735ba28a70d4.html

Surfing & conservation group gives Florida a “D” for coastal management

• https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/12/04/surfrider-gives-floridad-coastal-management-lack-planning/2606334001/

Coastal storms are a threat to tourism in New England

• https://www.wgbh.org/news/science-and-technology/2019/12/03/why-coastal-storms-are-athreat-to-tourism

Transdisciplinary approaches needed to ensure research is useful for planning in coastal communities

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/sea-level-science-grapples-with-uncertainty-and-usability

Drones & 3D imaging may help discover coastal heritage sites in Puerto Rico

• https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2019/1202/The-race-to-preserve-Puerto-Rico-scoastal-heritage-is-underway

• https://dronedj.com/2019/12/03/drones-help-map-puerto-ricos-coastal-heritage/

Delaware DNREC seeking public comment on proposed fees for coastal zone conversion permits

• https://news.delaware.gov/2019/12/02/dnrec-seeking-public-comment-on-proposed-fees-forcoastal-zone-conversion-permits/

• Permits: https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/coastal-zone-act/conversion-permits/

• Baseline remediation report:

http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/CZA/Documents/Remediation%20Status%20Baseline%20Report%20for%20Existing%20Heavy%20Industry%20Use%20Sites%202019.pdf

North Carolina DMF seeking input on Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan

• https://www.coastalreview.org/2019/12/dmf-seeks-input-on-southern-flounder-plan/

• Portal: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/southern-flounder-topic

Mediterranean Action Plan supports efforts to implement Barcelona Convention & Protocols

• https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/policy-briefs/cooperation-for-healthy-mediterranean-marineand-coastal-ecosystems/

Meeting to address proposed legal protection for Olifants River estuary on coast of South Africa

• https://www.groundup.org.za/article/bid-protect-west-coast-jewel-mining/

Magnetic field of Earth and the Moon guide European eels on migration

• https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/moon-and-earths-magnetic-field-guide-european-eelson-their-epic-migration/

• Paper on brackish waters: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0619-8#Sec11

• Paper on navigation at sea: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.190812

Project to study issues in estuaries of Northwest Florida to integrate historical data

• https://www.pnj.com/story/entertainment/2019/12/03/uwf-uf-researchers-study-issues-facingnorthwest-florida-estuaries/2600268001/

Two-model approach to estimating coastal carbon sequestration

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/improving-estimates-of-coastal-carbon-sequestration

Record high numbers of marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod in 2019

• https://www.whoi.edu/news-insights/content/bioacoustic-alarms/

Modeling the onset of fault slip between two bodies in frictional contact

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-gaining-insight-energy-earthquakes.html

History of nuclear testing and disease outbreaks have impacts in the low-lying Marshall Islands

• https://phys.org/news/2019-12-huge-disease-marshall-islands-war.html

"Those who ean make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire (quoted in @USATODAY via @TheWeek)

GAO Report: 'Science and Technology - Overview of GAO's Enhanced Capabilities to Provide Oversight, Insight, and Foresight'

A bit of GAO self-promotion here. 

Just released on 5 December 2019: 'Science and Technology: Overview of GAO's Enhanced Capabilities to Provide Oversight, Insight, and Foresight'.

Download GAO_S&T_Oversight_Highlights_5Dec2019

Download GAO_Report_S&T_Oversight_5Dec2019

Fast Facts

Rapid developments in science and technology are transforming multiple sectors of society, including medicine, transportation, and defense. These developments bring both opportunities—such as for economic growth and improved quality of life—and the potential for unintended consequences.

We testified about how we help Congress prepare for such changes—such as issuing technology assessments and our new “Science & Tech Spotlights.”

We also plan to increase our capacity to work on science and technology issues, in part by hiring more staff with expertise in areas like biology, computer science, nuclear physics, and aerospace.

Highlights

GAO provides a variety of science and technology (S&T) products and services to Congress. Over the decades, GAO has grown its S&T portfolio by adding technology assessments, engineering/project controls best practices guides, and, most recently, the Science & Tech Spotlight series. Together, these products are designed to address key congressional interests on S&T issues by providing foresight on the consequences of advances in S&T, oversight of the federal S&T enterprise and S&T-centric programs and projects, and insight into emerging issues and topics of congressional interest.

GAO has the expertise, independence, and access to data to provide authoritative, nonpartisan advice to Congress in a manner that complements other sources of S&T advice.

• Expertise: GAO’s new Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics(STAA) team has 59 staff members with masters’ degrees and/ordoctorates, as of November 2019. Fifty-six staff members have at least one degree in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics field.GAO’s technology assessments are informed by appropriate S&T expertise, including external experts across academia, think tanks, and industry. GAO integrates subject and policy knowledge from across its 15 mission teams to develop rigorous methodological approaches to expertly analyze quantitative and qualitative data.
• Independence: GAO has a robust quality assurance framework to help ensure its independence and has congressional protocols to help ensure GAO is responsive to Congress in a nonpartisan manner.
• Access to data: GAO’s legal authorities grant it unique access to an extensive range of agency information and data, including classified information and other information that is not available to the public.

GAO will continue to build its capacity to respond to congressional demand. STAA’s current staff level is about one-half of what was outlined in the April 2019 plan submitted to Congress. GAO’s key S&T activities are shown in the figure below.

Background

Rapid developments in S&T are transforming multiple sectors of society, including medicine, transportation, communication, defense, and even culture. Like all technological change, each of these developments brings opportunities and potential unintended consequences. The ability of Congress to understand and evaluate such changes will be critical for the United States to remain safe, innovative, and globally competitive.

GAO’s mission is to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. The 2019 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill Conference Report encouraged GAO to reorganize its S&T function by creating a new office. In January 2019, GAO created the STAA team to build on and expand its decades-long work providing Congress with science and technology analysis.

