conwatch summer 2012 final
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CONSERVATIONWATCHA P UB L I CAT I O N O F T H E G A R D E N C L UB O F A ME R I C A
IN THIS ISSUE:WOMEN IN WASHINGTON
THE FARM BILL - A MULTI-BILLION
DOLLAR NECESSITY
INTERVIEW WITH NOAA'S
THOMAS KARL
THE CENTENNIAL FOR OUR
NATIONAL PARKS
TAX CREDITS FOR
RENEWABLES AT RISK
AND MORE.
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INDEX
THE CENTENNIAL FOR OUR NATIONAL PARKS 1
BY SHARON BLACKBURN
ENERGY POLICY TODAY 4
BY BARBARA GELTOSKY
WHAT DOES CLIMATE CHANGE LOOK LIKE? 6
BY LINDA JAMES
INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS KARL -DIRECTOR OF NOAAS NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER 8
BY SUZANNE CANFIELD
THE USDA AND AGRICULTURE DEPUTY SECRETARYKATHLEEN MERRIGAN 12
BY NANCY MCKLVEEN
THE FARM BILL - A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR NECESSITY 13
BY ANNIE AGER
THE BILLBOARD MENACE COMMITTEE 17
BY FRANCES TRAFTON
TAX CREDITS FOR RENEWABLES AT RISK 19
BY CELIE HARRIS
ARE LITTLE GREEN FLOTILLAS ON THE POLLUTION DIET? 23
BY CAROL DAVIS
WOMEN IN WASHINGTON 26
BY ELVA BUSCH
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Americas Naional Parks have been an iconic symbol
o he American ideniy since hey were esablished in
1916. Mos Americans have a avorie park or a park
hey have always waned o visi. In changing imes,
however, he parks are experiencing he resuls o a
disconnec rom naure aecing many people due o
less access o naural places, he increase in echnology-driven enerainmen, or jus lack o knowl-
edge abou our naural landscapes. Te crush o developmen and consan pressure on resources
combined wih budge cus means ha he parks are acing a challenge and jus in ime or heir
Cenennial Celebraion in 2016!
Te Naional Parks
Conservaion Associa-
ion (NPCA), an inde-
penden, nonparisanorganizaion esablished
in1919 o address he
hreas o Americas na-
ional parks, is working
o resolve hese looming
problems and o urn
he Cenennial ino a
ime o char a course
orward. In January, he
NPCA along wih he
park concessionaires and he Naional Parks Foundaion, convened a wo-day Naional Parks Summi
in Washingon, D.C. ha atraced a widely diverse group o sakeholders. Tey included ourism and
conservaion leaders, he recreaion indusry, poliical advisors, Naive peoples, and a represena-
ive rom he GCA! Te goal was o develop uniying, clear objecives o ensure ha he parks are
equipped o mee new challenges and o plan or ways o ensure adequae unding. A Call o Acion
Plan deails parks prioriies. (www.nps.gov/calloacion/)
Five o many discussion poins coming ou o he Summi were:
1. Te need or large landscapes o proec park boundaries, o creae or mainain migraion
corridors, and o connec pockes o habia.
2. Te goal o bringing more youh o he parks as visiors, voluneers, inerns, and summer
workers as well as bringing he parks o youh hrough educaional programming in schools
THE CENTENNIAL FOR OUR
NATIONAL PARKS
BY SHARON BLACKBURN
Loveland Garden Club (NE) Zone XI,Vic e Chairm an, GCANational Affairs and Legislation Committee,National Parks/Public Lands
GAIL CLARK, SHARON BLACKBURN, TOM KIERNAN, PRESIDENT,
NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION,
AND RI CH IN NES, WAS HINGTON D.C. CONS ULTANTPhoto by Canfie ld and Ross
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and even naional parks hemed video games!
3. Te imporance o uilizing elecronic echnologies o atrac and educae visiors.
4. Te need o represen a diverse populaion in all areas rom employmen o he creaion o
new hisoric and heriage park unis.
5. Recogniion o he parks as jobs creaors and economic drivers o local economies, reurn-
ing $4 or every ax dollar invesed. Jobs are creaed in mainenance, sang, building, and
aciliies managemen as well as in ourism. Americas naional parks are a huge atracion or
inernaional visiors, and are a ocus o he Presidens new ourism iniiaive.
NPCA has colleced 325 signaures o dae, and hopes o reach 1000 signaures in suppor o is
National Parks For a New Century: Statement of Joint Principles. Tese principles se goals
he parks will work oward in order o remain relevan, viable, and dynamic. Te Conservaion/
NAL Commitee o GCA voed unanimously a he 2012 Washingon NAL Meeing o ask he GCA
Board o join he many organizaions ha have signed on o he Principles as expressions o suppor.
Te GCA Board approved his reques and so he GCA coninues is special relaionship wih heNaional Parks.
A brie summary o he Join Principles:
Wemustrestore,preserve,andprotecttheparksair,water,animalandplantlife.
YOSEMI TE NAT IO NAL PARK
Photo cour tesy of Publ ic Domain Photo
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Nationalparksmustreceiveadequatefundingfortheprotectionofourheritage.
NationalParksandParkServiceprogramsdependondiversepartnerships.
eParksmustevolvewithachangingAmericatoaccommodateurbanizationanddiversity.
NationalParksfosterhealthymindsandbodies.
Educationalprograms,naturalandculturalresources,andparksfacilitiesshouldbeofexcep-
ional qualiy and mee he needs o a diversiy o visiors.
(For a complete Statement of the Joint Principles: www.2016parksummit.org/next-steps/sign-on-form.html).
Why did GCA suppor he Park Principles? GCA has
always had a close connecion o he parks ever since he
ounding o boh organizaions (1913 and 1916, respec-
ively.) Members were supporive in no only creaing na-
ional parks bu also in creaing he Naional Park Service
in 1916. Tey suppored Minerva Hamilon Hol in herdecade-long ques ha resuled in he creaion o Joshua
ree Naional Monumen1 and have generally suppored
creaion o new parks and ough agains eors o exploi
park lands or commercial gain, says John Jarvis, NPS
Direcor.
GCA is involved in a number o parks-relaed aciviies.
Earlyon,GCAsSavetheRedwoodscampaignraised
awareness o he necessiy o proec our naural resources.
oday, GCA awards he Sally Brown GCA Naional Parks Conservaion Scholarship each year o
fundaStudentConservationAssociation(SCA)crewleaderatoneoftheparks.GCAmemberEliza-
beh Punam received he 2010 Presidenial Ciizens Medal or launching Americas conservaion ser-
vice movemens wih he ounding o he SCA in 1954, when parks were in a crisis similar o odays.
Elizabethproposedinherseniorthesisthecreationofastudentconservationcorps.GCAagreedto
be a sponsor. Sixy percen o he corps members go on o become conservaion proessionals. GCA
has coninued o help und SCA since 1957 wih almos a million dollars in donaions rom members.
GCA ollows eleven issues in suppor o our posiion papers. Naional Parks is he mos sie-
specic. Oher issues, such as clean air and clean waer, impac he parks. Keeping our public parks
healhy gives us places o achieve our goals or he oher issues.
In addiion, many GCA Parners or Plans programs are in naional park areas. Las Augus a
1 htp://www.naionalparksraveler.com/parks/joshua-ree-naional-park
THE NPS LOGO CONTAINS SEVERAL
IMAGES TO CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF
OUR NATIONAL PARKS: THE SEQUOIA
TREE AND BISON REPRESENT VEGETA-
TION AND WILDLIFE, THE MOUNTAINS
AN D WATE R REPRESENT SCEN IC AN D
RECREATIONAL VALUES, AND THE AR-
ROWHEAD REPRESENTS HISTORICAL
AN D ARCHEOLOGICA L VALUES.
