WaterWired

CRS InFocus Report: 'Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery'

Katie Hoover updated (2 May 2022) this CRS report: 'Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery'.

Download CRS_InFocus_Fed_Asst_Wildfire_Res_Recovery_2May2022

Introduction
Wildfires are unplanned fires. Wildfires can have some beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but they often threaten homes and communities, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Wildfires are sometimes caused by lightning strikes and may occur when a prescribed burn escapes control or through other human activities (deliberate or accidental). Annually from 2012 to 2021, there were an average of 61,289 wildfires, with an average of 7.4 million acres impacted and an average of 8,000 structures burned. In 2021, 58,968 wildfires impacted 7.1 million acres and burned nearly 6,000 structures nationwide, 60% (3,577) of which were residences.

Congress and other stakeholders have considered options for federal support and assistance to address wildfire suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery, and land management activities to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires, among other issues.

 Important stuff: to obtain any of the following, go hereand search on the report name or number.

CRS Products
CRS Report R40884, Wildfires: CRS Experts
CRS Insight IN11716, 2021 Wildfire Season: Brief

Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources

CRS Report R43738, Fire Management Assistance Grants: Frequently Asked Questions

CRS Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation

CRS Report RS21212, Agricultural Disaster Assistance CRS Report R43784, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration

Process: A Primer
CRS Report R40811, Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction

CRS In Focus IF11539, Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP)

Enjoy!

"You can always tell how good a dean is by the number of @ass_deans in the college. A greater number of @ass_deans always indicates a better dean!" - @ass_deans

My Age-O-Meter Redux: 52nd Anniversary of Earth Day!

Written in 2020: It's the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, so happy 51st Earth Day! Since I was 21 on the first Earth Day then 21 + 50 =......Okay...

I won't bore you with my story of what I did on the first Earth Day in 1970; you can read about it here. Yeah, I helped build a dam.

One thing I learned: don't follow the advice indicated by this graphic from the January 1963 Popular Science. Even in 1970 we knew this was a bad idea - and not because the gravel is unnecessary! 

To celebrate Earth and do good deed or two. Just keep 6 feet apart from others and wear a mask.

I do remember the first Earth Day in 1970. I was 21, about to graduate with a BS in Geology from the College of William and Mary, get married, and head to the wild west - Tucson, Arizona, and the University of Arizona where I would study a new field, hydrology. It was a great excuse for many (but not moi) to skip classes but I actually helped do something useful: build a dam. 

Build a dam? On Earth Day? Did we not get the message down there in the Colonial Capital of the Old Dominion? 

Runoff (I knew some hydrologic terms even then) from a construction site was dumping (I knew enviro-lingo even then - 'dumping', not 'transporting' or 'depositing') sediment into our beloved Lake Matoaka, hallowed site of many ancient and sacred rituals (annual 3.2 beer can regatta, etc.). Thomas Jefferson, he who founded The University but attended W&M, reputedly lost his virginity there every week or so. These epochal events were celebrated nightly by many reverent, tradition-conscious undergraduates and wayward faculty. 

W&M didn't have an engineering program, so dam construction was left to geologists (not a bad idea - think Oroville Dam spillway). What, we were going to ask the physics majors? We'd still be arguing about strength of materials, charge density, and moments of inertia.

So build we did.

My sed-strat classmates (I had none who would admit to being geomorphologists) protested our plans because they wanted to witness an event that normally took millennia to complete: formation of a delta. But led by paleontologist Dr. Gerry Johnson, we won the day, constructed the dam (a replica of which is shown here), and saved our beloved waterway from premature infilling. 

There was much celebrating that evening at the lake. And much contamination the next day - something for Earth Day 1971 to address.

And that's the truth (at least the part about building the dam).

Today I would have been boarding a flight to Virginia to partake in my 50th college reunion at the College of William and Mary. As they say, 'Wait'll next year!".

How's this for an interesting Earth Day factoid. Richard M. Nixon (R) - during whose presidency the EPA, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act were all created - died on this day in 1994. Who would have imagined that? 

