Got_Water_Cropped_Campana
Aquadoc
Aquadoc

Categories

May 2022

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31        

About

My Photo
Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 12/2006

Favorite Blogs

  • Authentically Wired
    Water and a lot more from Paul F. Miller.
  • AWRA
    The water resources blog of the American Water Resources Association.
  • Blue Marble Earth
    An articulate Earth scientist with an MS in Geography from Oregon State University, Courtney van Stolk explores the 'whys' of this fantastic planet.
  • California Water Blog
    A biologist, economist, engineer and geologist walk onto a bar…From the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC-Davis.
  • Campanastan
    That's 'Campana-stan', or 'Place of Campana', formerly 'Aquablog'. Michael Campana's personal blog, promulgating his Weltanschauung.
  • Chance of Rain
    Journalist Emily Green's take on water and related issues.
  • Dr. Anne Jefferson's Watershed Hydrology Lab
    Anne blogs from Kent State University on a variety of earth science topics.
  • Great Lakes Law
    Noah Hall's blog about - what else - all things wet and legal in the Great Lakes region!
  • International Water Law Project
    Gabriel Eckstein, Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law, comments on international and transboundary water law and policy.
  • John Fleck
    Former science writer @ Albuquerque Journal and current director of the Water Resources Program at U of NM. Topics: Colorado River basin, Western USA water, more!
  • Legal Planet: Environmental Law and Policy
    From the UC-Berkeley and UCLA law schools, it highlights the latest legal and policy initiatives and examines their implications.
  • Maven's Notebook
    A water, science, and environmental policy blog by Chris Austin, aka 'Maven'. Focus is on California.
  • On The Public Record
    A 'low level civil servant who reads a lot of government reports writes about California water and related topics.
  • Wettit - the water reddit
    Water blog with tons of news items, other blogs, etc.
  • Texas Agriculture Law Blog
    Don't let the name fool you - there are lots of water issues in agriculture and Tiffany Dowell of Texas A&M University does a fabulous job with this important Internet resource. Give it a read - I do every day!
  • The Water Blog
    From the Portland, OR, Water Bureau.
  • The Way of Water
    Dr. Jennifer Veilleux records her fieldwork, research, and thoughts about water resources development and management, indigenous rights, ethics, and a host of other issues.
  • Thirsty in Suburbia
    Gayle Leonard documents things from the world of water that make us smile: particularly funny, amusing and weird items on bottled water, water towers, water marketing, recycling, the art-water nexus and working.
  • This Day in Water History
    Michael J. 'Mike' McGuire, engineer extraordinaire, NAE member, and author of 'The Chlorine Revolution', blogs about historical happenings in the fields of drinking water and wastewater keyed to calendar dates.
  • WaSH Resources
    New publications, web sites and multi-media on water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH).
  • Waste, Water, Whatever
    Elizabeth Royte's ('Bottlemania', 'Garbage Land') notes on waste, water, whatever.
  • Water Matters
    News from the Columbia University Water Center.
  • Watershed Moments: Thoughts from the Hydrosphere
    From Sarah Boon - rediscovering her writing and editing roots after 13 years, primarily as an environmental scientist. Her writing centres around creative non-fiction, specifically memoir and nature writing. The landscapes of western Canada are her main inspiration.
  • WaterWired
    All things freshwater: news, comment, publications and analysis from hydrogeologist Michael E. Campana, Professor at Oregon State University and Technical Director of the AWRA.

« November 21, 2021 - November 27, 2021 | Main | December 5, 2021 - December 11, 2021 »

7 posts from November 28, 2021 - December 4, 2021

Monday, 29 November 2021

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 29 November 2021

Last one for November 2021!

I thought I would feature a video from one our OSU Water Resources Graduate Program students, Josiah Shaver. He did something I have never done - attend a COP meeting - COP26 - in Glasgow, Scotland.

He put together this video on his YouTube channel on the experience.

Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************************
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 PDF and Word documents:

PDF: Download EJH_Bulletin_Boards_29Nov2021_WW

Word: Download EJH_Bulletin_Boards_29Nov2021_WW

Note: If a link does not work, try pasting the URL into your browser. Elaine

The articles displayed herein are selected by Dr. Elaine J. Hanford. I do not necessarily agree with the viewpoints expressed and the article descriptions that precede each link.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 29 November 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Civil engineering students conducting large-scale testing to more accurately depict landslide behavior

4 geological workers are missing in Yunnan Province in China – search continues – 4 found dead

Greatly reduced levels of natural remanent magnetization of rock may help detect meteorite impact sites

Understanding behavior of old Waterbury landslide in Vermont may help predict future slope failures

Kaleidoscope of deep-sea life near hydrothermal vents off coast of Mexico

Limestone versus shale

Cotahuasi Canyn near Arequipa, Peru – one of the deepest canyons in the World – ASTER image

In awe of Pele’s power:  Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

“Mantle wind” is geochemical anomaly beneath Panama sourced from the Galapagos plume

History of the Bohemian Mining Company

Geohazard:  lightning strike wounded 13 male prisoners having lunch in Zimbabwe

Lockdown order lifted following lava eruption from Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma Island

Gaofen-3 02 Earth-observation satellite launched by China

Kaririavis mater – new species of Early Cretaceous ornithuromorph bird in South America

North American monsoon formation result of interaction of extratropical circulation & mountain ranges

Mining impacts of energy transition in the Americas

Properties of nanograin crystals may reflect earthquake formation

Retrospective on the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens – improving our understanding

Reconstructing the formation of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau

Liquefaction and subsidence induced by earthquakes

Extreme conditions on the seafloor can support life – ultramafic submarine hydrothermal ecosystems

Bruce Willis & “Armageddon” – no, this is the NASA DART mission to destroy asteroid Dimorphos

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 29 November 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Wild turkeys are creating havoc in US cities – recovered from near extinction

Mule deer in Utah rescued from entanglement in garbage – hunters just want to know if they can now kill it

US Army COE announces completion of $339M C-44 Reservoir & Stormwater Treatment Area intended to clean water before it flows into St Lucie River and then Indian River Lagoon

Remember the “Cancer Moonshot Taskforce” – no one does as cancer research funds are cut

SCOTUS backs Tennessee over Mississippi in claim for groundwater

Dozens of coal-fired power plants may be forced to shut down due to new wastewater rule

“false precision to (projected) climate outcomes given during COP26” – “backcasting” approach

Alzheimer’s drug caused brain swelling (ARIA) in 35% of patients taking ‘approved dose’

Vandalism in form of painted rocks found at yet another National Park – “RVing Rocks”

Small diverse farms in New England provide habitat for shrubland birds

“Green infrastructure” to reduce flood risks in neighborhoods in New Orleans

Putting solar canopies over parking lots may be smart green move – better than using undeveloped land

New analysis of ancient texts & genetic data suggests greater impact of Justinianic Plague across Eurasia between 6th and 8th Centuries

Fight against plagues and predators to protect biodiversity – pest & weed control in Australia

Ancient cities produced toxic pollution – just not on the same scale as modern urban areas

Some animals eaten at first Thanksgiving are now either endangered or extinct

New projection of the future World population says by year 2100 will be between 6.3 and 8.8 billion – UN population estimate is 10.9 billion – human population greatly exceeds carrying capacity

Board of Zoning Appeals rejects request for special permit to construct lithium-ion battery renewable energy storage facility in Massachusetts

Mexico decree requires all federal agencies to give automatic approval for public works deemed to be “in the national interest” or “involve national security” – sidesteps all environmental, accountability & feasibility review processes

Update:  James River environmental health – improvements stalled over past six years

Vitrification plant to treat nuclear waste in Hanford, Washington – startup testing phase

Conway, South Carolina, installing “Perk E Pave” using recycled tires to make permeable pavement

