Workshop Descriptions
Track 1 ~ Emerging
Issues
Do you know what new problems your watershed could encounter next year? What are
the new ideas coming over the horizon? Workshops in this track will highlight
pragmatic approaches to coping with drought, floods, energy development and other
potential headaches for watershed organizers. Track Leaders:
Wendy Wilson and Gayle Killam
1A
~ After the Hurricanes: Science and Policy
Ecological destruction caused by Hurricante Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast
was exacerbated by years of human alteration of the natural features. What is
the opportunity presented? How are policy and economic decisions affecting this
opportunity? Does the ecological restoration fit in the context of the social
and economic destruction? What is the role watershed groups can play around the
country for this region and their own? Panel
led by: Dean Wilson, Atchafalaya Riverkeeper
1B
~ Legal Options: Issues of Going to Court
Have you exhausted all your options? Is it time to seek legal counsel and build
your case for a lawsuit? Hopefully, you have already been tracking things that
will help build your case. There are many legal resources available to watershed
organizations though nearby law schools or non-profit environmental clinics. How
do you find these resources? How does the lawyer-client relationship work? How
do you get them to take your case? What are the challenges in this relationship?
Come to hear about what you should be considering before deciding to go to court.
Presenter:
Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law School/Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Clinic.
1C
~ More Water Less Storage: Meeting Vital Water Needs
As our rivers face the prospect of new dams to provide more water storage, it
is important that we know how to evaluate alternative water storage proposals.
We will discuss these options, share information about water storage proposals
that groups are engaged in, and provide participants with innovative ways to work
together to meet water demands. Led
by Andrew Fahlund, American Rivers.
1D
~ Dam Removal: Community, Historic and Engineering Perspectives
This workshop will focus on the community, social and historic aspects of dam
removal projects in the Northeast and the more technical aspects of these projects.
Led
by American Rivers staff members: Stephanie Lindloff, Laura Wildman, and Serena
McClain.
1E
~ Who Owns Our Water?
This workshop will explore the pros and cons of private ownership of municipal
water distribution systems. In this country some public water supply systems have
been privately for years. But recent buy-outs and the potential of foreign ownership
have created tensions in some communities. What happens when a system is bought
by a new owner, and can the public ever get it back? Presenter:
Olivia Zink, Save Our Groundwater.
1F
~ What Does Wild and Scenic Mean Anyway?
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 is seen by many people as the ultimate
level of federal protection for outstanding rivers in America. But what does it
really mean when a river is designated and how are designated rivers actually
protected today? What happens when development impacts encroach on a Wild and
Scenic river? This workshop will examine some of the ways local citizen action
can be combined with federal protection to benefit rivers and their surrounding
lands. This session will involve people who are dealing with rivers in the Wild
and Scenic river system and help others working to get rivers designated to evaluate
the pros and cns. Panel
Led by Scott Bosse, Greater Yellowstone Coalition; Tim Palmer; Quinn McKew, American
Rivers; Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United.
1G
~ Coal-Bed Methane Sweeps the Nation
Search for and development of the methane associated with seams of coal underground
has caused and is continuing to cause significant destruction to freshwater sources
both surface and ground waters, across the nation. The coal seams that are often
too small, deep or low quality to justify the costs of extraction have attracted
the attention of the energy developers because of this associated resource. Groups
in Wyoming have been fighting to protect their waters large and small, seen and
unseen for quite some time. We will hear some lessons learned and words of wisdom
for the rest of the country. Presenters:
Jill Morrison, Powder River Basin Resource Council and Gary Collins, Mni Sose, Arapaho Tribe delegate.
1H
~ Putting the Farm Bill to Work
The reauthorization of the nation's Farm Bill is likely to happen this year. Many
groups are spending time on this effort because it involves so much money through
grants and subsidies to farming communities, families and corporations. In recent
years, many watershed groups have learned the benefits and challenges of trying
to engage in Farm Bill programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
(CREP) to address nonpoint agricultural runoff issues in their watershed. Come
to hear about the likely changes, opportunities and how it will be relevant for
your state and watershed. Presenter:
Martha Noble, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
1I
~ Powerful Rivers: Hydropower Today
For fifteen years hydropower reform has been a successful river restoration tool.
This workshop will address changes in the regulatory climate, new conflicts and
disputes that may reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and where river advocates will
go from here. We also will address new "dam-less" technologies that promise to
add more power to the grid. Led
by staff of American Rivers.
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Track 2 ~ Health and Freshwater
Examining the links between human health and freshwater. Pollution in our rivers
often is the start of a pathway by which humans are exposed to environmental contaminants.
Sometimes the link is direct, such as when people swim in contaminated water or
eat contaminated fish. At other times the link is less direct, such as when polluted
river water seeps into ground water and contaminates drinking water. Understanding,
exploring and educated the public about these connections will interest the broader
public and galvanize more support for our work. Track Leader:
Steve Dickens.
2A ~ Community Health Problems:
Case Studies from Indian Country
Hundreds of communities across the U.S. face public health problems that result from water-based contamination. We’ll hear from several speakers, each who has been working on these issues in a different part of the country. These case studies are each from Indian Country but are applicable to all communities. Presenters: Ann Backus (Tar Creek, Oklahoma), Wes Martel (Wind River, Wyoming), Glenn Reynolds (Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin).
2B ~ Are We Sick Yet? Understanding
and Investigating Disease Clusters
When do we know if there are more illnesses than there should be in our community?
Does the presence of a cluster of illnesses likely mean that environmental agents
are responsible? What do we know about the connections between environmental contaminants
and disease? We'll explore these and other important environmental/public health
issues with one of the nation's leading environmental epidemiologists. Presenter:
Dr. Richard Clapp Boston University School of Public Health.
2C ~ Doing a Community Health
Survey
When is it appropriate to use the tool of a health survey to assess potential
links between environmental contamination and human illness? What can a health
survey tell you? What is a health survey unlikely to tell you? What's involved
in doing a health survey and how do you approach doing one? We'll explore these
and related topics in this overview workshop. Presenter:
Steve Dickens, River Network.
2D ~ Are You Protected by Human
Health Criteria?
Water Quality Criteria describe the condition our waters need to meet in order
to be considered "safe." This session will explore some of the science behind
how the numbers in the water quality standards are developed, as well as some
of the fundamental human health considerations that are missing. This will include
somewhat technical hands on exercises to demonstrate calculation of standards.
Presenter:
Steve Dickens, River Network.
2E ~ Environmental Causes
of Cancer
In response to ongoing controversy about the environmental causes of different
types of cancer, B.U. epidemiologist Dr. Richard Clapp and other experts recently
completed and published a comprehensive review of the current research in this
area. In this workshop, Dr. Clapp himself will present some of the important summary
findings. Dr.
