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The Economic Cost of Large Constrictor Snakes
The Economic Cost of Large Constrictor Snakes (PDF)
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in partnership with many organizations, has spent more than $6 million since 2005 finding and applying solutions to the growing problem of Burmese pythons and other large invasive constrictor snakes in Florida.
Controlling and eradicating these invasive snakes are critically important because they can cause major economic losses and expenditures. One study reported that nationwide, economic damages associated with nonnative invasive species effects and their control amount to about $120 billion per year in the United States (Pimentel 2005).
Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Northern Spotted Owl
Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Northern Spotted Owl (PDF)
Source: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
1. The purpose of this report is to identify and analyze the potential economic impacts of the designation of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) (hereafter, “NSO” or “species”) in the United States.
2. Section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (the Act) directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate critical habitat
“…on the basis of the best scientific data available and after taking into consideration the economic impact, and any other relevant impact, of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. The Secretary may exclude any area from critical habitat if he determines that the benefits of such exclusion outweigh the benefits of specifying such area as part of the critical habitat, unless he determines, based on the best scientific and commercial data available, that the failure to designate such area as critical habitat will result in the extinction of the species concerned.”
2. Section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (the Act) directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate critical habitat
“…on the basis of the best scientific data available and after taking into consideration the economic impact, and any other relevant impact, of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. The Secretary may exclude any area from critical habitat if he determines that the benefits of such exclusion outweigh the benefits of specifying such area as part of the critical habitat, unless he determines, based on the best scientific and commercial data available, that the failure to designate such area as critical habitat will result in the extinction of the species concerned.”
4. Finally, this report was prepared with attention to the memorandum issued by the President to the Secretary of the Interior on February 28, 2012, regarding the proposed revised critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, and focusing on minimizing regulatory burdens. We re-state in the text box below the information regarding this memorandum provided in the NOA for this report.
Technical Announcement: From Decade to Decade: What’s the Status of our Groundwater Quality?
Technical Announcement: From Decade to Decade: What’s the Status of our Groundwater Quality?
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
There was no change in concentrations of chloride, dissolved solids, or nitrate in groundwater for more than 50 percent of well networks sampled in a new analysis by the USGS that compared samples from 1988-2000 to samples from 2001-2010. For those networks that did have a change, seven times more networks saw increases as opposed to decreases.
The analysis was done by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) to determine if concentrations of these constituents have increased or decreased significantly from the 1990′s to the early 2000′s nationwide.
“By providing a nation-wide, long-term, uniformly consistent analysis of trends in groundwater quality, communities can see whether they belong in the group of more than 50 percent which are maintaining their water quality, or within the group of more than 40 percent for which water quality is back sliding,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “Communities in the latter group can decide whether and what action may be warranted to address quality issues so they do not cause concern to human health.”
Though chloride, nitrate, and dissolved solids occur naturally in the environment, human activities can cause concentrations to exceed levels that would be found naturally. At high concentrations, these chemicals can have adverse effects on human and environmental health.
High levels of chloride and dissolved solids in water don’t present a risk to human health, but are considered nuisance chemicals that can cause the water to become unusable without treatment because of taste or hardness. Additionally, these chemicals can have adverse effects on ecosystems in streams and rivers when they discharge from the groundwater to these water bodies.
Excessive nitrate concentrations in groundwater have the potential to affect its suitability for drinking water. Also, when nitrate-laden water is discharged from groundwater to streams, the nitrate can end up in downstream water bodies, such as the Gulf of Mexico, and cause algal blooms. These algal blooms lead to low oxygen zones, which can be deadly to aquatic life.
Chloride, dissolved solids, and nitrate have many sources, including agricultural fertilizers, wastewater disposal, and runoff from salt used for deicing or other chemicals. Understanding changes in groundwater quality may help assess the effectiveness of management practices that have been implemented to control these sources.
“This type of long-term trend analysis is crucial for assessing whether the nation’s groundwater is adequately protected from excessive concentrations of these potential contaminants,” said Bruce Lindsey, lead scientist on the report. “USGS is uniquely positioned to provide this type of nationally consistent, scientific information to managers at the federal, state, and local level, so that they can make decisions that protect people and the environment.”
Though a majority of the well networks tested saw no change, chloride concentrations increased in 43 percent of the well networks from the first decade to the second decade of study. Dissolved solids concentrations increased in 41 percent, and nitrate concentrations in 23 percent of well networks.
