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The John Muir Newsletter, Spring 2002, The John Muir Center

Muir Center Newsletters (1981-2015)

\f Volume 12, Number 2 NEWSLETTER Nature's Temple: John Muir's Spiritual Home by The Rev. Chris Highland, Marin County (Edited from an original paper delivered at the California History Institute/University of the Pacific John Muir Conference; May, 2001.) "In our best times everything turns into religion, f;lj all the world seems a church and the mountains altars. " ~ My First Summer in the Sierra homeless person told me recently that he wasn't homeless. He was tired after a long walk; his clothes were a little dirty; his hair and bushy beard were messed up and he reacted against a …

Fisheries Research Report No. 133 - Preliminary Assessment And Seasonal Fluctuations In The Fish Biota Inhabiting The Concentrator Ponds Of Dampier Salt, Port Hedland, With Options For The Potential Application Of Results, Brett Molony, Gareth Parry

Fisheries Research Reports

The concentrator ponds (CPs) of Dampier Salt, Port Hedland, cover an area in excess of 7 300 ha. Water is pumped from two adjacent, mangrove-lined estuaries at certain times of the year and small and larvae fishes are carried into the ponds, becoming trapped. A survey of the fish biota within the CPs was undertaken at four time periods between May 2000 and February 2001 to identify the species of fishes present and to estimate their abundances and distribution throughout the CPs. Further, the Artemia resources within the CPs were also assessed for identification of species and quality.

Forty two …

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Vol 1 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden, C F. Chubb

Fisheries Research Reports

The State Territorial Waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands are gazetted as a Fish Habitat Protection Area and vested with the Minister for Fisheries under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. Three Fisheries Management Papers have identified management priorities for the marine environment at the Abrolhos Islands:

• Management of the Houtman Abrolhos System
• Aquaculture Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
• Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

These plans and other national and international obligations to examine the effect of extractive and non-extractive anthropogenic activities on marine habitats (eg. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) led to …

Draft Bycatch Action Plan For The Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery (Full Report), Jo Bunting

Fisheries Management Papers

Two versions of the draft Bycatch Action Plan for the Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery have been released for public comment. The ‘Full Report’ (this document - Fisheries Management Paper No. 147) is a comprehensive version of the plan containing detailed rationale and justification for the objectives and actions proposed in the plan. The Full Report also provides detailed background information regarding issues such as the natural environment in Shark Bay, current management arrangements within the prawn fishery and existing information on bycatch. A shorter ‘Summary Report’ is also available for comment. The Summary Report (Fisheries Management Paper No. 148) …

Influence Of Seismic Surveys On Western Gray Whales Off Sakhalin Island, Russia In 2001, David W. Weller, Yulia V. Ivashchenko, Grigory A. Tsidulko, Alexander M. Burdin, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) aggregate off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia during summer-autumn to feed on benthic and near-benthic prey. During summer 2001, 3D seismic surveys were conducted during a six-week period in known gray whale foraging areas off Sakhalin Island. To test the hypothesis that the distribution of gray whales on the feeding ground would shift away from nearby seismic surveying, we examined the number of whales and number of pods (dependent variables) sighted during systematic scans in relation to three independent variables (i.e. preseismic, seismic, post-seismic). Results showed the main effect of condition …

Fisheries Management Report No. 6 - Proceedings Of Marron Farming Open Day 2002, Greg B. Maguire

Fisheries Published Reports

The marron industry is of considerable importance to the Department of Fisheries, being one of the older aquaculture industries in Western Australia, and one that accounts for around half the aquaculture licence holders in the State. While it has not grown as quickly as many hoped in the past, in 2000/01, some 52.2 tonnes of marron were produced, worth $1.18 million at the farm gate.