Richard Clapp Boston University School of Public Health.
2F ~ Natural Disasters, Pollution
and Human Health
Natural disasters can result in the release and subsequent exposure of toxics
to large segments of the population. There are numerous examples of this, including
the recent aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Staff from
the Gulf Restoration network will speak about some of the ongoing contamination
and human health concerns resulting from Katrina, as well as the global environmental
public health issues posed in the aftermath of other types of natural disasters.
Presenters:
Vicki Murillo and Matt Rota from the Gulf Restoration Network.
2G ~ Drugging our Waters: How
Pharmaceuticals are Harming Us
There is a significant downside to the health benefits that we all experience
with today's pharmaceuticals. What happens to these pharmaceuticals when they
are excreted from our bodies? What about the effects of drugs that people intentionally
flush down the toilet? There is an emerging body of evidence about the cumulative
impact of these actions. Learn about how this issue may be impacting your waterways
and what one local watershed groups has learned. Presenter:
Dr. Allison MacKay, University of Connecticut School of Engineering.
2H ~ PCB's: They Are Still
With Us
Banned in the late 1970's, these ubiquitous chemicals are still ever in our watersheds.
How prevalent is the presence of PCB's today? What do we now know about their
effects on human health? Are PCBs safe as long as their buried in the sediment?
Is there any truth to the story that PCBs can actually escape from the sediment,
volatilize and harm those who breath the air near rivers? Well hear from one of
the nation's experts on the human health effects of PCBs, who will explore the
answer to these and related questions. Presenter:
Dr. David Carpenter, SUNY Albany School of Public Health.
2I ~ xxx
xxx. Speaker:
TBA.
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Track 3 ~ Watershed
Health Assessment
A well-designed and executed watershed assessment is critical to understanding
how your river works. It helps you identify problems and their sources, provides
a rich experience for participants, and can tell you whether river protection
and restoration efforts are working. This series of workshops focuses on watershed
assessments that inform local decision-making on land and water uses that affect
watershed health: the design process, how to find crucial existing information
about your watershed without getting your feet wet, how to assess the impacts
of flow on stream channels and habitat (getting your feet very wet), how to approach
finding the story in your data, and the basic science behind it all. Track
Leader: Geoff Dates.
3A
~ Applied Watershed Ecology
This workshop will explore the science of watershed ecology as it applies to the design of monitoring programs that assess watershed health. We'll cover the river continuum concept, natural variability, food webs, hydrologic processes, pollution ecology, human impacts, and the nature of the connections among them. Since we've only got 90 minutes, we will focus on the ecological concepts that support bioassessments, water quality testing, habitat assessments, hydrologic assessments and other common monitoring approaches. Presented: by Geoff Dates, River Network and Mike Kline, VT Department of Environmental Conservation.
3B
~ Designing a Watershed Assessment for Local Decision-Making
The solutions to many watershed problems lie at the local level, with planning and zoning boards, town councils, tribal councils, watershed groups public works departments, and other bodies that make decisions affecting land and water use. How does one go about designing an assessment that will provide useful information to these decision-makers in a form that means something to them? This interactive session will focus on developing a monitoring plan within the local decision-making context. Led by Barb Horn, CO Division of Wildlife, and Jennifer Coffey, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.
3C ~ Applied Hydrology: Seeing
the Water in your Watershed
This session covers the basics of hydrology and how to assess its status and condition. Stream flow is often called the 'master driver' of river ecology. It shapes the land. It floods (or removes) roads, buildings, cropland, and other human endeavors. It makes habitat for various plants and animals. This session will overview what we know about the relationship between flow and river health and the tools available from the USGS to help you figure it out. Session 3D will focus on habitat assessment, with an emphasis understanding flow patterns and the needs of aquatic biota. Session 3E will focus on understanding the ways the river responds to natural and human-caused forces and assessment tools being used by agencies and community-based groups. This session is strongly recommended for participants in sessions 3D and 3E if you cannot define and identify "bankfull flow." Led and Presented by: Virginia DeLima, Director, USGS Connecticut Water Science Center; Michael Norris, USGS, National Streamflow Information Program.
3D ~ Assessing the Effects of Flow on Rivers and their Habitat
This session will focus on understanding the way stream flow behaves over time (river corridor dynamics) and how it affects habitat. Participants will be introduced to various assessment tools out there and how to decide which are right for your assessment. When the river flows needed to sustain its habitat are clearly defined, it's more likely that we'll find ways to meet human needs for water while maintaining adequate river flows for the ecosystem. Several user-friendly tools developed by The Nature Conservancy, US Geological Survey, American Rivers, the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, and others will be presented. These tools will help you understand how the river creates and changes habitat over time and meets the needs of river biota. Led by: Mark Smith, The Nature Conservancy. Presenters: Mark P. Smith, The Nature Conservancy, Mike Kline, Stream Scientist, VT Dept. Of Environmental Conservation.
3E ~ Stream Channel Erosion: Planning for Habitats and Hazards
Every stream and river undergoes change. Streams and rivers are adjusting to channel, flood plain, or watershed changes imposed in years past by human activity. Understanding the natural tendencies of a stream, its current condition, and what changes may be anticipated in the future is invaluable to making sound protection, management, and restoration decisions. The VT Department of Environmental Conservation links hazard planning and habitat protection into a holistic river management plan. Led and Presented by: Ty Mack, VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation.
3F ~ Finding Pollution Sources: Beyond Visual Assessments
A key step in understanding your watershed is gathering existing information on pollution sources and other stressors. Frequently, this involves getting out into the river in your boots or on the river in your boat, to look for discharges, eroding banks, invasive species. This session describes a method used by the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership to locate and document these critical features using digital video tied to a mapping program. They are using video images tied in with a GIS to create a highly intuitive method of communicating natural resource information, both quickly and easily. The session will also describe a way to use existing and readily available software to do the mapping. This technique is transferable to any river system. Led by: Geoff Dates. Presented by Scott McEwen, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership and Wansoo Im, Ph.D. VERTICES, LLC.
3G ~ Find the Story in Your Data: Beyond Tables and Graphs
Numbers. Thousands of numbers! You need to make sense of them. Interactive mapping is a great alternative to traditional methods of data sharing. Anyone that has internet access can tap into a map to view monitoring data in graphs as well as other features including: roads, municipal boundaries, land use/land cover, streets, highways, streams, and lakes. On top of that, it comes in a fun, visually stimulating, easy to use package. Following a brief review of the data-to-information process, we will focus on two interactive mapping applications for water and bio-monitoring data developed by the South Branch Watershed Association and VERTICES. These two applications have much potential not only in an educational setting but also on the local, state, and federal levels. Led by: Barb Horn, CO Division of Wildlife. Presented by Wansoo Im, Ph.D. VERTICES, LLC., Nicole Rahman, South Branch Watershed Association.
