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Save your Energy for National Environmental Education Week: Students get smart in annual build-up to Earth Day April 15-22
Washington, D.C. – National Environmental Education Week, the largest organized environmental education event in U.S. history, is focused this year on making students aware of energy: where it comes from, how much they use, and how they can take charge of its impact on the environment.
A recent MTV Poll conducted in June of 2006 reports teens think the environment is the most pressing problem they think they will have to face in their lifetime. "The last thing teens need is another worry, so let's engage them in something where they can feel they are making a difference" said Diane Wood, president of the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF) which organizes the event each year. "The great thing about an energy focus is that kids can grasp quickly how much they depend on energy and what they can do to best conserve it. Even better they can measure their impact and multiply it further by engaging their families.”
NEETF, in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the North American Association for Environmental Education and dozens of other non-profit organizations and local, state, and federal agencies have launched the third annual EE Week, sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc. The focus of EE Week this year is to teach students, educators, and families how to reduce energy consumption in their schools and homes. Over 3 million students and 100,000 educators are anticipated to participate in the program, culminating in over 5,000 Earth Day service projects and 50 million hours of learning by April 22, 2007. For details, see www.EEWeek.org.
In the News - Government report warns of sea-rise threat to U.S. coasts A report released by the National Research Council's Transportation Research board explores the threat to transportation networks due to climate change sea level rise. According to the report, tens of thousands of miles of highway and rail corridor will become vulnerable to erosion, chronic flooding and other stresses over the next century as a warming climate causes an increase in extreme weather conditions. The report predicts that some of the nation's busiest airports could see increased service interruptions and runway closures because of sea level rise and storm surges. The report expects an increase in very hot days and heat waves, increases in Arctic temperatures, increases in hurricane activity, increases in intense precipitation events, and rising sea levels. Those factors, coupled with an expected population growth in coastal zones, will create a greater demand on the transportation infrastructure. The report notes there is a need for innovative and collaborative thinking and planning on the parts of planners, engineers, and managers to address this growing problem. Another study, led by the Environmental Protection Agency joined by other agencies, expresses a similar warning on infrastructure and adds a concern for beaches, wetlands and fresh-water supplies that also are threatened due to encroaching saltwater. For more information or to read the report:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20080311.html;
http://climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-1/public-review-draft/
NOAA releases first report to Congress on Deep Sea Coral Research - On March 13, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the first report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program called for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). The report, prepared under NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and in consultation with the Nation's eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, provides information on steps taken by NOAA and partners to identify, monitor, and protect deep sea coral areas. Copies of the report can be downloaded at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/rtc.pdf.
NOAA requests comments on IOOS strategic plan - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Integrated Ocean Observing System Program (IOOS) Program published a notice on behalf of the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology-Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observation's (JSOST-IWGOO) announcing a 30-day public comment period for the five-year IOOS Strategic Plan (73, Federal Register, p. 12955, March 11). The five year plan will be used by the IWGOO to build an implementation plan that will describe in more detail the roles and responsibilities that will be undertaken by the interagency members. To view the Strategic Plan:
http://www.ocean.us /IWGOO/SPcomments .
Return of Seagrasses Indicate Sarasota Bay Health is Improving: Findings Released to Coincide with “Seagrass Awareness Month”
SARASOTA, FL – March 20, 2008 Seagrasses are so vital that Governor Charlie Crist has proclaimed March “Seagrass Awareness Month.” In 2006, seagrass communities in Florida supported an estimated harvest of $71,400,000 for six seagrass-dependent, commercial fish and shellfish species. The seagrass community of Florida is reported as being “the largest seagrass meadow in the world.”
The regeneration of seagrasses in Sarasota Bay indicates that water quality is improving. This positive trend is reported by the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), which regularly monitors seagrass coverage as an indicator of water quality. Aerial photographs in combination with on-the-ground verification reveal that the Bay now supports 9,855 acres of seagrass beds. This represents a significant gain of 5,587 acres of new or improved seagrass beds since historical lows in 1988 primarily as a result of declines in water clarity and dredge-and-fill operations.
“This could be the tipping point,” says SBEP Senior Scientist Gary Raulerson. “The increase in seagrass coverage supports that the Bay is much healthier than it was 20 years ago.” Seagrasses are not only a sensitive indicator of water quality but also a critical marine habitat for juvenile fish, affording them protection from predators as well as bountiful feeding opportunities.