This statement discusses (1) GAO’s S&T products and services for Congress; (2) how GAO is structured to provide S&T advice to the Congress; and (3) GAO’s plan to continuously improve its S&T advising capabilities.

For more information, contact Timothy M. Persons, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Managing Director, Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics, at (202) 512-6888 or personst@gao.gov.

Can't beat GAO's expertise - right?

Enjoy!

"Normality is a paved road; it's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it." - Vincent van Gogh (tnx to Josiah Shaver)

Floods! Insurance! CRS Report: 'The National Flood Insurance Program - Selected Issues and Legislation in the 116th Congress' & More!

This CRS report comes from Diane P. Horn and Baird Webel: 'The National Flood Insurance Program - Selected Issues and Legislation in the 116th Congress'.

Download CRS_Report_NFIP_Issues_Legislation_2Dec2019

Introduction

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was established by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA, 42 U.S.C. §4001 et seq.), and was most recentlyreauthorized until December 20, 2019 (P.L. 116-69). The general purpose of the NFIP is both to offer primary flood insurance to properties with significant flood risk, and to reduce flood risk through the adoption of floodplain management standards. A longer- term objective of the NFIP is to reduce federal expenditure on disaster assistance after floods. The NFIP also engages in many “non-insurance” activities in the public interest: it disseminates flood risk information through flood maps, requires community land use and building code standards, and offers grants and incentive programs for household- and community-level investments in flood risk reduction. Unless reauthorized or amended by Congress, the following will occur on December 20, 2019: (1) the authority to provide new flood insurance contracts will expire and (2) the authority for NFIP to borrow funds from the Treasury will be reduced from $30.425 billion to $1 billion.

Issues which Congress may consider in the context of reauthorization include (1) NFIP solvency and debt; (2) premium rates and surcharges; (3) affordability of flood insurance; (4) increasing participation in the NFIP; (5) the role of private insurance and barriers to private sector involvement; (6) non-insurance functions of the NFIP such as floodplain mapping and flood mitigation; and (7) future flood risks, including future catastrophic events.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified the need to increase flood insurance coverage across the nation as a major priority for the current reauthorization and beyond, with a goal of doubling flood insurance coverage by 2023 through the increased sale of both NFIP and private policies. The NFIP’s premium rates do not reflect the full risk of loss because of various legislative requirements, which may exacerbate the program’s fiscal exposure. The categories of properties which pay less than the full risk-based rate are determined by the date when the structure was built relative to the date of adoption of a Flood Insurance Rate Map, rather than the flood risk or the ability of the policyholder to pay. A reformed NFIP rate structure could have the effect of encouraging more private insurers to enter the primary flood market; however, full risk-based premiums could be unaffordable for some households.

Although the NFIP has always had borrowing authority from Congress, an approach has not been developed by which the NFIP can repay catastrophic flood losses. To ensure the future financial solvency of the NFIP after catastrophic events, FEMA has suggested that a systematic analysis may consider the costs and benefits of using the reserve fund, borrowing authority, reinsurance, other forms of risk transfer, and perhaps a Treasury backstop at some catastrophic loss level.

The House Financial Services Committee reported a bill for the long-term reauthorization of the NFIP, the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3167), on October 28, 2019. One bill has been introduced in the Senate, on July 18, 2019, to reauthorize the expiring provisions of the NFIP: the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019 (S. 2187), with a House companion bill (H.R. 3872) introduced on July 22, 2019.

This report identifies issues for congressional consideration as part of the possible reauthorization of the NFIP, and outlines selected provisions which relate to the issues listed above in the bills to reauthorize the NFIP in the 116th Congress (H.R. 3167 and S. 2187).

Cutting to the chase.... 

Concluding Comments

GAO concluded that the sequence of actions taken by Congress in NFIP reform is important; for example, requiring full-risk rates for all policyholders and expanding the mandatory purchase requirement would create affordability concerns which would warrant having an affordability assistance program already in place. According to GAO, when addressing barriers to private sector involvement, it would be important to protect NFIP’s flood resilience activities at the same time; and addressing the outstanding debt would be best accompanied by premium rate reform to help reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of another unpayable debt buildup.250

As Congress considers a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP, a central question may be who should bear the costs of floodplain occupancy in the future. The NRC study on affordability concluded that the costs of floods can be borne in three possible ways, or in some combination of them. The first scenario is that individual policyholders (whether NFIP or private) bear location cost in the form of insurance premiums paid and damages falling within policy deductible amounts. The second possibility is that the federal taxpayers bear floodplain location costs in several possible ways: if the federal government develops a premium assistance program, or makes up for NFIP premium revenue shortfalls, or pays for pre-flood mitigation, or makes post- flood disaster assistance payments to individual households. In the third scenario, property owners and other floodplain or coastal zone inhabitants bear the costs for losses that are uninsured or otherwise uncompensated.251 While there are many ways to finance flood risk, the majority of the cost will likely ultimately be allocated across these three stakeholder groups: policyholders (the insured), taxpayers, and the uninsured, requiring potentially difficult policy choices by Congress.

Flood in the Delaware River Basin (thanks to Carol Collier, former DRBC ED)

Here are some more related CRS reports:

FEMA Individual Assistance Programs: An Overview  (Updated: 5 December 2019)

A Brief Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program  (26 November 2019)

A Brief Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program: Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress  (26 November 2019) 

Closing the Flood Insurance Gap   (Updated: 26 November 2019) 

Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)  (Updated: 26    
      November 2019)

Private Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
    (Updated: 26 November 2019)

What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?
  (Updated: 26 November 2019)

Enjoy!

"And roots, if they are to bear fruits, must be kept well in the soil of the land." - Pearl Buck (via @CASTagScience)