3H ~ Beyond Visual Shoreline
Assessments
If you missed 3F, this session covers much of the same ground, but with a broader focus to include features such as shoreline modifications (dikes and armoring), pile dikes, over-water structures, pollution outfalls, erosion, habitats, and riparian composition. They are using video images tied in with a GIS to create a highly intuitive method of communicating natural resource information, both quickly and easily. The session will also describe a way to use existing and readily available software to do the mapping. This technique is transferable to any river system. Led by: Geoff Dates, River Network. Presented by Scott McEwen, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership and Wansoo Im, Ph.D. VERTICES, LLC.
3I
~ Global Warming Effects on Rivers and Health
The USGS has been conducting studies to examine some of the actual and anticipated effects of global warming on the aquatic ecosystem. Results of these studies raise numerous concerns about global warming may effect aquatic life, concentrations of toxic contaminants and ultimately human health. We’ll hear from a USGS climate scientist who has been working on these issues and a leading environmental health scientist from the School of Public Health at Albany. Presenters: Paul Schuster, research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division in Boulder, Colorado and David Carpenter, Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany.
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Track 4 ~ Implementing
Federal Water Quality Laws (CWA/SDWA)
Participants in this track will learn how to protect and restore the health
of their watershed through better implementation and enforcement of the Clean
Water Act & the Safe Drinking Water Act. This track will present a) basic Clean
Water Act tools, b) advanced application of CWA tools, c) federal stormwater permitting
requirements and examples of state implementation of the federal requirements,
and d) primer on the Safe Drinking Water Act, its implementation, and how it relates
to the CWA. Track Leader: Gayle Killam.
4A ~ Basics of Water Quality
Standards
Everyone needs to understand water quality standards. We will explain designated
uses and water quality criteria. We will work through real state water quality
standards and discuss how to make changes. (This is Part 1 of CWA basic training.)
Presenters:
Vicki Murrillo (Gulf Restoration Network) and Rachel Conn (Amigos Bravos).
4A-2 ~ Use Attainability
Analyses (UAAs) — Protecting Against Weakening of Water Quality Standards
What activities occur in your water body? What activities used to occur there?
The Clean Water Act requires states to designate uses that have occurred since
1975, and these uses are the basis for all Clean Water Act programs. Yet, many
states and the US EPA are working hard to figure out ways to justify the removal
of uses that are not considered "attainable." Please join us to hear how this
process is being promoted to benefit different economic interests, and learn ways
that you can protect the designated uses in your waters. Presenters:
Judy Petersen (Kentucky Waterways Alliance), Ted Heisel (Missouri Coalition for
the Environment).
4B ~ Tracking and Improving
Discharge Permits
Discharge permits were created to limit and track pollution dumped into our waters.
Unfortunately, they have created the right-to-pollute. We will explain the structure
of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program
as well as introduce real permits and how to review and comment on them. (This
is Part 2 of CWA basic training.) Presenter:
Evan Hansen
4B-2 ~ Incorporating Nutrient
Limits in NDPES Permits
Very few states have developed water quality standards for phosphorus or nitrogen,
yet these nutrients are two of the biggest problems facing our rivers and lakes
and ground water resources. Many groups have been working to incorporate limits
on nutrients into NPDES permits and TMDLs before (and while) water quality standards
are developed. Come to hear about these developments and ideas to address the
nutrient problems in your watershed. Presenters:
Albert Ettinger (Environmental Law and Policy Center).
4C ~ Antidegradation Policy:
Guarding Against Erosion of Water Quality
Much of our attention is focused on identifying and cleaning up the problems in
our watersheds. However, the Antidegradation Policy of the Clean Water Act is
supposed to protect our watersheds from activities that will degrade them. Not
one state has an adequate policy or implementation plan in place. We will introduce
the policy and discuss how changes are occurring in several states. We will set
up an open worksession during the Rally for those who want to tackle antidegradation
in their state. (This is Part 3 of CWA basic training.) Presenter:
Judy Petersen, Kentucky Waterways Alliance.
4C-2 ~ Supreme Court Weighs
Future of The Clean Water Act
In February, the Supreme Court heard arguments in three cases that could have
a dramatic impact on the ability of the federal and state governments to protect
wetlands, water quality, and fisheries under the CWA. Two of the cases (Rapanos
and Carabell) deal with the scope of geographic jurisdiction over tributaries
and adjacent wetlands. The third (SD Warren) deals with the authority of the states
to require federally licensed hydroelectric dams to comply with state water quality
standards during relicensing. These cases will also be the first test for Chief
Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, each of whom has expressed reservations
about the scope of federal authority under the Commerce Clause, which is the principal
source of congressional power to protect the environment. Presenter:
Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law School/Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Clinic.
4D ~ Introduction to Stormwater
Permitting Programs
Stormwater pollution has become one of the biggest problems in every watershed
whether it is associated with urban, suburban or rural runoff. Requirements to
control stormwater pollution have been placed on municipalities, industries and
construction activity. We will present the basic elements of the federal requirements,
discuss examples of how states are implementing the expanded program requirements,
and present a Vermont example of how the program has been required to address
impaired and TMDL watersheds. (Prerequisite: Discharge Permit workshop recommended).
Presenter:
Gayle Killam, River Network; Chris Kilian, Conservation Law Foundation (invited).
4D-2 ~ If You Can't Detect
It, Why Worry?
You may need to worry! EPA is revising its guidance about how to deal with very low levels of pollutants. Limitations of technology play into this guidance, but it also includes policy determinations. EPA put together a Federal Advisory Committee to address these issues. Three of the four environmental representatives on this committee will present this issues being debated and listen to YOUR experience and concerns. This is your best opportunity to have input into this process. Please come to the committee members best convey the environmental perspective.
Presenters:
Rick Rediski (Grand Valley State University, MI), Barry Sulkin (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility), Rob Moore (Environmental Advocates of New York).
4E ~ Addressing Polluted Run
Off from Salvage Yards
San Diego Baykeepers helped the salvage industry recognize their responsibility
to control stormwater pollution. The industry has made great strides in this process.
Companies manufacturing products to control stormwater have begun to recognize
the need for treatment processes that address stormwater pollution from salvage
yards. Stormwater360 has applied its products to the development of one such treatment
process. Presenter:
TBA.