Courtesy of NPS.gov
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ormal parnership was renewed beween GCA and he Park Service. A Naional Parks raveler
magazine press release reads: Te Garden Club has played an inegral role in our eors o resore
ederally lised hreaened and endangered plan species and remove exoic plans rom parks."
In March, NPCA suppored a park unding leter in he House and Senae. I asks ha Congress
mee he xed operaions coss in order o address he operaions shorall o $600 million and
hereby preven he loss o park rangers, sa and mainenance unding. Tis budgeary unding is vi-
al. Individually we can suppor our parks by conacing our legislaors. Te NAL Commitee invies
members o conac boh senaors and House members regarding his unding, o endorse he Park
Funding Leter and o voice suppor or Americas bes idea our Naional Parks.
From he Naional Park Foundaion: You are he owner o 84 million acres o he worlds mos rea-
sured memorials, landscapes, ecosysems, and hisoric sies -- all proeced in Americas nearly 400 naional
parks. Join us in supporing your naional parks -- his is your land.
Key energy issues addressed in his elecion year
have included he Keysone Pipeline, clean energy
(noable or he ailure o pass a bill relaed o i),
nuclear saey, and he pipeline saey legislaion
(which did pass).
Te Whie House announced an ambiious energy policy wih a number o signican goals. In-
cluded are developing Americas energy resources hrough oshore drilling reorm; creaing new uel
eciency sandards or cars and rucks; and invesing in clean and renewable energy. Proposals are on
he able o develop renewable energy projecs on public lands, expand he smar grid, and eliminae
ossil uel subsidies.
Te Keysone Pipeline became a lighning rod or environmenaliss. Tey eared he danger o
spills and he carbon ooprin le by ar sands exracion. In January, Presiden Obama veoed he
pipeline proposal, bu i was no game over or he pipeline. rans Canada soon announced hey
would commence work on one segmen o he pipeline in he US. In lae March, Presiden Obama
issued an execuive order o expedie his segmen, despie he ac ha i will do litle o reduce he
cos o gas a he pump.
ENERGY POLICY TODAY
BY BARBARA GELTOSKY
The Gardeners (PA) Zone VVic e Chairm an,GCA National Affairs and Legislation,
Energy Sources
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On he brigh side, Presiden Obama signed ino law he Pipeline Saey, Regulaory Cerainy, and
Job Creaion Ac on January 3rd. Te legislaion reauhorizes regulaory aciviies o he Pipeline and
Hazardous Maerials Saey Adminisraion and doubles penalies o violaors. I was one o he ew
energy-relaed pieces o legislaion o pass Congress his year.
Concern or nuclear saey rose aer he Fukushima disaser. In January, he Presidens blue
ribbon panel made recommendaions emphasizing he need o develop sorage sies and dumps or
nuclear wase and suggesed an overhaul in guidelines or ransporing nuclear wase and spen uel.
Despie saey concerns, he NRC also graned he rs permi or consrucion o a nuclear reacor
since 1978 and appears on rack o gran several permi exensions. Te only cerainy is ha his is a
consanly evolving siuaion.
NAL DELEGATES UNDETERRED BY RAIN ENTERING THE CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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AsExecutiveEditorspecializingintheenvironmentat
Naional Geographic magazine, Dennis Dimick documens
he eecs o climae change in collaboraion wih scien-
iss, research eams, science wriers and phoographers.
Mr. Dimick has employed he vas phoographic resources
oNaional Geographic o visually presen climae change
hrough images ha porray rising emperaures, escalaing exreme weaher evens, meling glaciers,
alling reshwaer ables, eroding soil, diminishing ocean resources and growing populaions.
Summarizing he magazines special is-
sues or he NAL and Conservaion del-
egaes during he Washingon, D.C. meeing,
Mr. Dimick inroducedNaional Geographic
as a conribuor o climae changes scienic
lieraure. I uses dramaic phoographic im-ages and accessible graphic daa in eaures
like Te Big Taw (2007), a repor on a
warming climae ha is meling he worlds
glaciers and polar ice aser han any projec-
ions. Te phoographs rom Greenland
(2010) reec curren meling paterns o
he ice shee, as projecions or a rise in
global emperaure range rom a medium o
4.5 degrees ahrenhei o 9 degrees Fahren-
hei by 2100. Waer: Our Tirsy World (2010) includes phoographic exhibis rom around he
world ha highligh he precarious sae o he worlds resh waer. Te laes special issue, Popula-
ion 7 Billion raises he quesion o jus how many people he earh can suppor as he planes
naural resources coninue o be challenged by he clearing o oress, burning o coal and oil, and he
rising o CO2 in he amosphere all conribuors o changes in climae.
According o Mr. Dimick, he worlds larges indusryagriculureuses 70 percen o he
planes available resh waer. Wih a growing populaion, demand or ood is increasing. Ye by 2050predicions are ha a hird o he worlds populaion may lack a clean, secure source o waer. Wih
a changing climae, he global waer ooprin or key crops is shiing as growing zones move norh.
Te use o more erilizers and pesicides compromise he planes naural resources. Tis all unolds
during Mr. Dimicks power poin presenaion, which mesmerizes he audience wih brillian images
empered by he narraive o a plane challenged o mee he uure needs o i inhabians.
WHAT DOES CLIMATE
CHANGE LOOK LIKE?
BY LINDA JAMES
Garden Club East Hampton (NY) Zone IIIVic e Chairm an, GCA Conser vati on C ommi ttee ,Climate Change
DENNIS DIMICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC, SPEAKING WITH LINDA JAMES
Photo by Ross and Canfie ld
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Te Naional Oceanic and Amospheric Adminisraion (NOAA) is he U.S. governmens
weaher service, which provides local, regional weaher orecass and alers or exreme weaher
evens. According o Dr. Kahryn Sullivan, NOAAs Depuy Adminisraor, he worlds greaes
challenge is he changing climae, which calls or an undersanding o how we monior weaher. Her
presenaion addressed he very sophisicaed and accurae sysem o scienic climae modeling andweaher monioring. Tere is an 86 percen increase in usage o NOAAs climae daa or budgeing
and uure planning by such diverse groups as armers, home builders, sae governmens, elecrical,
naional miliary sraegiss and reghers, she said. Waer and ood managemen depends on
undersanding wha is happening in he amosphere.
In hese wo presenaions, NAL/Conservaion Commitee Conerence delegaes learned wha an
invaluable educaional ool he Inerne has become, wih virual imaging accessible on he web rom
naional and inernaional governmen agencies, privae science agencies, he global nonpro secor
and an array o media organizaions. Te Washingon D.C. Conerence provides he Garden Club
o America wih is bes plaorm o prepare members o ac as advocaes o address climae change
naionally and a he sae and local level.
THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET MELTING INTO THE OCEAN OFF THE NEWFOUNDLAND COAST (2011)
Photo by Lesl ie Pierpont
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We all rely on he Naional Weaher Service or
orecass, bu we can only coun on heir accuracy
or abou en days. A proposed bridge, however,
migh need o predic condiions over 75 years or
more. How will planners, large and small, know
wha kinds o environmenal condiions i will
need o wihsand?
Tere is one governmenal agency ha provides inormaion or Americans wheher hey are
planing a garden, considering he easibiliy o solar panels, or building a major bridge or dam. Tis
organizaion oers a wealh o daa and climae modeling inormaion o all comers. Is he Naional
Oceanic and Amospheric Adminisraion (NOAA), and i serves as he source o pracical inorma-
ion or everyhing rom a backyard garden o a major public inrasrucure projec.
Tomas Karl, Direcor o NOAAs Na-ional Climaic Daa Cener (NCDC), who
was inerviewed in he agencys headquarers
in Asheville, Norh Carolina, addresses hese
kinds o pragmaic concerns. Karl is one
o he counrys leading climae scieniss.