The regeneration of seagrasses in Sarasota Bay shows that the estuarine system is responding to the projects outlined in SBEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan designed to reduce pollution, nutrient levels and improve habitat. Since the inception of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program in 1989, nitrogen pollution has been reduced by approximately 50 percent. This reduction is mainly due to improvements in the treatment of wastewater.
Today stormwater run-off is the number one source of nitrogen pollution to Sarasota Bay accounting for approximately 61% of the load. When rainfall washes across the watershed it collects the debris and residue of our daily lives and becomes stormwater run-off. The treatment of stormwater is going to be key to the future restoration of Sarasota Bay.
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Awards Funding for Bay-Friendly Projects to Local Organizations
SARASOTA, FL, March 17, 2008 – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is pleased to announce the awarding of Funding for Bay-Friendly Projects grants to several local community organizations. The grants promote Bay Education, Bay Restoration and Bay-Friendly Landscaping and help improve the overall quality of Sarasota Bay and its tributaries. This year SBEP received grant applications from 10 different organizations in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
This year’s grant recipients include: Mote Marine Laboratory, Village at Beekman Place, Anna Maria Environmental Education and Enhancement Committee, Anna Maria Historical Society, Bradenton Beach WAVES Committee, Riggs Landing Condominium Association, Windward Bay Condominium Association, Pelican Cove Condominium Association, Palma Sola Scenic Highway, and Hudson Bayou Neighborhood Association. Funding for Bay-Friendly Projects applications were reviewed by a panel of Citizens Advisory Committee members. The committee made decisions based on how the proposed projects addressed the issues of stormwater runoff and pollution prevention; wildlife habitat restoration and protection; recreational use and Bay access; and environmental education and awareness.
Need a Speaker for Your Homeowners Association, Group or Club? - then contact Julia Burch, Public Outreach Coordinator with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. PowerPoint presenations on topics such as Bay-Friendly Landscaping, About SBEP and the Bay, Stormwater and You, and much more! 955-8085 or julia@sarasotabay.org. Childrens programs also available.
Hudson Bayou Public Comment Wanted! - Sarasota Bay Estuary Program in cooperation with the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County are solicitng public comment on the health and restoration of Hudson Bayou. If you have specific concerns about Hudson Bayou or ideas about how to improve Hudson Bayou please submit your comments in writing to Rob Wright with Sarasota County at rwright@scgov.net or Julia Burch with SBEP at julia@sarasotabay.org.
The National Estuary Program (NEP)Turns 20! - This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the National Estuary Programs, of which SBEP is one of the oldest. The National Estuary Program was created by the Water Quality Act of 1987.
"EPA is excited to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its coastal partnership program, the National Estuary Program (NEP). The NEP is a leading model for watershed-based management nationwide. It has served as an effective catalyst for producing environmental results at the local level, helping community stakeholders identify, develop, and carry out solutions to local environmental problems. Nationwide, this has meant protecting or restoring over 1 million acres of estuarine habitat." Suzanne Schwartz, Director of EPA's Oceans and Coastal Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
The National Estuary Program was created by the Water Quality Act of 1987, influenced by public alarm over beach closures, fish kills, contaminated shellfish beds, and a general sense of deteriorating coastal environments. There was growing awareness of the impacts of nonpoint source pollution, and that such impacts were related to the surge in coastal growth and development. More fundamentally, there was new appreciation of estuaries as an incredibly rich and varied resource at increasing risk from cumulative activities in coastal watersheds.
Congress recognized that in order to achieve long-term protection of water quality and living resources – the fundamental “fishable, swimmable” goals of the Clean Water Act – the participation of those most affected by environmental decisions was critical.
The NEP is a voluntary program that brings a community together to improve its estuary using a forum to establish relationships and the trust necessary to develop solutions. This fosters a higher likelihood of long-term success because solutions are “owned” by participants who have a stake in reaching them.
What began in 1987 with six local NEPs scattered around the country, has grown to 28 in 18 states (4 in Florida alone!) and Puerto Rico. The project sites offer a broad range of environmental conditions and stakeholder representation.
For more information on the NEP program visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/nepprimer/documents/NEPPrimer.pdf
Soil Compaction Study at Lakewood Ranch - Sarasota Bay Estuary Program has contracted with University of Florida to conduct a soil compaction study on new and older development in Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch residence have volunteered to participate in the study. For more information please contact Julia Burch at 941-955-8085.
For more info on upcoming events please visit the Calendar section of this website.
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