So now, on this 53rd Earth Day where I am in Williamsburg for my twice-delayed 50th reunion, all I can say is:

Enjoy!

P.S. My Oregon State University email is non-functional so if you want to contact me, use aguadoc@live.com.

I hope the Weekly Water News Summary is back next week!

“Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.” -- H.L. Mencken (tnx @danfagin)

Lisa's Lovely Lake Lore: 'Ghosts, Ghouls, Crimes of the Lakes; Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy; and Haunted Hydrology'

In AWRA's March-April 2022 issue of Water Resources IMPACT The Lakes Sampler is a wonderful trifecta by the talented Lisa Beutler: Ghost, Ghouls and Crimes of the Lakes; The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy; and The Value of Haunted Hydrology.

Download Water Resources IMPACT Lisa Beutler March:April 2022

Enjoy!

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

- 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' by Gordon Lightfoot

Elaine J. Hanford Article: 'Pluvial Lakes of the Great Basin'

In AWRA's March-April 2022 issue of Water Resources IMPACT The Lakes Sampler is a great piece by friend Elaine J. Hanford, familiar to many of you for her 'Bulletin Boards' I post each Monday. It's a fascinating story of the creation and demise of the great lakes that once occupied the Great Basin - mainly Utah, Nevada and yes, even Oregon. Think Great Salt Lake, Pyramid Lake (Nevada), and yes, Oregon's Lake Abert and Summer Lake, both remnants of Lake
Chewaucan. Here are my earlier posts about Lake Abert:

My Ten Cents: Lake Abert Redux - Who Cares? (16 January 2022) and 

My Ten Cents: Lake Abert Redux Revisited - Who Cares? Lots? Well, Maybe a Few (5 February 2022)

I cut my hydrologic teeth in the Great Basin of Nevada, very similar to Oregon east of the Cascade Range. The western part of the USA is known for its pluvial (sometimes called 'glacial') lakes, which formed during the Pleistocene Epoch, when the climate was wetter than now because of the effects of the continental glaciation to the north. My former Desert Research Institute colleagues Marty Mifflin and Peg Wheat were experts on these lakes and I learned a lot from them. Here is their classic 1979 publication, Pluvial lakes and estimated pluvial climates of Nevada.

Download Mifflin_Wheat_Pluvial_Lakes_NV

Elaine's article does them justice.

Download Hanford Water Resources IMPACT March:April 2022

Here are her first two paragraphs:

Anyone who has lived in the Great Basin of the Western United States has vivid memories of the impacts of the Pineapple Express (a.k.a., atmospheric rivers). Torrential rains that spawned mudslides and debris flow or epic snowstorms that enhanced snowpacks by tens of feet and supported skiers well into the summer months are memorable because they bring vast amounts of precipitation to a currently water-stressed region. More recent headlines have bemoaned the impacts of drought on the Great Salt Lake in Utah and the demise of Lake Abert in south-central Oregon.

The vagaries of weather can vary from season to season, year to year, or even decade to decade. But geology and hydrology remind us that we must view such conditions in the longer term, by understanding the history of pluvial lakes in the Great Basin as climate has fluctuated. Scientific understanding  of the changes over geologic time can help minimize unintended consequences of human activities and support more sustainable interactions with our environment.

Great job, Elaine!

"Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?" - Tom Stoppard

CRS Report: 'Earth Day - Fact Sheet'

Ben Leubsdorf produced this unique CRS report (20 January 2022): 'Earth Day - Fact Sheet'.

I have pasted the entire report without footnotes (3 pages) plus the PDF below.
Some links to the resources would have been helpful. The graphic is from the Earth Day site. 

Download CRS_Report Earth_Day_Fact_Sheet_20Jan2022

Introduction
Earth Day is an annual event to raise awareness about environmental issues. First held on April 22, 1970, it is celebrated each year on April 22.

This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Earth Day. It contains historical information, links to legislation, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and statements, and web resources.