He has published more han 150 scienic
aricles and served as lead auhor on several
IPCC sudies, including a 2007 Nobel Prize-
winning assessmen. He is keenly aware
o he link beween he kind o complex
climae research ha NOAA engages in and
he pracical decision-making needs o he
public and privae secors.
In he pas, Karl explains, NOAA has
been able o ake a lo o climaic inormaion rom hisorical daa because he climae has been airly
consan. Dealing wih a climae ha is no longer saionary, however, makes he older inormaionless valuable. Because he climae is changing in ways ha are a couple o decades aser han any-
hing weve been able o observe, Karl noes ha over he course o his cenury, he changes will be
larger han wha weve seen or he las 10,000 years.
Consequenly, he NCDC gahers vas quaniies o daa rom a variey o sources, including
INTERVIEW WITH
THOMAS KARL - DIRECTOR OF
NOAAS NATIONAL
CLIMATIC DATA CENTER
BY SUZANNE CANFIELD
Suzanne Booker-Canfield, Ph.D.,Garden Guild of Winnetka Zone XI
Vic e Chairm an, GCA National Aff airs and Legi slat ion,Climate Change
THOMAS KARL, DIRECTOR OF NOAA'S
NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER
Photo by Suzanne Canfie ld
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geostationaryandpolar-orbitingsatellitesthatprovidemultipleimagesofEartheachdaytobuoysin
he Alanic, Pacic, and Indian oceans ha relae changes in ocean emperaure and saliniy. Using
he ourh-ases compuer in he world, he NCDC builds complex models ha can accoun or
complex inerconnecions such as he ransers beween he land, amosphere, and oceans involved in
he carbon, nirogen, and sulur cycles.
By modeling, or insance, how he ice shees inerac wih he oceans, he NCDC helps provide
valuable daa or inrasrucure planning. Fory percen o our major airpors are wihin a ew ee o
sea level, Karl noes, and sea level, we know, is rising. Wheher helping he Deparmen o Deense
predic how long is coasal raining aciliies will las or simply helping coasal residens plan or
exreme weaher, he NCDCs predicive models appear o play an imporan role in many aces o
American lie.
In ac, hese elaborae compuer models helped he NCDC map new plan hardiness zones,
which are based on he average exreme minimum emperaure. Ta process presupposed a sableclimae, since i was derived by averaging he pas 30 years emperaures. Now, however, he zones
need o be revised every en years. In ac, or he rs ime, he NCDC is also puting ou dynamic
normals o ry o accoun or he ac ha he climae is warming. Te dynamic normals could give
you some insigh ino wha he rends are doing, says Karl.
BILLION DOLLAR WEATHER DISASTERS 1980-2011
Graphic at NCDC
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Te NCDC has parnered wih he American Proessional Gardening Adminisraion o inroduce
inormaion a boanical gardens or arboreums. In addiion o he plan hardiness zones, he NCDC
has launched an inormaional campaign o address how climae change is aecing wha we grow.
Karl old he sory o how when he buil a house eigh years ago, he needed o plan some rees. I
love sugar maple, he said, bu decided o grow red maples because sugar maples aren hea-oleran
compared o red maples. He laughed ha i may sound small, bu hese rees were abou $75 apiece,
and i I was going o spend $750, I waned o make sure hey were going o live. Tose are he kind o
decisions ha aec individual homeowners, he noed.
Karl spoke o GCA members a he 2011 NAL meeing in Washingon. He emphasized he link
beween climae change and exreme weaher evens. No surprisingly, Karl called his one righ:
America suered 14 "billion-dollar disasers" in he orm o droughs, sorms, oods, and res ha
killed 688 people and resuled in more han $52 billion in damages.
Wih he concenraion o carbon dioxide in he amosphere coninuing o rise, Karl explains, weunfortunatelyhaveseenoverthelastdecadewerehigherthanthehighestprojection.AstheEarth
warms, he exreme weaher evens we saw las year will become more likely. Weve seen some raher
remarkable increases in exreme precipiaion evens over he las 40-50 years, Karl said, comparing
he resulan increase in waer vapor in he amosphere o he visible seam coming o a boiling po.
A CHAN GING CL IMATE IS CHAN GING PLANTSGraphic cour tesy of NOAA
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Were doing somehing similar o he amosphere.
As a resul, observaional daa reveals he wind speed in he sronges o hurricanes is increas-
ing. Tough here are no necessarily more sorms, Karl noes ha he sronges ones do seem o be
geting sronger. Sub-ropics will ge drier, and higher laiudes will ge weter. Wih waer already
scarce in he Souhwes, he concern or waer resources mouns. As emperaures coninue o warm,
you need more waer o coninue o grow he same kind o hings you grow oday, so Karl worries
abou wha could happen o he U.S. corn, whea, and soybean crops i we had he kind o caasroph-
ic crop ailure ha Russia experienced in 2010.
Tese higher winer emperaures also make invasives and pess more problemaic. Karl cies he
way he lodge pole pine beele has decimaed so much o he Wes as a case in poin. Tese pess
mean more insecicide use. A armer in Florida probably sprays ve or en imes more han one in
New York or he same kind o crop has grown, he says. Te increased insecicide means more
runo and more opporuniies or i o be cycled hrough he ood chain.
Despie he increasingly imporan role ha climae orecasing plays in helping individuals,
businesses, and he public secor make saer, sounder, and more cos-eecive decisions, he House
recenly approved an amendmen o cu unding or NOAAs Climae.gov sie, he agencys mos ac-
cessible vehicle or his climae inormaion, by $542,000.
Tis unding cu comes on he heels o a Yale sudy published in March, which repors ha wo-
hirds o he American people believe global warming made several recen exreme weaher disasers
worse, and 82 percen o Americans personally experienced one or more ypes o exreme weaher or
naural disaser in he pas year, including he unusually warm winer o December 2011 and January
2012, record high summer emperaures in he U.S. in 2011, he drough in exas and Oklahoma in
2011, record snowall in he U.S. in 2010 and 2011, he Mississippi River oods in he spring o 2011,
and Hurricane Irene.
As adapaion sraegies are developed o address hese exremes, he work o NOAA and he
NCDC becomes more imporan han ever.
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Kahleen Merrigan was chosen as Depuy
Secreary o he U.S. Deparmen o Agriculure
(USDA) by Secreary Vilsack in 2009 as an indica-
ion ha he USDA was planning o embrace
organic and susainable ood producion. One o
he rs hings she did was o launch Know Your
Farmer, Know Your Food, an ongoing USDA iniiaive o connec armers and consumers ha is
inended o creae economic opporuniy in rural America hrough local and regional ood sysems.
In an eor o connec wih he NAL meeing delegaes, Dr. Merrigan hanked hem or heir iner-
es in ood and agriculure policy. She remarked ha he worlds capaciy o produce enough ood is
challenged by waer shorages, a xed land base, less arable land, compeiion or energy resources,
and climae change. She acknowledged he recommendaion in he GCA Posiion Paper on Climae
Change or he promoion o more localized sysems o ood producion and consumpion.
Depuy Secreary Merrigan
repored on he hird anniversary
o he USDA Peoples Garden. Te
rs Peoples Garden, siuaed on
he USDA grounds, was he way
Secreary Vilsack chose o com-
municae he agencys mission
o susainabiliy. In paricular, i
promoes he imporance o resh
ruis and vegeables, a cornersone
o he agencys push o improve
school nuriion and reduce child-
hood obesiy. Tere are now 1,400 Peoples Gardens across he naion ha donae over one million
pounds o produce! In addiion, he Whie House Garden reecs he Firs Familys commimen o
resh, healhy eaing and susainable agriculure.
