News

1. Drought Declared in Georgia

2. WRD Seeks Input on Protected Species List

3. Fulton County Citizens Commission Accepts Nominations for Good Stewardship

4. FY06 Five-Star Challenge Grant Awards Announcement

Policy

5. Clean Water Act - Supreme Court Further Clouds “Waters”

Workshops/Conferences/Calendar Items

6. July DNR Board Meetings – No Meeting in July

7. RiversAlive Workshops for New Organizers – Statewide

8. Free Mercury Hair Testing – Atlanta

9. ICL Leading From Within Workshop – Ohio

10. American Rivers River Lobby Day – Washington, DC

11. The Georgia Environmental Conference - Savannah

12. Alliance for Justice Online Workshops

13. GA Adopt-A-Stream / Healthy Water Healthy People Workshop - Gainesville

14. Environmental Education in Higher Education Conference – Athens

15. 2006 Southeast Watershed Roundtable & North Carolina Statewide Roundtable - NC

16. Introduction to Stream Restoration Using Natural Channel Design – Alabama

17. Green Infrastructure Workshop – Coastal Georgia Center - Brunswick

Resources

18. Paddling Guides to Georgia’s Rivers

19. Grantstation Offered at Discount Price

Fundraising Deadlines

20. Fundraising and Grants

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1. Drought Declared in Georgia (News from the Georgia Water Coalition)

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director, Dr. Carol Couch convened the Drought Response Committee in response to below average soil moisture, rainfall, and stream flow conditions. That Committee recommended that a Level I drought be declared throughout the state, and Dr. Couch issued that directive later that day. The Drought Response Committee includes representatives from state and federal agencies, local government associations, water provider associations and one representative – Georgia Conservancy president Jim Stokes – from the environmental community. Under a Level I drought, the following water restrictions apply statewide:

· No watering is permitted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

· Odd numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

· Even numbered addresses can water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

· No watering is allowed on Friday.

· Some individual counties and cities have implemented stricter guidelines so please be sure to check with your local officials.

Dr. Couch stated that she would take action to remove the drought declaration only when favorable conditions exist for at least four consecutive months. Under federal court orders to negotiate a solution to flows in the Chattahoochee Basin, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”) agreed on June 26 that the Corps will allow 6,750 cubic feet per second (cfs) to flow into the Apalachicola River from Georgia. This is not a long-term solution, however, and the parties continue to negotiate.

2. WRD Seeks Input on Protected Species List and Proposed Rule Authorizing Collection of State Protected Crayfish Species

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (June 30, 2006) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) seeks public input on the proposed status of species that have been nominated for additions, deletions, and status changes under Georgia's Wildflower Preservation Act and Georgia's Endangered Wildlife Act. In addition, WRD seeks public input on a proposed rule authorizing the collection of state protected crayfish species for fishing bait. The WRD is carrying out the first comprehensive revision of Georgia's list of protected plants and animals since 1992. These lists specify what species are protected under Georgia's Wildflower Preservation Act and Georgia's Endangered Wildlife Act, and are increasingly used to help prioritize funding for conservation and research on rare species. The listing status of each species will be based upon the best available scientific data and public input. Through regulations, the Board of Natural Resources will make the final decision on which species will be added to or deleted from the list. Comments can be submitted until July 31, 2006. Such statements should be mailed to: Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Nongame Wildlife & Natural Heritage Section

Wildlife Resources Conservation Center

2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE

Social Circle, GA 30025 4743

An Updated Timeline for the protected species update, a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ), and other information on the protected species update can be found on the WRD website at www.georgiawildlife.com (Nongame Animals and Plants Page). Residents can also request to be placed on a mailing list to receive public notices during the revision process by calling (706) 557-3032 or (770) 918-6411.

3. Fulton County Citizens Commission Accepts Nominations for Good Stewardship

The Fulton County Citizens Commission on the Environment and the Fulton County Department of Environment and Community Development are now accepting nominations to recognize organizations, projects and individuals for their good stewardship of the Fulton County environment. Nominations will be accepted through July 31st 2006 and the Awards Program will be held on September 20, 2006 at the Fulton County, 141 Pryor Street, Atlanta. Nomination forms are available on-line at: http://www.fultonecd.org/enviro/eap-nom-pkg-06.pdf. Recipients will be notified by August 20th of their selection. Questions may be addressed to Debra Jenkins at: debra.jenkins@fulton.co.ga.us or 404-730-8016.