History
The first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970, after Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin called for teach-ins on college campuses nationwide to raise awareness of environmental issues. “I am convinced that the same concern the youth of this nation took in changing this country’s priorities on the war in Vietnam and on civil rights can be shown for the problems of the environment,” he told an audience in Seattle, WA, on September 20, 1969. 

Planning began in Senator Nelson’s office and was handed off to a nonprofit organization, Environmental Teach-In, Inc., staffed by “a group of twentysomething activists.” Organizers selected April 22, a weekday after the end of winter weather but before the start of final exams, to maximize students’ participation. Millions of Americans participated in rallies, teach-ins, speeches, and other locally organized events across the country on Earth Day, attracting significant news coverage. 

Senator Nelson initially intended Earth Day to be a one-time event. “I did not plan another Earth Day because it could not be duplicated and there would be no special purpose in attempting it. The objective of Earth Day was fully accomplished,” he wrote in 1971. Over time, April 22 became an annual celebration of the environment and the environmental movement marked by volunteer work, educational programs, and other events. 

Washington, DC, hosted anniversary rallies in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of online events marked Earth Day’s 50th anniversary in 2020. 

Earth Day is not a federal holiday, though public laws designated Earth Day on March 21, 1975 (P.L. 94-8); April 22, 1990 (P.L. 101-186); and April 22, 1991 (P.L. 102-34). Resolutions introduced in the 92nd Congress (1971-1972) and 93rd Congress (1973-1974) would have designated either April 22, the third Wednesday of April, or March 21 (the vernal equinox) as Earth Day on an annual basis, but no further action was taken. Legislation introduced in the 106th Congress (1999-2000) would have designated April 22 as Earth Day, but no further action was taken. 

The United Nations designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day in 2009. The United Nations also has designated June 5 as World Environment Day since 1974. 

Recent Commemorative Legislation
H.Res. 346 (2021) would have expressed support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.

S.Res. 593 (2020) would have recognized the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the leadership of its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson.

H.Res. 932 (2020) would have expressed support for honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and for other purposes.

H.Res. 330 (2019) would have expressed support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.

Related CRS Report
CRS Report R44431, Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background and Current Practice, by Jacob R. Straus and Jared C. Nagel.

Sample Speeches and Recognitions
Senator Ben Cardin, “Earth Day,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 167 (April 22, 2021), pp. S2162-S2163.

Representative Glenn Thompson, “Celebrating Earth Day with Ferndale Area Elementary School,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 167 (April 22, 2021), p. H2059.

Representative Harley Rouda, “Honoring the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day,” Extension of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166 (April 17, 2020), p. E369.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, “Recognizing Earth Day and Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 164 (April 18, 2018), p. H3404.

Representative Bob Dold, “Earth Day,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (April 21, 2016), pp. H1914-H1915.

Representative Loretta Sanchez, “Earth Day,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (April 20, 2016), p. H1878.

Presidential Proclamations and Remarks
Presidents often release statements or issue proclamations to mark Earth Day. Some recent messages from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:

 Presidential Proclamations and Remarks—President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2021-)

 Presidential Statements and Messages—President Donald J. Trump (2017-2020)

 Presidential Proclamations and Remarks—President Barack H. Obama (2009-2016)

 Presidential Statements and Remarks—President George W. Bush (2001-2008)

 Presidential Statements and Remarks—President William J. Clinton (1993-2000)

Earlier presidential statements and proclamations related to Earth Day are available through the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Web Resources
Earth Day Network, “Earth Day: The Official Site”

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, “Earth Day”

Library of Congress, “Earth Day: Selected Resources”

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “Earth Day 2020: 50th Anniversary Toolkit”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “Earth Day”

National Park Service (NPS), “Earth Day”

Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Wisconsin Historical Society, “Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day: The Making of the Modern Environmental Movement”

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), “Earth Day”

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Earth Day”

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “Earth Day”

U.S. Senate, “Gaylord Nelson Promotes the First Earth Day”

Just about 3 more months - 22 April!

Enjoy!

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” - Gaylord Nelson