The excessively wealthy have to abandon $100,000 boats because they are to poor to tow them to port and sell them? Now that seems a little absurd!
One of our subcontractors is a boat cpt. and he salvages boats on the high sea. I seem to remember him saying that after a certain point the boats were up for grabs if they were abandoned and no one claimed them.
Seems like a get rich quick deal for any one with a tow boat :)
Unfortunately they leak and, being stuck in the water, are a serious water quality concern.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/business/01boats.html?_r=1&hp
3.31.2009
Are you in Portland Oregon in April
1. JCWC Watershed Wide Event; Saturday, March 7, 2009
- Work Parties: 9am-12pm
- Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: 12-1:30pm
Our 11th Annual Watershed Wide Event occurs on March 7th, with hundreds of volunteers working together to restore a valuable community resource we all share- Johnson Creek.
Volunteers will gather at 10 different restoration sites throughout the watershed to remove invasive species and plant native plants. Afterwards, all volunteers are invited to a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon!
To check availability for last minute registrations, please visit our website, http://www.jcwc.org.
Stay tuned for the results of this tremendous effort and find out how many tons of invasive species are removed and how many native plants are planted!
2. JCWC and EMSWCD Rain Garden Workshop; Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Rain gardens are a great way to add beautiful landscaping to your yard and protect our overloaded urban streams at the same time! Join us to learn how to build a rain garden on your property to keep our streams clean and healthy!
Participants will learn:
- how rain gardens improve urban watershed hydrology
- how to do a site assessment to determine where to safely install a rain garden
- impervious surface calculation and rain garden sizing
- plant selection
- rain garden construction and maintenance
All our classes are FREE! To register, go to http://www.emswcd.org or call 503-935-5368.
Rain Gardens 101
- Date: April 1, 2009
- Time: 6pm-9pm
- Location: Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 SE 122 Avenue, Portland, OR 97236
- Sponsors: Johnson Creek Watershed Council and East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
3. JCWC and Audubon Society of Portland: Lower Johnson Creek Bike Tour; Sat, April 4, 2009
Join Jim Labbe, Urban Conservationist with the Audubon Society of Portland and Matt Clark, director of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, for a 21-mile bike ride out the Springwater Corridor Trail to Gresham's Linneman Station and back. We'll pedal our way through the lower Johnson Creek Watershed, stop at several of urban natural areas along the way, and learn about future opportunities to protect and enhance the Johnson Creek Watershed. You are responsible for bringing and maintaining your own bicycle; pumps and patch kits recommended. Helmets are absolutely required. Directions and other details will be mailed to registrants. Time: 9:00am to 12:30pm
To register: http://www.audubonportland.org/trips-classes-camps/adult/wic/johnsoncreek
Contact: Karen Munday, kmunday@audubonportland.org, 503.292.6855 x122
4. JCWC Bird Watching Trip; Saturday, April 18, 2009
Join Christine Steele, former JCWC staff member, and Joe Liebezeit, both expert birders, for a morning of bird watching in the Johnson Creek Watershed. All levels welcome.
Please bring water and a snack and dress for the weather. Directions to the meeting location with be sent after registering for the activity. With advanced notice, the JCWC will find loaner binoculars for those who need them.
Participants should be prepared to do some moderate walking over uneven ground. Trip size is limited. Ages 8 and older please. To register, please contact Lori at lori@jcwc.org or call (503) 652-7477.
5. JCWC April Restoration Work Party: TBA
Please stay tuned for details about our upcoming restoration work party to be held in April. Details will be available in the April e-bulletin and on the website, http://www.jcwc.org. We hope you can join us!
6. Save the Date: JCWC Annual Meeting; Thursday, May 21, 2009
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on May 21, 2009. JCWC Executive Director, Matt Clark will present the 2008 Annual Report, an overview of the Council's activities and accomplishments of 2008. Riffle Awards will be presented to community groups, businesses and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Watershed in 2008. The Council will honor founding JCWC board members, Walt Mintkeski, Gary Rydout, and Jeff Uebel with a special presentation.
Reed College | Kaul Auditorium | Portland, Oregon
If you would like to attend, please contact our office: 503-652-7477 or email us: info@jcwc.org. We will add you to our invitation mailing list.
3.30.2009
Nature Conservancy Sells Land in Adirondacks
Check out this link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/science/earth/31adirondacks.html
The Nature Conservancy sold 92,000 acres of forest to a Danish Pension Fund (ATP) for $32.8 million. This is a little over half of the 161,000 acres in the Adirondacks which the Finch Paper Co. sold to the Nature Conservancy in 2007 for $110 million for a financial loss of $80 million!
The Nature Conservancy is intending to sell 65,000 of the remaining 69,000 acres to the state while the 92,000 lot will be managed by a private timber company to supply wood to the Finch Paper Mill which employs ~800 people. The logging will occur on less than 10% of the land.