4. FY06 Five-Star Challenge Grant Awards Announcement

EPA and its partners the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties, the Wildlife Habitat Council, and Southern Company announced on July 5 that the Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program has awarded more than $518,000 to 39 community-led wetland and streamside restoration projects nationwide. Two of the projects are in Georgia. The Five Star Challenge Grants Program develops knowledge and skills in young people through restoration projects that involve multiple and diverse partners, including local/state/federal government agencies, community groups, businesses, schools, youth organizations, and environmental organizations. Consideration for funding is based upon the project’s ecological benefits, educational and training opportunities for students, and social and economic benefits to the community. For more information about 5-Star, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/ or contact Myra Price at 202-566-1225.

5. Clean Water Act - Supreme Court Further Clouds “Waters”
(From Georgia Water Coaltion) The Supreme Court issued long-awaited decisions in two cases that address federal protection of wetlands and many streams under the Clean Water Act. A June 20 decision is a plurality opinion, rather than a majority opinion, so no clear majority statement of the law emerged. Justice Scalia (joined by Thomas, Roberts, and Alito) wrote an opinion that, if followed, would have removed federal protection for most streams that do not have continuous flow and vast areas of associated wetlands. Justice Stevens (joined by Breyer, Ginsburg, and Souter) dissented and would have upheld federal protection of the wetlands at issue in the cases. Justice Kennedy wrote the critical concurring opinion. He rejected the Scalia view that the wetlands at issue could never be protected under the Act. Instead, adopting a legal view much closer to the dissent’s view that the wetlands at issue could be protected, he agreed only that the case should be returned to the lower courts for more information gathering about the wetlands in question. The moderate views of Justice Kennedy prevented the extreme views of Justice Scalia and his allies from prevailing, sparing vast areas of wetlands and thousands of miles of streams from destruction. Justice Kennedy ruled that a significant nexus between wetlands and downstream navigable waters is required to assert Clean Water Act protections, and a remand is required to examine the significance of the connections. Notably, Justice Kennedy concluded that a surface hydrological connection is not required for a wetland to have a significant nexus to downstream navigable waters and that the full tributary system could be regulated under the Act. This is not the victory developers wanted. Unfortunately, because no clear majority opinion emerged, confusion over the extent of federal regulation of wetlands will continue. It is an opportune time for Congress to step in and pass pending legislation clarifying once and for all that the Clean Water Act protects all the waters and wetlands.

6. DNR Board Meetings - No meetings in July.
There will be no meetings in July. For details on DNR Board Meetings, visit http://www.gadnr.org/ (bottom left corner of home page). To view the schedule, visit http://gadnr.org/documents/sched-agenda.html. For an archive of the Georgia Environmental Council’s reports on board meetings, visit www.garivers.org and click on advocacy.

7. RiversAlive Workshops for New Organizers - Statewide
Free workshops are available for new organizers of Rivers Alive events on the following dates. Participants will learn from veteran organizers all of the ins and outs of cleanups from planning, recruiting volunteers to the actual cleanup and post cleanup follow-up. For more information call 404.362.6536.

July 20 from 9 am -12:30 pm

Bulloch County Regional Library, Statesboro

For more information, to register & directions contact Chandra Brown,

(912) 764-2017 or cbrown@ocrk.org

July 22 from 10 am -1:00 pm

Garden Club of Georgia Garden Center, Albany

For more information, to register & directions contact Becky Champion,

(706) 687-4090 or champion_becky@colstate.edu

8. Free Mercury Hair Testing – Atlanta
On July 20, Georgia women can come to Midtown Hair Studio at 8th and Monroe in Atlanta to have a lock of hair cut and sent off for mercury testing. One in five women of childbearing age already has enough mercury in her body to put a baby at risk of developmental problems. This event is hosted by Sierra Club from noon to 1pm. To RSVP, contact colleen.kiernan@sierraclub.org.

9. ICL Leading From Within Workshop - Ohio
The Institute for Conservation Leadership is pleased to announce another edition of its Leading from Within program. This five-month professional development opportunity includes two 3-day workshops as well as coaching support. Leading from Within is for executive directors, board members, and lead staff of environmental and conservation organizations who are passionate about their work, energized by a creative peer learning environment, and are eager to further develop their leadership potential.
Leading From Within includes a 360 degree leadership assessment tool, group experiential exercises, peer exchange, and learning activities that you will find both challenging and rejuvenating! Leading From Within will take place at the Maumee Bay Conference Center in Oregon, OH (near Detroit) on Oct. 19-22, 2006 and Feb. 21-24, 2007. The application deadline is Sept. 1, 2006. Please contact Peter Lane at 301-270-2900 ext. 5 or visit www.icl.org for more information.

