Invasive Plants and Restoration of Natural Plant Communities will be Focus of Biennial Invasive Plant Conference in Shepherdstown, W. Va., July 31-Aug. 1, 2013

On July 31-August 1, 2013, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W. Va., the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council and the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania will hold the biennial Invasive Plant Conference.  The conference title is “Paths to Restoration Success.”  For more information, visit https://online.morrisarboretum.org/ipc.

Box Turtles, Conservation Projects Update, VCU Student’s Story of Journey to Borneo, and More Available in May 22, 2013, Outdoor Report from Va. Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries

The latest “Outdoor Report” (5/22/13) from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in now available at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2013/05/22/.

Eastern Box Turtle drawing by Carl “Spike” Knuth, from the May 22, 2013, “Outdoor Report,” Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Each edition of the Outdoor Report is full of information on fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, boating, and other outdoor activities.  The sections of the 5/22/13 report are listed below (with hyperlinks to go to the individual items).  An additional regular feature (not included in the list below) is the “Be Wild! Live Wild! Grow Wild!” column and artwork on a particular wild inhabitant of Virginia–this time on the Eastern Box Turtle.

• Honor and Remember Our Veterans Who Answered the Call This Memorial Day
• Record Spring Gobbler Harvest For 2013
• Safe Boating Week Begins May 18 – Time to Check for Safety Items
• Free Fishing Days June 7-9 – Try it, You’ll Be Hooked!
• Proposed Regulatory Amendments Pertaining to Hunting and Trapping, Foxhound Training Preserves, and Other Regulations of the Board – Public Comment Period CLOSES Friday May 31, 2013
• Next Edition Three Weeks Away June 12…
• Wild Events You Don’t Want to Miss
  • Detailed Descriptions of Outdoor Events Across Virginia
• Ed’s Virginia Outdoor Blog Report
• People and Partners in the News
  • Wheelin’ Sportsmen hosts Outdoors Celebration Event at West Augusta
  • Sportsmen and Conservation Organizations Hosting Annual Award and Fund Raising Events
• Partner Organizations Working Together For Wildlife
  • Virginia Hunter Skills Weekend Gets Great Reviews
• Been There – Done That! Can’t Wait to Go Again…
  • Wheelin’ Sportsmen Host Outdoor Day with Fun Activities for All
• Hunting News You Can Use
  • June Squirrel Season Opens on Private Lands and Selected WMAs June 1-15
  • Video Features Squirrel Skinning Quick and Easy and Panfish Preparation and Filleting
  • Stationary Waterfowl Blind Sign-Up Dates
  • “It Takes a Hunter to Make a Hunter”
• Share your Hunting Photos and Stories With Us…
• Wildlife Conservation Projects Update
  • Elk Restoration Update
  • The Virginia Quail Team is on Facebook
  • VDOF and VDGIF Announce New Forestry Cost-Share Partnership
  • Quail Biologists Eager to Assist Landowners and Hunters
  • The Wildlife Foundation of VA Launches Quail Restoration Effort on Albemarle Property
  • Webpage Developed to Update Virginia Wild Turkey Management Plan
  • Habitat at Home© DVD Available
• Be Safe… Have Fun!
  • Spring Squirrel Hunting Safety Tips
  • Be Aware of Lyme Disease and Prevent Tick Bites
  • Stay Safe on the Water – Boat Smart and Sober!
  • Does Your Life Jacket Really Fit?
• “Green Tips” for Outdoor Enthusiasts
  • If You Find a Fawn, Leave it Alone
  • Becoming Bear Aware!
  • Nuisance & Problem Wildlife
• Notes for Young Nature Explorers
  • Explore the Outdoors Event for Kids in Chesterfield April 28th
  • Virginia Naturally Website Link to School Environmental Learning Programs
  • Nature Observations from the Virginia Wildlife Calendar
  • 2013 Virginia Wildlife Calendar Now Available
• Virginia Conservation Police Notebook
  • Field Reports From Officers Protecting Natural Resources and People Pursuing Outdoor Recreation
• Fishin’ Report
  • The Floating Fishing School Sets Summer Schedule at 4 Lakes
  • Safe Boating Week Begins May 18 – Time to Check for Safety Items
  • Attention Boaters! Your Help Is Needed For the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Recreational Boater Survey!
  • Kids Fishing Day Events Calendar Posted on VDGIF Website
  • Hercules Landing on Nottoway River NOW Open
  • Use Caution at Carters Wharf Boat Ramp – Extreme Sanding Build-Up
  • The Fishing Spot by Chris Dunnavant, VDGIF Angling Education Coordinator
  • Got Pictures of Your Catch? Share Them With Us on Flickr!
  • Sarah White’s Notebook
    • Regional River and Lake Reports on Fishing Conditions
• Winning Outdoor Adventure Stories from Young Writers
  • “A New Understanding from Borneo” by Scott Williams

