Inside this issue:

Association News Wetland Mapping401 Cert Best PracticesLLWW Mapping Descriptors

Vol. 22 No. 1

ASWM ~ Dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Nation’s wetlands

Association News by Jeanne Christie, Executive Director, ASWM

Winter 2012

WETLAND NEWS JoinVolunteerDonate

Board of Directors

David Davis, ChairAlan Quackenbush, Vice Chair

Cherie Hagen, Secretary/TreasurerCollis AdamsRichard Gitar Amy Lounds

Maryann McGrawErik Stockdale

fJeanne Christie, Executive Director

Jon Kusler, Esq. PhD., FounderPeg Bostwick, Senior Policy Analyst

In this Issue:

Association NewsWetland Program PlansRed Cross Red Crescent:A Climate Change Story Welcome New Members

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Winter is still making an impact in southern Maine. Two snowstorms swept across the state last week just in time for a moonlight snowshoe my husband and I are leading this Saturday. Actually we’re planning a bushwhacking moonlight hike. Anyone who’s been out on a moonlit night on the snow knows it can be magical. But folks signing up for the hike seem a little dubious about the bushwhacking part. I assured them it will be perfectly safe. We won’t get lost and I’ll give them all safety glasses to protect their eyes from twigs and other objects that might be difficult to see at night. What I haven’t mentioned is that we’re going to up the ante by bushwacking through the moonlight without headlamps or flashlights. It’s all part of always giving the customer more than he asks for. It will be loads of fun and a hike they won’t soon forget!

Wetland Program Plans: A Strategic Tool for States & Tribes by Leah Stetson, ASWM

“It’s more than just our strategy, it is our state wetland policy,” says Cherie Hagen, Wisconsin Wetland Team Leader, of Wisconsin’s wetland program plan, titled Reversing the Loss. For states and tribes, writing or revising a wetland program plan provides an opportunity to get back to the basics, to think carefully about what’s important and to find common ground with potential wetland partners. A wetland program plan is a working document—not designed to sit on a bookshelf—but to be utilized as a collaborative product for strategic planning. Continued on p. 4

Red Cross, Red Crescent: A Climate Change Story by Leah Stetson, ASWM

In late 2011, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that confirmed a link between extreme weather-related disasters like hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and other storms, to climate change. One of the lead authors of the report is also a director at the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre. At the heart of this connection between the Red Cross and its research on climate change are stories about people.

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Wetlandkeepers Campaign. At the beginning of February the Association of State Wetland Managers launched its Wetlandkeepers Campaign, a capacity-building campaign to gather the resources needed for ASWM to continue to provide services to Wetlandkeepers nationwide. Wetlandkeepers are people like yourself who work to protect, conserve and restore wetlands. They wear many hats. They face many challenges. Funds raised through the Wetlandkeepers Campaign will enable ASWM to continue to provide education, technical information and training to Wetlandkeepers. More information about the Wetlandkeepers Campaign can be found at: http://www.aswm.org/wetlandkeepers-campaign

Water Quality Standards for Wetlands. A major project ASWM has underway is assisting states in the development of water quality standards for wetlands. Over the past six months ASWM has held a series of webinars with states and tribes participating in a Wetlands Water Quality Standards Work Group to discuss development of water quality standards for wetlands. While all states and many tribes have water quality standards, only 14 have included standards that specifically address wetlands. Most states use the appropriate portions of their overall water quality standards to address wetlands, but generally this is very limited. For example dissolved oxygen, pH and many chemical measures are different in wetlands than rivers and lakes. Toxic standards, sometimes called "free froms" can be applied to wetlands.

