MWCC Agenda 10-23-08 (2).pdf MWCnclOct22_08agen.doc Dear Colleagues,
Reminder that Wednesday Oct 22 is the Montana Wetland Council meeting and Oct 23 is the Watershed Coordination Council meeting. Both meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are in Helena at the DEQ Metcalf Building. Please see attached agendas.
We’re fortunate to have the Jeanne Christie, Executive Director of the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM), working with me in Montana for the week and participate in the Wetland Council meeting. Jeanne has been with ASWM since 1999, prior to that she was the national program leader for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program with NRCS, worked at EPA Headquarters in the national wetland program assisting States and Tribes, and was an Environmental planner working on watershed plans for Wisconsin DNR. She has been a leader in national wetland protection for over 20 years and is a 2007 winner of the National Wetlands Award for Education and Outreach. Jeanne will share her extensive experience with us and provide some creative ideas on wetland protection from other States.
Other presentations include using GIS to incorporate wetland protection in watershed planning, tools and case studies for Montana local governments, habitat suitability for Trumpeter Swans, and wetlands and climate change. Should be an interesting meeting with time to network with colleagues. Please plan to attend.
Sincerely, Lynda
Lynda A. Saul, PWS Wetland Program Coordinator Montana Department of Environmental Quality 1520 East 6th Ave Helena MT 59601 Phone: (406)444-6652 Fax: (406)444-6836 lsaul@mt.gov
________________________________ From: Saul, Lynda [mailto:lsaul@mt.gov] Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 9:00 AM To: Montana Wetland Council Subject: Montana Wetland Council Oct 22 Agenda
Dear Colleagues,
Please plan to attend the Wednesday October 22, 2008 meeting of the Montana Wetland Council. The meeting is in Helena in the DEQ Directors Conference Room 111 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
We have a great lineup of presentations. I’m excited to welcome the Executive Director of the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM), Jeanne Christie, to discuss the challenges of protecting and conserving wetlands in light of recent Supreme Court rulings and share protection ideas and innovations developed in other states. ASWM is on contract with Montana DEQ to assist us in our wetland protection program development. We will hear another outside perspective from DEQ’s new Wetland Specialist, Steve Carpenedo. He joins Montana DEQ from Georgia where he used GIS tools to incorporate wetland protection into watershed planning. Next we’ll hear from Janet Ellis of Montana Audubon about research synthesizing the scientific recommendation on the size of stream vegetated buffers needed to protect water quality, fish and aquatic habitat, and wildlife and wildlife habitat and some case studies from Montana local governments. Meghan Burns and Natalie Byars will describe GIS and field-based research they conducted this summer on determining wetland habitat suitability for Trumpeter Swans in the Madison Valley. The final presentation will discuss the state of current knowledge about wetlands, climate change and carbon sequestration with an eye toward Montana wetlands and discuss Ducks Unlimited carbon offset credit marketing program.
Please plan to share your wetland and riparian news with your colleagues during the Wetland Updates and Coordination Reports session on the agenda. If you can’t attend the meeting, please send me a brief written summary to share.
The detailed agenda is attached and copied below.
The Montana Wetland Council meets three times a year and is an active network of diverse interests that works cooperatively to conserve and restore Montana’s wetland and riparian ecosystems. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate. For additional information please contact me.
Hope to see you on October 22 in Helena. Lynda
Lynda A. Saul, PWS Wetland Program Coordinator Montana Department of Environmental Quality 1520 East 6th Ave Helena MT 59601 Phone: (406)444-6652 Fax: (406)444-6836 lsaul@mt.gov
AGENDA MONTANA WETLAND COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday October 22, 2008 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
DEQ Directors Conference Room 1520 East 6th Avenue, Helena MT
9:00 am. Gather for Coffee and Conversation with Colleagues.
9:15 am. Welcome, Introductions and Working Group Reports. Lynda Saul, Wetland Program Coordinator, MT Dept of Environmental Quality Linda Vance, Senior Ecologist, Spatial Analysis Lab Director, MT Natural Heritage Tom Hinz, Montana Wetlands Legacy Coordinator, MT Fish Wildlife and Parks Round-robin self-introductions. Report on Working Group progress from the Wetland Council’s new Strategic Framework 2008-2012. Set the stage for the meeting focus on strengthening wetland protection programs in Montana and at the state and local level.