It is regionally significant, particularly in the south-west, and depending on appropriate site selection, has considerable potential in other areas. Farms are distributed from near Geraldton to around Bremer Bay, with additional interest around Esperance. …

Water Current, Volume 34, No. 2. April 2002

Water Current Newsletter

• Majority of Livestock Waste Lagoons Pose No Risk to Groundwater Pollution by Steve Ress

• Meet the Faculty

• Do Upstream Landowners Sacrifice Too Much For Downstream Protection? By Stan Staab

• The U.S. EPA on Water-Supply Security

• The Proposed Nebraska New Depletions Plan by J. David Aiken and Jim Cook

• Water News Briefs

Fisheries Research Report No. 139 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Gascoyne Bioregion Of Western Australia During 1998-99, Neil R. Sumner, P C. Williamson, B E. Malseed

Fisheries Research Reports

A 12-month creel survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Gascoyne bioregion of Western Australia was conducted between April 1998 and March 1999. During the survey 1,738 boat crews were interviewed at public boat ramps when they returned from their fishing trip. During patrols conducted along the coastline 695 groups of boat-based fishers and 1,060 groups of shore-based fishers were interviewed at fishing locations and camp sites.

The total annual recreational fishing effort for the Gascoyne bioregion was 243,000 fisher days (95%CI: 222,000 – 264,000). This comprised 113,000 fisher days by boats launched from public ramps, 53,000 fisher …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 18, Number 1 (April 2002) -- Special Cwd Issue

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

SPECIAL CWD ISSUE

• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
• TSEs of Domestic Animals and Humans
• Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
• Chronic Wasting Disease 101
• CWD Epidemiology
• CWD Diagnosis
• CWD Surveillance, Doing the Numbers
• CWD Management
• CWD in Captive Cervids
• CWD in Wild Deer and Elk
• Public Health Concerns About CWD

Development Of Diagnostic Approaches To Determine Sources Of Anthropogenic Stress Affecting Benthic Community Conditions In The Chesapeake Bay, Daniel M. Dauer, Michael F. Lane, Roberto J. Llansó

Benthic Applications

Benthic macrofauna are an important component of estuarine ecosystems. These organisms are a food source for higher trophic levels including fishes and crabs (Virnstein 1977, 1979; Holland et al. 1980; Dauer et al. 1982) and birds (Botton 1984; Quammen 1984). Benthic macrofauna affect both the physical and chemical properties of the sediment and the overlying water column (e.g., Rhoads and Young 1970; Rhoads 1973; Aller 1978, 1980), influence nutrient cycling (Rowe et al 1975; Zeiteschel 1980; Flint and Kamykowski 1984), and are capable of directly controlling phytoplankton biomass in the water column (Cleorn 1982; Officer et al 1982; Cohen et …

Adipocyte Specific Release Of Tumor Necrosis Factor In Response To Medicinal Plants And Synthetic Nucleosides In Vitro, Afra Sultan Saeed Al Shamsi

Theses

Adipocytes play an important role in insulin resistance through its endocrine functions such as production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Adipocyte specific TNF-α inhibits insulin receptor protein tyrosin kinase activity causing the development of type2 diabetes (NIDDM). Nucleosides trigger a variety of regulatory effects in biological systems, such as inhibiting or stimulating protein synthesis. The present study was carried to screen seven synthetic nucleosides, for their effect on TNF-α release from adipocytes in vitro. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was dissected under sterile condition and plated in 24-well dishes in a humidified CO₂-incubator in the presence or absence of …

Detoxification Of Carbonaceous Cathode Waste For The Recovery Of Usable Silicon Carbide, Khalid Jassim Ahmed Abdullah Akran

Theses

No abstract provided.

Water Resources Review - Spring 2002 Vol 15 No 1, Annis Water Resources Institute

AWRI Reviews

No abstract provided.

Nutria (Myocaster Coypus) In Louisiana, John Baroch, Mark Hafner, Tommy L. Brown, Jeff J. Mach, Richard M. Poché

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Biology and Natural History of the Nutria, With Special Reference to Nutria in Louisiana
The nutria or coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a rodent native to South America that has been introduced almost worldwide since the early 1900’s, originally with the intent of fur farming in many cases. The nutria is a large (over 6 kg), semi-aquatic rodent with a voracious appetite and high reproductive potential. Nutria became established in the Louisiana wetlands in the 1930’s. The habitat proved to be ideal and populations exploded, reaching an estimated 20 million animals in less than 20 years. Trapping of nutria …

Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2002 Annual Report

Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery: Annual Reports

Wolves (Canis lupus) in the Northern Rocky Mountain states (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) continue to increase in distribution and numbers (Figures 1, 5). Estimates of wolf numbers at the end of 2002 were 284 wolves in the Central Idaho Recovery Area, 271 in the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area, and 108 in the Northwest Montana Recovery Area for a total of 663 (Figure 1, Table 4a). By state boundaries, there were an estimated 263 wolves in the state of Idaho, 217 in Wyoming and 183 in Montana (Table 4b). Of approximately 80 groups of two or more wolves, 43 …

Environmental Risk Analysis: Problems And Perspectives In Different Countries, Bhola Ram Gurjar, Manju Mohan

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors discuss various industrial accidents, which have led to growing concerns about the potential hazards and risks involved in chemical process industries.