The goal of the Clean Water Act is to protect the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. Many traditional water quality standards address chemical integrity. However physical and biological standards are much more applicable to wetlands. This spring ASWM will be publishing a model water quality standards for wetlands on its website to serve as a reference for states and tribes working on wetland standards. More information about water quality standards for wetlands can be found at: http://www.aswm.org/wetland-programs/water-quality-standards-for-wetlands Information about the Wetland Standards Work Group, including webinar powerpoint presentations is available at: http://www.aswm.org/wetland-programs/-wetland-standards-work-group

Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Update: Clean Water Act Guidance Forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget.At the end of 2012 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) were developing a proposed rule to clarify Clean Water Act jurisdiction. However, in mid-February the agencies announced that they were going to delay development of a rule and move ahead with issuing the guidance that was published for public comment last spring. On February 21st the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) initiated formal review of the revised guidance document forward by EPA http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=121645. EPA has requested an expedited review which would shorten the average review period of 90 days to 30.

The purpose of the document is to clarify uncertainty surrounding the application of the Carabell/Rapanos and SWANCC Supreme court cases to identifying waters that are subject to the Clean Water Act.

News articles published since the announcement state that there have been changes to the proposed guidance in response to these comments. The revised guidance should provide greater clarity with respect to the waters not subject to Clean Water Act. It also includes a revised economic analyses.

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The SWANCC and Carabell/Rapanos decisions have created uncertainty regarding the extent of Waters of the U.S. In 2008 the agencies issued guidance that was both somewhat conservative in its identification of waters subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction and also difficult for field staff to follow http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/upload/2008_12_3_wetlands_CWA_Jurisdiction_Following_Rapanos120208.pdf . It is anticipated the guidance will somewhat expand areas potentially subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction compared to the 2008 guidance.

OMB is not obligated to complete the review within 30 days. Clean Water Act jurisdiction is a complex and controversial area of public policy and publication of the final document could be delayed. For more information about the guidance visit EPA’s webpage “Clean Water Act Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” at: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/CWAwaters.cfm

2012 Nationwide Permits Will Go into Effect March 19The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has posted the revised and renewed nationwide permits (NWPs) necessary for work under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 on its website. The Corps is reissuing 48 permits and adding two new ones. The permits replace the existing nationwide permits, which expire on March 18, 2012. The new NWPs will take effect March 19, 2012. These new nationwide permits have been posted to the Corps website along with other background materials athttp://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits/NationwidePermits.aspx

Changes include revisions to Nationwide 21 for Surface Coal Mining Activities and Nationwide 48 for Existing Commerical Shellfish Aquaculture Activities. In addition two new nationwides were added: Nationwide 51 for Land Based Renewable Energy General Facilities and Nationwide 52 for Water Based Renewable Energy Generation Pilot Projects including water-based, wind or hydrokinetic projects.

Under the Clean Water Act states and tribes are given 60 days to review new nationwide permits and complete Section 401 Certification before the nationwide permits go into effect. Under the Clean Water Act states have

the authority to certify, condition or deny individual nationwide permits. However since the final rule was not publicly available until a month before the existing nationwide permits expire and are replaced by the new nationwides, most states will not complete Section 401 Certification prior to when the new Nationwide permits go into effect March 19. This is because 1) many states must go through their own public notice and comment process to complete 401 certification of the nationwide permits and 2) some states are waiting to find out what the Corps district regional conditions that will be added to the federal nationwide permit rule before moving ahead with completing their own process. Often Districts and states work together to develop regional conditions to address state concerns allowing states to certify without conditions on many of the nationwide permits.

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Wetland Program Plans: A Strategic Tool for States & TribesBy Leah Stetson, ASWM

What’s a Wetland Program Plan?

Historically, states’ environmental agencies developed planning documents called “wetland plans” or “wetland strategies” to help develop a new state wetland program, or to enhance an existing wetland program. A wetland plan served a number of purposes from outlining the goals of a wetland protection and permitting program in order to facilitate efficiency and effectiveness within the program—to communicating those goals to state legislators, federal agency partners and to the public. A number of states already have comprehensive Wetland Program Plans (WPPs), and a good number of states and tribes have recently completed (or revised) their wetland plans.