10. American Rivers River Lobby Day – Washington, DC
Come to D.C. and be part of American Rivers’ 3rd annual River Lobby Day to join river lovers from across the country in urging their elected officials to take action that will ensure healthy rivers for all communities. This is an important opportunity to talk with your legislators who make key decisions about your hometown river and remind them that you hold them accountable for protecting river health in your community. There is no charge to participate. American Rivers will provide a limited number of stipends to help offset the cost of travel and accommodations in D.C. Registration and travel stipends forms are available online at http://www.americanrivers.org/. The deadline for applying for a travel stipend is Tuesday, August 1. Never lobbied before? Not a problem. They provide all the necessary training and materials on Monday, September 11, the day before your meetings. What’s legal? Individuals and tax-exempt organizations can engage in limited lobbying, including educating your elected officials about river issues in your community. To find out what political activities your organization can or cannot legally participate in, visit the Alliance for Justice’s website at: http://www.allianceforjustice.org/. For more information contact Jamie Mierau at jmierau@americanrivers.org or visit http://www.americanrivers.org/.

11. The Georgia Environmental Conference - Savannah

The Georgia Environmental Conference in Savannah, GA is August 16-18. Visit http://www.signup4.net/public/ap.aspx?EID=2006109E for more information.

12. Alliance for Justice Online Workshops
Alliance for Justice presents an online workshop series on the legal rules for foundation support of advocacy. Participate in an Alliance for Justice training from the convenience of your office. They will be conducting one hour workshops on the legal rules for foundation support for advocacy and how foundations can evaluate advocacy grants and help build their grantees' advocacy capacity. The 2006 web training schedule is:

Tuesday, September 19 - Advocacy Capacity Assessment and Evaluation
Thursday, November 16 - A Funder's Guide to Supporting Advocacy
2pm Eastern time; one hour each. Cost: $30 each Register online or call the Alliance for Justice at 202-822-6070. Questions: Call or email Abby Levine at 202-822-6070 or Abby.Levine@afj.org. For a description of the workshops, visit http://www.afj.org.

13. GA Adopt-A-Stream Trainer/Healthy Water, Healthy People Facilitator
Workshop - Gainesville

July 20-21, 2006 from 10:00 – 6:00 each day at the Elachee Nature Science Center.
Join Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) and Project WET in this workshop designed for certified chemical and biological volunteers. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will become certified AAS trainers, qualified to teach both biological and chemical water quality monitoring workshops, as well as certified Healthy Water, Healthy People (HWHP) facilitators, qualified to teach HWHP Educator Workshops. The purpose of the HWHP program is to raise the awareness and understanding of water quality topics and issues and their relationship to personal, public, and environmental health. HWHP facilitators are asked to conduct one educator workshop per year in order to retain certification. AAS trainers are asked to conduct at least one QA/QC workshop each year and participate in annual recertification training. You may choose to conduct your future workshops as combined QA/QC and HWHP, or you may provide separate workshops. If you are not QA/QC certified, but would like to attend this workshop, please visit the Adopt-A-Stream website (www.riversalive.org/aas_workshops.htm) to find out how to receive certification prior to this workshop. Formal educators may receive 1 PLU credit for attending this workshop. Lunch and snacks will be provided and are included in the registration fee of $60 for EEA members or $65 for non-members. Registration deadline is July 6, 2006. To register, please contact Petey Giroux (petey_giroux@dnr.state.ga.us, 404-675-1638) or Allison Hughes (allison_hughes@dnr.state.ga.us, 404 675- 1635).

14. Exploring the Landscapes of Environmental Education in Higher Education: Teaching, Research, and Public Service & Outreach – Athens
August 18-20, 2006, at the University of Georgia - The conference is for faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students at colleges and universities across the state as well as partners in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 settings; business and industry; government and nongovernmental, community, or faith-based agencies and organizations. Diversity across disciplines, fields, and affiliations that help, individually and collectively, demonstrate and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of increasing and supporting environmental literacy and environmental education (EE) for all populations, is sought. Visit: http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/conferences/2006/Aug/17/environmental_ed.phtml.

15. 2006 Southeast Watershed Roundtable & North Carolina Statewide Roundtable
" Watershed Management Makes Good Financial Cents: Development Tools for Sustainable Growth" August 2-4 in Asheville, NC. Visit http://www.southeastwaterforum.org.