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Volume 2 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, C F. Chubb, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden

Fisheries Research Reports

These proceedings form the second of two public documents resulting from the project “Towards an assessment of the natural and human use impacts on the marine environment” funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (project no. 2000/166). Volume 1, a summary of existing information and assessment of current levels of human use, was presented at a Public Forum in Geraldton on July 11, 2001.

A two-day workshop was held immediately after the forum and was attended by invited representatives from professional fishing and recreational groups together with research and management experts. The issues identified in Volume 1, and those …

Draft Plan Of Management For The Proposed Miaboolya Beach Fish Habitat Protection Area., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The aims of the proposal outlined in this draft management plan is to protect and rehabilitate the aquatic habitat of Miaboolya Beach, the associated mangrove ecosystem, and involve the community in their management.

By setting the area aside as a FHPA, the Department of Fisheries will establish a framework to promote and actively conserve all the habitats within the Miaboolya system, as described in Section 3 of this document.

Policy For The Implementation Of Ecologically Sustainable Development Fisheries And Aquaculture Within Western Australia, W. J. Fletcher

Fisheries Management Papers

The purpose of this ESD policy is to outline a way forward by showing in a practical manner: • how the ESD principles will be interpreted and applied within the fisheries context generally and within the Department of Fisheries specifically, • the conceptual framework that will be used to assess performance against ESD principles, • the methods for reporting on and auditing this performance, and • how these principles and the framework relate to other relevant state, national and international treaties and instruments.

Sex, Politics, And Sustainability: Review Of Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look At Human Behavior, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Book Review of "Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior" by Bobbi S. Low. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2001.

The Probe, Issue 221 – March/April 2002

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

Does Nature Want Us to Kill Wild Animals? -- Walter E. Howard
News From The Berryman Institute, Utah State University -- Michael Conover, Director
NADCA Minutes of Annual Meeting: Reno, NV March 5, 2002
What characteristics are used to differentiate reptiles from amphibians?
Regulatory Actions on the Horizon -- Kevin D. Clark, President, Critter Control, Inc.
The five remaining members of the Whitehawk wolf pack located in the White Cloud Mountains of Idaho, were gunned down by helicopter earlier this month.
Washinghton’s Initiative 713 is reeking havoc among trappers, farmers, and wildlife managers. Outlawing steel jaw and body gripping traps, …

The Resurrection Of A River: The Umatilla And Its Salmon, Christopher Ward Shelley

Dissertations and Theses

Until the 1990s, salmon had been extinct from the Umatilla River for over 70 years. The struggle to bring salmon back to this river is a compelling story that exemplifies some of the new relationships in Columbia River Basin salmon management.

The Umatilla River and the disappearance of its salmon was a local issue. Irrigation interests had used the river so thoroughly it ceased to flow during the late summer and fall months-precisely when salmon needed it for migration. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation saw decided that they would change that: they would figure out a way …

A Comparison Of Modeling Approaches In Simulating Chlorinated Ethene Removal In A Constructed Wetland By A Microbial Consortia, Jason S. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to compare different approaches to modeling the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in the anaerobic region of an upward flow constructed wetland by microbial consortia. A controlled simulation experiment that compares three different approaches to modeling the degradation of chlorinated ethenes in wetland environments is conducted and investigates how each of the modeling approaches affect simulation results. Concepts like microbial growth in the form of a biofilm and spatially varying contaminant concentrations bring the validity of the CSTR assumption into question. These concepts are incorporated into the different modeling approaches to evaluate the CSTR …

Application Of Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells For In Situ Treatment Of Perchlorate Contaminated Groundwater, Jeffrey C. Parr