In the early 1990s, the World Wildlife Fund published a comprehensive guide, Statewide Wetlands Strategies: A Guide to Protecting and Managing the Resource, and much of the concepts in that publication continue to resonate with states and tribes developing or revising wetland plans today. For instance, the Statewide Wetlands Strategies guide describes a wetland program strategy, similar to a plan, as one that “draws clear guidelines that eliminate confusion; brings all interested parties into the decision-making process; streamlines existing state and local programs to address gaps and shortcomings; dovetails with federal programs where possible; makes better use of staff and financial resources and creates a coherent plan to protect wetlands tailored to that state’s particular needs.”1

A wetland program plan is a strategic tool for the use of planning, which can include communications and development. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages states and tribes with wetland programs to write a wetland program plan that incorporates at least one, if not all, of the four elements out of the Core Element Framework (CEF), introduced in 2008.

These four core elements were introduced as part of EPA’s Enhancing State and Tribal Programs (ESTP) Initiative in 2007. The four elements are 1) Monitoring and Assessment, 2) Regulation, 3) Voluntary Restoration and Protection, and 4) Water Quality Standards for Wetlands.

1. Statewide Wetlands Strategies: A Guide to Protecting and Managing the Resource. World Wildlife Fund. Island Press. 1992.

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While EPA recommends that a state or tribal wetland program plan incorporate these four elements—and requires at least one element to be included for Wetland Program Development grants (WPDGs)—the agency does not expect every state and tribe to address each of the four core elements in the activities and goals within each plan. Part of the Initiative’s goals was to align the WPDGs with a framework that incorporates more clearly defined core elements and to track programmatic progress among state and tribal wetland programs. The main goal of having wetland program plans is to strengthen state and tribal wetland programs. A secondary purpose is to allow EPA to track the progress of its technical assistance grant program. For the 2009 memorandum from EPA to state & tribal wetland program managers detailing the new requirements for Wetland Program Development Grants in RFPs starting in FY2011, see: http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/upload/wetland_program_plan_memorandum.pdf

EPA defines Wetland Program Plans (WPPs) as voluntary plans developed and implemented by state agencies and tribes which articulate what these entities want to accomplish with their wetland programs over time. The timelines for state and tribal wetland program plans varies, but on average, reflects a 3-6 year timeframe. A few states have developed a plan that serves as an umbrella document, covering a broad set of goals, which is supplemented by an action plan, or a set of action points, which may be updated annually, every other year, or some other established timeframe, e.g. every 2-3 years.

Trends & Targets: What’s Included? Who Reads It? Although state WPPs will not look alike, and will vary in their goals, action plans and state-specific needs, the content of a wetland program plan may typically include these things:

• A summary of how the wetland program will work to promote effective wetland protection and restoration, or describe the goals of the program• Specific actions to achieve those goals, and/or priorities; an action plan• A brief assessment of the current strategy in place to manage the state’s wetlands• Communication tools relevant to distributing or presenting this information• Information about the state’s wetland resources, including threats, impacts• Funding strategy, if appropriate• Potential partners, if applicable

Additionally, if the Wetland Program Plan is submitted for approval by EPA, the plan should address at least one, if not more, of the four core elements identified above. Wetland program plans should be generally consistent with the Wetland Program Core Element Framework. An EPA region may work with a state wetland program to allow the state to tailor the WPP to the state’s needs, or to update an existing strategic plan to incorporate one or more of the core elements. In some states, there may be additional priority areas identified in the plan outside of the core element framework. For example, Virginia’s Wetland Program Plan addresses all four core elements, but also includes three other sections: Planning & Sustainability, Information Acquisition and Outreach & Education. Under its Planning & Sustainability section, the plan addresses impacts from sea level rise when discussing its strategy for managing coastal and tidal wetland losses. The plan also incorporates local government involvement via an agreement with the Chesapeake Bay Program (2008). There is some good analysis of Virginia’s Wetland Program Plan in the newsletter for the Center for Coastal Resources Management Rivers & Coasts Summer 2011 issue. In addition, the plan is also

on the EPA webpage here: http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/upload/virginia_wpp.pdf

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Wetland program plans may take a variety of approaches: a) “framework approach” –focusing on the incorporation of the core elemental framework, b) “minimalist approach” –focusing on the bare nuts and bolts of a wetland program’s goals and action plans, c) “comprehensive approach” –including a broader set of goals and detailed description of the strategic and communication components of the plan, along with an action plan. However, even when a state takes a minimalist approach to writing its wetland program plan, there is still a lot involved in the process, and it should not be considered “less” valuable a tool when compared to a WPP that takes a more comprehensive approach. Some WPPs have illustrations or photos, which can make it more “reader-friendly” for the public’s eye, or for legislative staff to view, whereas a document that is text-only may be intended primarily for in-house planning and strategic discussions.

