December 2004, #20 

CONTENTS (click on the topics below to get more information)

NHEP ACTIVITIES  

11/03/04 - NHEP Public Outreach and Education Team (POET) Meeting

Jennifer Hunter and Dave Kellam attended this meeting that included discussions on the  “Eye on Our Estuaries” series, changes to the Strategic Communication Plan and three outreach projects for 2005: septic system maintenance (WQ-13), shellfish outreach (SHL-13) and a buffer outreach program (LND-20). Contact Dave Kellam for details. 

11/05/04 - NHEP Land Use Team Meeting

Jennifer Hunter, Dave Kellam, and Phil Trowbridge attended this meeting that included a summary of 2005 NHEP projects, a discussion of different approaches to mapping, protecting, and communicating about buffers, a circuit rider for land conservation issues, assessment of the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition, and the addition of a new Action Plan to support the development of water resources management plans to determine sustainable groundwater and surface water use.

11/09/04 - NH Sea Grant Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting

Jennifer Hunter participated in the PAC meeting for the NH Sea Grant Program. PAC members discussed and provided input on NH Sea Grant’s strategic planning efforts and regional research priorities.

11/12/04 - Environmental Indicators Proposal Received

One proposal was received in response to the NHEP’s Request for Proposals to develop environmental indicators for the NHEP.

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11/15/04 - Coastal Watershed Land Protection Plan Proposals Received

Two proposals were received in response to the NHEP’s and NH Coastal Program’s Request for Proposals to develop a coastal watershed land protection Plan.

11/16/04 - Center for Stormwater Technology Evaluation and Verification (CSTEV) Tour

Jennifer Hunter attended a tour of CSTEV, a project of the Environmental Research Group at UNH with funding from CICEET. The guided tour of the outdoor facility included 10 stormwater controls, an adjacent pervious asphalt pavement parking lot, and a presentation of some of the data collected to date. Researchers will collect and analyze data on the performance of the various stormwater treatment technologies that are being tested at the facility. All stormwater controls treat the same volume and type of runoff, so as more data become available comparisons can be made for the various technologies in addressing stormwater contaminants of concern. For information about CSTEV, see http://www.unh.edu/erg/cstev/.

11/20 & 11/21/04 - Installing Hampton Harbor Clam Experiment 

Jennifer Hunter, Dave Kellam and Phil Trowbridge assisted Brian Beal and eleven other volunteers in the set-up of the latest study of soft-shell clams in Hampton Harbor. Guided by a NHEP-funded study conducted by Beal in 2001-02, this study will determine the interactive effects of predator exclusion netting, mesh netting aperture size, planting area and intertidal location on the survival and growth of cultured and wild juvenile soft-shell clams in the Hampton/Seabrook Estuary. The experiments installed in November will be removed and evaluated in April/May 2005. Another set of experiments will be installed in April 2005 and removed in November 2005. Contact Phil Trowbridge for details. 

11/22/04 - 2005 Local Grants Awarded 

The following projects were chosen for funding in 2005:

* City of Portsmouth is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of using water from the Pease wastewater treatment plant to irrigate the Pease golf course. Potential benefits of irrigating with treated wastewater include reducing wastewater discharge directly into the Piscataqua River, increasing the rate of groundwater recharge, and avoiding the use of millions of gallons of drinking water. 

* The Exeter River Local Advisory Committee is advertising for the 5th Annual Alewife Festival on June 4, 2005. 

* Great Bay Coast Watch is supporting the DES shellfish program by collecting and transporting tissue samples from the Seacoast to a testing lab in Concord. 

* The Gundalow Company is conducting environmental education in Dover and Exeter and is producing 10,000 program brochures. 

* The Seacoast Land Trust is developing a comprehensive management plan for The Great Bog in Portsmouth that will include protection, restoration and management activities occurring on land within The Great Bog and in the adjacent uplands.

* The University of New Hampshire is developing and evaluating revegetation techniques at Awcomin Marsh in Rye, New Hampshire. To complete this work, the project will utilize a small group of high school students, teachers, and parents to conduct the majority of the fieldwork. In addition to being an important component of the students' science education, this project will collect valuable data to help monitor salt marsh restoration efforts.

Contact Dave Kellam for details.

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NEW PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS  All publications can be viewed at the NHEP website 

11/04/04 - Outreach Activities for the Freshwater Wetland Mitigation Inventory for 19 Coastal Communities 

West Environmental, Inc., in conjunction with Carex EcoSciences and the NH Estuaries Project, scheduled and presented a PowerPoint presentation to nineteen Conservation Commissions in the coastal watershed from 6/30/04 to 10/14/04 to help them interpret their town-specific versions of the NHEP-funded “Freshwater Wetland Mitigation Inventory for Nineteen Coastal Communities”. The presentation included two or three of the town’s mitigation sites with pictures and maps. At each presentation, the Conservation Commission received two copies of the report. Read Report (.pdf/.2.2MB).

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NHEP UPCOMING EVENTS  

1/12/05 - NHEP POET Meeting, 9 - 11am, NH DES - Coastal Office, Portsmouth, NH
  Contact Dave Kellam for more information.

3/16/05 - NHEP POET Meeting, NH DES, 9 - 11am, Location TBD 
  Contact Dave Kellam for more information.

3/6 - 3/10/05 -  Annual Meeting of National Estuary Programs, Washington, DC
  Contact Jennifer Hunter for more information.

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