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater contamination by perchlorate has recently been recognized as a significant environmental problem across the United States, and especially at Department of Defense facilities. In this study, a model is used to evaluate the potential of a innovative in situ bioremediation technology using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells (HFTWs) to manage perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. The technology uses HFTWs to mix an electron donor into perchlorate-contaminated groundwater in order to promote reduction of the perchlorate by indigenous microorganisms in bioactive zones within the aquifer, as well as recirculate the contaminated water between treatment well pairs to achieve multiple passes of contaminated water through …

Chromate Content Bias Versus Overspray Particle Size In Three Aircraft Primer Paints, Brian S. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force relies on the corrosion inhibiting properties of chromate-containing primer paints to protect the aluminum skin of its aircraft. Hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) the ingredient responsible for the corrosion inhibiting characteristics of these primers is a known human carcinogen. The concentration of Cr⁶⁺ in different particle sizes of paint overspray is important to understand health implications to painters as well as filtration efficiency. Previous research indicates disproportionately less Cr⁶⁺ content in smaller particles collected in the overspray of solvent-based epoxy-polyamide paint primers (MIL-P-2377G). This research explores the possibility of a particle size bias …

An Anion Characterization Of A Constructed Wetland Used For Chlorinated Ethene Remediation, Bradley M. Bugg

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated ethenes physical properties as well as its ubiquitous state at DOD installations makes it a priority for innovative remediation efforts. Current techniques are expensive and time consuming to maintain. Constructed wetlands suggest an inexpensive and operational alternative to conventional technologies. Sub-surface flow wetlands provide the anaerobic zones necessary to reduce the recalcitrant chlorinated solvents prior to anaerobic or aerobic mineralization of its daughter products. A vertical flow cell to include sequential sedimentary layers of two hydric soil lifts and a mix of hydric soil and woody compost was the subject of this investigation. This study focused on the statistical …

Distribution, Abundance And Habitat Use Of American White Pelicans In The Delta Region Of Mississippi And Along The Western Gulf Of Mexico Coast, D. Tommy King, Thomas C. Michot

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aerial surveys of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) were conducted over coastal Louisiana and the delta region of Mississippi on 1-2 days during December, February, and April each year from 1997 to 1999. Additional surveys were conducted in coastal Texas and Mexico during January 1998 and 1999. The numbers, location, and habitat of all pelicans observed were recorded. The coastal zone of Louisiana consistently had higher numbers of pelicans (18,000 to 35,000 birds) than other areas surveyed (3,000 to 8,000 birds), indicating that Louisiana may be the most important wintering area for American White Pelicans east of the …

Oral Rabies Vaccination: A National Perspective On Program Development And Implementation, Dennis Slate, Richard B. Chipman, Charles E. Rupprecht, Thomas J. Deliberto

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Persistence of unique rabies virus variants in a diverse array of terrestrial carnivores and insectivorous bats makes rabies control in the US. a complex task The public health system in the U.S. is effective in keeping human deaths near zero each year in the face of enzootic wildlife rabies, but the annual cost of coexistence with the disease is high, exceeding $300 million. In addition, each year tens of thousands of people are impacted by anxiety, fear, and trauma associated with potential or actual rabies exposure to themselves and their domestic animals. Exclusion, proper storage and disposal of garbage, and …

Have Population Increases Of Large Birds Outpaced Airworthiness Standards For Civil Aircraft?, Richard A. Dolbeer, Paul Eschenfelder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird-aircraft collisions (bird strikes) are an increasing safety and economic concern to the USA civil aviation industry, costing over $400 million each year. One approach to reducing risks associated with strikes is to require commercial aircraft components to meet certain standards of safe performance in the event of a bird strike. The Federal Aviation Administration has developed airworthiness standards for airframes, windshields and engines using a single 4-lb (1.82-kg) bird mass as the maximum that must be tested (with the exception of a single 8-lb bird for the empennage, 6-lb bird for certain mid-sized engines that may be developed in …

An Extraordinary Raccoon, Procyon Lotor; Density At An Urban Park, Henry T. Smith, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report on a high density Raccoon (Procyon lotor) population at a 70.9 ha urban park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where in a five-day period 160 raccoons/km², and is one of the densest Raccoon populations reported. We discuss the ramifications of high density urban Raccoon populations relative to wildlife disease contagions and endangered species protection.