NAL meeing delegaes were oered examples o USDA responses o he worlds ood needs,including grans ha have been awarded or research, educaion, and exension work on waer-relaed
issues in communiies across he naion. Te Conservaion Sewardship Program (CSP) has also pro-
vided enhancemens or millions o acres o armland which improve waer and soil qualiy, enhance
wildlie habia, and address he eecs o climae change. USDA coninues in research parnership o
reduce ne greenhouse gas emissions rom agriculural sysems around he world.
THE USDA AND AGRICULTURE
DEPUTY SECRETARY
KATHLEEN MERRIGAN
BY NANCY MCKLVEEN
Des Moines Founders Garden Club (IA) Zone XIAdvi sor, GC A Na tion al A ffi airs and Legi slat ion Comm itte e
NANCY MCKLVEEN AND KATHLEEN MERRIGAN, DEPUTY
SECRETARY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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Dr. Merrigan encouraged he delegaes o speak ou or crucial programs ha enable amily arm-
ers and ranchers o produce healhy ood, build communiy, and susain he environmen. Te Agri-
culure Reorm, Food and Jobs Ac o 2012, known as he Farm Bill, is debaed, amended and passed
by Congress every ve years and is o be renewed his year. As a mulibillion-dollar piece o legislaion
wih ar-ranging impacs on our healh, environmen and ood, members o Congress need o hear
rom concerned ciizens.
On Tursday June 21, he nearly $1 ril lion 2012 Farm
Bill passed he Senae wih a voe o 64-35. Marha Phil-
lips, in her maserul legislaive review, was in awe a he
immensiy o he bill - a 1000 pages i was 400 pages
longer han he 2008 arm bil l. According o indusry
groups, he spending associaed wih he arm bill relaive o he ederal budge alls somewhere
beween educaion and social securiy, and he bill direcs policy or everyhing rom ood samps o
crop insurance, arm subsidies o school lunches, energy, oresry and weland preservaion. A noable
policy change in he Senae bill is he eliminaion o millions o dollars in direc paymens o armers
and armland owners, in avor o crop insurance o proec agains price drops and crop yield ailures.O he 300 amendmens
proposed, oor voing
ook place on 73, and
noable amendmens
included he reducion
o crop insurance subsi-
dies o arms wih a gross
adjused income greaer
han $750,000 and he
requiremen or conserva-
ion compliance in order
o be eligible o buy crop
insurance. As he bill goes
THE FARM BILL - A MULTI-
BILLION DOLLAR NECESSITY
BY ANNIE AGER
French Broad River Garden Club (NC) Zone VII
Vic e Chairm an, GCA Conser vati on C ommi ttee , Ag ricu lture
FARM BILL SPENDING
Graphic by Congressional Research Service
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o he House, budge and deci concerns place crucial conservaion and resoraion programs a risk
as eors are made o cu projeced spending levels.
Farm Policy unil he 1960s deal wih rural ood producion and regulaion, and he rs arm bill
daes back o he New Deal. In 1960, rural represenaion in Congress was diminished, as populaion
densiy in he ciies increased. Rural legislaors were orced o acknowledge and suppor urban issues
in order o ge rural programs enaced. Consequenly, under hen-Presiden Kennedy, he ood samp
program became a par o he arm bill. oday, SNAP (he Supplemenal Nuriion and Assisance
Program), has grown o 69% o he arm bill budge. An addiional $6.4 billion goes o he commod-
iy crops, $5.7 bi llion o crop insurance, $4.5 billion o conservaion, $387 million o energy, and
$305 million o expors. Where, exacly, do all hese billions ge spen?
For he Garden Club and all our members he arm bill provides crucial unding or several conser-vaion programs, including resoraion programs such as he Conservaion Reserve Program (CRP),
theConservationStewardshipProgram(CSP),andtheEnvironmentalQualityIncentivesProgram
(EQIP).efarmbillalsoincludesconservationeasementprograms,includingtheHealthyForests
Reserve Program (HFRP), he Farm and Ranch Lands Proecion Program (FRPP), he Grassland
Reserve Program (GRP) and he Welands Reserve Program (WRP), ha are helping o preserve
FARMLAND CONTINUES TO DISAPPEAR
Graphic at www.farmbil l facts.org
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millions o acres o imporan landscapes across America. Trough land and waer proecion, he
arm bill does more or clean air and waer han any oher ederal source o conservaion unding.
How are hese programs adminisered, and why are hey so eecive? Troughou he Unied
Saes, in small owns and big ciies, here are USDA Farm Service Agency oces which adminiser
he programs enaced under he arm bill. Farmers apply and receive governmen unding rom hese
local oces, where he armers know he sa, and he sa knows he armers. Te Conservaion
Reserve Program (CRP) is a case in poin. Te CRP encourages armers o conver highly erodible
cropland or oher environmenally sensiive acreage using approved conservaion pracices. Te arm-
ers ren heir land---cropland, riparian areas, marginal pasureland---o he governmen and receive a
50% cos share or planing vegeaive cover, supporing wildlie and pollinaors wih sheler planings
and shade rees, and proecing waersheds
wih riparian buers. Te amoun o permi-
ed CRP acreage is currenly capped a 35
million acres, his would be reduced o 32million in he curren legislaion.
Several programs in he arm bill ocus on
weland preservaion, including he Welands
Reserve Program (WRP), he Conservaion
StewardshipProgram(CSP)andtheEnviron -
mentalQualityInitiativeProgram(EQIP).
eEQIPProgramisadministeredbystate
conservaioniss, and provides echnical and
nancial assisance o help plan and imple-
men conservaion pracices o improve soil,
waer, plan, animal, air and relaed resources
on agriculural land. Te program is compeiive and 60% o he money is se aside or livesock
producion. Farmers implemen conservaion pracices (ence animals ou o creeks, improve sream
crossings) and receive cos share incenives.
Te Welands Reserve Program (WRP) is an addiional conservaion ool, and provides undso resore welands and improve waershed healh hrough long erm or permanen easemens on
welands ha have been in agriculural producion. More han 11,000 landowners have volunarily
enrolled over 2.3 million acres ino he WRP. Tese programs provide real incenives o preserve
naural resources and improve armland.
Te Healhy Foress Reserve Program (HFRP) is also a volunary program, assising landowners
ANNI E AIGER RE PORT S TO NAL DE LEGAT ES
ON AGRICULTURE
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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in he resoraion and proecion o oresland resources on privae land hrough easemens, 30 year
conracs or 10 year cos-share agreemens. Te program aims o promoe he recovery o endangered
and hreaened species under he endangered species ac, o improve animal and plan diversiy, and
o enhance carbon sequesraion.
Anoher imporan program in he 2012 arm bill is he Farm and Ranch Proecion Program
(FRPP). I is he oldes and mos used arm bill program by land russ, and is designed o proec
working lands. Under he FRPP, unds are provided o purchase he developmen righs o keep pro-
ducive arm and ranch land in agriculural use and shi easemens away rom ederal ownership.
Te Farm Bill includes oher incenives or smaller armers: money or armers markes, young
armer and rancher incenives, and grans or organic producion and insurance or specialy crops.
Tese governmen programs all adminisered and unded under he arm bill - have done more o
proec our air and waer han mos ederal legislaion. Nohing seems o cu he unding or he
conservaion programs aser han heir demonsraed eeciveness. Les no le ha happen underhis arm bill. Wrie your Senaors and Congressman and encourage hem o suppor conservaion
programs and unding in he 2012 arm bill.
Sources
1) Te American Farmland rus, htp://www.armbillacs.org
Farm Bill 2012, A ime or ransormaion
2) Naional Farmers Union, htp://www.nu.org
3) Anhony Dowdle, Saf member, Farm Service Agency, Asheville, N.C.