4F ~ Drinking Water 101
The "other" federal water quality law was passed to protect the nation's drinking
water. The basics of the Safe Drinking Water Act will be presented - the bureaucracy
of the program, the tools, the public health issues, what is required and what
isn't, and how it can work well with the CWA. Presenters:
Paul Schwartz (Clean Water Action) and New England program TBA.
4F-2 ~ Limits on Construction
Pollution
When and how do we advocate for numeric limits in construction stormwater permits?
What are the appropriate limits? How are they determined? How are they measured?
Presented
by: Barry Sulkin (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility); Rod Tyler
(Filtrexx).
4G ~ Implementing Source Water
Protection
Public health concerns are the top reasons that citizens care about water quality.
Drinking water protection often ranks highest among public health concerns that
motivate behavioral change and action. Protection of drinking water can and should
be a critical component of our watershed work. By now, most water supply systems
should have completed a plan to protect the source of their drinking water, yet
there are no requirements for these plans to be implemented and enforced. How
can we help move this process along? Presenters:
Paul Schwartz (Clean Water Action) and NE watershed group TBA.
4H ~ Protecting Drinking Water
Through Land Conservation
When does it make sense to conserve land in order to minimize source water against
risks? What are the political, financial and management challenges? Come to hear
about a few examples of how local governments made this choice. Presenter:
Kathy Blaha/Caryn Earnst, Trust for Public Land (invited).
4H-2 ~ If You Can't Detect
It, Why Worry?
EPA is revising its guidance about how to deal with very low levels of pollutants.
Limitations of technology play into this guidance, but it also includes policy
determinations. Hear about the issues being addressed in the current Federal Advisory
Committee. Presenters:
Rick RiRediske ( ), Barry Sulkin (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility)
Rob Moore (Environmental Advocates of New York).
4I ~ Yes! New Loss: Enforcing
Wetland Mitigation
Every year hundreds of permits are issued that allow discharge of dredge and fill
material into the waters in each state. Mitigation is required as part of most
of those permits, yet, in many places, there is little, if any, accountability
to whether the mitigation projects are completed or how the project are maintained.
Presenter:
Barry Sulkin (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility)
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Track 5 ~ Intelligent
Watershed Design: Re-Connecting Land and Water
We aren’t running out of water we are throwing it away. These workshops
will explain a new path for reestablishing natural watershed functions in urban,
rural and suburban landscapes. The results of taking this new path will be to
meet human demands, improve water quality, restore instream flows, reduce combined
sewage-overflows and to make rivers work again. Workshops will meet the needs
of planners, advocates and practitioners. Track leaders:
Don Elder and Bob Zimmerman, Charles River Watershed Council.
5A ~ Conservation Isn't Enough:
Making Water Work Again
Guiding principles for better environmental planning that mimic natural systems.
Reducing consumptive use isn't enough. Natural systems can handle drought and
floods, pipes can not. Rivers have important work to do including assimilating
pollutants, meeting biological needs and flood conveyance. Workshop participants
will learn how to make human water use just a bend in the river, not a dead end.
Presenters:
Bob Zimmerman, Don Elder.
5B ~ The Myths
of Current Water Engineering Design
This is a technically-oriented workshop on how we got here, and the consequences
of continuing down the "bigger is better" path. Workshop participants will be
exposed to a statistical analysis of current water delivery systems compared to
new methods that reestablish natural hydrology. Three computer models and methodologies
will be introduced: REAL (Resource Environmental and Land Planning) Recharge,
Restore: (Using water recharge to mimic natural hydrology) and Water In: Water
Out (assessment of sub-basin water balancing needs). Nigel
Pickering, PhD, PE. Charles River Watershed Association.
5C ~ Getting Municipalities
to Integrate Water and Land Use
The protection and health of a watershed relies a great deal on the land use laws
and policies enacted by local municipalities. The Project for Municipal Excellence
provides an opportunity for municipalities to realize their vision for the future
of their town by developing proactive measures to ensure that natural resources
and community character are preserved. Through the Project, a municipality is
able to compare its vision to what is "on the books" (i.e. zoning, ordinances,
etc…). The municipality, with support from the Watershed Association, is able
to assess all aspects contributing to or affecting the quality of life and environment
in their town. Recommendations are made to either complement proactive measures
or resolve problem areas in the community. In the end, a municipality will have
their vision laid out with steps to help it come to fruition. The Watershed Association
is a partner that stands by municipalities to help them enact stronger ordinances
and better land practices that will lead to cleaner water. This program is grant
funded through the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the US EPA. Presented
by: Jennifer Coffey, Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association.
5D, 5E ~ Environmentally
Sensitive Urban Design: Low Impact Approach to Reestablishing Streams and Groundwater
Hydrology
Restoring land/water connections in an urban environment to approximate the way
urban subwatersheds would have worked prior to development. Based on work in urban
Boston with Harvard University and Charles River Watershed Association project
to restore natural functions to 600 acres of land in urban Boston with Harvard
University. Utilizing low impact catchments and vegetation designs to approximate
historic functions. Reconnecting landscaping with the real workings of groundwater
and surface water. Presenters:
Kate Bowditch, Pallavi Mandi, Stephanie Hurley (CRWA).
5F, 5G ~ Reversing the Infrastructure
Curse
Learn about the kinds of treatment systems that put water back in the ground.
Spot sewering, centralized management of decentralized water treatment systems,
and treating water and wastewater as resources. Presented
by: Mike Domenica, PE, CH2M Hill; Arleen O'Donnell, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection; Bob Zimmerman, Charles River Watershed
Association.
5H ~ Breaking Away from Large,
Centralized Water Systems
Water conservation standards, water withdrawal permitting, and water policy that
leads to getting it right. Presented
by: Kathy Baskin, P.E, Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
5I ~ Coordinated Land, Transportation
and Water Planning
A new legal perspective on the responsibilities of municipalities to provide Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer Systems, and coordinated planning for land use, transportation
and water at the watershed scale. Participants:
Chris Kilian (invited), Conservation Law Foundation; Margaret Van Deusen, Charles
River Watershed Association.
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Track 6 ~ Watershed
Institute: Methods of Protection and Restoration (An Institute
by the Center for Watershed Protection)
Take to the pavement this year with CWP’s methods-based Watershed Institute!
Sessions in this track are dedicated to field and desktop methods for identifying
restoration and protection opportunities in your local watersheds. Step into the
field to evaluate the drainage conditions and potential pollution sources in the
local watershed. Discover what you can learn about your watershed without leaving
your desk, and focus on ways to design, rank, and implement your watershed projects.
Bend our ear with personal watershed war stories during our private office hours—maybe
we can help. Track led by the Center for Watershed Protection.