Maybe the Nature Conservancy should have waited until the economy picked up so that their loss wasn't as large.
The Nature Conservancy sold 92,000 acres of forest to a Danish Pension Fund (ATP) for $32.8 million. This is a little over half of the 161,000 acres in the Adirondacks which the Finch Paper Co. sold to the Nature Conservancy in 2007 for $110 million for a financial loss of $80 million!
The Nature Conservancy is intending to sell 65,000 of the remaining 69,000 acres to the state while the 92,000 lot will be managed by a private timber company to supply wood to the Finch Paper Mill which employs ~800 people. The logging will occur on less than 10% of the land.
Maybe the Nature Conservancy should have waited until the economy picked up so that their loss wasn't as large.
Pesticides and Other Agricultural Runoff
This study indicates that although chemicals may be safe* at certain concentrations and dosages, the danger to aquatic species is in the reaction that occurs when the chemicals mingle.
Here is the link to the .pdf that discusses the whole study. http://demeterdesign.net/Pesticides_Toxicity_Synergy.pdf originally posted at ehponline.org
Here is the link to the .pdf that discusses the whole study. http://demeterdesign.net/Pesticides_Toxicity_Synergy.pdf originally posted at ehponline.org
3.27.2009
You might be interested in the two events listed below. The first is a
workshop providing updates on efforts to reduce and assess toxic
contaminants in the Columbia River. A Save the Date notice can be found at http://demeterdesign.net/save_the_date.pdf
The second event is the next scheduled meeting for the Columbia River
Toxics Reduction Working Group--June 2 at the White Salmon Community
Center. Both are open to all who wish to attend. Please consider it if
you have not participated before and are interested in this topic.
Feel free to contact us (or Mary Lou at EPA-cc'ed on this email) for
more information.
Thanks,
Catherine Corbett
Technical Programs Manager
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 410
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 226-1565 ext 240
www.lcrep.org
Dear Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group:
Two Items of interest:
1. The next meeting of the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working
Group: will be June 2 @ the White Salmon Community Center, White Salmon,
WA. A draft agenda and further information will be coming next week.
2. EPA is working with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation, the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group, and the
Umatilla Soil and Water Conservation District to host a one day workshop
in Pendleton on May 13. We picked Pendleton because it is centrally
located in the Columbia River Basin and could attract watershed groups
from OR, WA and ID. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation has graciously agreed to host the workshop. They have
provided great leadership on toxics reduction, their continued
leadership is much appreciated.
The workshops goals are:
* Exchange information with local watershed groups and others on
toxics reduction in the Columbia River Basin
* Exchange information on individual actions to reduce toxics in the
Columbia River Basin
The proposed audience is local watershed councils and salmon recovery
groups; tribal, state, federal and local governments; non-profit groups
(Columbia Riverkeeper); agriculture/soil and water conservation
districts, industry and other entities.
Here is a Save the Date card if you are interested in more information.
Please forward this email to people or groups that you might recommend
to attend the meeting.
(See attached file: save_the_date.pdf)
_______________________________
Mary Lou Soscia
Columbia River Coordinator
US EPA - Region 10 - OWW
805 S.W. Broadway, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97205
www.epa.gov/region10/columbia
503.326.5873
fax: 503.326.3399
Job Board March 27
City of Portland:
Solicitation Number: TRN069
Title: Management Coaching
Check out their website at http://cityofportland.ebidsystems.com/public/solicitationdetail.asp?solicitation=TRN069 and sign in (login info required) to get more info.
City of Portland
Solicitation Number: POEM001
Title: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TRAINING
Status: Active
City of Beaverton:
Solicitation Number: TRN069
Title: Management Coaching
Check out their website at http://cityofportland.ebidsystems.com/public/solicitationdetail.asp?solicitation=TRN069 and sign in (login info required) to get more info.
City of Portland
Solicitation Number: POEM001
Title: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TRAINING
Status: Active
City of Beaverton:
Request for Proposal, Urban Renewal Feasibility Study, Solicitation #2213-09
---- Bid closes on April 27, 2009 at 2:00 PM.
Attention High School Students!
The Estuary Partnership is recruiting for an Environmental Education Intern for Summer 2009. The internship is available to incoming High School Juniors and Seniors who are comfortable working outdoors, have experience or interest leading groups of students, have experience or interest in biology, ecology, or science education, and have a strong ability to work as part of a team.
The internship is designed to run from late June through August - although start and end dates are flexible. Interns will work 24-32 hours per week with Estuary Partnership Environmental Educators delivering a wide variety of programming. Pay will be $10.00 per hour.
Applications must be received by 4:00 pm on Monday May 18. For more information and a full description of the work and application requirements, see the attached PDF or the Estuary Partnership web site www.lcrep.org.