See: From Decade to Decade: What’s the Status of Our Groundwater Quality? (Science Daily)
USGS Releases Global Estimate for Undiscovered, Technically Recoverable Conventional Oil and Gas Resources
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Excluding the United States, the world holds an estimated 565 billion barrels (bbo) of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil; 5,606 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional natural gas; and 167 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids (NGL), according to a new assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released today.
The report includes mean estimates of undiscovered but technically recoverable conventional oil and gas resources in 171 geologic provinces of the world. These estimates include resources beneath both onshore and offshore areas. A fact sheet is available here.
All of these numbers represent technically recoverable oil and gas resources, which are those quantities of oil and gas producible using currently available technology and industry practices, regardless of economic or accessibility considerations. This assessment does not include reserves – accumulations of oil or gas that have been discovered, are well-defined, and are considered economically viable.
This assessment does not include the United States; however, the USGS is continuously assessing American domestic resources.
+ An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012
Interior Announces Onshore Wind Energy Guidelines; Voluntary measures will help wind energy developers minimize impacts on wildlife
Interior Announces Onshore Wind Energy Guidelines; Voluntary measures will help wind energy developers minimize impacts on wildlife
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior today released guidelines designed to help wind energy project developers avoid and minimize impacts of land-based wind projects on wildlife and their habitats. The voluntary guidelines will help shape the smart siting, design and operation of the nation’s growing wind energy economy.
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Using a tiered approach, the guidelines provide a structured, scientific process for developers, federal and state agencies, and tribes to identify sites with low risk to wildlife, and to help them assess, mitigate, and monitor any adverse effects of wind energy projects on wildlife and their habitats. The voluntary guidelines, which take effect today, are designed to be used for all utility-scale, community-scale, and distributed land-based wind energy projects on both private and public lands.
+ Final Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines (FWS)
+ Fact Sheet (PDF)
AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS: Study Shows Spending at National Parks Pumps $31 Billion into Local Economies, Supporting 258,000 Jobs
AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS: Study Shows Spending at National Parks Pumps $31 Billion into Local Economies, Supporting 258,000 Jobs
Source: National Park Service
Visitors to the National Park System contributed more than $31 billion to local economies and supported 258,000 jobs in 2010, an increase of $689 million and 11,500 jobs over 2009, according to a report issued by the National Park Service today.
Today’s announcement comes in advance of Friday’s White House Conference on Conservation being hosted at the Department of the Interior that will spotlight community-driven conservation efforts as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.
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The economic impact figures for the National Park System released today are based on $12 billion in direct spending by the 281 million visitors to parks in 2010 and are included in an annual, peer-reviewed, visitor spending analysis conducted by Dr. Daniel Stynes of Michigan State University.
Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Public Review Draft of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/New York Division of Fish, Wildlife, & Marine Resources
The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is an integrated, coordinated, and comprehensive response to the threats of climate change. This multi-partner effort will outline a unified approach to maintaining the key terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems needed to sustain fish, wildlife and plant resources and the services they provide in the face of accelerating climate change.
In short—it is a blueprint for common action. The Strategy will serve as a valuable tool for federal and state agencies, wildlife managers, tribes, and private landowners as they continue to manage their lands and natural resources in a changing environment.
+ Strategy Fact Sheet (PDF)
Onshore Oil & Gas Lease Sales Garner $256 Million for American Taxpayers in 2011
Following a strong year in which leasing reform helped to lower protests and increase revenue from onshore oil and gas lease sales on public lands – resulting in a 20 percent increase in lease sale revenues over 2010 – the Interior Department will hold 32 additional sales in calendar year 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today.During calendar year 2011, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held 32 onshore oil and gas lease sales, offering 1,755 parcels of land covering nearly 4.4 million acres. 1,296 parcels of land were sold – nearly three-quarters of those offered – generating about $256 million in revenue for American taxpayers.“This is an example of the power of a common-sense approach to growing America’s energy economy on public lands,” said Secretary Salazar. “The Obama Administration is moving ahead with a comprehensive energy plan for the country that is enhancing our energy security, creating jobs, and improving protections for our land, water and wildlife. Oil, gas, and coal continue to play an important part of our energy portfolio as we take steps to further reduce our dependence on foreign oil and expand the use of wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable resources.”The 2011 lease sale figures are 20 percent higher than those in calendar year 2010, when 1,090 parcels sold, generating about $213 million. The largest sale in 2011 was the BLM’s July 12 auction in Billings, Mont., where 111 parcels covering 32,180 acres of public land (19,292 acres in North Dakota; 12,788 acres in South Dakota) brought in more than $66 million.The BLM’s 32 oil and natural gas lease sales in calendar year 2012 will offer thousands of parcels in California, Colorado, the Eastern States, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. The BLM conducts sales based on nominations received from industry that are evaluated to determine eligibility and availability for leasing before being delineated into individual parcels.