4) Mike Green, Saf member, Souhern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Asheville, N.C.5) Reorming he 2012 Farm Bill Te Forum a he Harvard School o Nuriion and Science,
htp://www.harvard.edu/orum/arm-bill-2012-reorm.cm
6) Environmenal Working Group, Agriculure htp://www.org/amag 2012 Farm Bill Resources
7) UNC Gillings School o Global Public Healh, htp://www.isph.unc.edu/evens
8) Naional Resources Conservaion Service, U.S.D.A., htp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs
9) Farm Service Agencies, U.S.D.A. htp://www,usda.gov/esa/sae
10) U.S. News on MSNBC.com htp://pingree.house.gov/index.php?opion--com
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GCA Presiden Marian Hill addressed he February
NAL conerence in Washingon D.C., providing iner-
esing acs abou he hisory o conservaion in GCA.
GCA began is acivism by ghing billboards in 1919
hrough he creaion o he Billboard Menace Commi-
tee.Eventuallythiscommieejoinedotherstobecome
he GCA Conservaion Commitee. From heir rs appearance in he lae 19h cenury hrough
today,billboardshavemetresistanceonaestheticgrounds.Environmentalandsafetyconcernsadd
o his resisance.
Te gh is ar rom
over - in ac, is geting
worse. odays energy-
guzzling, disracing and
arguably dangerous digialbillboards ash a new ad
every eigh seconds and he
less expensive bu sill eye-
caching 3-D billboards add
o he challenge. Powerul
adverising lobbies gener-
ously conribue o poliical campaigns in hopes o achieving ever more lenien legislaion or insal-
laion o billboards or conversion o digial billboards along our highways. Legislaors respond o his
relenless lobbying by submiting bills o eliminae local conrol o digial billboards. Ye, even when
local ordinances limi billboards, billboard companies oen ignore he rules. Financially srapped ciy,
couny and sae governmens have limied resources o gh back in cour. As early as 1909, many
US ciies ried o ban bi llboards, bu oulawing billboards is seen by many as a clear assaul on prop-
ery righs and he Firs Amendmen. Ohers argue ha he batle isn really abou aesheics, or
wheher billboards consiue an accepable insrumen o commerce. A is core, he issue concerns
corporae power and is inuence over all orms o local democracyciy and couny governmens
and ballo measures passed by voers.1 Four saes go i righ: Vermon, Maine, Hawaii and Alaska
prohibi bil lboards alogeher.
Tere is consan pushback agains he 1965 Highway Beauicaion Ac, which applies o eder-
ally aided primary and deense highways. Tis Ac limis billboards o commercial and indusrial
zones creaed by saes and municipaliies, requiring each sae o se sandards based on cusomary
1 Ray Ring, Billboards vs. DemocracyHow Roadside Adverising Companies Override Your Voe,
High Counry News, January 23, 2012
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS CAN USE MORE ENERGY
IN ONE YEAR THAN THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD
Photo by New York Times
THE BILLBOARD MENACE
COMMITTEE
BY FRANCES TRAFTON
Perennial Planters (RI) - Zone IIVic e Chairm an,GCA National Affairs and Legislation,Transportation and Corridors
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use or size, lighing and
spacing. I prohibis ciy
and sae governmens
rom removing billboards
wihou compensaion o
he owner and requires
saes o mainain eecive
conrol o billboards or lose
ve percen o heir ederal
highway unding. While
many saes ban inermi-
en lighing on billboards,
he adverising indusry argues ha digial billboards moving images are changes in copy, no lighs.
I is no surprise ha you see many more billboards, building wraps, and oher commercial signagein he less afuen pars o own, lowering already-reduced propery values, making i hard o revial-
ize neighborhoods. Sudies show ha ciies wih sricer billboard conrols have greaer median
incomes, lower povery raes and lower home vacancy raes han ciies wih less sric billboard
conrols. 2
Desrucion o rees and oher plans is usually necessary in order o erec billboards. Crude ree
pruning occurs o keep rees rom blocking billboards. And, a leas one company allegedly direced
an employee o poison rees blocking billboards in nightime hi and run atacks. Tis is called veg-
eaion conrol. Propery owners, atraced by renal income or billboards on heir land, are oen
snared by he small prin
in conracs ha makes i
very dicul o remove
exising billboards.
Mos ciizens sup-
por resricions on all
billboards, and digialones in paricular. We are
bombarded by adveris-
ing everywhere, and
billboards conribue
signicanly o his visual
2 Jonahan Snyder, How Billboards Afec Economic Prosperiy Scenic America websie, www.scenic.org
JANE HENL EY AND MARY TRACY, PRES ID ENT, SCENIC AMERIC A
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
BILLBOARDS ON LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY
Photo by New York Times
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polluion. Wih he excepion o public service announcemens, billboards are all abou consump-
ion. I you would like o oppose hem, boycoting producs adverised in his manner is one way o
gh back. Joining Scenic America is anoher.
Sources and additional resources:
Mary racy, Presiden, Scenic America, speaker a GCA NAL Meeing, February 28, 2012
Harvey K. Flad, Counry Cluter: Visual Polluion & Te Rural Landscape,Annals o he
Academy o Poliical & Social Science, Sepember 1997, pp. 124-125.
Ray Ring , Billboards vs. DemocracyHow Roadside Adverising Companies Override Your Voe,
High Counry News, January 23, 2012, pp. 10-18
Sun Journal (Norh Carolina), June 3, 2011
Tis Space Available, documenary direced by Gwenaelle Gobe, New York Ciy Documenary Film
Fesival, November 2011
www.scenic.org: Scenic America Websie or a 6 minue video on ree cuting and poisoning.
Te Producion ax Credi (PC) was creaed
undertheEnergyPolicyActof1992.Itprovides
an income ax credi o wind energy aciliies o
2.2 cens per kilowat-hour produced rom uiliy-scale urbines during he rs en years o heir
operaion. PCs are given or producion o energy hrough he use o wind, waves and ide, geoher-
mal, municipal solid wase (MSW), bioenergy, and oher susainable resources. Tey are subjec o
renewal, usually in one and wo-year inervals.
Wihou acion by Congress, he PC or wind power will expire a he end o 2012. Te PC or
incremenal hydro, wave and idal energy, geohermal, MSW, and bio-energy will expire a he end
o 2013. 1 (Noe ha ax credis or ossil uel energy are ar greaer han hose or renewable sources,
according o a 2007 Governmen Accounabiliy Oce sudy, and no all are subjec o a similar
renewal process.)
Tere is biparisan suppor in Congress or exending he PC or wind. wo atemps o pass leg-
islaion earlier his year ailed, however. In March Senaor Debbie Sabenow (D-Michigan) proposed
an amendmen o he ransporaion Bill o exend he credis or anoher year. A bill inroduced
1 Producion ax Credi or Renewable Energy, Union o Concerned Scieniss, ucsusa.org, Sepember, 2011.
TAX CREDITS FOR
RENEWABLES AT RISK
BY CELIE HARRIS
Celie Harris, Winchester-Clarke Garden Club (VA) Zone VIIZone VII Representative,
GCA Conservation and NAL Committees
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by Senaor Rober Menendez (R-New Jersey) would have closed loopholes used by large oil compa-
nies and applied some o he resuling unds o coninuing incenives or alernaive energy sources,
including wind. Boh measures were subjec o a 60-voe hreshold. Te voe on Senaor Sabenows
amendmen was 49-49,
and on Senaor Menen-
dezs bill was 51-49.
Clearly, opinions are
divided on Capiol Hill
regarding producion
ax credis or wind.
So wha do we have
o lose by allowing
wind PCs o expire?
