An Interview with Joe Starinchak (Jun 2010)
Invasive Species Action Network. Clean Angling News.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's National ANS Outreach Coordinator provides unique insights into the invasives issue. Joe Starinchak is the Outreach Coordinator for Aquatic Invasive Species and creator of the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers campaign.

Healthy Watersheds Can Sustain Water Supplies, Aquatic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate (Jun 28, 2010)
USDA. FS. Pacific Northwest Research Station.
The Pacific Northwest Research Station has published the report Water, Climate Change, and Forests: Watershed Stewardship for a Changing Climate (PDF | 9.6 MB) about the role of forests in the stewardship of water in a changing climate. The publication describes healthy, resilient watersheds as a primary strategy for sustaining ecosystems and the clean, abundant water they provide, and discusses threats, including water pollution, invasive species and increased urban and rural development.

Webcast: EPA Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) -- Jun 24, 2010, 1 pm
EPA. Office of Wastewater Management.
On Jun 2, EPA announced public availability of a draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (Pesticides General Permit) for point source discharges from the application of pesticides to waters of the U.S. Public comments on EPA's draft pesticides general permit will be accepted through Jul 19, 2010. This webcast describes Agency efforts to develop a NPDES general permit for discharges from the application of pesticides in those few areas nationwide where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority.

Fourth Annual National Pollinator Week -- Jun 21-27, 2010
Pollinator Partnership.

Pollinators
DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Includes presention that provides an introduction to pollinators.

Secretaries Vilsack and Salazar Announce Readiness for Wildfire Season (Jun 17, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar outlined the federal government's readiness for the wildland fire season to ensure protection for communities and restoration of forests and grasslands across the country. Many forests have an unnatural accumulation of hazardous fuels, are unable to withstand insect and disease outbreaks, and are facing the impacts of climate change, all of which increase the potential for extreme wildfires. Preparedness efforts include prescribed burns, community partnerships, additional resources, and thinning of excess vegetation.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Through an interagency agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been allocated approximately $65 million to implement GLRI priority programs, projects and activities to protect, restore, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem. The Service's GLRI projects focus on Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern, Invasive Species, Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration, and Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships. See related invasive species news about GLRI.

After Nearly 2 Decades, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Scientific Journals (Jun 14, 2010)
DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the release of the inaugural issue of the public domain Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (JFWM) and the re-launch of the prestigious North American Fauna (NAF). These Web based journals focus on the practical application and integration of science to the conservation and management of North American fish, wildlife, plants, and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

USDA Announces Additional Funding to Respond to Expected Grasshopper Outbreaks in Western States (Jun 11, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of nearly $11 miillon in emergency funding to conduct suppression treatments that will protect up to four million acres of rangeland in some western states potentially impacted by expected grasshopper outbreaks this year. The funding is being made available through USDA, APHIS Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program, and will be used primarily for the application of aerial and ground insecticide treatments in response to requests for assistance in outbreak areas. See ARS Grasshopper Management site for more information.

Invasive Tallowtree Spreading Rapidly Across Gulf Coast: Nonnative Tree Species Could Harm Coastal Prairies (Jun 8, 2010)
USDA. FS. Southern Research Station.
A study by a USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station scientist shows the numbers of nonnative Chinese tallowtree in Louisiana, Mississippi and east Texas grew by about 370 percent over a 16-year period. The spread of the invasive plant may create problems for plants and wildlife along the Gulf coast.

USDA Begins National Survey of Honey Bee Pests and Diseases (Jun 7, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the beginning of a 13-state survey of honey bee pests and diseases conducted cooperatively by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Pennsylvania State University. The survey will help USDA scientists to determine the prevalence of parasites and disease-causing microorganisms that may be contributing to the decline of honey bee colonies nationwide that scientists have named colony collapse disorder.

Follow the Money: Wealth, Population Are Key Drivers of Invasive Species (Jun 7, 2010)
Oregon State University. College of Forestry.
Scientists studying biological invasions in Europe found that wealth and population density, along with an increase in international trade and commerce, were the forces most strongly associated with invasive species that can disrupt ecosystems and cause severe ecological or agricultural damage. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that other possible factors, such as climate, geography or land cover, were less significant than population density and wealth capital, and that those secondary causes may have been overestimated in the past.

Mutant gene link to West Nile virus in horses (Jun 2, 2010)
University of Adelaide (Australia).
According to scientists at the University of Adelaide, the same mutated gene that makes human more susceptiable to the potentially fatal West Nile virus is also responsible for the virus affecting horses. West Nile virus causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, resulting in paralysis and death in humans, horses, birds and other species.