Have Floods Changed with Increasing CO2 Levels?
Have Floods Changed with Increasing CO2 Levels?
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Only one of four large regions of the United States showed a significant relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and the size of floods over the last 100 years. This was in the southwestern region, where floods have become smaller as CO2 has increased.
This does not mean that no strong relationship between flooding and greenhouse gases will emerge in the future.
An increase in flood magnitudes remains one of the most anticipated impacts of climate change, and land and water resource managers are asking questions about how to estimate future flood risks and develop effective flood mitigation strategies for the future.
A new report published by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in the Hydrologic Sciences Journal looks at this potential linkage using historical records of floods throughout the nation. Scientists studied flood conditions at 200 locations across the United States looking back 127 years through 2008.
“Currently we do not see a clear pattern that enables us to understand how climate change will alter flood conditions in the future, but the USGS will continue to collect new data over time and conduct new analyses as conditions change,” said USGS scientist and lead author Robert Hirsch. “Changes in snow packs, frozen ground, soil moisture and storm tracks are all mechanisms that could be altered by greenhouse gas concentrations and possibly change flood behavior. As we continue research, we will consider these and other factors in our analyses.”
+ Full Paper (Hydrological Sciences Journal)
Interior Releases First-of-its-Kind Regional Study as Part of National Assessment of Carbon Storage in U.S. Ecosystems
The Department of the Interior today released the first in a series of regional studies measuring the amount of carbon stored in U.S. ecosystems. Published by Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the study examines the current and projected future carbon storage in the Great Plains region, as part of a nation-wide assessment.
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This is the first regional report applying a comprehensive methodology designed by the USGS in 2010 to assess how much carbon is stored in various ecosystems, such as wetlands, forests and rangelands. The study covers an area of the United States that includes parts of fourteen states from eastern Montana to southern Texas and eastern Iowa.Following the Great Plains study, the USGS is expected to release studies on the western, eastern, Alaskan and Hawaiian regions. The full national assessment is expected to be completed around 2013.
A key finding in the Great Plains study is that the region is currently an overall “carbon sink,” meaning it takes up more carbon than it emits. In addition, the amount of carbon sequestered offsets most of the emissions of nitrous oxide and methane from this region.
On a national scale, the amount of carbon that is currently stored per year in ecosystems within the Great Plains is about 21 percent of emissions from personal vehicles and 3.6 percent of total fossil fuel emissions nationwide. The values for vehicle and total fossil fuel emissions are not part of the USGS study but were calculated using the 2009 EPA national greenhouse gas inventory report.
America’s Great Outdoors: Salazar Releases 50-State Report Highlighting Projects to Promote Conservation, Outdoor Recreation
America’s Great Outdoors: Salazar Releases 50-State Report Highlighting Projects to Promote Conservation, Outdoor Recreation
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today released a final 50-State America’s Great Outdoors Report outlining more than 100 of the country’s most promising projects designed to protect special places and increase access to outdoor spaces. The full report – which contains two projects per state – comes as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative to establish a community-based, 21st century agenda for conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors.
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The full list released today includes:
- 24 projects to restore and provide recreational access to rivers and other waterways – such as establishing the Connecticut River as a National Blueway and expanding recreational opportunities at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in the Twin Cities;
- 23 projects to construct new trails or improve recreational sites – such as completing gaps in the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin and expanding the multi-use Shingle Creek Trail in Florida;
- 20 projects that will create and enhance urban parks – such as rehabilitating wetlands habitat and building new outdoor recreational opportunities on Chicago’s South Side and increasing river access at Roberto Clemente State Park and restoring the Harlem River in the Bronx; and
- 13 projects that will restore and conserve America’s most significant landscapes – such as conserving Montana’s Crown of the Continent, establishing the Flint Hills of Kansas as a new easement-based conservation area, and conserving the native grasslands of North and South Dakota.