Thanks!
Chris
Chris Hathaway
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 410
Portland, OR 97204
503 226 1565
3.26.2009
Wilderness!
A Bill just passed the house (285-to-140 vote) and is moving on to the senate which will allow for the protection of 23 million acres in the NW alone!
There were 160 proposals which, if passed by the house and not vetoed by the president (ha ha) will increase the total acres of wilderness in the US to 109 million acres and will include 470,000 acres in the Eastern Sierra and San Gabriel Mountains in California, 517,000 acres in the Canyonlands in Idaho, 11,700 acres of Lake Superior shoreline in northern Michigan, 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range, 1,000+ miles of scenic rivers, two parks in New Jersey, 750,000 acres in northeastern Oregon, and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington!
With 62,720,000 acres in Oregon (is my math right? 98,000 square miles * 640 acres/square mile?) that is ~ 1% of the total land area in Oregon which isn't really that much. There are likely smaller areas around the nation (in Hawaii?) but this is great for Oregon!
The BLM owns ~ 15 million acres in Oregon and over 400,000 acres in Washington
While that would likely only set aside < 5% of the BLM/USFS lands in Oregon, it would set almost all of Washingtons BLM managed lands in trust (likely most of the set asides are in the USFS managed lands). It is likely they will have provisions for cattle and sheep grazing in the wilderness areas if it passes as that is an important economic factor for many communities. Logging practices would change drastically at least in eastern Oregon.
What do you think?
Is this good for the NW?
There were 160 proposals which, if passed by the house and not vetoed by the president (ha ha) will increase the total acres of wilderness in the US to 109 million acres and will include 470,000 acres in the Eastern Sierra and San Gabriel Mountains in California, 517,000 acres in the Canyonlands in Idaho, 11,700 acres of Lake Superior shoreline in northern Michigan, 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range, 1,000+ miles of scenic rivers, two parks in New Jersey, 750,000 acres in northeastern Oregon, and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington!
With 62,720,000 acres in Oregon (is my math right? 98,000 square miles * 640 acres/square mile?) that is ~ 1% of the total land area in Oregon which isn't really that much. There are likely smaller areas around the nation (in Hawaii?) but this is great for Oregon!
The BLM owns ~ 15 million acres in Oregon and over 400,000 acres in Washington
While that would likely only set aside < 5% of the BLM/USFS lands in Oregon, it would set almost all of Washingtons BLM managed lands in trust (likely most of the set asides are in the USFS managed lands). It is likely they will have provisions for cattle and sheep grazing in the wilderness areas if it passes as that is an important economic factor for many communities. Logging practices would change drastically at least in eastern Oregon.
What do you think?
Is this good for the NW?
Stimulus Money
These links provide information on the stimulus money!
http://wyden.senate.gov/newsroom/arra_guide.pdf
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114211
http://www.oregon.gov/recovery/
http://www.oregon.gov/recovery/docs/032009_onepager_stimulusdollars_final.pdf
3.23.2009
3.22.2009
The non-profit recognition process
Hey everybody,
Demeter Design is currently in the process of becoming a not-for-profit! In order to remain transparent throughout the process and to get the word out (also for us to learn and to provide a guide for others going through the same thing) we are starting a new forum.
Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Demeter Design is currently in the process of becoming a not-for-profit! In order to remain transparent throughout the process and to get the word out (also for us to learn and to provide a guide for others going through the same thing) we are starting a new forum.
Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Is organized media an endangered art?
The author of an article titled published in 'Science News' suggests as much given that there is a nearly 30% increase in blog activity since 2004!
What do you think?
Are blogs watering down science or are they making it more accessible to rural areas?
What do you think?
Are blogs watering down science or are they making it more accessible to rural areas?
3.17.2009
Job board
- Demeter Design is currently looking for engineers to partner with on up coming restoration projects. Visit our website at http://demeterdesign.net and visit the jobs board page for more information about where to send resumes.
For those wishing to post their jobs just reply to this post or start your own post, whatever works best.
*Please don't post non-public, spam sites, lewd material or act in an offensive manner. Any person found to be doing any of these things or is otherwise causing problems, you will be banned. Thanks and pass this link on to people working in the environmental field!
For those wishing to post their jobs just reply to this post or start your own post, whatever works best.
*Please don't post non-public, spam sites, lewd material or act in an offensive manner. Any person found to be doing any of these things or is otherwise causing problems, you will be banned. Thanks and pass this link on to people working in the environmental field!
3.14.2009
Habitat Restoration in Oregon
Demeter Design provides water quality and habitat assessments, restoration planning and implementation, and GIS services throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. This blog will allow people working in the field of habitat restoration to follow our work and comment on our reports, methods, and projects.
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