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Federal Agencies Revise Guidance to Protect Wetlands and Streams

*Agencies Revise Guidance to Protect Wetlands and Streams *

**EPA Contact: Enesta Jones, (202) 564-7873 or 4355 / jones.enesta@epa.gov
Army Contacts: Doug Garman, (202) 761-1807 or Gene Pawlik, (202) 761-7690

(Washington, D.C. - Dec. 3, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are issuing revised guidance to ensure America's wetlands, streams and other waters are better protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The guidance clarifies the geographic scope of jurisdiction under the CWA.

"We are providing improved guidance today to ensure the information is in place to fully protect the nation's streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water. "The guidance builds upon our experiences and provides consistent direction to our staff and the public."

"We are committed to protecting America's aquatic resources as required by the Clean Water Act and in accordance with the Supreme Court decision," said John Paul Woodley Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). "This revised interagency guidance will enable the agencies to make clear, consistent, and predictable jurisdictional determinations within the scope of the Clean Water Act."

The revised guidance replaces previous policy issued in June 2007 and clarifies a June 2006 Supreme Court decision in Rapanos v. United States regarding the scope of the agencies' jurisdiction under the CWA. The guidance follows the agencies' evaluation of more than 18,000 jurisdictional determinations and review of more than 66,000 comments.

For more information on this guidance, please visit website below.

South Lake Tahoe airport renovation returns natural state

By KATHRYN REED • Special to the Reno Gazette-Journal • July 13, 2008

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — A $7 million renovation scheduled to begin next month will restore land along the South Lake Tahoe airport runway to a stream environmental zone and use porous asphalt to reduce runoff.

Part of the project is the city’s restitution to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for cutting 387 trees without a permit in 2006.  The airport will remain open during construction.
The runway along the Upper Truckee River will be narrowed by 50 feet to 100 feet wide, wuith the same 8,544-foot length.  The narrower runway can accommodate 737s but not 757s. However, neither aircraft is likely to return to the South Shore airport that lost commercial service years ago.
 
“I see the airport as a safety center and a place for alternative transportation to reduce the vehicle miles traveled in the basin,” airport director Rick Jenkins said. “It has a substantial economic impact to the community.”

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