6A ~ Beyond
Banks and Bugs: The Unified Stream Assessment
There is more to stream assessments than macroinvertebrates and physical habitat.
Many communities are taking a more comprehensive approach to evaluating conditions
and identifying restoration and conservation opportunities along the stream corridor.
This session introduces the Unified Stream Assessment (USA)-an adaptable stream
walk method for watershed practitioners that integrates outfall mapping, infrastructure
maintenance, and illicit discharge detection with stream restoration and buffer
management planning. This session is recommended for those joining us on the assessment
field trip. Novices may want to review Manual 10:Unified Stream Assessment User's
Guide from the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series (www.cwp.org/PublicationStore/USRM.htm).
Presenter:
Anne Kitchell, Center for Watershed Protection.
6B
~ Dumpster Juice and Other Upland Pollutants
Upland assessments are a critical, yet often overlooked, component of a comprehensive
watershed assessment. This session introduces the Unified Subwatershed and Site
Reconnaissance (USSR)-a windshield survey to determine which neighborhoods and
stormwater hotspots (i.e. gas stations, municipal yards, strip malls) may be contributing
high levels of pollutants to streams. You will also gain an appreciation of the
water quality impacts associated with how we store outdoor materials, maintain
our vehicles, and manage lawns and rooftop drainage. This session is recommended
for those joining us on the assessment field trip. Novices may want to review
Manual 11:Unified Subwatershed & Site Recon User's Guide and Manual 8: Pollution
Source Control Practices from the Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series
(www.cwp.org/PublicationStore/ USRM.htm). Presenter:
Sally Hoyt, Center for Watershed Protection. 6C
~ The Art of Stormwater Retrofitting
This session describes a field assessment geared towards modifing existing or
inserting new stormwater treatment practices (STPs) in the urban landscape. Learn
to use stream and upland assessments to target potential retrofit locations, recognize
on-site drainage patterns, and develop an initial retrofit concept. This session
is recommended for those joining us on the assessment field trip. If you are not
familiar with the basic practice types (i.e. ponds, infiltration, filters), consider
reading up (http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/post.cfm). Presenter:
Ted Brown, Center for Watershed Protection.
6D, 6E ~ The Watershed Doctor.
Center for Watershed Protection Office Hours
Sign up for a 30 min consulting period with CWP staff when you arrive at the Rally
registration table. Spend time with us one-on-one so we can help answer questions
you may have about your own watershed problems back home. Feel free to bring maps,
reports, or other watershed paraphernalia to help us better visualize your watershed!
CWP
Staff.
6F ~ Evaluating Local Programs
and Regulatory Tools
This session presents three worksheet-based audits that will help you quickly
identify local regulatory, programmatic, technical, and other resources you can
tap into for your watershed protection and restoration efforts. Evaluate your
community's capacity for implementation, identify regulatory gaps, and learn to
use NPDES and CWA to ignite watershed planning. Participants will be provided
copies of the Needs and Capabilities Assessment, Codes and Ordinances Worksheet,
and Eight Tools Audit. Presenter:
Anne Kitchell, Center for Watershed Protection.
6G ~ Wetland Inventories
and Leaf Out Analyses
A good map can tell you a lot about your watershed. In this session we will discuss
a variety of simple mapping analyses useful for watershed planning (i.e. buildout
analysis, subwatershed delineation, conservation areas determination). The main
focus, however, will be on the process of developing a local wetland map and conducting
a leaf out analysis. These methods are critical for protecting small wetlands
and for estimating future forest canopy in your watershed. Presenter:
Julie Tasillo, Center for Watershed Protection.
6H ~ Estimating Pollutant Load
Reductions
This session focuses on basic methods to estimate current and future pollutant
loads in your watershed. Learn to apply the Simple Method and the Excel-based
Watershed Treatment Model to see how the application of proposed stormwater retrofits,
buffer plantings, stewardship programs and other restoration efforts may help
reduce these loads. Presenter:
Sally Hoyt, Center for Watershed Protection.
6I ~ Methods of Implementing
Watershed Projects
Explore the nuances of successful watershed project implementation that include
methods for project design and ranking, permitting and construction, and stakeholder
involvement. Share some of your war stories and implementation tricks. Presenter:
Ted Brown, Center for Watershed Protection.
TOP
Track 7 ~ Watershed
Organizing
How do the most effective watershed organizations work in communities and engage
their constituents? There are as many different approaches as there are different
organizations. Workshops in this track will give participants new ideas on state-of-the-art
watershed organizing techniques, multi-cultural approaches, and ways of reaching
more people through campaigns that win. Track Leader: Wendy
Wilson.
7A ~ Media Success for Advocacy
Groups
How do you look on TV? Are you getting your message across? What does the public
think you stand for? Citizen groups have a special challenge to be heard without
being stereotyped in the media. This workshop will explain what a successful advocacy-based
public relations effort requires of you and your organization, how you can improve
your own skills, and give you some new direction on your media plans. Presenters:
Captain Bill Sheehan and Hugh Carola, Hackensack Riverkeeper.
7B ~ Building Community Water
Trails
How can a community develop a water trail? Experienced water trail organizers
will present a blueprint for creating a public water trail that works. This workshop
will cover how to launch a coalition of partners and elected officials to support
your trail idea, and how to make sure that it is developed in a safe and thoughtful
manner. Lead
Presenter: Paul Sanford, American Canoe Association and Kate Williams, of the
Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
7C ~ Organizing River Trusts
River Trusts are private non-profit organizations founded to own and manage lands
protected along a particular river. Upon completion of currently proposed land
trades and purchases, the Hoh River Trust in Washington State will encompass over
7,000 acres of riverlands. These lands, their salmon and other endangered species
will be forever conserved from the interior of the Olympic Nation Park to the
Pacific Ocean. This workshop will help you envision your own river trust project
and plan for a lasting legacy on your favorite river. Presented
by: Phil Wallin, Western Rivers Conservancy.
7D, 7E ~ Tribal Circle and Indigenous Waters Network
The Indigenous Waters Network is a newly formed grassroots effort led by tribal people and supported on an organizational basis by the River Network. The IWN has been developed to specifically address tribal issues related to water with a focus on protecting water resources, cultural uses and traditional values of water, as well as establishing scientifically based tribal water codes. Join us as we present three case studies on water protection issues across Indian Country. Amos Johnson from Navajo Nation will present an overview of aquifer depletion and energy resource development; Wes Martel from the Wind River Indian Reservation, home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, will present an overview of water management between two separate Indian Nations on one reservation; and Glenn Reynolds, of Reynolds and Associates, will present a case study on the common ground of protecting natural resources as a cultural resource.