The Plants, Waters, and Wildlife of Chesterfield County, Va.’s, Rockwood Park are Focus of Article in the Spring 2013 Bulletin from the Virginia Native Plant Society

Trees, wildflowers, vines, wetlands, frogs, salamanders, snakes, ants, and other things are all part of the short story told in “Solace in Suburbia: Rockwood Park in Chesterfield,” by Stephen Johnson, pages 6-8 in the Spring 2013 issue of the Virginia Native Plant Society Bulletin (Vol. 32, No. 2).  This creatively written article describes observations and connections of landscape, water, plants, and wildlife along the nature trail in the 161-acre Rockwood Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia.  The publication is available (as PDF) online at http://vnps.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/VNPS-Spring-2013-Bulletin.pdf, or contact the Society at 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Unit 2, Boyce, VA 22620; phone (540) 837-1600; e-mail: vnpsofc@shentel.net.

Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund Planning Grants for 2013 Announced May 8; Study of Barge Transport of Logs Across Chesapeake Bay is One of 11 Funded Projects

On May 8, 2013, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell’s office announced the 11 recipients of FY 2013 planning grants from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID).  The projects, involving over 30 Virginia localities, will receive a total of $249,000 from the AFID, which was established as a result of legislation in the 2012 General Assembly.  For the currrent biennium, the AFID has $1 million per year: $750,000 for large grants, and $250,000 for smaller planning grants, such as those announced on May 8.  According to the news release on this year’s grants, “the AFID planning grants program was developed to encourage local governments and regional organizations to analyze and plan strategically about how they can support and integrate agriculture and forestry-based industries into their communities’ overall economic development effort.”  This year’s grants include one particularly water-related project: $35,000 to help fund a $100,000 feasibility study of the economic efficiency of barge transport of timber logs across the Chesapeake Bay from the Eastern Shore to a mill in Kinsale, on the Yeocomico River in Westmoreland County.

Source:  Governor McDonnell Announces Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund Planning Grant Recipients, Virginia Governor’s Office News Release, 5/8/13.  Information about the AFID is available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, online at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agribusiness/afid.shtml.

Horse Farms in Bay Watershed are Focus of April 2013 Bay Journal Article

“Horse farms becoming larger part of Bay’s landscape, nutrient efforts,” by Whitney Pipkin in the April 2013 issue of Bay Journal, examines the situation for horse farms in agriculture and in pollution-prevention efforts and regulations in the Chesapeake Bay states of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, with a focus on Maryland.  According to the article, horse farms comprise about 25 percent of Maryland’s agricultural land; horses are the second largest animal industry in Pennsylvania, with about 255,000 horses; and Virginia has about 215,000 horses.  The article is available online at http://www.bayjournal.com/article/horse_farms_becoming_larger_part_of_bays_landscape_nutrient_efforts, or contact Bay Journal at (717) 428-2819; e-mail: bayjournal@earthlink.net.

On Virginia Water Radio for the Week of 5-6-13: “Piney Woods,” by Bruce Molsky

This week, Virginia Water Radio features music about a natural-resource industry that’s been important to Virginia’s economy for hundreds of years, while also being vital to management of the Commonwealth’s water.  Click here to have a listen! (3 min/20 sec)

Virginia Water Radio, online at http://www.virginiawaterradio.org, is the Virginia Water Resources Research Center’s weekly podcast using sounds and music to focus on issues, events, people, and creatures connected to Virginia’s waters.

