Wetlands Survey Program Meeting - February 27
Long regard
ed as wastelands, wetlands are now recognized as
important features in the landscape that provide numerous
beneficial services for people and for fish and wildlife.
Some of these services, or functions, include protecting
and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife
habitats, storing floodwaters, and maintaining surface
water flow during dry periods. These beneficial services,
considered valuable to societies worldwide, are the
result of the inherent and unique natural characteristics
of wetlands.
Functions and Values of Wetlands, USEPA
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/fun_val.pdf
Caney Fork Watershed Association proudly launches our Wetlands Survey Program with an education/training program on Saturday, February 27, 9:00 - 12:00, at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 N. Dixie Ave., Cookeville, TN. The main presenter will be Ken Morgan, wetlands specialist in the TTU Biology Department. The program is directed toward high school aged young people, and anyone else interested in learning about wetlands and helping to monitor and protect our wetland resources in the Caney Fork Watershed.
This initial program will be an educational session – types of wetlands, ecological and societal values of wetlands, identifying and measuring key components of wetlands (physical and biological components). We will learn to assess constructed wetlands for wetland characteristics, in order to monitor the progress of these resources. Actual wetland surveying by scouts and other interested young people will be planned for late summer, when wetland vegetation is completely developed.
Besides the field survey activities, there is a wetlands project in April, and possibly one in March, which the scouts may be interested in helping with. Those projects are plantings at the Cane Creek Park wetlands. Cookeville City engineer Tracy Meggs will welcome the help. In April, she will be planting of about two acres of herbaceous plants. In March she may be additionally planting about 800 trees. She will let us know in before the February meeting what her plans are.
Everyone is invited to attend. Please let us know if you have any questions about the Wetlands Survey Program, or about wetlands. Just send an E-mail to cfwa@cfwa-tn.org, or call John Harwood at 931 528-6395.
We want to thank Ken Orban, Jeremy Belk, and other members of the Upper Cumberland District BSA, and Barbara Huddleston for encouraging this effort. Also, thank you Pat Handlson for providing the First Presbyterian Church for us to hold our training session!
Rainbarrel 2 - Your Help Needed
With the great success of our first rainbarrel clinic (see story under "Recent CFWA Activities" link at left), we would like to have a second public presentation of the installation and use of rainbarrels. We would like to extend this program to also include helpful information on landscaping to protect our natural waters using raingardens and other features.
Bonnie Newby, who organized the first clinic, has left our area and is unable to assist us beyond an advisory role. We need to have several volunteers step forward to help plan and hold the meetings. If you are interested, please contact us by E-mail through cfwa@cfwa-tn.org. If you have questions, please call Debbie Eskandarnia at 931-808-9989, or John Harwood at 931 528-6395.
TWRA Riparian Tree Grant Opportunity
Many of our stream banks in the Upper Cumberland have been stripped of vegetation. This practice is now known to have no benefit, and to significantly harm the water quality in our streams, rivers, and ultimately in our reservoirs.
If you, or a group you are a member of would like to take advantage of the TWRA Aquatic Habitat Protection Program funding opportunity to restore one of our streams, please let us know. Through CFWA, you can organize a project, locate volunteers, and take advantage of our non-profit organization funding status to facilitate management of the funding.
According to the Endangered Species Act, when private landowners, corporations, state or local governments, tribes or other non-federal landowners plan activities that might incidentally harm endangered or threatened wildlife on their land, they are required to obtain an incidental take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For such a permit to be given, a Habitat Conservation Plan must first be in place.
A coalition of groups, led by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is in the process of developing a "HCP's" for the Cumberland Plateau. As many of the 20 species listed as Threatened and Endangered Species or Management Concern species species are aquatic species,
CFWA has been asked to assist in formulation of the plan. We are committed to help inform the public of the progress of plan formulation, and have been asked to furnish a representative to serve on the "Residential and Development Technical Team" presently drafting the plan.
If you feel you might like to serve as the CFWA representative to the HCP process, for more information please contact John Harwood at 931 528-6395 or cfwa@cfwa-tn.org. The very informative HCP website is: http://www.cumberlandhcp.org/default.html .
Below are a factsheet, and notice of the upcoming workshops around the Cumberland Habitat Conservation Plans, supplied by HCP Outreach Coordinator Emily Woodle.
Are you a landowner, developer, contractor, engineer, landscape architect or surveyor involved in planning and developing more than 1 acre in
Cumberland, Morgan or Scott counties?
If so, then plan to attend these fall workshops where you will:
- Improve your ability to understand, trouble-shoot and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) required in TDEC’s Construction General Permit and Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook.
- Discuss strengths and challenges of putting BMPs into practice.
- Learn about new tools and resources for watershed protection including better site design, conservation subdivisions and low impact development techniques.
When:
September 16, 2008 at Cumberland Mountain State Park (lunch included) 9:00am-3:00pm cdt*
Key topic of interest: Construction General Permit – Best Management Practices and Trouble-shooting
October 29, 2008
Key topic of interest: Tools for Watershed Protection, Part I. Better site design/Conservation Subdivisions/Low Impact Development
December 4, 2008
Key topic of interest: Tools for Watershed Protection, Part II. Better site design/Conservation Subdivisions/Low Impact Development
Planning to attend any or all meetings? Contact Emily Woodle 865-974-1955 or emilyks@utk.edu, also check out www.cumberlandhcp.org.
Meeting sponsor: Cumberland HCP; partners: Tennessee Water Resources Research Center, UT; TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation; Southeast Watershed Forum
* professional development hours may be available 