According o an aricleby Alex Guillen in he
April 24, 2012 issue oPoliico, he capaciy o wind generaed energy was abou 1.4 gigawats in
1997,whentheAmericanWindEnergyAssociation(AWEA,www.awea.org)rstkeptrecords(1
gigawat capaciy can power roughly 700,000 homes). Since hen capaciy has grown o 47 gigawats.
2 During periods when he ax credis remained sable, here was remendous growh in wind energy,
including consrucion o wind arms, increasing producion o componens in he Unied Saes,
andcreationofjobsintheeld.AWEAreportsthat38stateshaveutility-scalewindturbines,and
over 400 American manuacuring plans are building wind componens, including urbine com-
ponens, owers and blades. Over 100 o hese manuacuring aciliies have developed since 2007.
Some75,000jobsacrosstheUSaresupportedbythewindindustry.eU.S.DepartmentofEnergy
repors ha over 60 percen o a U.S.-insalled urbines value is produced in his counry. Over he
las ve years privae invesmen has averaged beween $15.5 and $20 billion per year. According o
he wind lobby, ax incenives have encouraged he developmen o hese projecs.
In some areas o he US he percenage o energy is higher han he naional average o 3.25 per-
cen. Iowa is a case in poin. Seve King, a Republican Congressman rom ha sae, is a proponen
o coninuing PCs or wind. Iowa is a wind energy success sory, he says. Iowa was he rs saeo generae 20 percen o is elecriciy rom wind. Now wind suppors as many as 5,000 Iowa jobs
and $11 million in annual land lease paymens o armers. King coninues, Iowa wind has promped
$300 million in privae invesmen in Iowa manuacuring aciliies. Te key o hese jobs and privae
invesmen is a sable ax policy. 3 On May 24h Presiden Obama visied a wind urbine blade manu-
2 Alex Guillen, Congress is aking he Wind Ou o urbine Sales, Poliico, poliico.com, April 24, 2012.
3 Rep. Seve King, Wind Energy: Iowa, model or success, Poliico, poliico.com, February 16, 2012.
ANNUAL ENERGY SU BS ID IES
Graphic by Pfund and Healey, September 2011
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acuring plan in Newon, Iowa. He said ha coninuing he producion ax credi would save 37,000
jobs which oherwise would be a risk and poined ou ha i Congress doesn ac, companies like
his one will ake a hi. Jobs will be los, he said. Tas no a guess. Tas a ac. 4
Suppor or exension o PCs or wind comes rom a variey o sources. Te lis includes he
American Farm Bureau, Naional Associaion o Manuacurers, Unied Seelworkers, and he Wes-
ern Governors Associaion, along wih newspapers: he Houson Chronicle, Te New York imes,
theDenverPostandtheDailyOklahoman,accordingtoAWEA. 5
Tere have been hree occasions when he wind PC has been allowed o expire. In 1999, 2001
and 2003 Congress ailed o exend he ax credis. In he years ollowing each expiraion, insallaions
dropped beween 73 percen and 93 percen and jobs were los. Given he growh o he wind indus-
ry in he U.S. since 2004, he impac o expiraion o he credis his year would be el more broadly
han i was a decade ago. In a 2011 aricle, Te Union o Concerned Scieniss (UCS) observed ha
he on again/o again saus o he PCs, conribues o a boom-bus cycle o developmen ha
plagues he wind indusry. Lapses in he PC cause a dramaic slowdown in he implemenaion o
planned wind projecs. Upon resoraion, he wind power indusry akes ime o regain is ooing
and hen experience srong growh unil he ax credis expire. Tey poin ou ha he resulan
uncerainy hreaens access o nancing, salls developmen plans, and hereore jeopardizes jobs.
4 Chrisi Parsons and Kahleen Hennessey, Obama urges Congress o exend clean-energy ax credis, laimes.com,
May 25, 2012.
5 American Wind Energy Associaion, awea.org, May 4, 2012.
WIND TURB IN ES ON A RIDGE IN MAUI
Photo by Candace Lyche
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Te UCS recommends a longer-erm exension o PCs. 6
Othersrecognizetheeectofthepresentuncertainty.InWhatiftheWindPTCExpires?Lind-
say Morris noed, Misubishi Heavy Indusries (MHI) has announced ha i will no build a planned
$100 million nacelle manuacuring plan in Arkansas i PCs are no renewed. MHI currenly
claims 10 percen o he U.S. marke and has several projecs in he works. Morris coninues, Te
bigges poenial consequence o he PC expiraion has come rom wind urbine gian Vesas, which
has already laid o 2,335 employees worldwide and announced in January ha an addiional 1,600
jobs in he U.S. could be a risk i Congress does no exend he PC. 7
O course no energy source is wihou is downside and here are a number o concerns abou
wind energy. Is i cos
eecive? Wha abou
aesheics? Some eel
ha he hrea o birdlie is oo grea. Te risks
mus be weighed, jus as
we examine hose associ-
aed wih oher sources.
Fossil uel energy comes
wih he atendan cos
o air polluion, acid rain
and missing mounain-
ops. Nuclear energy
comes wih he hrea o a meldown or vulnerabiliy o naural disaser riggering allou. A one-size-
s-all energy source doesn exis. I will be necessary, a leas or he oreseeable uure, o use all
o he above, including renewables such as wind. I appears ha he benes o wind ouweigh he
negaives, and ha long-erm exension o PCs will bene U.S. jobs, he economy, and our energy
securiy.
6 Union o Concerned Scieniss, op. ci.
7 Lindsay Morris, Wha i he Wind PC Expires?, renewableenergyworld.com, March 12, 2012
DIANA FISH AND CELIE HARRIS
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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Floaing welands are on he rise. Tey are one o he
newes phenomena on he waer sewardship ron.
Similar o naural welands, hese spongy urs serve
as naures kidneys o help ler ou polluans and
harmul nuriens. However, unlike naural welands,
he plans grow hrough a oaing ma on he surace
o he waer raher han being rooed in botom sedimens. Tese biohavens are no as aeced by
waer level ucuaions ha may submerge and sress botom-rooed plans.
Floaing Island Inernaional, a prooype developmen and licensing company ou o Shepherd,
Monana, has been involved wih over 4,000 oaing weland projecs across he globe. In some
regions, experimenaion wih his relaively new waer-cleansing green echnology has morphed
ino larger-scale projecs. Te science communiy is measuring, esing, and analyzing daa rom a
varietyofsituationsandconditionswithpromisingresults.eresmountingpressureontheEPAto
sancion oaing welands as a Bes Managemen Pracice and a viable alernaive or use in collecingoxic subsances.
Floaing welands uncion
by rooing plans in such a way
ha hey emerge hough a con-
sruced plasic marix on he
waers surace. Naive varieies
o perennial weland vegea-
ion such as sedges, iris, rushes
and pickerelweed are seaed in
pea moss and placed in holes
in mulilayered brous plasic
mesh. Te plans roo sysems dangle beneah he surace in a waer column. Te plasic mas, made
fromrecycledplasticboles(PET),arebondedtogetherwithadhesivemarinefoamforbuoyancy.
Te island is ehered along he shoreline or anchored o he botom. Te cos runs beween $25 and
$32 per square oo. Te biomass on op is harvesed periodically o remove sequesered nirogen
and phosphorous rom he aquaic sysem. Te larges island o dae spans 39,800 square ee.
Te benes o oaing welands are many-old. Te plan roos serve as surace area or biolm o
collec harmul nuriens rom he waer column. Te roos also cach suspended solids. Te plans
on op o he island inges nuriens rom he waer o grow and ourish. Sudies have shown ha he
concenraion load o a 250-square-oo island has he abiliy o ler he same amoun o nuriens
ARE LITTLE GREEN FLOTILLAS
ON THE POLLUTION DIET?
