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Wetland Managers


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U.S. National Ramsar Committee

- News from The Hankyoreh: 50% of Tidal Flats Will be Gone in 5 years
Click here for this article.

- For more information from "Conservation of Globally Significant Wetlands in the Republic of Korea" click here

Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) 2007 Proposal Deadline: December 4, 2006
NMBCA offers support to public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats. Click here for more details.

Call for 2007 National Wetlands Award Nominations [USA]
Deadline: 15 December 2006
The National Wetlands Awards Program will honor individual achievement in six categories: Education and Outreach, Science Research, Conservation and Restoration, Landowner Stewardship, State, Tribal and Local Program Development, and Wetland Community Leader. Click here for more details.

News from Ramsar
New Sites:
Government of Cameroon - 2nd Ramsar site, the Barombi Mbo Crater Lake
Republic of Korea, Ministry of Environment - 5th Ramsar site, Mulyeongari-oreum
Click here for more Ramsar information.

"Wings over Wetlands" Launched
In November a major Global Environment Facility (GEF) project started for the sustainable wetland networks for migratory waterbirds in Africa and Eurasia, the largest international wetland and waterbird conservation initiative ever to take place in the African-Eurasian region. Click here

Wetlands International
Shocking climate Impact of Wetland Destruction in Indonesia
Wetlands International and Delft Hydraulics present information on climate change caused by wetland destruction in Indonesia. Huge areas of wet peatland forests are drained and logged. Drainage starts a rapid process of decomposition, made worse by annual peat fires that last for months. These calculated emissions unexpectedly reveal that Indonesia has the third largest emissions of the world... Click here

Murray 'Barometer' in Critical Condition [Australia]

24 November 24 2006, The Australian, By Selina Mitchell - One of Australia's most prized wetlands has been labelled "critically endangered" in a report that has been in the hands of the South Australian Government for six months. The report, obtained by The Australian, calls for the Rann and federal governments to seek international help in rescuing the Coorong and to find water immediately to flush through the system to reduce alarmingly high salinity levels, which in some areas of the wetlands are four times that of seawater. Click here

Why Wetlands Need Caution [Uganda]

19 November, 2006, The New Vision, Kampala, Uganda - Uganda is enjoying a sustained rainy season as region-wide precipitation enters a fourth week. This brings attention to The National Environmental Management Act of 1994 which prohibits settlement in wetlands, but has not been implemented. The 1994 Kampala Development Plan, drawn up by KCC, the Local Government ministry, and the World Bank, also lies largely unimplemented, resulting in haphazard development by private, corporate and business developers. Click here

Bayou Poet Spreads Message About Wetlands [Louisiana, USA]

18 November 2006, The Associated Press, by Naomi King, Houma — From more than 1,000 miles away in New Haven, Conn., Martha Serpas watched helplessly as Hurricane Katrina smashed into the southeast Louisiana coast and wetlands where she played in as a child. Born and raised in Galliano, Serpas, like so many others from Louisiana, tried to makes sense of the death and destruction that resulted in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. On Nov. 6, the collection of poems was released as her second book, "The Dirty Side of the Storm." Click here

Secret Getting out About Scenic Kansas Wetlands: Area Looking to Capitalize on Recent Attention [USA]

12 November 2006, Lawrence Journal World, Great Bend, Kansas - Birders and wildlife watchers have long known central Kansas' two wetlands areas as prime viewing territory. Now, Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge are getting unprecedented notice around the country thanks to a combination of circumstances. Click here

Lessons on North Bay Wetlands - Without Getting Out of the Car [USA]

11 November 2006, Marin Independent Journal, by Mark Prado - A local environmental group has created a free guided tour of North Bay's wetlands, and users don't have to leave their cars to use it. The group has developed a downloadable audio tour of Highway 37 that can be found at www.yourwetlands.org. The tour is about 20 minutes long and runs from Novato to Vallejo and vice-versa, describing wildlife and features of the wetlands, as well efforts to restore them. The tour can be downloaded from the Web site and used in an iPod or burned to a CD-R. Click here

Wetlands-Based Florida Treatment Plant Goes Online

6 November 2006, Tech Palm Beach Daily News, by William Kelly, West Palm Beach, FL - A $37 million wetlands-based wastewater treatment plant that took 15 years to create is now online.
Click here

U.S. Considers Bird-Friendly Communications Towers

6 November 2006, Reuters - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) drew praise from a wildlife conservation group Monday for considering a plan to make communications towers less deadly for migrating birds. The current lighting and support wires kill up to 50 million migratory birds a year in the United States, said Darin Schroeder of the American Bird Conservancy. Click here