16. Introduction to Stream Restoration Using Natural Channel Design – Alabama
Primary Instructor: Dr. Greg Jennings, North Carolina State University

Join this workshop on stream restoration using the natural channel design approach on August 21 - 22 in Gadsden, Alabama. This two day workshop will introduce Rosgen classification, natural channel design principles, and present case studies from the southeast. Two completed stream restoration projects in Gadsden, Alabama will be used for field tours and discussion. Space is limited to 30 participants.

More information is available at http://www.aces.edu/waterquality/streams/gadsden.htm or you may contact Eve Brantley - brantef@auburn.edu

17. Green Infrastructure Workshop – Coastal Georgia Center - Brunswick

Dr. Mark Benedict, co-author of the new book, Green Infrastructure, will speak to Georgians in association with the Coastal Green Subdivision workshops. The first workshop will be offered in Savannah on Wed, Sept 13 at the Coastal Georgia Center and they will repeat the workshop on the 14th in Brunswick at the Community College. Background information can be found at www.greeninfrastructure.net. For more information on the workshops, contact Jeannie Butler at (912) 554-3494 or Jeannie_Butler@dnr.state.ga.us.

18. Paddling Guides to Georgia’s Rivers
Does your organization get calls from citizen’s wanting information on paddling Georgia’s rivers? Three guide books are available from the Georgia River Network online bookstore including A Paddler’s Guide to North Georgia, A Paddler’s Guide to South Georgia and A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to Georgia. Amazon donates a portion of the proceeds from the book sales to Georgia River Network. Visit our bookstore online at http://www.garivers.org/Bookstore.htm.

19. GrantStation Offered at Discount Price
TechSoup Stock (www.techsoup.com) and GrantStation (http://www.grantstation.com/) have a special July offer for nonprofits. Eligible nonprofits can request a GrantStation membership (powerful fundraising tools) at a specially discounted admin fee of only $90, as compared to normal discounted admin fee of $499. This is a limited time offer, available for only 8 hours on July 19, from 8 am-4 pm Pacific Time. The offer is available to the nonprofit community at http://ga0.org/ct/C11lOWM1smFA/. GrantStation membership includes instant access to a searchable database of thousands of pre-screened foundation and corporate grantmakers that are actively accepting proposals from nonprofits. This database provides you with more than 160 areas of interest to help narrow your search and keep your research time to a minimum. GrantStation also lists the latest federal grant announcements as well as access to state agencies offering grants in all 50 states. In addition, GrantStation offers a section dedicated to international grantmakers to help you find grantmakers based in other countries. Besides helping you identify the most appropriate grantmaker(s) for your program or project, GrantStation also provides comprehensive tutorials for building a successful grant seeking program and powerful grant requests. You will also receive their informative weekly bulletin, the GrantStation Insider.

20. Fundraising Deadlines
The following foundations are either new to our list of grants or have upcoming deadlines to submit proposals. To view grant makers that give throughout the year, visit our website at www.garivers.org and click on “Grants”.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation The mission of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is to support efforts that promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society. The Foundation's grant programs focus on the following areas: poverty, civil society, the environment, and Flint, MI. Organizations seeking grants should begin the application process at least four months before the start of the proposed grant period. Foundation staff must finalize grant recommendations for any given calendar year by August 31 of that year. Proposals received between September 1 and December 31 will be considered in the following calendar year. Visit http://www.mott.org for more information.

ConAgra Foods Foundation works to improve the quality of life in communities where ConAgra employees work and live. The Foundation focuses its resources in the areas of arts and culture; civic and community betterment; education; health and human services; and hunger, nutrition and food safety. Nonprofit organizations in communities with company facilities throughout the United States are eligible to apply. Consult your local phone directory or contact your Chamber of Commerce to find out if ConAgra Foods operates in your community. Applications are due the last working day of January, April, July, October. Visit http://www.conagrafoods.com/company/corporate_responsibility/foundation/index.jsp.

EPA Pollution Prevention Information Network Grants
This program seeks to make information about pollution prevention available to businesses and communities. Deadline is July 28. Visit http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/p2home/grants/ppin/ppin06.htm.

EPA’s Assessment and Watershed Protection Program Grants (AWPPGs)
This announcement solicits proposals from eligible applicants to develop effective and comprehensive programs for watershed protection, restoration, and management. The projects that eligible applicants can undertake are diverse. In the past, award recipients have pursued a wide range of activities such as developing management tools, advancing scientific and technical tools for protecting watershed health, improving availability of data and information about watersheds, and training watershed managers and the public about watershed management. Proposals are due Tuesday, August 15, 2006. Visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding/rfp.html.