US petroleum reserves will flood the market with sour crude that is heavy in sulfur content – pointless political move

Number of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales will be “whittled down”

Photo-essay:  National Parks in winter

Emergency managers should plan for volcanic activity in US Southwest

Selling oil from Strategic Reserves without affecting prices will hurt the economy

Feral hogs continue to overwhelm Corona, California

“Buy Nothing” Project

CRS Insight:  US Army COE Civil Works – Primer & Resources – COE has $109B in backlogged projects

Using quarries for landfill sites started out as a good idea – but now causes problems in Maine

Famous springs in Florida are polluted and water flows are declining

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission declared water shortage emergency – 10% reduction in use

Paying down accumulated student debt may sound like good thing – but would cause an economic crisis, reinforces lack of responsibility for personal actions & contributes funds to amazing research

Coronavirus COVID-19 statistics by country (click on USA to get State statistics) & CDC tracker

https://time.com/5800901/coronavirus-map/

Reality check on the effectiveness & efficacy of the vaccines – efficacy exceeded 50% threshold – overall 73% effectiveness wanes over time declining to 47%

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 29 November 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Powderhorn Ranch donation to State of Texas will become coastal state park

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/powderhorn-ranch-donation-texas-one-133010213.html

US Army COE & City to redesign flood protection for Ala Wai watershed – voided 100-year $651M flood design labeled over-engineering – want practicality at lesser cost

• https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/11/19/army-corps-engineers-city-try-again-ala-waiflood-control/

Crab migration on Christmas Island

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/crab-migration-continues-christmas-island-120629881.html

Port of Virginia announces $61.5M construction bid for doubling size of Central Rail Yard at Norfolk

• https://www.wavy.com/news/business/port-of-virginia-approves-61-million-construction-bidto-expand-rail-capacity/

Plan to connect Northern Ireland & Scotland with bridge or tunnel is ruled out due to costs & engineering challenges

• https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59368707

Updated Coastal Habitat Protection Plan in NC to improve health of wetlands & estuaries

• https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-11-23/environment/ncs-updated-coastal-habitatplan-focuses-on-seagrass-local-solutions/a76664-1

• https://coastalreview.org/2021/11/coastal-habitat-protection-plan-2021-amendmentapproved/

• 2021 Amendment: https://deq.nc.gov/media/25244/open

Things to do if you visit Coastal Bodega Bay in California

• https://www.travelawaits.com/2709555/things-to-do-in-bodega-bay/

Earmarking $1.7M for coastal resiliency at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey

• https://centraljersey.com/2021/11/23/pallone-applauds-1-7-million-investment-in-coastalresiliency-at-u-s-naval-weapons-station-earle/

Sea otters are ravenous predators that feast on urchins & destructive species in coastal ecosystems

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sea-otters-climate-change

Mysterious plague decimated coastal Indigenous population in New England prior to arrival of Pilgrims

• https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/24/arts/new-documentary-great-dying-uncoverstragic-chapter-indigenous-history-before-pilgrims-arrived/

• Documentary film: https://video.nhpbs.org/video/surviving-new-englands-great-dying-cz5lwy/

Invasive green crabs taking over coastal habitats in Coos Bay, Oregon

• https://www.ijpr.org/environment-energy-and-transportation/2021-11-22/invasive-greencrabs-affecting-coastal-environment-in-coos-bay

Paper: Projecting impacts of land subsidence and sea level rise on storm surge in North Carolina

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01096-7

Manatees should soon begin annual fall migration to inland waters

• https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2021/11/23/annual-manateemigration-should-start-once-gulf-mexico-waters-cool/8732445002/

Involving communities in conserving coastal & marine areas in South Africa

• https://theconversation.com/how-south-africa-can-get-communities-involved-in-conservingcoastal-and-marine-areas-170294

Challenges of ocean terrain and engineering offshore wind farms

• https://eos.org/features/ocean-terrain-and-the-engineering-challenges-for-offshore-windfarms