The list also includes 11 initiatives requested by states to establish new national wildlife refuges, national park units and other federal designations; five projects that will assist states and communities to protect key open space; and five initiatives to educate young people and connect them to nature.
+ Full Report (PDF)
+ Map of projects
New Report Shows US Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program Helps Support 68,000 Jobs in U.S. Economy
New Report Shows US Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program Helps Support 68,000 Jobs in U.S. Economy
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The fisheries program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in association with state agencies and other conservation organizations, contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000 jobs across the country, according to a new report issued by the agency.
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Overall, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation contribute an estimated $730 billion to the U.S. economy each year, Salazar noted. One in twenty U.S. jobs are in the recreation economy – more than there are doctors, lawyers, or teachers.The report, Conserving America’s Fisheries, An Assessment of Economic Contributions from Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation, shows that each dollar invested in the Service’s Fisheries Program, combined with its partners, generates about $28 in economic contributions and value.
The economic contributions generated are evidenced at sporting goods stores, marinas, guides and outfitter services, boat dealerships, bait shops, gas stations, cafes, hotels, and many other enterprises.
+ Summary (PDF)
+ Full Report (PDF)
Five-Year Survey Shows Wetlands Losses are Slowing, Marking Conservation Gains and Need for Continued Investment in Habitat
Five-Year Survey Shows Wetlands Losses are Slowing, Marking Conservation Gains and Need for Continued Investment in Habitat
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
America’s wetlands declined slightly from 2004-2009, underscoring the need for continued conservation and restoration efforts, according to a report issued today by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The findings are consistent with the Service’s Status and Trends Wetlands reports from previous decades that reflect a continuous but diminishing decline in wetlands habitat over time.
The report, which represents the most up-to-date, comprehensive assessment of wetland habitats in the United States, documents substantial losses in forested wetlands and coastal wetlands that serve as storm buffers, absorb pollution that would otherwise find its way into the nation’s drinking water, and provide vital habitat for fish, wildlife and plants.
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The net wetland loss was estimated to be 62,300 acres between 2004 and 2009, bringing the nation’s total wetlands acreage to just over 110 million acres in the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.The rate of gains from reestablishment of wetlands increased by 17 percent from the previous study period (1998 to 2004), but the wetland loss rate increased 140 percent during the same time period. As a consequence, national wetland losses have outpaced gains.
The net loss includes a combination of gains in certain types of wetlands and losses in other types, especially forested wetlands.
+ Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 2004 to 2009
NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Revise Loggerhead Sea Turtle Listing; Changes will help Guide Conservation Efforts
NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Revise Loggerhead Sea Turtle Listing; Changes will help Guide Conservation Efforts
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule today changing the listing of loggerhead sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act from a single threatened species to nine distinct population segments listed as either threatened or endangered.
Scientists believe this will help focus their sea turtle conservation efforts to the specific needs of the distinct populations. NOAA and FWS share jurisdiction for loggerhead sea turtles listed under the ESA.
“This division of loggerhead sea turtles into nine distinct population segments will help us focus more on the individual threats turtles face in different areas,” said Jim Lecky, NOAA Fisheries director of protected resources. “Wide-ranging species, such as the loggerhead, benefit from assessing and addressing threats on a regional scale.”
“Both agencies agreed that loggerhead sea turtle conservation benefits from an approach that recognizes regionally varying threats,” said Cindy Dohner, FWS southeast regional director. “Today’s listing of separate distinct population segments will help us better assess, monitor, and address threats, and evaluate conservation successes, on a regional scale.”
On March 16, 2010, the agencies proposed to list seven distinct population segments, also known as DPSs, as endangered and two as threatened. In the final rule issued today, five were listed as endangered and four as threatened.
Two of the final statuses, for the Southeast Indo-Pacific Ocean and Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPSs, were changed from endangered in the proposal to threatened. Scientists determined that the Southeast Indo-Pacific Ocean DPS is threatened because the majority of nesting occurs on protected lands and nesting trends appear to be stable. In addition, some of the fisheries bycatch effects appear to have been resolved through requirement of turtle excluder devices in shrimp trawlers, and longline fishery effort has declined due to fish stock decreases and economic reasons.
Scientists found that the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS is threatened based on review of nesting data available after the proposed rule was published, information provided in public comments to the proposed rule, and further analysis within the agencies. Even so, substantial conservation efforts are underway to address the threats to these DPSs.
