Forwarded by Jane Clark--lots of links to interesting articles.


Dear Upper Mississippi Basin Stakeholder,

The fall rains are here. As farmers race to get the last of their crops
in, wetlands are filling up with new moisture (and sediment). These
wetlands serve a very important purpose throughout the Basin and in all
watersheds. The links below will provide you with some background on the
services that wetlands provide and help to guide you through recent news
and developments in the Upper Mississippi Basin.

New Feature Content:

*   October/November Mississippi Monitor Now Online
    -Fiscal Policy, International Trade and U.S. Agriculture
    -Blue Earth Farmers First to Enroll in Innovative Program
    -Dead Zone "Action Plan" Languishes
    -The Mississippi's Mythic Power
http://www.umbsn.org/

*   Wetland Function and the Consequences of Wetland Loss:
    -Experts agree that wetlands serve an important role in our
     environment. Wetlands act as the biological "kidneys" of the
     landscape by filtering sediment and nutrients out of water that
     would otherwise run directly into streams, rivers and other water
     systems.
http://www.umbsn.org/#Wetland_Function

*   Ecological and societal benefits of river corridor and wetlands
    restoration are substantial:
    -The United States Environmental Protection Agency states
     that "wetlands provide food, protection from predators, and other
     vital habitat factors for many of the nation's fish and wildlife
     species, including endangered and threatened species. In addition,
     wetland ecotypes have economic value associated with recreational,
     commercial, and subsistence use of fish and wildlife resources and
     they remove pollutants from overland flows before they reach our
     lakes, rivers and bays."
http://www.umbsn.org/#Wetland_Restoration

Top News Links: (go to http://www.umbsn.org to follow News Links)

* Ag officials promoting Kerry farm plan throughout state By Gerry
  Baksys -MVM News- 10/28/04

* VOLUNTARY STATE MERCURY PLAN FAILS TO MEET REDUCTION TARGET By Sarah
  Welch and Richard Hoppe -Izaak Walton League of America- 10/28/04

* Group: Mercury cutback is cheap By MEREDITH GOAD -Portland Press Herald
  10/20/04

* U.S. states see federal largesse as election nears By Charles Abbott
  Reuters- 10/26/04

* Frog researcher invited to tell his story By Mary Losure -Minnesota
  Public Radio- 10/26/04

* Frog Researcher Uninvited To MPCA Meeting -WCCO News- 10/20/04

* Connected to the land By RICH HEFFERN -National Catholic Reporter-
  10/22/04

* The future of the planet: Which first -- Improvements or growth? By Tom
  Meersman -Star Tribune- 10/19/04

* Tire plant opponents storm Capitol By David Krotz -Winona Daily News-
  10/19/04

* Bush vs. the Laureates: How Science Became a Partisan Issue By ANDREW
  C. REVKIN -New York Times- 10/19/04

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