This webinar will begin at 1:00 PM and end at 2:30 PM. The first hour will include power point presentations by three panelists. The last half hour will be open to questions from the listening audience around the country. The link to register for this webinar is: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/385649506   There is no fee. One and one half AICP recertification credits are available. The Webinar is sponsored by the American Planning Association (APA).

The Division’s first webinar on this subject was in late May. It generally concentrated on State of Maryland actions. The upcoming webinar will concentrate on State of Virginia actions. The speakers for the November 2 webinar include: (1) John Carlock, AICP, Deputy Executive Director for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News area); (2) Jeffrey Corbin, Senior Advisor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River; and (3), Anthony Moore, Assistant Secretary of the Virginia Department of Natural Resources for Chesapeake Bay Restoration.

The Chesapeake Bay Restoration program has been underway since the mid-1980’s. A recent consent order directed the EPA to take a stronger role. Initially, the states submitted their general strategies in the latter part of 2010 and early 2011 to implement the EPA directed program. Now the states are working with local and regional agencies in developing implementation steps.

2011 State of the Sounds Symposium, Thursday, November 17, 2011, New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, New Bern, NC 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Scientists, policy makers, natural resource managers, interested citizens, students and other regional stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Sessions will explore current scientific developments, management initiatives for environmental restoration and protection, engagement efforts, and other social and ecological issues relating to the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System. The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program (APNEP) will also unveil its most recent ecosystem assessment report. Deadline for registration is November 4. There is no cost for registration. Click HERE for registration or more information.     

Request for Chesapeake Bay BMP Monitoring Data — The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is seeking stormwater BMP monitoring studies with event-based data in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for inclusion in the International Stormwater BMP Database.  A special data collection and analysis effort focused on the Chesapeake Bay is underway and will be publically available this fall from a dedicated portion of the BMP Database website (www.bmpdatabase.org).  If you have any BMP monitoring studies that you would be willing to contribute or are you aware of research or studies that may be useful in this regard, please consider submitting them.  Published studies, relevant local data sets, or any suggested data sources can be emailed directly to Jane Clary at clary@wrightwater.comfor potential inclusion in the effort.  Those providing studies will be acknowledged on the project website, with web links back to the original program website. 

Attention Photobugs: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking for your photos. — Through March of 2012, the EPA’s State of the Environment Project is collecting photos that capture images of the state of the environment. Photos submitted may be used in an Earth Day 2012 display to be produced by the EPA and National Archives.  For more information visit the project’s website,http://www.epa.gov/environmentphotoproject/