Conservation Leadership Corps
Critical Conservation Issues

• Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
  • The U.S. Fish and Wild fe Service is currently writing it's comprehensive plan and is seeking input from the public.  this is an opportunity to provide input on the future management of the 11,000 acres along the missouri River.
    • www.fws.gov/midwest/bigmuddy
    • www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/bigmuddycp/index.html

• Estrogen Mimics and Endocrine Disrupters
  • Excessive Estrogen, estrogen mimics, and endocrine disrupters are released into our environment everyday from waste water treatment plants and various chemicals.  they cause environmental problems, (hermaphrotism in fish), and human health concerns (cancer,reproductive and growth effects).

• Sediment Releases in the Missouri River
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing floodplain sediment into the Missouri river while creating shallow water habitat for the endangered pallid sturgeon.  Some see it as a bad thing.  Some see it as a good thing.

• With escalating grain prices, some in agriculture would like acres currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to be released early without a penalty for doing so. 
  • USDA maintains that we have not reached a “critical mass” to allow this to happen.  Others point to such lands as being suitable for the harvest of biomass crops for cellulosic ethanol production.  With this in mind, what should the policy be for CRP acres?
  • Informational References
    • United States Department of Agriculture – www.usda.gov
    • National Grain & Feed Association – www.ngfa.org

• Shallow Water Habitat Construction  - Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is digging almost 23 miles of “chutes” along the Missouri River, designed to create habitat to for the endangered pallid sturgeon. 
  • Much controversy exists surrounding the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planned to dispose of the soil excavated during chute construction. 
  • The Missouri Clean Water Commission objected to dumping soil directly in the Missouri River and since then, one of the projects has stopped.
  • What is the best approach toward these types of projects?
  • Informational References
  • Missouri Clean Water Commission, Kristen Perry, Chair
  • U.S Fish & Wildlife Service – www.fws.gov
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – www.usace.army.mil

   

• Streambank Stabilization
  • Missouri landowners often find their lands along creeks and rivers eroding due to obstructions caused by gravel deposits and fallen trees. 
  • Discussion continues around what a landowner can do to prevent further erosion of streambanks – removing gravel from the center of the stream, types of streambank stabilization practices, etc. 
  • How is this situation best addressed?
  • Informational References
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources Soil & Water Conservation Program – www.dnr.mo.gov
  • Missouri Department of Conservation – www.mdc.mo.gov

• Water Quality Impairment from Nutrients:
  • The National Water Quality Inventory: 1996 Report to Congress Executive Summary cites nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) as one of the leading causes of water quality impairment in our Nation's rivers, lakes and estuaries. Forty percent of the rivers were impaired due to nutrient enrichment; fifty-one percent of the surveyed lakes, and fifty-seven percent of the surveyed estuaries were similarly adversely affected. Nutrients have also been implicated with both the large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico, hypoxia observed in several East Coast States, and Pfiesteria-induced fish kills and human health problems in the coastal waters of several East Coast and Gulf States. The national response to the nutrient problem has been limited primarily because of concerns over the scale of the problem, and because of the tremendous variability of nutrient conditions, both natural and cultural, throughout the nation.
    
  • The complex relationship between nutrient levels (the cause) and the conditions affecting the beneficial uses (the effect, such as excessive algal growth) is creating an enormous challenge for water quality managers.  The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is working hard to develop nutrient criteria with the assistance of a wide audience of scientists and stakeholders.  Reaching a consensus on the criteria is also complicated by the possibility of expanded water protection efforts with a wide range of nutrient sources, including agriculture. 
    
  • Informational References:
    • http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/nutrient/policy.html#whyaction
      
    • http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/wqstandards/wq_nutrient-criteria.htm
      
      
      
• Water quality impairment from Mercury:
  • Mercury is distributed throughout the environment from both natural sources and human activities. Methylmercury is the main form of organic mercury found in the environment and is the form that accumulates in both fish and human tissues. As of December 2000, 41 states have issued 2,242 fish advisories for mercury. These advisories inform the public that concentrations of mercury have been found in local fish at levels of public health concern. State advisories recommend either limiting or avoiding consumption of certain fish from specific waterbodies or, in some cases, from specific waterbody types (e.g., all freshwater lakes or rivers). The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has made some progress in addressing the mercury contamination.
    • By developing a statewide technical bulletin Mercury Risks – What Missouri Schools Can Do (www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2173.pdf).
    • By developing a mercury audit checklist for schools.
    • By developing a plan to pick-up and remove mercury from public school buildings.
    • By continuing efforts to finalize the mercury-related Internet Web site so that the general public has access to up-to-information regarding mercury contamination. 
    • Much more action is needed to complete a comprehensive plan for addressing mercury, such as enacting appropriate legislation on mercury reduction similar to legislation adopted in other states, and supporting executive orders encouraging mercury reduction in schools and minimizing mercury in state procurement. 
  • Informational References:
    
    • http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/mercupd.pdf
      
    • www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/laws.htm
      
      
• Snow removal and De-icing products storage guidelines or requirements:
  • When snow or de-icing products (salt) are stored in large uncovered piles or applied in unnecessary large quantities there is a possibility that water quality may be degraded.  De-icing/salt products are carried to nearby streams by the flow of Stormwater runoff.
    Snow removal or de-icing products contain either Sodium chloride (rock salt), Potassium chloride, Calcium chloride, Magnesium chloride or a mixture of one of the chloride (salt) compounds mixed with sand or cinders.  Salts can harm of fresh water macroinvertebrates, native mussels, crustaceans, and small immature amphibians or fish.
  • The Missouri Department of Transportation takes care and follows environmental procedures to cover and contain the salt removal and de-icing products that they apply to the interstate roads.  However, there are fewer requirements for private contractors that apply snow removal products to parking lots, school yards, private lanes and city streets.
  • Missouri Clean Water Standards do protect classified streams by placing limits on Chloride.  There are limits for both an acute toxicity level, 860 mg/l (milligrams per liter) and a chronic toxicity level, 230 mg/l.
  • Informational References:
  • http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/10csr/10c20-7b.pdf
  • Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Water Bureau
    • http://www.michigan.bov/deq
    • www.saltinstitute.org/39.html
    • 1/29/2008 · Cached page
  • http://www.state.sd.us/denr/DFTA/WatershedProtection/snow.htm