The audience of a wetland program plan is different from state to state, and the targeted audience may in fact change from one version of a wetland plan to another within the same state. An earlier version of a wetland program plan, for instance, might be updated to include a local government role, or revised to improve public understanding for the wetland protection goals. States that are updating an earlier version of their wetland program plan may find that it takes as long as developing the original plan. States may take between 6 to 18 months to write or revise a wetland program plan. It takes time to bring all of the parties together

to come to a consensus about what’s important, priority actions, how it plans to achieve results, and other concerns. Some states are writing and submitting a version to EPA to meet the voluntary requirements of the WPDG funding component, but plan to craft a more comprehensive document in the near future, which may require additional discussions, collaboration and staff time.

A state wetland program, or other agency/group that is writing a new—or revising an existing WPP, may include other elements in their plan depending on the intended audience. For instance, a state that intends to use the plan as an in-house planning document may refer to actions or goals that pertain to activities the agency is already working toward, or planning to do, such as developing water quality standards for wetlands, or creating a new database for wetland mapping information.

Maine’s original wetland program strategy, for example, was state-specific, and did not have the federal “footprint” on it. A different version was drafted for the 2011-2016 timeframe, and this revised version incorporated the core elements, in addition to state-specific goals and action points for Maine’s wetland program. As with a number of the state wetland program plans, Maine’s WPP is a collaborative effort of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Interagency Wetlands Work Group.

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c Figure out an approach

c Consider the audience

c Identify potential partners

c Discuss what's important

c Incorporate core elements & other priority areas

c Develop an action plan

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By contrast, a state that intends to utilize the WPP as a communication tool for the public’s eye, may identify a broader scope of overall goals with specific activities described to illustrate how they benefit the public to improve general understanding of the need to attain those goals, e.g. encouraging the public role in wetlands conservation, including local government.

A wetland program plan that is intended for a legislative audience may additionally demonstrate a state’s need to protect and restore wetlands, and include economic analyses (dollar values) to support the basis for wetlands protection goals outlined in the plan. In addition, a wetland program plan may provide an opportunity to present the results of a threats analysis to further support the goals of the program (why protect wetlands). It is possible to use a wetland program plan to answer questions when state legislators raise concerns. Having an up-to-date wetland program plan may be the first way to answer the question, “Why is the program doing X?” The answer may well be, “It is an action identified in our Wetland Program Plan (or Action Plan).”

Benefits of a Wetland Program Plan: Opportunities for Collaboration & Strategic Planning

While there is a tie to potential grant funding, there are other equally important benefits to states and tribes in developing Wetland Program Plans. One of the main benefits of a wetland plan is that it can be used as a strategic tool for state wetland programs. Wetland program plans can be used to facilitate effective planning. “One of the benefits of having a plan is that it encourages strategic thinking—and prompts a state to ask, ‘are we putting resources in the right places?” according to Trish Garrigan in EPA’s Region 1, who has worked with states in

New England to submit their wetland program plans. During the discussion process—before drafting a plan—a state may start out using a system that rates and ranks what’s most important to the state’s wetland program. EPA regions help facilitate meetings and discussions, but the responsibility and creativity in writing the actual plan lies with the state, or work team, when there is an inter-agency wetlands team or group of partners involved.

A secondary benefit of the planning process is an opportunity for collaboration with other groups interested in wetlands. While a variety of groups may have different missions, they may have a shared vision to protect and restore wetlands, and to achieve other related objectives, e.g. educating the public. It is helpful for a state wetland program to bring other agency partners and interested parties to the table in the early stages. It can be an opportunity to discuss the wetland resources, identify what’s important and find common ground. For example, there may be an existing wildlife action plan that could potentially integrate aspects with a wetland action plan. A transparent process fosters improved collaboration.