Dismal Swamp Southeastern Shrew, Wild Turkeys, Foxhound Training Regulations, and More Available in April 24, 2013, Outdoor Report from Va. Dept. Game and Inland Fisheries

The latest “Outdoor Report” (4/24/13) from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in now available at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2013/04/24/.

Each edition of the Outdoor Report is full of information on fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, boating, and other outdoor activities.  The sections of the 4/24/13 report are listed below (with hyperlinks to go to the individual items).  An additional regular feature (not included in the list below) is the “Be Wild! Live Wild! Grow Wild!” column and artwork on a particular wild inhabitant of Virginia–this time on the Dismal Swamp Southeastern Shrew.

Dismal Swamp Southeastern Shrew drawing by Carl “Spike” Knuth, from the Apr. 24, 2013, “Outdoor Report,” Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

• The Turkeys are Gobblin’ and the Fishing is Heating Up!
• Lapsed Anglers… We Want You Back!
• Proposed Regulatory Amendments Pertaining to Hunting and Trapping, Foxhound Training Preserves, and Other Regulations of the Board READY for Public Comment April 2, 2013
• Ask Your Friends if They are Still Getting Their Outdoor Report
• Wild Events You Don’t Want to Miss
  • Detailed Descriptions of Outdoor Events Across Virginia
• Ed’s Virginia Outdoor Blog Report
• People and Partners in the News
  • Officer Dallas K. Neel Named Virginia Boating Law Enforcement Officer Of The Year
  • Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing 2-Fly Tournament In Madison April 27-28
  • Training for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
  • Sportsmen and Conservation Organizations Hosting Annual Award and Fund Raising Events
• Partner Organizations Working Together For Wildlife
  • Lee County Strutters Chapter NWTF and Conservation Police Team-up for Youth Turkey Hunt
• Been There – Done That! Can’t Wait to Go Again…
  • Kids Catch Trout and Great Memories at Trout Heritage Weekend in Madison
• Hunting News You Can Use
  • Spring Gobbler Harvest Surpasses Previous Years
  • Stationary Waterfowl Blind Sign-Up Dates
  • “It Takes a Hunter to Make a Hunter”
• Share your Hunting Photos and Stories With Us…
• Wildlife Conservation Projects Update
  • Ruffed Grouse Society Volunteers Complete H.C. Edwards Chapter Habitat Project
  • Webpage Developed to Update Virginia Wild Turkey Management Plan
  • The Virginia Quail Team is on Facebook
  • VDOF and VDGIF Announce New Forestry Cost-Share Partnership
  • Quail Biologists Eager to Assist Landowners and Hunters
  • Elk Restoration Update
  • The Wildlife Foundation of VA Launches Quail Restoration Effort on Albemarle Property
  • Habitat at Home© DVD Available
• Be Safe… Have Fun!
  • Make Your Spring Gobbler Hunt a Safe One!
  • Becoming Bear Aware!
  • Stay Safe on the Water – Boat Smart and Sober!
• “Green Tips” for Outdoor Enthusiasts
  • Blackwater – Nottoway Clean Rivers Day Big Success
  • Arbor Day in Virginia Celebrated, April 26th
  • Critter Corner by Marlene A. Condon
  • Be a Sweetheart to Wildlife
  • Nuisance & Problem Wildlife
• Notes for Young Nature Explorers
  • Explore the Outdoors Event for Kids in Chesterfield April 28th
  • Virginia Naturally Website Link to School Environmental Learning Programs
  • Nature Observations from the Virginia Wildlife Calendar
  • 2013 Virginia Wildlife Calendar Now Available
• Virginia Conservation Police Notebook
  • Field Reports From Officers Protecting Natural Resources and People Pursuing Outdoor Recreation
• Fishin’ Report
  • Kids Fishing Day Events Calendar Posted on VDGIF Website
  • Boat Landing on the Rappahannock NOW OPEN to Powerboats
  • Hercules Landing on Nottoway River NOW Open
  • Use Caution at Carters Wharf Boat Ramp – Extreme Sanding Build-Up
  • VMI, W&L Collaborate for Fly Fishing Tournament
  • “Ready, Set, Wear-It Lake Anna” Boating Safety and World Record Attempt Photo May 18
  • “Ready, Set, Wear-it Smith Mountain Lake” at Bridgewater Marina May 18
  • The Fishing Spot by Chris Dunnavant, VDGIF Angling Education Coordinator
  • Got Pictures of Your Catch? Share Them With Us on Flickr!
  • Sarah White’s Notebook
    • Regional River and Lake Reports on Fishing Conditions
• Winning Outdoor Adventure Stories from Young Writers
  • “My Fishing Trip” by Shannon Staton