BY CAROL DAVIS
Green Spring Valley G.C. (MD) Zone VIZone VI Representative,GCA Conservation and NAL Committees
FLOATING WETLANDS POLLUTION REMOVAL
Graphic cour tesy ofWiki Commons
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as one acre o naural we-
lands. Benes include (1)
bringing a concenraed
weland eec o any body
o waer and (2) serving as
shade o help cool he wa-
er or buer sorm surges.
Te plans serve as habia
and a sae haven or birds,
urles and oher visiors
or nesers. Te welands
are adapive o varying wa-
er dephs. Tey also have aesheic and educaional value as healhy clumps o vegeaion, clariying
he waer, enhancing he view, and inviing he curiosiy o passersby. In addiion, below he surace,
an aquaic eeding renzy occurs and suppors he marine ood chain.
Here are a ew snapshos o oaing island projecs:
An insallaion o over 15,000 square ee will be se aoa on Lake Roorua in New Zealand.
Tis projec ollows a successul rial on Lake Rooehue, where, aside rom he nurien reducion,
he oaing welands atraced koura, a New Zealand reshwaer crab delicacy. Te new larger-scale
projec re-engineers more han a hal million recycled plasic waer botles ino he brous marix. A
cuou in he surace will spell he word Roorua as a markeing ploy. Te goal is removal o over 4
ons o nirogen and over 100 kilograms o phosphorus rom he lake each year. A similar projec was
compleed in he Punggoi Reservoir in Singapore in 2010. I is called he Sengkeng oaing weland.
In he Unied Saes, wo 180-square-oo islands are being deployed in Pisgah Sae Park in Penn-
sylvania o comba algae bloom rom excessive nuriens in Sephen Foser Lake, which is par o he
drainage basin or an 11-square-mile agriculural area. How he oaing welands will are in a sae
park seting is o paricular ineres. One beaver has recenly ound is sae haven, creaing a eachable
momen or visiors! In Gainesville, Floridas umblin Creek Park, more han a hundred waerowl
adoped an island as home welve days aer launching oaing welands in a sorm waer reenionpond. In Sheepy Lake, Caliornia, biologiss used a oaing weland o lure Caspian erns away rom
a juvenile salmonid resoraion area. A ew Norh Carolina gol courses are using oaing welands
in heir waer eaures o replace waer qualiy chemicals, comba algae growh, improve he appear-
ance o heir ponds, and help minimize mainenance work and coss. o clean is duck pond, he
VirginiaZooinNorfolkrecentlyconstructedtwo368-square-footislands,partofanElizabethRiver
FLOATING WETLANDS
Photo by Char leston Aquat ics
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projec wih unding rom a Chesapeake Bay Small Waershed gran. And, or a close-up view, ake a
leap ono he oaing island boardwalk hrough a secion o he San Marco, exas Aquarena welands
projec!
An iniial rial similar o he projec in New Zealand has led o a larger scale oaing weland proj-
ec. In 2010, eigh cordgrass and marsh mallow oas were se o sea near he sie o he World rade
Cener as par o a waerron cleanup eor. Te grasses have successully ed on nuriens ushed
ino he waer rom wasewaer reamen discharges, sewage leaks, and sorm runo. Analyses have
indicaed ha a leas wo pounds o nirogen have been pulled rom he waer or every hundred
pounds o vegeaion. Also, housands o dark alse mussels have atached hemselves o he under-
side o he oaing welands and underwaer videos show crabs, baby rocksh and perch grazing on
he biolm. Laer his spring, y new, larger scale oaing welands will be released in he harbor,
boosing he surace area enold.
More quaniaive daa and urher independen sudies could help expand he oaing welandbrigade. Cos/bene analyses are under scruiny and unding is igh. Floaing welands sill have
notbeensanctionedbytheEPAforachievingTotalMaximumDailyLoad(TMDL)requirementsin
he Chesapeake Bay waershed. Violen sorms wreak havoc on he young islands and re-anchoring,
replaning or complee reconsrucion can be required. Judicious placemen o he oaing welands
is key. Local communiies are jus a he ip o showcasing heir curren successes and oering oa-
ing weland consrucion workshops. Ahoy!
Sources
www.americanarm.com/publicaion/he_delmarva_armer, www.clemson.edu/exension/horicul-
ure/remediaion_ech
www. elizabehriver.org./Feaures/Floaing_Welands.aspx
www.oaingwelands.com
oaingweland.blogspo.com
www.oaingislandswes.com
www.onwisconsin.uwalumni.com.deparmens/bruce kania 75 oaing
www.scoop.co.nz/sories/AK1109/S00885/worldslargesoaingwelandobooslakewaerqualiy.
hmwww.srdem.com Floaing Wealnds oued or Bay Cleanup by Kelley L. Allen
Te Balimore Sun Faux Welands expand in Harbor by imohy Wheeler, 4/9/12
www.dcnr.sae.pa.us/news/resource/res2011/11-0525-mpisgahsp.aspx
www.oaingislandinernaional.com/producs/biohaven
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Perhaps he wo mos dynamic speakers o address
he 2012 NAL meeing his year were Senaors
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Kirsen Gillibrand (D-
NY). Boh were well inormed and ully prepared
or heir GCA audience. Boh women discussed he
careul juggling ac o being a U.S. Senaor and mainaining srong amilies. Boh women are married
and each has wo children. Senaor Gillibrand discussed her belie ha children are making he con-
necion beween naure and healh and he imporance o he environmen. Boh alked abou how
women in eleced oce are role models or children and or he women o America.
Senaor Landrieu has been an eleced ocial since he age o 23! She has been a US Senaor since
1996.ShespokepassionatelyabouttheRESTOREAct,whichhaspassedthefullSenateandhas
gone on o he House o Represenaives. Tis bill wil l require 80 percen o BP penalies o be direc-
ed o Gul saes, like her own, o resore coasal ecosysems and rebuild local economies damaged by
he 2010 oil spill.
Senaor Gillibrand is leading a campaign called O he Sidelines. Gillibrand, who was appoined
o ll he remaining Senae erm o Secreary o Sae Hillary Clinon, won a ull Senae erm in 2010
wih 63 percen o he voe. Te senaor is urging more women o ge "o he sidelines" and ge in-
volved in he issues hey care abou. More women, according o he Senaor, need o realize ha heir
voices mater and ha hey can make a dierence. Te campaign suggess ha we are sill discussing
he same issues abou women ha were raised in he 1970's.
Senaor Gillibrand saes ha an inusion o women ino he poliical sysem would go a long way
oward changing he one in Congress, a male-dominaed world o clashing egos. I sruck many o
WOMEN IN WASHINGTON
BY ELVA BUSCH
Santa Fe G.C. (NM)- Zone XII andPlainfield G.C.(NJ) - Zone IV
Vic e Chairm an, GCA Conser vati on C ommi ttee ,Forests and Redwoods
TOTAL NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE U.S. CONGRESS IN 1938!
Photo cour tesy ofencyclopediaofarkansas.net
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he atendees a he NAL conerence ha here appears o be a loyaly or bond among women serving
in he House and Senae independen o pary lines. Tis creaes a leas he poenial or dialogue
and or compromise ha oen eludes he men serving here.
Jus how bad is i? A he presen ime,
only six women are governors o U.S. saes.
Niney-wo women serve in he 112h Con-
gress: 75 in he House and 17 in he Senae.
Tis is a mere 17 percen o he seas in he
enire Congress. Since 1917, when he rs
woman was eleced o he House, he number
o women serving in Congress has increased
incremenally. Despie he increases, how-
ever, over he hisory o our counry, only
2.2 percen o members have been women.Around he world, women represen 19.3
percen o naional legislaive seas, rank-
ing he U.S. 69h worldwide. Te numbers
are slighly beter in he U.S. when we look
a sae legislaures, where 23.3 percen o
seas are held by women. As Speaker o he
House rom 2007-2010, Nancy Pelosi o Caliornia held he highes posiion o leadership ever held
by a woman in he U.S. governmen. All o his exiss in a counry where he majoriy o people are
women.