Decommissioning closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station may include releasing 1M gallons of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/pilgrim-nuclear-plant-may-release-232151963.html

“In the West, when you touch water, you touch everything.” – Wayne N. Aspinall

Posted on Monday, 29 November 2021 at 12:21 AM in Blogs, Twitters, WWW sites, e-Newsletters, & Lists, Elaine Hanford's Bulletin Boards, Readings, Journals, Videos, Films & Visuals, World Water | | Comments (0)

| | | |

Sunday, 28 November 2021

CRS Report: 'U.S. Forest Ownership and Management: Background and Issues for Congress'

Katie Hoover and Anne A. Riddle assembled this important CRS report (24 November 2021): U.S. Forest Ownership and Management: Background and Issues for Congress'.

I have to admit I just scanned the ToC and have not read the report. I had hoped there would be a discussion of the importance and role of forests in providing water. I did note that 'water' is at the end of the third line in the summary, but later on we're cautioned that the report won't present an in-depth discussion of that issue. Water has its own bullet on page 7. The report can't be all things to all people.  

Download CRS_Report_USForestOwnership_Mgmt_Issues_Congree_24Nov2021

Summary
The 765 million acres of forests across the United States provide many social, economic, and ecological resources and uses. A forest’s health—generally, the status of its ecological integrity and functioning—influences its ability to provide resources and uses, including air and water resources, fish and wildlife habitat, opportunities for recreation and cultural use, timber resources, and more. As a result, Congress may be interested in the health and management of the nation’s forest resources. The potential scope of congressional involvement in U.S. forest resources varies, based primarily on ownership; Congress has a direct role in the management of forests owned by the federal government but a more indirect role regarding forests in nonfederal ownership.

Screen Shot 2021-11-28 at 2.36.03 PM

As of 2017, the federal government managed 238 million acres (31%) of U.S. forests; the rest were in nonfederal (private, state, or local) ownership. Private forest owners can be classified as corporate or noncorporate, and noncorporate forest owners can be further classified as family, tribal, and other. Private noncorporate forests account for approximately 38% of U.S. forest area (272 million acres), and corporate forests account for 20% (156 million acres). State and local governments manage 84 million acres (11%) of U.S. forestland. The distribution of forest ownership varies regionally: most of the forests in the eastern United States are privately owned, whereas most forests in the western regions are publicly owned. Nationwide, more privately owned forests than publicly owned forests contain timberlands, a subset of forestland capable of producing crops of industrial wood.

The resources and uses that a forest provides can be complementary or competing. As such, forest management and use are perennially complex, often contentious issues. Forest owners may manage forests—intervene in their processes and composition—to promote desired objectives, which vary; there is no single management objective across all U.S. forests or ownerships. Private forest owners have nearly complete discretion over which management objectives to pursue. Conversely, public forest management decisions are stipulated by laws and regulations, including requirements for transparency in the decisionmaking process and opportunities for the public to comment on and challenge decisions. Most forest owners manage their lands for multiple objectives, often with a primary objective. For example, some owners manage their forests principally for timber production, undertaking specific management activities to promote productivity and timber growth. Most federal forests are managed for a balance of multiple of uses, with no single or primary use as a principal management objective. Because forests may be managed for different objectives, methods for measuring and assessing forest outcomes vary considerably.

Screen Shot 2021-11-28 at 2.36.45 PM

U.S. forest resources are heterogeneous, as are the biophysical conditions in forests and the management objectives, constraints, and capabilities of forest owners. Biophysical characteristics (e.g., climate) determine a forest’s baseline potential to support different tree species, growth, and productivity. Other factors, such as exposure to disturbances (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires, pest infestations), can further affect forest conditions. Management choices can influence or mediate the effects of some—but not all—biophysical factors and disturbances (e.g., by choosing which species to grow or whether to treat pest infestations). The measurable outcomes for any given forest—such as timber production, forest health, or other metrics—result from the merging of biophysical factors, disturbances, and management decisions. However, forest conditions may produce resources and outcomes in ways that specific management activities, regardless of ownership, cannot mitigate or overcome. For example, though forest management activities may focus on preventing, treating, or facilitating recovery from various forest health stressors, the extent to which management practices can demonstrably improve health conditions is difficult to assess. Although it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions regarding forest outcomes by ownership class, some distinct ownership trends exist. For example, the South produces the most timber of any region; because most forests in the South are privately owned, little of that timber production originates from public forests.