States may choose to enter into a collaborative work team, such as a “wetland team” with a shared vision for protecting wetlands in the state. Wisconsin’s Wetland Team is one example of such a collaboration, which was a chief component in the 2008 revisions of Wisconsin’s wetland program plan—Reversing the Loss, and its related action plans. Maine’s Interagency Wetland Work Group is another example of a “wetland team.”

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The state of Wisconsin wrote a wetland program plan in 2001. It was a plan authored primarily by Wisconsin DNR that expired in 2006. When the state’s wetland program staff began the process of revising the 2001 plan, they took a collaborative approach. The state’s wetland program identified potential partners—about 15 partners at first, and created a Wetland Team with a shared vision to Protect, Restore and Explore Wisconsin wetlands. It took the Wetland Team a year and a half to complete the 2008 revision, Reversing the Loss, a collaborative effort for the whole state of Wisconsin; this was not solely a project of Wisconsin DNR. By involving all of the members of the team, Wisconsin DNR strengthened its strategic planning tool by including actions that other team members could take on. For instance, some of the partners might take a lead role in working with local government or education and outreach, while other partners might play a part in monitoring and research activities, or mapping. The state then can concentrate on other areas identified in the plan, such as regulation, monitoring and assessment. The Wetland Team decided to use a broad approach with a main wetland program plan and to supplement it with subsequent two-year action plans. The current action plan covers the 2011-2012 timeframe and incorporates the four core elements from EPA’s Initiative, in addition to several other priority areas. Since Wisconsin DNR established water quality standards for wetlands in 1991, the state did not need to include development of those standards (since they already exist). Instead, the wetland team identified other areas for the action plan: prevention and control of invasive species, increased wetland ecosystem resiliency and wetland conservation partnerships. This allows room for addressing future or new concerns, such as climate change. To see Reversing the Loss and the Action Plan 2011-2012, visit: http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands/strategy.html

Montana’s Wetland Program Plan also took a collaborative approach. The plan is based on involvement by the Montana Wetland Council and extensive planning and assessments done prior to the 2011-2016 plan. The plan references a prior planning document, Strategic Framework (2008), in a similar way that Wisconsin’s 2011-2012 Action Plan references their strategic plan from 2008. Montana provides several documents on its website, which helps to frame its current WPP, which is available on EPA’s webpage.

In the context of funding, when a state wetland program collaborates with other groups (other state agencies, nongovernmental and nonprofit partners, etc.) there is an opportunity to identify areas of overlapping interests. On EPA’s Wetland Program Plan webpage, EPA encourages other organizations to read the state and tribal WPPs to learn more about a state’s goals and priorities for wetlands. For instance, if a university wants to do vernal pool mapping or monitoring, it might benefit from discussions with the state wetland program to see where there may lie opportunities to work together on a grant if vernal pool mapping/monitoring is an area identified in the state’s WPP or action plan.

Next Steps

A number of states have identified in their current Wetland Program Plans that they are in the early stages of developing Water Quality Standards for Wetlands. The Association of State Wetland Managers is currently facilitating a work group with discussions on water quality standards for wetlands, and has prepared a webpage with some useful information for those states working toward that goal. In other states, WPPs are addressing new issues, such as climate change impacts on wetlands and water resources. While this is not necessarily required, the trend toward addressing sea level rise and other climate change impacts, has become increasingly important among states. For an overview of states with climate change action plans, visit ASWM’s webpage with that summary information.