'National Wetlands Newsletter' Examines Sudden Wetland Dieback in the Northeast [USA]

6 November 2006, E-Wire, Washington, District of Columbia - Sudden wetland dieback (SWD), large areas of dead vegetation and bare peat, has marked New England salt marshes from Maine to New York. First noted in Massachusetts in 2002, and now identified at over 40 sites, SWD remains a topic with more questions than answers. Click here

Gulf Coast Wetlands Being Destroyed, Critics Say

6 November 2006, National Public Radio, by Martin Kaste - Along with the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, critics say there is too little thought given to preserving wetlands, as developers fill in the areas. In response to criticism from environmentalists who say the Army Corps of Engineers isn't enforcing wetlands federal wetlands protection rules, the Corps is proposing that the rules be loosened. Copy and paste this link into your web browser to listen to the story on NPR's website.

Scientists Get Free Access to Environment Journals

6 November 2006, SciDev.Net, by Kimani Chege - A new initiative provides scientists in developing countries with free access to online environment journals with the aim of reducing the information gap between developed and developing countries. The Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE) scheme has been launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and US-based Yale University. Seventy countries whose gross national product (GNP) per capita is below US$1,000 now have free access to the journals. Click here

Migratory Birds Not Major Cause of Flu Transmission [China]

2 November 2006, Nanchang, Xinhua - UN officials said migratory birds do not play a major role in the transmission of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. Dr. Vincent Martin, an official with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO), said the spread of bird flu is mainly the result of the world's fast and unregulated development of animal production to meet the increased demand for animal protein. Click here

New Map Adds Impetus to SA Wetlands' Plight [South Africa]

30 October 2006, Independent Online, by Toni Carnie - The first detailed map of South Africa's precious wetland areas has been published, adding new impetus to the nationwide campaign to protect the rapidly disappearing "water factories" of nature. Click here

Migratory Bird Keep Their Date with Himachal Wetlands

29 October 2006, Monsters and Critics.com - More than 100,000 migratory birds visited the wetlands in Kangra district last year. With the early advent of winter, wildlife experts are expecting over 100,000 birds of at least 54 species, including the ruddy-shell ducks (surkhab). However, experts say, it may not be long before the birds stop coming to the habitat due to climatic changes triggered by global warming. Click here

'Treatment Wetlands' Clean Up Some Cities' Sewage [USA]

28 October 2006, USA Today, by Traci Watson - Cleaning up America's dirty water usually requires loads of chemicals, vast concrete tanks and huge pipes. Now some communities are turning to a more pleasant method of coping with sewage and polluted runoff: wetlands, complete with greenery and birdsong. Click here

State Lists 10 Ways to Save the Salton Sea [California, USA]

23 October 2006, The Los Angeles Times, by Janet Wilson - State officials have released 10 proposals that could prevent the polluted Salton Sea, an internationally recognized stopping point for migratory birds, from turning into a brackish expanse of mud ringed by a choking dust bowl. Click here

Oil for Wetlands [Louisiana, USA]

23 October 2006, International Herald Tribune - It is time to make a serious effort to save the vanishing wetlands and barrier islands along the coast of Louisiana. The best chance is a bill passed by the U.S. Senate that would guarantee Louisiana and three other coastal states a share of oil and gas revenues from drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The states would be expected to use the proceeds largely for coastal restoration and related projects. Click here

Protecting Dhaka's wetlands

22 October 2006, The New Nation, Dhaka, Bangladesh - A wise coexistence of man and nature was visible at the initial days of development of Dhaka. Until 1950, development of the city took place on the high terrains and the encompassing rivers, networks of canals and the wetlands were harmoniously used... but they have been seriously encroached upon with gradually worsening conditions for the drainage system and environment of the city. Click here


Critics Say Easing Limits on Wetlands Development on US Gulf Coast a Risk After Katrina

20 October 2006, The Associated Press, Biloxi, Mississippi - A plan to ease restrictions on developing the Mississippi Gulf Coast's federally protected wetlands is under fire from critics who say the proposal would leave a region hit hard by Hurricane Katrina even more vulnerable to flooding from another storm. Click here

National Parks Chief Declares War on Killing of Migratory Birds [China]

17 October 2006, The China Post, Taipei - Taiwan yesterday ordered a crackdown on local bird hunters after at least 5,000 migratory birds were reportedly slaughtered in a national park in recent weeks. People caught violating the wildlife protection law may face a jail term of two years or a fine of up to 500,000 Taiwan dollars (15,150 US dollars). Click here