7F ~ Key EPA Watershed Internet
Tools
This session will showcase and demonstrate selected EPA Web-based tools and resources that citizens may use to help develop effective watershed management projects. It will highlight EPA's database-driven Web tools, online mapping applications, and key resources helpful in data gathering, watershed assessments, as well as planning, management and funding of watershed projects. The tools presented will follow the sequence of planning steps outlined in EPA's new draft "Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters” (www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook/), a new publication that guides users through the development of comprehensive watershed management plans. EPA's new Nonpoint Source Digital Toolbox and other exciting state-of-the-art tools and resources will be featured. Presenters:
Anne Weinberg, USEPA and Ansu John of Tetra Tech.
7G ~ Community Action on
Toxics
The threat of toxic contamination can pose special problems for which a community
may need to organize quickly in order to prevent significant and lasting harm.
We'll hear a case study from a New England group that has successfully organized
to prevent a toxic threat in their watershed and discuss various organizing strategies
to respond to such threats. Presenter
to be announced.
7H ~ Urban River Greenway Development
The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust will explain their successful program
for launching an urban river greenway development. The project includes unique
strategies for land protection, fundraising, public art, an eco-inventory, incorporating
oral histories, and restoring fisheries. The project also has broad appeal as
a smart growth strategy and a component of community public health. The project
also offers a unique recreational opportunity on the river, white water rafting
- it's the only place (we know of) where you can raft natural run-off Class III
and IV rapids in the middle of a city. Learn how you can use similar concepts
to promote your own greenway. Presenter:
Jane Calvin, Executive Director, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, Inc.
7I ~ xxx
xxx Presenter:
TBA.
TOP
Track 8 ~ Fund
Raising
In this day of political ups and downs, organizational sustainability has become
an important goal for river and watershed nonprofits! How can you build a base
of support that will provide ongoing funding year after year despite changes in
the external environment? This year, the Fundraising Track will focus on basic
and advanced strategies that will help you develop a reliable, diversified base
of support for your nonprofit organization This year's Funders' Forum on Sunday
morning will feature panel discussions as well as small group sessions with individual
funders. Meet and talk with representatives from foundations, corporations and
government agencies, learn about new grant programs, and exchange ideas with funders
on topics of interest to all. Track Leader: Pat Munoz.
8A ~ Your Members: ATM Machines
or Long-term Donors?
Successful fundraising is dependent on strong relationship building. A successful
membership development plan revolves around building relationships with all donors,
large and small, new and old, public and private, and everyone in between. Stop
treating your members as ATM machines and start building personal relationships
for the long-term. In this basic workshop you will learn about the stages of donor
development, how to set membership development goals, court potential donors.
You'll leave this session with the tools needed to build a strong membership foundation
that will support you for years to come. Presenters:
Janet Cohen & Kerri Timmer, Community Action Partners.
8A-2 ~ Capital Campaigns:
Are You Ready?
This is an advanced workshop to help you prepare for a capital campaign. A good
campaign plan makes the difference between success and failure and between completing
the campaign on time or not. Each of these outcomes has long term impacts on your
organization that may be even greater than the dollars you raise. So we will review
the 'readiness' criteria, including public awareness, articulating the case, testing
the goal and gift pyramid, analyzing your capacity to recruit a campaign committee,
assembling and rating a prospect list, educating your board, and more : everything
that leads up to actually planning and implementing the campaign. Presenter:
Christine Graham.
8B ~ Government Grants: Crapshoot
or Shoe-in?
Do you approach government grant applications as an RFP crapshoot? Or do you build
on past performance to position your organization to receive not only competitive
grants but also contractor fees, discretionary funds, technical assistance, and
indirect support? Presenting your organization's core passions as cornerstone
issues in government programs will bring ever increasing interest and higher scores
in the competitive grant arena. Additionally, in this basic workshop we will discuss
what administrative systems you must have in place to manage Federal funds. Soon,
agency decision makers will start wondering how they ever got by without you,
and you will be a shoe-in for funding! Presenters:
Jeanne Conklin, EPA; Neil Gilles, Frank Rogers, Cacapon Institute.
8B-2 ~ Creating New Member
Letters that Work
A compelling letter serves as the heart of a successful direct mail package -
the most important component to a good response. But why do some letters get a
terrific response while others flounder? There's no single answer, but the best
letters usually have many common characteristics. This advanced seminar will focus
on how to write and format letters that communicate quickly and effectively with
your target audience. We'll discuss the most important common denominators of
successful letters including format, design, copy platforms and emphasis. We'll
critique sample letters to see what works well and what doesn't, so feel free
to bring your own for group input and feedback! Presenter:
Ken Kerber, Conservation Coalition.
8C ~ Building a Major Donor
Program / Constituency Circles: A Board Fundraising Tool
Is your board skeptical about raising funds in your community? Do you need an
interactive, visual way to think strategically-and positively-with your board
about the people and institutions that might support your work? In this basic
session, you'll learn a simple mapping technique to help you and your board begin
to identify potential members and major donor prospects. We will also share other
strategies for keeping board members engaged in the solicitation process. Presenter:
Judy Hatcher, Environmental Support Center.
8C-2 ~ Bequests and Planned
Gifts for Small Organizations
One of the major changes in fundraising these days is that far more organizations
want - and need- to purposefully pursue planned gifts, including bequests. This
advanced workshop will offer a layman's descriptions of all the Planned Giving
vehicles, from trusts and annuities to bequests and life estates. We'll look at
the advantages for both the donor and the organization, and focus on what your
organization can do to bring in these gifts. For a small organization, the challenge
is to keep it simple without missing great opportunities, and we will concentrate
on that, as well as the marketing methods and partnerships that work best for
small organizations. Presenter:
Christine Graham.
8D ~ Funders' Forum
This year's Funders' Forum will feature panel discussions as well as small group
sessions with individual funders. Meet and talk with representatives from foundation,
corporations and government agencies, learn about new grant programs and exchange
ideas with funders on topics of interest to all.
Funders coming include:
•Chesapeake Bay Trust
•Environmental Protection Agency
•Environmental Support Center
•Evenor Armington Fund
•Fish America Foundation
•George Gund Foundation
•New England Grassroots Environment Fund
•Patagonia
•Timberland
•U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
8E ~ Funders' Office Hours
Funders participating in the Funders Forum will meet with individuals and small
groups to discuss specifics of how their granting programs work.
8F ~ Why Donors Give: The Case
For Funding
Why should potential donors support your work? Until you can answer this question
clearly, concisely, and persuasively, your fundraising will flounder. In this
basic but fast-paced workshop, designed for leadership teams of staff and board,
we will help you to outline a compelling case statement that answers the essential
questions: Why do you exist? What are your goals? How will you realize those goals?
