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Fishing 101
This summer, fishermen and women should take the time to teach the
younger set or anyone new to the sport the ins and outs of being a
fish-friendly and nature-friendly angler.
(more)
Butts Kill
Most trash is more unsightly than it is toxic, but in the case of
cigarette butts the hazards go beyond ugliness. Smokers discard billions
of cigarette butts annually, trading the hassle of using an ashtray
for a flick out the window. Boaters often toss them into the water.
(more)
Saving our Oceans
Development, collapsing fisheries, non-point source pollution, and
a lack of political leadership and public education have combined
to bring ocean health to a crisis level according to the Bush-appointed
US Commission on Ocean Policy. (more)
The Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern box turtles usually conjure up feelings of empathy and respect,
but this several million-year-old reptile cannot survive without adequate
natural habitat. (more)
Accessing Wetlands
With long docks and piers continuing to raise a number of environmental
concerns over impacts to wetlands and the habitat they support, planners
and legislators around the Keystone State should take a closer look
at how such structures can affect waterways as well... (more)
For The Long Term
New research on the economics of impatience is shedding light on the
difficulty conservationists sometimes face when asking for short-term
sacrifices with long-term goals... (more)
New Proof About Buffers
A new Agricultural Research Service report released last month shows how important forest buffers are to curbing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff
... (more)
Reflection
If the Holiday
Season is a time for many of us to give thanks, it must certainly be a time to reflect on what it is we are thankful for
... (more)
Wetlands and forested buffers are vital
A new scientific study released last month on the importance of protecting forested headwaters of streams and surrounding wetlands should serve to remind residents how important land preservation and water quality monitoring have been for the protection of larger streams and rivers
... (more)
Global Climate Change
The results of a recent television poll on global climate change reveals just how much work remains to be done in educating the public on this crucial environmental issue... (more)
Water Quality Won On Local Level
At this, the 31st anniversary of the landmark law that created mandates
for recovery of the nation's beleaguered waterways, the EPA announced
last month that for the first time since the Clean Water Act was passed,
the nations waterways have actually become more polluted. And it is
not just political rollbacks, loopholes, and kickbacks that are to
blame.... (more)
Finding
the Connection to Wetlands
Over the
past few decades tons of misinformation has been exchanged regarding
the types of wetlands that are good for mosquito larvae production
and which are not. (more)
Losing
More Ground for Biodiversity in Pennsylvania?
Lately, I've been hearing some hair-raising tales about snakes in
and around Pennsylvania. Some involve black snakes, others green,
hog-nosed, and water snakes, and still others garter snakes which
strike fear in the hearts of many around the Keystone State...
(more)
"River
IQ"
The recent
release of a National Geographic Society poll shows that although
98 percent of Americans support protecting the nation's rivers and
estuaries, many lack the scientific knowledge of how to do so...
(more)
On Environmental Responsibility
What is environmentally responsible? With better biology and education,
notions of such responsibility have changed over time, but the underlying
premise remains the same — being environmentally responsible means
acting willfully to protect or preserve natural resources by sacrificing
some of your freedoms for the common good... (more)
Sprawling Over Pennsylvania
Strolling along the unspoiled streets of State College or Strausburg,
it's hard to imagine how planning and zoning went haywire beginning
in the 1950's. Before then, towns and cities were the places just
about everyone lived. Black, White, Hispanic, and folks from all racial
and socio-economic backgrounds lived, worked, and played together
in a cultural symphony... (more)
The Outdoor Experience
The 3-million-year-old practice of hunting and fishing has as much
to do with understanding nature as it does with eating. Lately, hunters
and anti-hunters have had it out over the ethos of practices that
involve the taking of wildlife for sustenance. Within that foray,
some might wonder... (more)
Public Trust
Laws restraining personal behavior for the common good, such as those
relating to guns, drunk driving, drugs or otherwise ill-advised use
of personal belongings have immediate and evident consequences. However,
when these belongings take the form of land or water, it requires
more foresight to see the cumulative and long-term impacts to the
public trust... (more)
Grounding Ourselves in Water
We can all harken back to memories of the droughts this past summer
that struck communities in most of the country. Lower agricultural
production affected even those people living in areas without exorbitantly
low water levels. At first glance, these extreme weather conditions
seem unpredictable and unpreventable. The truth is that ... (more)
Changes Proposed in Clean Water Act Rules
You know what the ripple effect is. Something, maybe something relatively
small, happens somewhere and later the effects of that action are
felt far away from the center of the ripple. This is about a court
decision that happened in Northern Illinois and the effects are about
to be felt in wetlands and watersheds across the country... (more)
Source Water Assessment Program
As a Watersheds.tv visitor you probably have a favorite river
or stream near you. Now, imagine you are on the banks of that stream
and you have to dip a cup into that stream and drink that water. Not
too appealing? Ok. Let’s say that before you drink your cup of stream
water, you can filter and treat it to get rid of the contaminants
before you splash it down your gullet... (more)
30th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
Throughout the 1960's, public awareness regarding the quality of our
nation's water resources intensified as a result of highly volatile
environmental issues. Thousands of dead fish washing ashore, fouled
city drinking water, and lakes catching on fire were all indicative
of a highly stressed aquatic system. (more)
Save Our Rivers
In 1981, the Florida Legislature enacted a program known as "Save
Our Rivers (SOR)", and created the Water Management Lands Trust Fund.
The trust fund receives revenues from the documentary stamp tax and
is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection...
(more)
The River Habitat
It is not uncommon to be walking near a river and see a fish swimming
among the reeds or notice songbirds singing on a nearby tree, but
what does often go unrecognized is the fragile nature of the river
habitat... (more)
Wetlands
Wetlands are not all soggy, gushy, and mosquito infested. They are
not all useless pieces of real estate just begging to become a parking
lot, highway, or a department store. Wetlands are actually unique,
diminishing, and very local... (more)
Drought
The importance of water is obvious enough, but what frequently
goes unappreciated is it's frequent accessibility. It is an element
that exists as a solid one minute and within a matter of seconds can
change to a liquid and then a gas... (more)
The
Uniqueness of the Florida Everglades
Few places in the United States, or even the world, boast as unique
an environment as the Florida Everglades. The largest remaining subtropical
wilderness in the continental United States, the Everglades are...
(more)
The
Natural Wonders of Alaska
When you think of Alaska, you may think of its gorgeous wildlife
and beautiful waters in your mind. Alaska is a water-rich state. It
has a tremendous diversity of water resources, including ... (more)
A
Wild Ride On the Snake River
This past summer I had the thrill of visiting the Snake River,
and was amazed by the natural beauty, free-flowing power and energy,
unique wildlife habitats, and mostly by the complex changes in the
river as it flowed along its course... (more)
60
Dams in 9 States to Come Out in 2001
Dams have a long history in America. In fact, since the nation
declared its independence in 1776, it has built more than one dam
per day to run mills, control floods, create water supplies, and to
generate electricity... (more)
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