Why the Frogs are Dying [International]
This is an intense article
16 October 2006, by Marc Margolis, Newsweek International - Climate change is no longer merely a matter of numbers from a computer model. With startling swiftness, it is reordering the natural world. What really frightens researchers, however, is the potential implications of the die-off. "There's basically a mass extinction in the making," says Pounds. "I think amphibians are just the first wave." Click here

The Nature Conservancy Helps Double the Size of the Detroit River
International Wildlife Refuge [USA]

16 October 2006, The Nature Conservancy, Erie, Michigan - North America's first-ever International Wildlife Refuge is doubling in size as The Nature Conservancy in Michigan enrolls its Erie Marsh Preserve into the refuge system. Click here

Hong Kong Wetlands Park

14 October 2006, One of Hong Kong's longest-planned and most ambitious tourist attractions has opened its doors: the Hong Kong Wetlands Park, masterplanned by British design agency MET Studio Design, which has now become the world's largest wetlands eco-park. Click here

Wetlands Conservation Act Renewed for 5 More Years [USA]

15 October 2006, Union Tribune, by Ed Zieralski, San Diego, California - President Bush signed into law H.R. 5539, a bill to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Click here.

A Related Article: Popular Wetlands Program Expanded, Ducks Unlimited "“This is a victory for wetlands habitat,” said Ducks Unlimited Executive Vice President Don Young." The bill authorizes $375 million for wetlands protection over five years. Click here

Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament Set to Benefit Coastal Wetlands [Louisiana, USA]

9 October 2006, WorldGolf.com, Baton Rouge, LA - The America's WETLAND Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana and Ducks Unlimited joined forces for a Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament at the Paragon Casino Resort's championship course in Marksville, Louisiana. Click here

Tourism: Waterpark Counter-Proposal [Barbados]

9 October, 2006, Caribbean360.com, Bridgetown, Barbados In a bid to protect the last swamp and mangrove stand in Barbados from development, a group of concerned citizens and environmentalists are proposing that the Graeme Hall Swamp be declared a National Park. The 33-acre swamp has been recognised by the Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR) as an important wetland. Click here


Threats Traded over Wetlands [California, USA]
Oil Company, Agencies at Odds over Flooding More of Bolsa Chica

7 October 2006, The Orange County Register, by Pat Brennan, Huntington Beach, CA, - The massive, $147 million restoration of Bolsa Chica, linking the ocean with the wetlands for the first time in more than a century, came off with only one small hitch. But that hitch has erupted into a fight between an oil company and a panel of state and federal experts overseeing the restoration... Click here

Congress Moves to Protect Migratory Birds [USA]
Bill Passed to Continue Critical Bird Conservation Program

3 October, 2006, The Nature Conservancy, Washington, DC -Congress today passed a revised Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) to continue long-term conservation of migratory birds and their habitats across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. According to David Mehlman,"NMBCA is the only funding source from the United States that supports conservation projects across these birds' total ranges - both summer and winter homes as well as places to rest during migration." Click here

Levee, Wetlands Initiatives Win Big [Louisiana, USA]

2 October 2006, The Times-Picayune, by John Pope - "The overwhelming success of two Hurricane Katrina-driven initiatives-levee-board consolidation and coastal restoration - speaks volumes about the desire for change... Eighty-one percent of the voters Saturday approved the amendment. Voters also approved two amendments to shift more money to coastal restoration to enhance the fragile hurricane buffer... Click here

Mid-Atlantic/New England/Maritimes Regional Waterbird Conservation Plan (USA)
Comments can be made until 6 December. Click here.

A New Important Bird Area (IBA) Search Tool
Now on the Audubon website, click here.

Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative November 2006 Update Click here.

Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative, Pathway Update (Nov. 2006) Click here.
This Pathway, Eco-Index, is a service of the Rainforest Alliance. It includes more than 185 project listings in its “Projects & Tools” section. To share information about migratory species conservation please send information to Melissa Krenke (mkrenke@ra.org).