What's your history and track record? Who's involved with your organization? How
much will it cost to do the work? Presenter:
Andy Robinson.
8G ~ Hot Auction Tips: Keep
the Money Flowing
Increase your revenues by 20% or more at your next event! Professional auctioneer
Kathy Kingston will help you create sizzling silent auctions, fire up your live
auction, fill your venue with power bidders, solicit high yield items, add extra
revenue activities, avoid common mistakes event night, and leave your guests with
a positive last impression! Presenter:
Kathy Kingston, Kingston Auction Company.
8H ~ Grassroots Grants
Get that grant! Learn the keys to winning grants, including: pros and cons of
chasing grants. how grants fit into a complete fundraising strategy, designing
fundable projects, grants research: how to find the money, developing relationships
with funders, and building your proposal piece by piece. Presenter:
Andy Robinson.
8I ~ Put the Fun in Your Fundraising
Plan
An organization that puts all its energy into issues and fails to feed the financial
honeycomb will surely starve the hive. Find out how to integrate your fundraising
expectations and income needs into a holistic and comprehensive plan. You'll leave
this workshop knowing how to develop a fundraising plan and culture for your organization
that engages everyone in raising the money you need to do your watershed work.
Presenters:
Janet Cohen & Kerri Timmer, Community Action Partners.
TOP
Track 9 ~ Starting
Up
Whether you're new to a group or your group is new to the movement, learn some
of the basics to creating a sustainable and effective organization. Track
Leader: Katherine Luscher.
9A
~ The Role of Executive Directors and Coordinators
Are you really spending your time in the areas where your organization most needs
it? Is your focus the right one for your organization's stage of growth? Are you
asking for help often enough In this workshop, you'll review eight areas of executive
director responsibility, consider best practices in each, decide where your organization
needs you to focus, and plan some methods to ensure that you actually invest time
there. This ability to step back and re-assess is an essential key to your organization's
growth and success. Led
by the Institute for Conservation Leadership.
9B
~ Engaging Young People in Our Watershedss: Creating Environmental Citizens
Are you successfully engaging the next generation of decision makers? Join Earth
Force as we discuss the importance of creating environmental citizens who have
the skills necessary to take action in their communities now and in the future.
We'll focus on how watershed organizations around the country have found successful
ways to reach out to young people as powerful agents for change in their communities.
Presented
by Alyssa Hawkins and Jan Hosier of Earth Force.
9C
~ An Introduction to Public Speaking: Face Your Fear
Whether it's at your annual meeting or a public hearing, chances are that at some
point in your river-saving career, you'll find yourself in front of a microphone.
If picturing your audience in their underwear doesn't help alleviate your fear
of public speaking, then come arm yourself with a handful of proven strategies
for giving professional speeches. From preparing your talk to the actual delivery
- and everything in between - you'll have time to ask questions, share horror
stories, learn what to do when things don't go exactly as planned and practice
your newfound skill. Presenter
Eric Eckl.
9F
~ Technology and Freeware for Non-profits
This workshop will show you what resources are available to nonprofits in gaining
low or no cost computer hardware. We will also be discussing the value of Free/Open
Sourced software to help to keep your expenses low. We'll then take a look at
technology trends are the impact on non-profits. Finally, we will look at how
to do a technology plan that will last your organization 3-5 years. Presenter:
Tom Fitzgerald, River Network.
9G
~ Your First Strategic Plan: Strategies, Strategies Everywhere, But Not a Plan
in Sight
We all know that a Strategic Plan is an essential organizational tool, but putting
one together can be a daunting prospect for a young organization. Find out the
essential building blocks of a successful strategic planning process and leave
with tips and tools to create your own effective strategic plan. For groups who
don't have a strategic plan or who want to update an existing plan. Presenters:
Janet Cohen and Keri Timmer, Community Action Partners.
9H
~ Boards of Directors: Key to Success
Whether your organization is all-volunteer or staffed, your board is the key to
your success. This workshop is geared toward board members and staff who work
closely with the board. Come learn how to keep your board working collaboratively
and productively for the future of the organization. Presenter:
Suzi Wilkins Berl.
9I
~ Leading Your Organization to Change: How to Take Your New Ideas Home and Implement
Them
Rally participants often report that they return home eager to implement new ideas,
but can't get buy-in from other leaders in their organizations. This workshop
will help you think systematically about how to overcome resistance and support
the change you want to see. You'll identify your own goals for your organization,
prioritize them, design your "change team," consider how to involve others, and
create an "action plan" for your return home. This is one of the best investments
of your time that you can make to turn your ideas into results. Led
by Baird Straughan, Institute for Conservation Leadership.
TOP
Track 10 ~ Staying
Afloat
Your organizational foundation is solid and you now require some advanced skills
to keep up with your growing personnel and programs. This track provides seasoned
leaders and staff with the tools and resources to keep both you and your group
healthy. Track Leader: Katherine Luscher.
10A ~ Financial Strategies
for Sustainability and Growth: More than Just the Bottom Line
This advanced workshop will looks at ways to ensure your organization's long term
fiscal health and well-being, including "best practices" in financial management
and how to use the budget and strategic planning processes for sustainability
and growth. Participants will also share their experiences with successful and
unsuccessful efforts to achieve stability for their organizations. Presenter:
Susan Schwartz, River Network.
10B ~ Avoiding Burn-out for
Executive Directors and Other Overworked Leaders
Burnout is a real occupational hazard in cause-related jobs. It strikes leaders
and volunteers more often than most of us realize and it sometimes goes unnoticed
or unaddressed until a crisis strikes. Learn the different stages on the "river
of burnout," how you can identify them, and what you can do to maintain your own
personal balance in each. In addition, we'll consider how organizations can create
a culture which helps their employees and volunteers avoid depression and burnout.
Past participants say that this workshop allowed them to step back and assess
their personal balance (or lack of it) and as a result they've managed their workload
better and stayed happier. Led
by Institute for Conservation Leadership.
10C ~ Issues in Personnel
Management
Your organization can't succeed unless it can acquire, develop and retain talented
and committed people, who are truly your greatest resource. This session will
be a confidential roundtable discussion with your peers of the challenging situations
you face everyday with staff and volunteers (and your own situation) and consider
the human, ethical and legal dimensions of managing people to fulfill a mission.
Presenter:
Susan Schwartz, River Network.