Foster's Community Grants, a program of the Foster's Group, a global company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, provides support to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Australia for community-building projects. Grants are provided in the following focus areas: wellness, including both physical and mental health; culture, including artistic, sporting, and educational activities; and the environment, including all aspects of the natural environment. For the second funding cycle in 2006, applications will be accepted from August 1 to September 29. Visit http://www.fosters.com.au/about/fosterscommunitygrants.htm.

The National Forest Foundation supports projects that address community-based forest stewardship, watershed health and restoration, wildlife habitat improvement, and recreation issues in proactive ways. Projects should complete innovative on-the-ground conservation work in partnership with other community groups. The Foundation’s matching awards program focuses on “action-oriented” projects that serve to demonstrate measurable outcomes. The program provides challenge cost-share grants, on a competitive basis, to community-based organizations to engage in on-the-ground conservation initiatives benefiting National Forests and Grasslands. The Program provides matching federal funds to private, non-federal dollars. During 2006, the Foundation will support organizations in Southern Appalachia (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia), the Oregon Coast and Central Cascades, the Selway-Bitterroot area (Montana and Idaho), the Central Colorado Rockies, and the Central Sierra (California). Some 20 percent of the Program’s funds will be allocated to projects outside of these areas. The deadline of July 28 is for pre-proposals. | Grant Range: $500 to $100,000 | Contact Info: Alexandra Kenny, Director Grants Program, 2715 M St. NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC, 20007, Ph: 202-298-6740 Ext. 3, akenny@natlforests.org. Visit http://natlforests.org/consp_04_map.html.

The National Wildlife Refuge Friends Group Grant Program, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is requesting proposals for projects that assist nonprofit organizations to be effective co-stewards of the important natural resources within the National Wildlife Refuge System. This program provides seed grants to innovative proposals that seek to increase the number and effectiveness of organizations interested in assisting the Refuge System nationwide. This year's grant program will prioritize proposals that facilitate wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities on refuges and reach new audiences to increase their support for the Refuge System’s mission. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, including Refuge Friends organizations, Cooperative and Interpretive Associations, Audubon Chapters, and other citizen support organizations interested in assisting a National Wildlife Refuge or the Refuge System as a whole. The next application deadline for the program is September 1, 2006. Visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs/nwrgp.cfm.

The Norfolk Southern Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that focus on educational, cultural, environmental, and economic development opportunities within the region served by Norfolk Southern in the Eastern U.S. (A system map of Norfolk Southern communities is available on the company’s website.) The Foundation offers grants in three principal areas: educational programs, primarily at the post-secondary level; community enrichment focusing on cultural and artistic organizations; and environmental programs. Applications are accepted between July 15 and September 30, annually. Visit www.garivers.org and click on grants for more information

Patagonia funds projects that are action oriented, build public support and involvement, are strategic and accomplish specific goals and objectives. Patagonia supports small, grassroots activist organizations with provocative direct-action agendas. They look for innovative groups that produce measurable results, and like to support efforts to force the government to abide by its own - our own - laws. Patagonia helps local groups working to protect local habitat. Most grants are in the range of $3,000 to $8,000. Proposals must be postmarked no later than April 30 and August 31 each year. For more information, visit http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=2927.

You can also apply for grants from the Atlanta Patagonia store which gives grants in the amount of $1,000 - $4000 with applications due by July 31. Contact Leigh Bost at 404.266.8182 or leigh_bost@patagonia.com for more information.

The Southern Partners Fund serves southeastern communities and organizations seeking social, economic, and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, technical assistance and training, and access to systems of information and power. The Fund's grantmaking focuses on rural community organizing in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Funded groups must be self-governed by members of the targeted rural population, and must be organizing on issues of social, economic and environmental justice that enable community members to become decision-makers. The application deadline is August 1, 2006. Visit the website listed above for more information http://www.spfund.org/programs.htm.

The Stonyfield Farm's Profits for the Planet Program donates 10% of the company's profits annually to nonprofit organizations in order to enhance efforts that help protect or restore the environment. Projects that generate measurable results, for example, natural resources saved, people educated, etc., are given priority. Applications for support are accepted from organizations throughout the U.S., with some emphasis on organizations located in the Northeast with projects often reflecting Stonyfield's support of organic farming methods and efforts to combat global warming. Requests for funding may be submitted at any time. Visit http://www.stonyfield.com/AboutUs/ProfitsForThePlanetProgram.cfm.

The Timberland Company offers grants to encourage volunteerism, protect the environment and promote diversity. Groups must have 501(c)3 status to apply. Deadlines: April 1, June 5, August 30, 2006. Visit www.garivers.org and click on grants for more information.

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