To read the state and tribal WPPs currently available on EPA’s webpage, visit: http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/wpp.cfm Finally, ASWM will be holding a one-day Wetland Program Plan training session during its State/Federal Coordination Meeting this month. For more information, visit: http://aswm.org/wetland-programs/-states-and-tribes-login-req/1390-2012-statetribalfederal-coordination-meeting

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Red Cross, Red Crescent: A Climate Change Story by Leah Stetson, ASWM

In November 2011, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that confirmed a link between extreme weather-related disasters like hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and other storms, to climate change. This was the first time that the IPCC emphasized this link in an official report based on the consensus of over 200 scientists. One of the lead authors of the report is also a director at the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre. The Red Cross confirmed that the findings of the IPCC reflect what the Red Cross has observed:

The Red Cross warned that disaster agencies were already dealing with the effects of climate change in vulnerable countries across the world. “The findings of this report certainly tally with what the Red Cross Movement is seeing, which is a rise in the number of weather-related emergencies around the world,” said Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and coordinating lead author of the IPCC report. “We are committed to responding to disasters whenever and wherever they happen, but we have to recognize that if the number of disasters continues to increase, the current model we have for responding to them is simply impossible to sustain. – from The Guardian, Nov. 17, 2011

The Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre published a related report for policy-makers in light of this new information about extreme weather-related disasters and preparing for climate change. For the Summary for Policy Makers of the new Special Report on Extremes (Nov. 2011), visit: http://www.climatecentre.org/site/news/329/summary-for-policy-makers-of-the-new-special-report-on-extremes-srex

Meet the Other ‘Weatherman’

ASWM’s weekly blog feature, Strange Wetlands, covered this topic earlier this winter. I sought the first-hand perspective of Allen Crabtree, a volunteer for the Public Affairs division of the American Red Cross. Mr. Crabtree has volunteered with the Red Cross since Katrina. He has identified many human interest stories and interviewed those affected by floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme-weather disasters. In the past year, the Red Cross deployed Mr. Crabtree to cover the stories of Hurricane Irene and related flooding events in Vermont and the Mississippi River floods, and the tornadoes in South Carolina and Missouri. It is his job to get the message out—where the Red Cross services are located, to let people know that there are special arrangements to provide a safe place for pets, provide access to medicines, accommodate specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free or vegetarian meals. The Red Cross, for example, has special pet shelters for people’s animals, or sometimes it’s arranged through the county.

Mr. Crabtree arrives on the scene immediately after a hurricane, tornado, flood or forest fire has hit. Often he is deployed “pre-landfall,” before a hurricane has come ashore. It’s his job to get the word out to people –let them know where the Red Cross shelters and other services are located, to help prepare people for a disaster and to contact the media. He’s been known to set his laptop up and report via Skype with a hurricane raging behind him. When he’s assigned a video crew, he’s the one in front of the camera, interviewing people—those who have been affected by weather disasters, those who have stayed in the Red Cross shelters, those who have volunteered and those who have responded to emergency situations, and clean-up crews. He’s not a meteorologist but he’s another type of “weatherman.” Mr. Crabtree takes on the persona of a Red Cross Guide, taking viewers on a journey into the aftermath of a natural disaster, to tell a story about the people and what happened to them. His interviews have appeared on NBC—often airing Red Cross footage of storm sites on the evening news before any other media has covered it. The Red Cross makes use of social media, too, to spread the news—over Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

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However, social media can be a way for rumors to spread, for example, when the Mississippi River floods occurred, there was a false rumor posted on Twitter about the Red Cross offering a particular service; but these social media outlets are closely monitored, and rumors are quickly squashed.

Extreme weather-related disasters are expensive and the Red Cross uses footage of the storms, the damage and the people in shelters, to raise funds for their efforts. But Mr. Crabtree’s first love—writing stories—is what drives him to reach out to people. Thinking back on the Mississippi River floods, Mr. Crabtree said, “The sad thing about floods is that they are a slow-moving disaster. When do you evacuate? Afterwards, it makes a slow retreat as the water levels return to normal.” Unlike a tornado with its fast path of destruction, a flood, or even a hurricane, can continue to damage communities and wreak havoc long after the onset of the storm.

Since Katrina, Mr. Crabtree has interviewed lots of people who have been re-building their lives, storm after storm. Mr. Crabtree has listened to their trials and tribulations, and to stories about picking oneself up in the face of a lot of impediments. During the 2011 Mississippi River floods, he interviewed a family in Vicksburg at the Red Cross shelter. Their 16 year old son, Trevae, (right) was celebrating his high school graduation. Their family was staying at the Red Cross shelter in Vicksburg since their home was flooded by waters of the Mississippi River. It was the first time someone in their family graduated from high school--so it was not going to be skipped just because of the flood. The Red Cross volunteers held a little graduation party in his honor.