Retaining their proposed status, five DPSs were listed as endangered–Northeast Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, North Indian Ocean, North Pacific Ocean and South Pacific Ocean–and two others were listed as threatened — South Atlantic Ocean and Southwest Indian Ocean.
Genetic Analysis Splits Desert Tortoise into Two Species
Genetic Analysis Splits Desert Tortoise into Two Species
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
A new study shows that the desert tortoise, thought to be one species for the past 150 years, now includes two separate and distinct species, based on DNA evidence and biological and geographical distinctions.
This genetic evidence confirms previous suspicions, based on life history analysis, that tortoises west and east of the Colorado River are two separate species.The newly recognized species has been named Morafka’s desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) and represents populations naturally found east and south of the Colorado River, from Arizona extending into Mexico.
The originally recognized species, the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. It represents populations naturally found west and north of the Colorado River in Utah, Nevada, northern Arizona and California.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which manages the recovery of threatened and endangered species, had already been treating tortoises on each side of the Colorado River as distinct populations The genetic evidence simply backs up previous observations, such as differences in life history and reproductive strategies.
“The two species have different habitat preferences,” says Kristin Berry, a USGS biologist who has studied desert tortoise biology for more than 40 years and a coauthor on the study. “Morafka’s tortoise prefers to hide and burrow under rock crevices on steep, rocky hillsides, while the Agassiz’s tortoise prefers to dig burrows in valleys.”
Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Team Releases Final Report
Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Team Releases Final Report
Source: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement/U.S. Coast Guard
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)/U.S. Coast Guard Joint Investigation Team (JIT) today released its final investigative report on the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill.
The report is comprised of Volume I, covering the areas of investigation under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard; Volume II, covering the areas of the investigation under BOEMRE jurisdiction; and a supplement to Volume I – the Final Action Memo from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.
The JIT was formed on April 27, 2010, by a convening order of the Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security to investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill, and to make recommendations for safe operations of future oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The JIT held seven sessions of public hearings, received testimony from more than 80 witnesses and experts, and reviewed a large number of documents and exhibits pertaining to all aspects of the investigation.
Volume I, released April 22, 2011, includes findings on five aspects of the disaster under Coast Guard jurisdiction – including the explosions on the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon; the resulting fire; evacuations; the flooding and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon; and the safety systems of the MODU and its owner, Transocean. The Coast Guard’s Final Action Memo details actions directed by Adm. Papp, as a result of the JIT’s work, reflecting the Coast Guard’s commitment to all of those affected by this tragic yet historic event and underscoring its commitment to the stewardship of our maritime environment.
Volume II includes findings on the causes, both direct and contributing, of the Macondo blowout and the resulting explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon. In Volume II, the JIT details evidence developed during the investigation and concludes that BP, Transocean and Halliburton’s conduct in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster violated a number of federal offshore safety regulations under BOEMRE’s jurisdiction. Volume II also includes recommendations for the continued improvement of the safety of offshore operations.
PDFs
River Levels Set Records in 10 States
River Levels Set Records in 10 States
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Rivers and streams are reaching record levels as a result of Hurricane Irene’s rainfall, with more than 80 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages measuring record peaks.
The northeast is seeing the bulk of the records, as higher than average precipitation the past few weeks had saturated the ground in many locations prior to Irene’s arrival.
While some rivers have already crested, or reached their highest levels, other rivers are still expected to rise.
Immediately after the worst of the storm had passed, USGS hydrologists from North Carolina to Maine deployed to measure high-water marks at rivers and streams and to verify high river flows and peak stages. The crews also calibrated and repaired streamgages damaged by the storm to ensure they continued to transmit information in real time to users working to protect lives and property.
To date, records have been set on rivers and streams in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Puerto Rico.
BOEMRE Releases Study on Incorporating Climate Effects into Oil-Spill Risk Analysis
BOEMRE Releases Study on Incorporating Climate Effects into Oil-Spill Risk Analysis
Source: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today released a new report evaluating how climate change may affect the environmental conditions measured and used in mathematical modeling for oil-spill trajectory analysis in the Arctic region. Key findings from the study include recommendations on the scientific methodology to use in explaining recent, rapidly changing Arctic conditions.