Tere are boh symbolic and subsanive reasons why i is imporan o have larger numbers o
women in eleced oce. Rep. ammy Baldwin o Wisconsin has saed, "We wan our young girls and
women o have no glass ceilings in heir lives and in heir uures. Te symbolic impac o being able
tolookatawomansenator,awomansecretaryofstate,awomanasCEOofacompanyaswellas
seeing women in all pars o socieysends he message ha you can be anyhing you wan o be and
here's nohing holding you back." And, as Senaor Gillibrand has said, " When women are par o
he negoiaion and par o decision-making , he oucomes are jus beter. We have so much commonground. We agree on so many basic principles and values. I hink i here were more women a he
decision-making able, we would ge more hings done." By our naure, women are oen nururers
and negoiaors. We wan o nd soluions and move orward. Having more women involved can
help he process. And, some migh say, i may even be criical or he direcion o our counry.
SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU ADDRESSES
THE NAL DELEGATES
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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Te wo emale Republican Senaors rom Maine exempliy how women can make a dierence.
Tey are Senaor Susan Collins and Senaor Olympia Snowe. Sen. Collins came by poliics naurally
- boh o her parens were mayors o her homeown in Maine. She is a member o he Republicans
forEnvironmentalProtectionandisconsideredabipartisanandcentristmemberoftheRepublican
Pary. She hasn' missed a roll call voe in he Senae since 1997! She has been a huge supporer o
he esablishmen o a Naional Women's Hisory Museum in Washingon D.C. She saed when in-
roducing legislaion o designae a sie or he museum, "Te ousanding women who have changed
he counry and he role o women in our counry are he reasons I am proud o sponsor (his) bill.
Women's hisory needs a place in our Capiol and in our collecive American hisory, so we can learn
rom our pas, and be inspired o make hisory o our own."
Sen. Snowe, also one o he ew remaining moderae Republicans in Congress, ghs or women's
righs. She oen allies wih he Democras on issues o women's healh, social issues and gay and
lesbian righs. She has served in he Senae since 1995. She recenly announced ha she would no
be running or re-elecion - a loss o a emale voice in Congress. Her decision o reire, she has saed,
was promped by her disapproval o he increasing polarizaion in Washingon and general parisan-ship in he Senae in recen years. While hose in her own pary have someimes criicized her, she
has said, "I'd raher have company (on her voing posiions), bu i's a dieren poliical world we're
in. Mos people represen eiher red saes or blue saes."
During his spring graduaion season, Presiden Obama spoke a commencemen a Barnard Col-
NAL DELEGATES IN THE CANNON CAUCUS ROOM
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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lege, a woman's college in New York aliaed wih Columbia Universiy. He recognized ha young
women are grappling wih he challenges o making sure hey earn equal pay or equal work, balanc-
ing he demands o job wih amily lie, and conrolling decisions abou heir own healh.
oday, women represen more han hal o he counry and hal o is workorce in erms o heir
numbers. Tey earn more han hal o college degrees a all levels. He challenged he graduaes o
shape no only heir own desinies, bu also he desiny o his naion and his world. His advice was
o no jus ge involved, bu o gh or heir sea a he able. And, perhaps a sea a he head o he
able. He opined ha Congress would ge a lo more done i hey did!
Te Presiden's speech reminds hose o us who are no recen graduaes o heed his words. Te
mos imporan role in our democracy is he role o ciizen. I's up o each o us o sand up and be
heard, o wrie leters, o lobby, o march, o organize, o voe. Don' be conen o jus si back and
wach. Women, such as he delegaes o he annual GCA NAL conerences, can make he dierence.
[Formoreonthistopic,seeDerryMacBride'sarticle,"Don'tGetMad,GetElected,"intheFall,
2011 issue o Conservaion Wach, pages 5 and 6, sill available on he GCA websie.]
Sources:
O he Sidelines Campaign (htp://www.youube.com/wach?v=ZUgSQHeduZE.)
Addresses o Senaors Mary Landrieu and Kirsen Gillibrand, 2012 GCA NAL Meeing,
Cannon Congressional Caucus Room, Washingon, D.C., February 29, 2012.
Bruni, Frank, "Second Acs or Firs Ladies," New York imes, May 22, 2012."Facs on Women in Congress 2011," Rugers Cener or American Women and
Poliics.
htp://www.cawp.rugers.edu/as_acs/levels_o_oce/Congress-CurrenFacs.php
Hernandez, Raymond, "A Gillibrand Campaign: More Women in Poliics," New York
imes, July 4, 2011.
Manning, Jennier E. and Shogan, Colleen J., "Women in he Unied Saes Congress
1917-2012." Congressional Research Service, January 27, 2012.
"Senae Women Face High Sakes in 2012," Hungon Pos, May 12, 2012.
htp://www.hungonpos.com/2011/11/02/senae-women-emale-senaors-
2012_n_1035222.hml
ex, Presiden Barack Obama Barnard Commencemen Speech, May 14, 2012.
"Women in he Senae," Unied Saes Senae.
htp://www.senae.gov/arandhisory/hisory/common/briefng/women_senaors.hm
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
DEBBIE ROSS AND SUZANNE CANFIELD, NAL VICE CHAIRS
Photo by Pat Wall
Special hanks o he NAL Vice Chairs or he Washingon, D.C. meeing, Jennier Jameson, Lisa
Frulla, and Shelley Gilligan; o Debbie Ross and Suzanne Caneld or providing wonderul phoo-
graphs; o Sue Klein and Susan Caven or heir prodigious noe aking and insighul summary; and
o NAL Chairman Melissa McAdams and Conservaon Chair Fayeta Weaver or leading anoher
successul legislaive eor by GCA members in our naion's capiol.
SUSAN KLEIN, NAL FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN, AND SUSAN CAVEN,
CONSERVATION FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
For addiional inormaion and
phoos rom he 2012 NAL
Meeing, please see he April/
May 2012 issue o he GCA
Bullein, pages 4 - 8.
SHELLEY GILLIGAN, NAL VICE CHAIR,
WASHINGTON D.C. MEET IN G
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
JENN IF ER JAMESO N AND LI SA FRULLA , NAL VICE CHAIRS ,
WAS HINGTON D. C. MEET IN G
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
MELISSA MCADAMS, NAL CHAIRMAN
Photo by Canfie ld and Ross
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Fayeta Weaver,Chairman
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Mill Valley Mounain Garden Club (VA)
Zone VII
2502StanleyAvenueSE
Roanoke, VA 24014-3332
(540) 345-2229
Melissa McAdams, Chairman
GCA Naional Aairs and Legislaion
Knoxville Garden Club (N) Zone IX
1043 Craigland Cour
Knoxville, N 37919
(865) 558-9441
(865) 250-3890 (cell)
Candace C. Lyche,Edior
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Hillsborough Garden Club (CA) Zone XII
171 New Place Road
Hillsborough, CA 94010
(650) 537-0506
Anne OBrien,Assisan Edior
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Columbine Garden Club (AZ) Zone XII
6018EastChollaLane
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(480) 874-3323
(480) 970-8328 (ax)
CONTACTS
Conservaion Wach, a publicaion o he Garden Club o America, is produced
by he GCA Conser va ion Comm iee. Reader s' ideas, con ribuions, and
suggesions are welcome, as are requess or addiional inormaion on any o he
subjectspresented,andmaybeemailedtotheEditor.
CandaceLyche,Editor