In Joplin, Missouri, after the 2011 tornados--Mr. Crabtree witnessed a devastation so horrific both physical and emotional. The tornado had cut a swath twenty miles long and a mile wide. But he also saw wonderful examples of people helping other people. Most were in shock. An elderly woman who had lived there her whole life lost everything in one blow. Three teenagers showed up in a pick-up truck with tools and started to clean up the debris. They didn’t know her. When people go through that kind of trauma from a natural disaster, Mr. Crabtree compared it to “losing a loved one” or feeling lost. Some of them ask, “Where am I? Where do I go now?” And it is the job of the Red Cross volunteers to help them get to safety. Oddly, there are even Red Cross volunteers who find themselves homeless--and they are still actively helping others. Of the 14,000 people who lost their homes during the tornados and floods last year, most belong to an unspoken brotherhood that bonds them--and often it’s their experiences together in the Red Cross shelters that cements it. Mr. Crabtree told ASWM that 2011 was one of the most disastrous seasons for the Red Cross.

In addition to these stories, the Red Cross also promotes a message of preparedness before a natural disaster occurs. The Red Cross encourages people to have a plan for family and pets, to think about preventative measures and what to do in the aftermath. The Red Cross puts the onus on citizens, not just the volunteers, to think responsibly about what to do in the case of an emergency during an extreme weather disaster. Mr. Crabtree observed, “some people are prepared, others are not.” Mr. Crabtree has written about some of the “success stories” among the Red Cross shelters during the Mississippi River floods and other storms in recent years. He tells ASWM, “They are a shining example of the resilience of people.” Read Allen Crabtree’s stories on the Red Cross website (linked below):

Red Cross Reaches Out to Aid Vermont Flood Family (Vermont flood, September 2011)Red Cross Shelters Residents of Transvale Acres in Flooded Conway, NH (2011)“What do I do after the flood?” (North Dakota, 2011)Red Cross is here for the Long Haul (Mississippi River floods, 2011)Disaster Can Change Someone’s Life in Seconds (North Carolina tornado, 2011)Video, News Channel 8: Interview with Allen Crabtree on the Joplin tornado (June 2011)Strong Waters, Stronger Friendships (Missouri floods, 2008)

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Wetland News Staff

Jeanne Christie, Assistant Editor, Photos

Sharon Weaver, Web Lay-out, Design

Laura Burchill, Lay-out, Proof-reader

Leah Stetson, Editor, Design

Copyright Association of State Wetland Managers March 2012 http://aswm.org

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Follow @StrangeWetlandson Twitter for updates to ASWM’s blog, The Compleat Wetlander and other tidbits

Acknowledgements. ASWM would like to thank the following people for their help and contribution to this newsletter: Allen Crabtree, Red Cross; Cherie Hagen, Wisconsin DNR; Trish Garrigan, EPA Region 1; Romell Nandi, EPA; Dave Davis, Virginia DEQ.

Welcome New MembersOlin Anderson, Pyramid Lake Paiute TribeRandall Apfelbeck, Montana Department of Environmental QualityMaggie Bosiljevac, CH2M HillJevra Brown, Oregon Department of State LandsHeather Buck, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLCJennifer Campbell-Allison, Missouri Department of ConservationJohn Cantilli, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2Jamie Cook, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLCChant Eicke, EarthView Environmental, LLCEric Ford, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.Beverly Harry, Pyramid Lake Paiute TribeJoseph Jacques, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.Heidi Lamp, EarthView Environmental, LLCAlan Leary, Missouri Department of ConservationJohn Mosley, Pyramid Lake Paiute TribeTanda Roberts, Pyramid Lake Paiute TribeMelody Rudenko, Oregon Department of State LandsAaron Smith, Equinox Analytics, Inc.Reid Stamer, EarthView Environmental, LLCHollis Weber, EarthView Environmental, LLC

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