Cost Reductions and Reduced Water Toxicity Impacts are Among Crop-rotation Diversification Benefits Reported in Iowa State University Study Published in October 2012

“Crop Rotation Study Makes National Media Splash,” in the Winter 2012 issue of Leopold Letter, describes the national interest that followed publication in October 2012 (in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, Vol. 7, No. 10, Oct. 10, 2012) of a study on the costs, profits, energy and chemical use, and environmental impacts of adding one year of red clover, or two years of red clover followed by small grains/alfalfa, into the commonly used two-year corn-soybean rotation.  According to the article, the data from 2003-2011 show that the more diverse rotations reduced fossil fuel use, herbicide use, synthetic fertilizer use, and “herbicide-related freshwater toxicity,”  but that the rotations did not “sacrifice yields or profitability.”  The newsletter article and access to the full research report (“Increasing Cropping System Diversity Balances Productivity, Profitability and Environmental Health”) are  available online at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/leopold-letter/2012/winter/crop-rotation-study-makes-national-media-splash, or contact the Leopold Center at 209 Curtiss Hall, ISU, Ames, Ia. 50010; phone (515) 294-3711; e-mail: leocenter@iastate.edu.

Maryland Watershed Resources Registry, Unveiled in Fall 2012, Uses Mapping Tools to Identify and Rate Wetlands, Streamsides, and Other Areas for Protection or Restoration

In fall 2012, Maryland unveiled the Watershed Resources Registry, a geographic information system  (GIS) tool to locate and evaluate (in a five-star scoring system) the suitability for protection or restoration of wetlands, uplands, steamside areas, and stormwater-infrastructure areas.  The interactive mapping tool is expected to be useful particularly for the Maryland State Highway Administration, private developers, and others who are routinely deal with federal Clean Water Act regulations on impacts to wetlands and other waters of the United States.  The Registry is also seen as a way to guide conservation efforts and funds to lands and waters with the most ecological value.  The Registry Web site is http://www.watershedresourcesregistry.com.

Nitrogen Crediting for Nitrate in Groundwater Used for Irrigation is Focus of Resarch at Texas A&M and Univ. of Texas

Researchers at Texas A&M and the University of Texas are investigating “nitrogen crediting” for nitrate-contaminated groundwater used for agricultural irrigation.  The work is focused on the Seymour Aquifer in the Rolling Plains region of northwest-central Texas (north of the city of Abilene), which for decades has had groundwater levels of nitrate above water-quality-standard levels.  In applying nitrogen crediting to groundwater, producers would measure the amount of nitrate already in their irrigation water and reduce their use of added commercial nitrogen fertilizer according to the available groundwater nitrate.  Such crediting has potential for reducing producer costs as well as further groundwater contamination.  The research is part of the Groundwater Nitrogen Source Identification and Remediation project managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute; information about the overall project is available online at  http://groundwatern.tamu.edu/.  Contact the Texas center at 1500 Research Parkway A110, 2260 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2260; (979) 845-1851; twri@tamu.edu.

Source:  Groundwater Nitrates in Seymour Aquifer: Problem or Resource?, tx H₂O (newsletter of the Texas Water Resources Institute), Fall 2012.