“As we make decisions regarding potential energy development in the Arctic, we need the best scientific data available to understand the impact of the changing climate,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “This study will help improve our computer modeling and analyses and adds to the growing body of research regarding effects of climate change on the Arctic marine environment.”
The two-year study included a literature review of the most current oceanographic knowledge available on the Arctic, particularly with respect to the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, and focused on the effects of climate change on sea ice, circulation, river discharge, and other environmental conditions in the Alaska Arctic. The report includes a summary of results and feedback from leading oceanographic and atmospheric scientists who attended a three-day workshop held in March 2011 as part of the project.
The report recommends that BOEMRE organize a data archive that includes information from national, international and industry sources for atmospheric, sea ice and oceanic conditions in the U.S. Arctic in order to document major environmental changes. Other recommendations include that the agency conduct analyses to determine how the expected path of a hypothetical oil spill may change with respect to changes in climate variability; and run multiple hindcast models using statistics over a five-year period to see the impact of the different models on movement of a hypothetical oil spill. BOEMRE uses hindcasting for oil-spill trajectory analyses when making decisions regarding lease sales and uses the analyses in other National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.
Ocean current patterns in the Arctic, especially in near shore regions, are strongly influenced by factors such as winds, precipitation and evaporation, river runoff and sea ice coverage. Rapid changes in any of these could lead to alterations of the currents.
+ Full Report (PDF)
USGS Releases New Assessment of Gas Resources in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin
USGS Releases New Assessment of Gas Resources in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
The Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids according to a new assessment by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS).
These gas estimates are significantly more than the last USGS assessment of the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian Basin in 2002, which estimated a mean of about 2 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCF) and 0.01 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
The increase in undiscovered, technically recoverable resource is due to new geologic information and engineering data, as technological developments in producing unconventional resources have been significant in the last decade. This Marcellus Shale estimate is of unconventional (or continuous-type) gas resources.
Since the 1930′s, almost every well drilled through the Marcellus found noticeable quantities of natural gas. However, in late 2004, the Marcellus was recognized as a potential reservoir rock, instead of just a regional source rock, meaning that the gas could be produced from it instead of just being a source for the gas. Technological improvements resulted in commercially viable gas production and the rapid development of a major, new continuous natural gas and natural gas liquids play in the Appalachian Basin, the oldest producing petroleum province in the United States.
This USGS assessment is an estimate of continuous gas and natural gas liquid accumulations in the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin. The estimate of undiscovered natural gas ranges from 43.0 to 144.1 TCF (95 percent to 5 percent probability, respectively), and the estimate of natural gas liquids ranges from 1.6 to 6.2 billion barrels (95 percent to 5 percent probability, respectively). There are no conventional petroleum resources assessed in the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin.
These new estimates are for technically recoverable oil and gas resources, which are those quantities of oil and gas producible using currently available technology and industry practices, regardless of economic or accessibility considerations. As such, these estimates include resources beneath both onshore and offshore areas (such as Lake Erie) and beneath areas where accessibility may be limited by policy and regulations imposed by land managers and regulatory agencies.
The Marcellus Shale assessment covered areas in Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
No Consistent Declines in Nitrate Levels in Large Rivers in the Mississippi River Basin
No Consistent Declines in Nitrate Levels in Large Rivers in the Mississippi River Basin
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Despite efforts to reduce nitrate levels in the Mississippi River Basin, concentrations and transport at eight major study sites did not consistently decline from 1980-2008. These results are based on a new scientific model developed by the USGS that takes into account variation in river flows in order to gain an accurate understanding of long term trends. The results of the new USGS study are published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
“While conservation practices may have decreased nitrate levels in some portions of the basin, we aren’t seeing widespread effects at larger scales,” said Lori Sprague, USGS hydrologist and lead author on the report. “Applying this new model to decades of USGS water quality data allows us to distinguish between the effects of natural changes in precipitation and streamflow and the effects of purposeful changes in the management of nitrate in the basin.”
Excessive nutrients like nitrate in the Mississippi River Basin contribute to hypoxia, or dead zones, in the Gulf of Mexico. The dead zones are the result of too little oxygen to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water. State and federal partners serving on the Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force are striving to decrease nutrients transported to the Gulf to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers (about 2,000 square miles) by 2015.
For this new study, the USGS analyzed data from eight study sites taken between 1980-2008, including 3,368 individual water-quality samples and 110,732 individual daily streamflow values.
+ Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are we making progress?
See also: A New Understanding of 31 Years of Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Trends