Screen Shot 2021-11-28 at 2.41.02 PM

Congress’s interest in the nation’s forest resources is multifold. Across all ownerships, Congress may be interested in the capacity of the nation’s forests to survive and recover from disturbance events and to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Congress also may be interested in mitigating risks associated with adverse health conditions and otherwise ensuring forests continue to provide benefits to surrounding communities. Issues for Congress may include whether and how to address those interests and concerns, regardless of ownership. Congress also may have ownership-specific interests, such as federal forest management or the federal government’s role in providing assistance for nonfederal forests. In addition, Congress has expressed interest in understanding the extent, if any, to which nonfederal forests have better forest management and forest health outcomes relative to federally managed forests.

Let's jump to...

Issues for Congress
Because forests provide many public benefits, Congress may have multifold interests in the nation’s forest resources. Across all ownerships, Congress may be interested in the ecological, economic, and social benefits that U.S. forests provide to the nation generally and to surrounding communities specifically. To promote these benefits, Congress may be interested in maintaining or improving the ecological health and functioning of the nation’s forests, as well as in enhancing their capacity to survive and recover from disturbance events and adapt to changing climatic conditions. Similarly, Congress may be interested in preventing, treating, or facilitating recovery from various forest health stressors to reduce risk to people and timber resources or to promote other forest values. Congress also may be interested in improving or maintaining forests’ economic and social benefits to communities and industries by enhancing certain forest resources or supporting certain forest uses.

To address these interests, one issue for Congress may be whether the baseline understanding of the nation’s forest resources and conditions is sufficient. Congress may want to consider whether the level of federal investment in forest inventorying, monitoring, and research across U.S. forests is sufficient, too high, or too low; accordingly, Congress may choose to alter the amount or type of federal resources invested in those activities.

Another issue for Congress may be the federal government’s role in addressing forest management and health concerns or mitigating forest risks. Congress may want to consider whether the level of federal investment in forest management generally is appropriate and may adjust federal resources accordingly. This could involve changes to the levels of federal funding, staffing, or other resources for either federal or nonfederal forest management, or both. Congress also may be interested in forest health or management issues by specific ownership class. For example, Congress may be specifically interested in issues related to management of federal forests. Congress also may be interested in federal authorities for assisting nonfederal forest owners, such as whether these authorities cover desired issues or account for desired ownership categories. These ownership-specific issues are discussed in more depth in other CRS products.

Another issue for Congress may be whether and how to address forest risks that span multiple ownership boundaries. For example, Congress may want to consider expanding or facilitating cross-boundary forest management activities. This could be through authorizing and/or incentivizing a variety of federal and nonfederal partnerships and collaborations. In contrast, Congress may want to restrict those activities, for example, to target more specific concerns or areas.

Very worthwhile, indeed.

Enjoy!

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on Sunday, 28 November 2021 at 02:49 PM in CRS, FMSO & GAO Reports, Land, Food & Water , Policy, Planning, Governance, IWRM & Management | | Comments (0)

| | | |

«

Translation


Visitors

  • Visitors
    Locations of visitors to this page
Top_50_water_blogs
Geology Site that Rocks!
Featured in Alltop
TheReefTank
proudly awards
this site as
Recommended Reading
Please vote for it
in the community!





Vote for us!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to WaterWired

Find the best blogs at Blogs.com.

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

More...

Categories

Archives

More...

WWW sites