Use of Rice Fields by Migratory Shorebirds in Southern South America
Implications for Conservation and Management
This publication comprises current knowledge on the use of rice fields by waterbirds including data on shorebird abundance in rice fields in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, as well as an analysis of use in function of the crop’s cycle. Available in pdf format in English and Spanish, click here:

9 – 13 December
3rd National Conference and Expo on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration
"Forging the National Imperative for Restoration." Hosted by Restory America's Estuaries. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Hilton Riverside Hotel. A Ramsar panel will include Maria Rivera (CREHO), Clayton Rubec (Environment Canada and Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative), and Mike McCoy (Tijuana River Estuary). Click here

12 - 14 December
First International Conference on the Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards, The Ravage of the Planet
Wessex Institute of Technology, Bariloche, Argentina. Click here

2007

January

NEW
15 January
Annual Meeting of the Waterbird Conservation Council, jointly held with the Hemispheric Council of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
Quito, Ecuador. Hosted by BirdLife International.

January
26 - 27 January
9th International Wildlife Law Conference
Gulfport/St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted by Stetson University College of Law. The Ramsar Panel will include Dave Pritchard (BirdLife International), Svitlana Kravchenko (University of Oregon School of Law), and Joseph Dellapenna (Villanova University School of Law). For more information, please contact Royal Gardner at gardner@law.stetson.edu, or visit the website. Click here for the 5-page PDF program.


February 2007

1 - 2 February
12th Annual Wetland Science Forum, Riverine Wetlands: Connections, Corridors and Catchments
La Crosse, Wisconsin. Click here

2 February 2007
World Wetland Day
This year's theme is "Fish for Tomorrow?" Click here for details and resources.

NEW
5 - 8 February
Bird Conservation through Education: A National Gathering for Bird Education
Austin, Texas, USA. This forum is for discussion, network building, and planning to further the reach of bird education efforts in North America. Hosted by Flying Wild, a program of The Council for Environmental Education. Click here

NEW
7 - 10 February
2007 Southeast Partners in Flight Meeting
Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Holiday Inn Select at the Memphis Airport. Click here

March 2007

12 - 14 March 2007
International Conference on Water and Flood Management
Organized by The Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. For further information, please visit the conference website.

April 2007

15 - 18 April
Carbon in Peatlands: State-of-the-Art and Future Research
Wageningen, The Netherlands. Click here

May 2007

13 - 19 May
2007 Neotropical Ornithological Congress, together with the Unión Venezolana de Ornitologos Maturín, Mongas, Venezuela. Click here

June 2007

NEW
3 June
Western State Workshop: Strengthening the Roles of Land Trusts and Local Governments in Protecting and Restoring Wetlands and Riparian Areas
Park city, Utah, USA. Treasure Mountain Inn. Hosted by The Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. Click here

10 - 15 June 2007
2007 Society of Wetland Scientist International Conference: Water, Wetlands and Wildlife - Resolving Conflicts and Restoring Habitats
Sacramento, California. Click here

July 2007

1 - 7 July 2007
21st Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The conference will be hosted by the Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit (TERU) of the NMMU. Click here

August 2007

5 –- 10 August
92nd Annual Meeting of The Ecological Society of America
San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California

8 – 11 August 2007
A meeting of The American Ornithologists' Union
to take place at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.

15 - 23 August
International Ethological Conference, IEC 2007
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Click here

NEW
3 - 6 September
International Conference on Environmental Flows
Brisbane, Australia. The Nature Conservancy and the River Symposium are co-conveners. Click here

NEW
22 - 26 September
The 14th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society
Tucson, Arizona, USA. Click here

October 2007

28 October - 2 November 2007
12th World Lakes Conference
Organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi, and co-hosted by the Government of Rajasthan. The Conference will be held at Jaipur (Rajasthan) the Pink City, 260 km from New Delhi. Click here

September 2007

12 - 16 September
2007 Annual Meeting of the Raptor Research Foundation
Hosted by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Click here

2008

Date-to-be-determined
10th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention
Changwon, Republic of Korea. Click here


February 2008

NEW
13 - 16 February 2008
4th International Partners in Flight Conference
McAllen Convention Center, McAllen, Texas. The theme: Tundra to Tropics. Contact Terry rich for more information: terry_rich@fws.gov.

May 2008

NEW
12 - 16 May
10th International Conference on Salt Lake Research
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Hosted by The International Society of Salt Lake Research (ISSLR). Co-sponsors include FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, Utah State University, The University of Utah, and U.S. Geological Survey. Click here http://www.isslr.org/

June 2008

9 – 15 June 2008
13th International Peat Congress After Wise Use - The Future of Peatlands, Tullamore, Ireland.
Click here

14 June - 14 September 2008
Expo Zaragoza 2008: Water and Sustainable Development
Zaragoza, Spain. For more informat about this three-month public event, featuring a specially-constructed “Water Tower” click here

July 2008

13 - 18 July 2008
22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
To be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. More information to come.

The End
1 December 2006