Friday, July 23, 2010

Interns make a splash at the GEER Conference

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The SIP 2010 on Valuing Ecosystem Services of a Restore River of Grass Poster Paper and write-up has the 2010 SIP Class over the top and up even another notch. Lots of good comments on what the interns have accomplished. Sponsoring Dr. Richard Weisskoff, Environmental Economist, who actually wrote the book on the Economics of Everglades Restoration, gave us even more presence at the GEER Conference. To answer a lingering question, GEER 2010 was more than worth the investment (as in priceless). The photos better tell the story, and will be some of the highlights in the Graduation Luncheon presentation.

SIP ESV POSTER PAPER
Perhaps the biggest coup at the Conference was the impromptu working lunch Break out session (remarked by a few as one of the best presentations), “sponsored” by Ronnie Best, Conference Co-Chair. Handout: Costanza, et al, paper (green) with written public comment
• Introduction Ronnie Best (JAM)
• Keynote speaker: Dr. Richard Weisskoff
• Summer Intern Presentation of Poster Paper (Angelique, Jim; JAM intro)
• Discussion and Questions (There were some)

The Summer intern Poster paper was posted early (day 1) on an extra display board, along with the 2008 poster paper (Top Ten Science Needs and Gaps); These posters stayed up all five days. Also the SIP 2010 display, as noted below.

Several VIP’s were briefed by the Summer Interns and the SIP Team (including Dr. Weisskoff, Dr. Tom, JAM, Shannon); each of five got a VIP folder package, including a CD.
• CD was another great SI idea, we passed out about 18 CD’s, which contained most of the hand outs and more); VIP’s briefed include…
• Eric Buermann (pictured below), Chair, Gov Board, SFWMD (“I will use these numbers)
• Rock Salt, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (an hour of hard questions)
• Colonel Al Pantano (1.5 hours of discussion, including how the USACE works)
o His deputy, LtCol Kinard was at the Rock Salt Brief
• Cheryl Ulrich (at the Noon Breakout, when she asked for more details; invitation to NCER)
• Stephanie Johnson, National Research Council (Biennial report?),
• Greg May, Executive Director, Dept of Interior Task Force, at the poster and in Pubic Comment

RESULT: Virtually every major principle VIP now knows of the SIP, the 2010 interns, and the direction of the ArtMarshall.org. Of course exposure was not limited to the VIP’s.

PR: The SIP Team yellow shirts worked out great; lots of recognition of the SIP Team
• We also “acquired” a vacant vendor table and posted the SIP 2010 display; also included 2010 year of the Everglades report, brochures, and flyer advertising SIP 2011.

Recognition from the Podium
• Paul Sousa (Marshall interns are our replacements, our future) Other Recognition:
• Larry Fink, SFWMD retired – “Great WRAC presentation by Summer Interns; You must be proud” (Many more like this, acknowledging yellow shirt team)


PUBLIC COMMENT ON ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES VALUATION (ESV), SYNTHESIS, etc.
o JAM To SCG/WG meeting Noon, July 14 (Costanza handout, blue copy); invitation to attend poster paper #14; some blue copies made it to noon breakout session; Only NGO to comment.
o To Paul Wetzel on Synthesis of Everglades Restoration and Ecosystem Services (SERES)
o Potential for ARMF/FEI S&T committee to be involved in SERES/CESI.
o Potential for Dr. Weisskoff to be involved as TBD Environmental Economist on list of Core Team members
o RECOVER Report (Double Sized notebook DRAFT), regarding speaker comments interim goals and objectives, and shared vision of “what is restoration” – Question:
o Is CERP Table 5-1 goals and objectives in the document?
 Increase total spatial extent of natural area, etc
 Everybody should be made to memorize these objectives. o Answer, we will make sure it is there.



Summer Interns with Rock Salt

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Guest Blogger--Ed Pritchard


To keep you all updated on the Summer Intern Program, we have asked the interns to serve as guest bloggers from time to time. Here is a rundown of recent events from Ed Pritchard:

Over the past couple of weeks, my fellow interns and I have traversed the state, discovering, examining, and studying two of the most important parts of the Everglades; The Kissimmee River and the chain of lakes that feed into Lake Okeechobee at the northern end of the system and Everglades National Park and the extensive mangrove and seagrass communities along Florida Bay that comprise the southern end.
In Key Largo, we met with a variety of mentors including author and ecologist Stuart Pimm, who shared with us his extensive knowledge and research on the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow. We also got the opportunity to do a study on Florida seagrasses off of Key Largo with Dr. Tom Frankovich, a research biologist at Florida International University. Dr. Frankovitch emphasized the effects of long-term nutrient loading on the seagrass communities and the importance of water quality entering Florida Bay through the Taylor and Shark Sloughs. We wrapped up the trip with a visit to Everglades National Park where we examined some of the most recent restoration projects taking place within the park. We also had a chance run-in with newly appointed U.S. Army Corps Chief Engineer General Van Antwerp at the Anhinga Trail, which has been immortalized by the photo depicting the general wearing Dr. Tom’s signature beanie.

Our second trip started with a visit to the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, where we met with Mayor J.P. Sasser of Pahokee. In our discussion with him we covered the issue of U.S. Sugar and the role it plays in the town of Pahokee and other southern shore communities. The mayor was in favor of creating a flow-way from the lake to the rest of the Everglades ecosystem, somewhat because of its ecological benefits, but mostly because of the local jobs that would be created as a result.