10D, 10E ~ Using Your Passion
to Build Community Support: Revisiting Your Roots
How do you excite different audiences about your work? How do you convert interest
into support, financial or otherwise? This practical workshop is designed to reinvigorate
established groups. Learn how identifying and understanding your own organizational
values and purpose can help you better communicate your message to your watershed
community. You will re-examine the foundations of your organization and discover
how to communicate your work and your passion in a useful communication plan template.
Presenters:
Janet Cohen and Keri Timmer, Community Action Partners.
10D-2, 10E-2 ~ Coaching
and Mentoring Time
Sign up in advance at the Registration Table for personalized assistance from
an experienced organizational development practitioner between 8:30 am to 11:30
am Sunday morning. Organizational or personal topics of your choice can be addressed
confidentially, ranging from leadership, confidence and stress to boards, finances,
project planning, human resources and volunteers. There will be three time slots
available with each coach or mentor:
- Marc Alston (professional coaching in leadership and
organizational development);
- Diana Toledo (mentoring in board development, volunteer
recruitment, fundraising & membership, project planning & selection);
- Baird Straughan, Institute for Conservation Leadership (mentoring
in organizational development and leadership topics);
- Susan Schwartz (mentoring in financial management, budgeting,
human resources and employee benefits, board development issues);
- Suzi Wilkins Berl (mentoring in organizational development
and leadership topics).
10F ~ Claims and Consequences:
An Introduction to Insurance
This training in fundamentals will review the basic types of liability and employee
insurances and help you sort through the maze of policies and terminology to reach
an understanding of what insurance coverage your organization really needs and
what your broker/agent should be doing to help you. Presenter:
Susan Schwartz, River Network.
10G ~ Facilitating Effective
Meetings
If you're spending too much time in unproductive meetings -- indeed, if you finding
yourself running unproductive meetings -- please join us to learn how to create
a great agenda (and then cancel the meeting); define common goals; build consensus;
Share responsibility among participants and deal with disruptions and keeping
people on track. Presenter:
Andy Robinson.
10G-2 ~ Socially Responsible
Investing and Retirement Options
A review of the field of socially responsible investing, including its history,
growth trends, and four major aspects: social research, shareholder advocacy,
community investing, and venture capital. We will drill down into retirement plan
options for nonprofits and work together to identify concrete actions that we
can address through shareholder advocacy. Presented
by: Stu Dalheim, Calvert Group.
10H ~ Business Planning
Learn the value of developing a business plan to fit your organizational goals.
This session will be highly interactive, with in-class work that will be evaluated
by the presenter and the participants. By the end of the session, each participant
will understand the value of developing a business plan and have a working knowledge
of the steps required. Handouts will include various outlines of business plans
that are applicable for non-governmental organizations. Presenter:
David Carter.
10I ~ Next Generation of Internet
Organizing Tools for Nonprofits
If you think the Internet is still all about webpages and e-mail, think again.
This workshop will provide an overview of "next generation" tools like blogs,
podcasts, wikis, and feeds -- and how other nonprofits are using them to engage
their members, inform the community, influence officials, and raise money. Don't
be put off by the funny names, these tools are cheap and easy to get the hang
of. Participants will leave with fresh ideas about how to tackle longstanding
organizational challenges. Presenter:
Eric Eckl.
TOP
Side Meetings
Saturday, 5:00 pm
Environmental Health / Genetics Research
with Tribes ~ The Harvard School of Public Health is looking for feedback
from tribal members on what researchers should know about doing research on tribes.
What's OK? What's not OK? What cultural considerations do researchers need to
be aware of? What kind of dialogue needs to happen and how should that be initiated?
The School may be interested in exploring some joint funding with the IWN to develop
guidelines for researchers. Please join us for this important discussion. All
are welcome!
Northeast Watershed Roundtable
~ This will be a dialog between federal, state and citizen leaders from the Northeast
states regarding current issues affecting watershed management.
Watershed Forestry ~ One of the
hottest new topics is “watershed forestry.” For instance, one estimate
is that here in NH, 81% of their water is filtered thru privately held forestland.
Yet watershed groups and forestry groups rarely work together. The Model Forest
Policy Program promotes sustainable forests on private lands through profitable,
ecologically sound forest practices and policy. That policy strongly includes
water quality protection. Join us to discuss how our work can support yours!
National Fish Habitat Initiative
~ A new federal program to support on-the-ground river and coastal habitat protection
and restoration is rolling out this year. The program, modeled on the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan will focus attention on the problems of habitat degradation
and bring new resources to implement on the ground protection and restoration
projects. To find out more about this emerging program and how your organization
can become a partner in this effort
Source Water Collaborative: United to Protect
America’s Sources of Drinking Water ~ Is your watershed used
for drinking water? Have you been involved (directly or indirectly) in protection
of the quality of that drinking water? How does that work integrate with your
broader watershed protection goals and activities? Many organizations, representing
members at the state and local levels in and near your watersheds, are working
together and want to support your efforts to protect the source of your drinking
water. Please join us for an informal discussion at the end of sessions on Saturday
to learn more about the Source Water Collaborative and the resources available!
Saturday 8:00pm
Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival
- Discover Hetch Hetchy (David Vassar)
Called Yosemite’s twin, the Hetchy Hetchy Valley was lost to a dam and reservoir
in 1923. But now, with the help of organizations like Restore Hetch Hetchy and
Environmental Defense, its restoration could become a reality. Through magnificent
cinematography, we learn more about one of the most epic campaigns of our time.
(United States, 2005, 18:56 min.)
- Kilowatt Ours (Jeff Barrie)
From the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, filmmaker
Jeff Barrie journeys to discover solutions to America's energy related problems.
Along the way, he and his wife Heather share a plan to eliminate their use of
coal and nuclear power at home by employing energy conservation, energy efficiency,
and renewable energy sources. Through their learning experience, viewers discover
how they, too, can save hundreds of dollars annually on energy bills. (United
States, 2005, 38 min.)
- Texas Gold (Carolyn Scott)
Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation fisherwoman and mother of five, began her fight
against the giants of the petrochemical companies in 1989, when she discovered
that her small Texas county had been named the most toxic place in America. Wilson
witnessed the mass die-offs of dolphin on the Gulf Coast and the slow death of
her once thriving fishing community. In Texas Gold, this “unreasonable”
woman recounts the hunger strikes and civil disobedience that have made her Public
Enemy No. 1 to powerful and lawless industries that routinely spill millions of
pounds of toxins into the air, soil, and water. Best of Festival, Palm Spring
International Film Festival of Shorts (United States, 2005, 21 min.)
- Zoltan (Brendan Kiernan)
Will Zoltan, international lover of rivers and professional tuber, ever gain respect
in the world of whitewater? (United States, 2005, 4:40 min.)
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