10:00 am. Protecting and Conserving Wetlands: Challenges for the States. Jeanne Christie, Executive Director of the Association of State Wetlands Managers. In recent years wetland resources have increasingly been recognized for the services they provide to the public and the environment. At the same time protection for isolated wetlands and small streams has been eliminated or become uncertain under the Clean Water Act as a result of two Supreme Court cases. As a result of this and many other changes in science-based understanding and national policy, individual states have developed new programs addressing wetland quality, mapping, regulation, education and other activities. Presentation will discuss innovations, trends, challenges and opportunities for states including a focus on Montana.
11:00 Break
11:15 am. Using GIS tools to incorporate wetland protection into watershed planning - Georgia’s Experience. Steve Carpenedo, Montana DEQ Wetland Program. DEQ Wetland Program’s new employee brings a wealth of experience from his wetlands work in Georgia. Steve will describe the GIS watershed based planning tool he developed to help Federal, State and Local governments make more informed decisions regarding impacts to wetlands and effectively use mitigation to provide the desired wetland services. Other project experience includes conducting a statewide threat assessment of wetlands, development of a GIS database to track and monitor Section 404 mitigation permits, and inventory of newly created ponds in Georgia for impacts to wetlands. What lessons can we learn from another state?
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break*
1:00 pm. New Tools for Montana Local Governments for Wetland and Riparian Areas and Case Studies: Working with Local Governments. Janet Ellis, Program Director, Montana Audubon. Pressures to develop lands along our state’s rivers and streams are increasing. Janet will describe three new reports available to agencies, local government officials, and the general public on the science of protecting streams. The reports summarize the information of almost 200 scientific studies that focus on the functions and size of vegetated buffers needed to protect water quality, fisheries, wildlife, and wildlife habitat. Recent and ongoing work with several Montana local governments involving wetland and riparian protection will also be presented as case studies.
1:45 pm Wetland Habitat Suitability for Trumpeter Swans in the Madison Valley. Meghan Burns and Natalie Byars, Montana Natural Heritage Program. Federal, state, and private partners involved in restoration of the Rocky Mountain population of Trumpeter Swans in MT, WY and ID have identified the Flathead, Blackfoot, and Madison Valleys as having wetlands that are potentially suitable for restoration of breeding trumpeter swans, extirpated from all three areas in the 19th century. This presentation will discuss the GIS-based and field-based analyses conducted by the Montana Natural Heritage Program in 2008 in the upper Madison Valley and surrounding mountains to identify potential release sites and nesting areas for trumpeter swans.
2:15 break
2:30 pm. Wetlands, Climate Change, and Carbon Sequestration. Lynda Saul, Wetland Program Coordinator, MT Dept of Environmental Quality Bob Sanders, Manager of Conservation Program in MT, Ducks Unlimited, Inc (Invited). The ASWM Wetlands 2008 Conference focused on Wetlands and Global Climate Change with over 80 papers presented on the topic. This presentation will attempt to synthesize information pertinent to Montana including: How will wetlands be affected by climate change and what will be the likely impacts? What types of wetlands will be most affected and what functions will be altered? What land and water management practices can be adopted to reduce the impacts on wetlands? What is the role of wetland and grassland restoration and protection in sequesting carbon? Ducks Unlimited Carbon Offset Credit Marketing Project will also be described.
3:00 pm. Wetland Updates and Coordination Reports. Brief round-robin reports from Council participants and other organizations. Update and recruit for Council Steering Committee and Working Groups. Please bring written copy of your update for meeting summary.
4:00 pm. Set date for Next Wetland Council Meeting and Adjourn.
* Lunch is on your own. There are several restaurants within walking distance or you are welcome to bring your lunch and join your colleagues in the meeting room.
The Montana Wetland Council meets three times a year and is an active network of diverse interests that works cooperatively to conserve and restore Montana’s wetland and riparian ecosystems. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate. For additional information please contact Lynda Saul, Montana DEQ, (406) 444-6652 or lsaul@mt.gov
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