Water levels and water management on the lake were also reccurring themes with Paul Gray of the Audubon Society of Florida and Don Fox from Florida Fish & Wildlife, who took us on an airboat tour of the littoral marshes on the northwest side of the lake. They seem to agree that lake levels should be kept at a range between 12-14 ft and that adaptive management practices need to be used in order to protect the ecosystems that exist on the lake. Loisa Kerwin of the SFWMD, discussed the challenges and successes associated with the restoration of the Kissimmee River. There was ample evidence of rapid re-colonization of native plants and animals associated with the recovered wetland function. The Kissimmee River Restoration is a true Florida environmental success story and is a great testament to the benefits and values that can be attained with a restored system.

The majority of our second trip was spent at the Archbold Biological Station. The Station fosters long-term ecological research on native plants and animals of central Florida and also provides environmental education for children of all ages. We toured the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center at Buck Island Ranch. This operation is dedicated to long-term ecological research, education, and environmental stewardship on a large-scale working cattle ranch. Another topic of discussion was the Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project (FRESP), which uses public funds to buy land to build large regional treatment and storage areas, capture rainwater and build deep storage wells.
All of the information we’ve gathered and the lessons we’ve learned over the past couple of weeks have been especially helpful to us as we continue to work on our project for the upcoming Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) conference. Our challenge is to come up with values for the ecosystem services provided by the restoration of the River of Grass, which we believe is necessary to aid in the best environmental decision-making. The opinions we’ve gathered from our various mentors are important to consider when we look at the River of Grass configurations and assess economic values and ecosystem services. Wish us luck as we take our conclusions on the road and present it to the participators of GEER and the general public.

Friday, July 2, 2010

"Synthesis" at the GEER Conference/WRAC

ALL:

FYI, A new Development at the GEER Conference: The Science Coordination Group and Working Group will hold joint sessions at the GEER Conference, Wednesday July 14. The SCG/WG agenda can be found here: http://www.sfrestore.org/wg/wgminutes/2010meetings/14july2010/agenda.pdf

A major part of the SCG/WG agenda is dedicated to identification and discussion of key science management questions related to Synthesis of Everglades Restoration and Ecosystem Services. (see synthesis defined below; should the discussion start with what SCG/WG means by synthesis?)

Connecting the dots on Synthesis and Ecosytem Services: Given the definition of synthesis, The Constanza, et al, calculations provide a synthesis about as good as science gets in terms of Ecosystem Services Valuation (ESV). As the NRC 2005 notes in general, there are too few visible applications of ESV. The result is frequently reported as the tragedy of the commons.

On Synthesis of Everglades Restoration and Ecosystem Services (SERES). There is nothing like a new acronym to stimulate the discussion. Five Arthur R. Marshall Summer interns are presenting a GEER poster paper on the Ecosystem Services Value of Restoring the River of Grass. The paper uses the Costanza, et al, synthesis to calulate the benefits of six configurations evolving from the River of Grass Workshop. The result provides an analysis of alternatives in the form benefit:cost (B/C) ratios for the six configurations. We note that the B/C ratios are also an optimization tool, in terms identifying maximum benefits at least cost, long term. This provides scientific and economic synthesis for decision-support. A read of the Costanza report provides considerable comfort for taking the ESV approach. See http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/Nature_Paper.pdf

We invite attendees at the GEER Conference to visit this Poster Paper for additional discussion with our five Arthur R. Marshall Summer Interns.

Can't make the GEER conference: The Poster Paper will be presented at the Thursday, July 8 WRAC meeting about 12:30 PM at a working lunch session, also webcast at www.SFWMD.gov.

Please consider this preliminary public comment for the July 14, 2010, SCG/WG meeting.

Thanks for your consideration. Have a great 4th of July weekend.

John Arthur Marshall
http://www.artmarshall.org/

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Synthesis Defined:
Main Entry (Wikpedia): syn•the•sis [Button]
Pronunciation: \ˈsin(t)-thə-səs\Function: noun; Inflected Form(s): plural syn•the•ses [Button]\-ˌsēz\
Etymology: Greek, from syntithenai to put together, from syn- + tithenai to put, place — more at do
Date: 1589
1 a : the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole b : the production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups, or simpler compounds or by the degradation of a complex compound c : the combining of often diverse conceptions into a coherent whole; also : the complex so formed 2 a : deductive reasoning b : the dialectic combination of thesis and antithesis into a higher stage of truth
3. Webster's Thesaurus/Dictionary: Combination of separate Ideas, parts, or chemical elements of compounds, into a new unit, e.g. photosynthesis.
Since all these definitions are somewhat esoteric, how about something that reflects SCG/WG intent? (From brainstorming by the summer interns and their mentors):
4. Synthesis: a. The reduction of a huge amount of information to a format usable for decision-support, i.e. b. taking a huge amount of information to a usable application in Everglades Restoration; c. combination of separate thoughts into a whole
Next question for debate: Do these definitions fit the Costanza, et al, synthesis? --- The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. See http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/Nature_Paper.pdf

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Save The Date--August 5th: Summer Intern Graduation


Upcoming Refuge Event

On July 18th @ 2pm--Author/Photographer Joel M Curzon will be presenting a slide show and discussion based on his award winning book, Light Fading – Reflections on the Imperiled Everglades