WRTC FY95 training program showed growth: More expected for FY96

Sponsored by Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Engineer Training Division, the WRTC conducted national wetland training and workshops for 600 Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army National Guard Bureau, and other Federal and state agency personnel. Twenty-eight weeks of wetland training and workshops were conducted in scientific and technical areas of wetland delineation, fundamentals, evaluation techniques, functions and values, restoration and development, mitigation, executive development, and environmental compliance.

For FY96, 30 weeks of wetland training and workshops are scheduled for approximately 650 personnel. A new course, titled "Constructed Wetlands" is planned for San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 July 1996. FY96 course titles, locations, dates, and a Huntsville Training Division point of contact are as follows:

Fundamentals of Wetlands: This course provides students with an overview of state-of-the-art knowledge of wetland flora and fauna, hydrology, soils, and ecology. The course emphasizes wetlands functions and values from an ecosystem perspective. Salt-, brackish-, and fresh-water wetlands are addressed. An introduction and overview of basic wetland concepts and principles in the context of planning and operating civil works environmental restoration and mitigation projects are provided. In addition, the course serves to update students in wetland science and ecology of the 1990s. Session locations and dates:

Session 96-01 Apalachicola, FL, 4-8 Mar 1996
Session 96-02 Olympia, WA, 5-9 Aug 1996
Session 96-03 Apalachicola, FL, 11-15 Mar 1996

Huntsville Division Point of Contact: Mr. John Buckley (205) 722-5898 FAX (205) 722-5888

Wetland Evaluation Methods: An in-depth introduction to and overview of existing wetland evaluation procedures is provided in the course. Case study applications to wetland systems for environmental impact assessment and evaluation purposes are included. Methods to identify and evaluate the functions of wetlands and their corresponding values to the ecosystem and to society will be discussed. The requirements for wetlands evaluation and justification during project planning, operations, and natural resources management phases of the civil works program will be stressed. Session location and dates:

Session 96-01 Apalachicola, FL, 26 Feb-1 Mar 1996

Huntsville Division Point of Contact: Mr. John Buckley (205) 722-5898 FAX (205) 722-5898

Wetland Development and Restoration: This introductory specialized training on concepts and practices of wetland restoration and development in both freshwater and coastal areas is directed towards biologists and engineers concerned with wetlands mitigation and seagrass development and techniques for reducing engineering impacts. Practical, hands-on field application of state-of-the-science is stressed. Session locations and dates:

Session 96-01 Apalachicola, FL, 15-19 April 1996
Session 96-02 Tiburon, CA, 6-10 May 1996
Session 96-03 Alton, IL, 17-21 June 1996
Session 96-04 Alton, IL, 24-28 June 1996
Session 96-05 Duck, NC, 3-8 June 1996

Huntsville Division Point of Contact: Mrs. Janie Hughes (205) 722-5828 FAX (205) 722-5888

Constructed Wetlands: This training provides state-of-the-science technical knowledge on how to construct wetlands from the planning, design, engineering, construction, operations and maintenance, and monitoring aspect for civil works projects. Session location and dates:

Session 96-01 San Francisco, CA, July 15-19, 1996

Huntsville Division Point of Contact: Mr. John Buckley (205) 722-5898 FAX (205) 722-5898

The Black Swamp to be available across the nation from ETV stations

On March 31, 1996, Arkansas Education Television Network, through an official public broadcasting distribution system, will make the film The Black Swamp available to all public television stations in the contiguous United States. This 55-minute program features the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station Wetlands Research Program "Cache River Study."

The Black Swamp is a film about this forested wetland of worldwide significance (Ramsar Site) in northeastern Arkansas and the secrets it has yielded to scientific knowledge about such ecosystems. Viewers can see stunningly beautiful swamp scenery through the four seasons and learn about the swamp from the scientists, at work in the field and in the laboratory, as they explain their studies and how the research results impact on our knowledge about forested wetlands.

This film is suitable for educational purposes, and program managers who decide to download the material will be able to place a copy into their distribution library and copy it for education and nonprofit organizations at a reasonable cost. (Note: Educational distribution rights are cleared). Audiences will respond positively to this fast-paced and versatile film because:

Interagency Research Coordination Conference held at WES

The U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station hosted the 19th Annual Interagency Research Coordination Conference October 17-19, 1995, in Vicksburg, Miss. Participating agencies included the Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Energy s Bonneville Power Administration and the Western Area Power Administration. These agencies have primary responsibility within the Federal community for water resource, flood control and power development.

The purpose of the conference was to review and examine current and planned research of member agencies to detect and eliminate duplication, foster interchange of research results, and identify areas of mutually needed research. To accomplish this, the 19th conference was organized into four broad program areas: Water and Watersheds, Environmental Assets, Infrastructure, and Innovative Ideas. A total of 319 Research Topic Statements were submitted within these broad areas for discussion by the participants.

A follow-up initiative by the Conference Executive Committee is to place conference results onto the World Wide Web.

(Ed. Note: Look for the material at http://www.wes. army.mil under Environmental Laboratory, Technology Transfer documents. The projected publishing date is April 1996.)