CTIC Monitoring Workshop November 30

www.conservationinformation.org/?action=events_trainingworkshops_idemworkshops

CTIC and Tetra Tech are hosting a monitoring workshop in Greensburg (Decatur Co.) on November 30th. The workshop will be focusing on using monitoring data to support the planning process and meet checklist items.

Please forward the link to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks!

10/30 Northern Watershed Networking Session highlights funding...

Here's a link to the agenda for Tuesday's session at Salamonie. If you haven't signed up - NOW is the time.

http://www.iaswcd.org/pdfs/watersheds/networking/fall2007ntwrkng_agenda.pdf

See you there - or on the river,

Ron James, Executive Director
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission
765-427-1505

2008 Lake and River Enhancement Program Grant Applications

Each year grant funds are made available through the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement program. One half of the money is used for the same types of traditional projects that have been funded since the inception of the original LARE program. The other half of the money is used to pay for projects to address sediment and exotic or invasive plants or animals in public lakes.

LARE grants can only be awarded for activities involving public lakes, and to organizations having the resources and ability to properly administer the funds. This would include formally established lake associations, conservancy districts, local units of government, or other similar entities. Participation in the program requires the submittal of an application form for each program element, copies of which are available electronically on our web site at http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/lare/manual.html
If you desire, paper copies of the application forms can be mailed to you.

Traditional LARE Project Grants Grants are available on a competitive basis for several actions that can address the ecology and management of public lakes and their watersheds.

Depending on your particular lake's needs, you may want to consider applying for funds for any of the following: 1) a preliminary lake study, 2) a comprehensive lake diagnostic study, 3) an engineering feasibility study of possible pollutant control measures, 4) a design study for a specific pollutant control measure, 5) construction of a particular pollutant control measure, 6) a management plan for the lake, or 7) a performance appraisal of a constructed pollutant control measure.

The deadline for submittal of applications for these types of projects is January 31, 2008. Grants for approved projects will be awarded in July 2008. Sediment Removal Plan Development or Sediment Removal Grants Following several forums during which public guidance was solicited, policies were developed regarding the manner in which a portion of the LARE funds can be used for sediment removal or exotic species control.

A copy of those policies is available on our web site or through postal mail. A specific application form is available for lake organizations interested in applying for funds to be used to contract for the production of a sediment removal plan or, if such a plan has already been prepared, for funds to be used for a sediment removal project. Having a sediment removal plan is a prerequisite to acquiring grant funds for actual sediment removal projects. The deadline for submittal of the applications is December 31, 2007.

Decisions regarding those grants will be made in March 2008. Exotic Plant Control Grants An application form is available for funds to be used to contract for the production of aquatic plant management plans. Having an aquatic plant management plan is a prerequisite to acquisition of grant funds for actual aquatic plant control.

For organizations that already have (or will have) an approved plan in place, the same application form can be used to apply for actual aquatic plant control, based on the plan's recommendations. The deadline for submittal of exotic plant-related applications is January 15, 2008.

Decisions regarding those grants will be made in March 2008. It is our desire to make the LARE program as accessible and simple as possible, so please do not hesitate to communicate freely with us if you have questions or comments.
We can be contacted at 317/233-3871 or by e-mail at jray@dnr.IN.gov

Jim Ray, Chief
Lake & River Enhancement Section
IDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife
Room W273402 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204317/233-3871

Meeting November 7th at 1:30pm at Honeywell Center

Plan to motor over to the next Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail Group Meeting!


Hosted by Charley Creek Foundation.
Your support and involvement will see us achieve success!

Agenda Items include:

Markers: update on the progress of markers/signs. - Ron James.

Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail Workbook. At our last meeting, Rory Robinson of National Parks challenged The Wabash River Heritage Corridor to begin preparing a Workbook as a beginning step for encouraging connecting/marking the route (between already established trails) along the Corridor.

The entire Towpath Trail can be tracked and included in the manual to be used for shaping our idea and marketing it to others. We can be helpful with the historic data and locating the canal and related historic sites. Here are some of the sections headlines found in the sample workbook:

• Topographic Map segments of six miles or less in rural areas; three miles or less in urban spaces.


• Current and proposed access points.


• Ownership.


• Current condition.


• User facilities and status.


• Prospective/current partners.


• Existing Trail.


• Recommended actions by WEC Towpath Trail Chapter.


• Recommended action by partners.


• Interpretive and scenic opportunity site identification standards.


• Design standards (urban vs. rural).


• Development contact information/directory list.


• Data entry and design.


• Printing/support and advertising.


• Ongoing maintenance and ranger volunteer contact lists.

etc. what can we do to assist the WRHC?

Membership:
Discussion - increasing our numbers is basic to our on-going success as we seek to move citizen onlookers to interested participants.

Tidbits You should Know for your Trail work

Fact: Although funding for walking and biking comprises 1 to 2 percent of the federal transportation budget, at least 9.5 percent of all trips involve these active transportation modes. National Household Travel Survey, 2001, as quoted by the Federal Highway Administration.

www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pedbike/pubs/05085/chapt2.html.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy activetransportation@railstotrails.org ... information pertinent to the 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation on their Web site.

http://railtrails.org/whatwedo/events/traillink2007/conferencewrapup.html (click to the briefs about halfway down on the left)

Slideshow presentations from the conference "Making the Case" sessions and "Making the Case" issue briefs pertaining to each of the five "Making the Case" tracks (Mobility, Family and Community, Public Health, Economy and Climate) as distributed at TrailLink 2007.An important element of research and information gathering for these briefs is feedback from you.Whether national or local in scope, They are looking for studies that can aid in communicating the strengthsof trails and active transportation in a research-dominated transportation field. Please share such research.

Such studies are vital for walking and biking to be taken seriously in a national transportation debate framed by hard automobile research. Please contact Kartik Srinivas, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Policy Outreach Manager, at kartik@railstotrails.org.

An individual you can have give you a hand, whose territory includes Indiana, is:Rory Robinson, Outdoor Recreation Planner2179 Everett Road, Peninsula, OH 44264(330) 657-2951, 2955 FAXrory_robinson@nps.govwww.nps.gov/rtca

Paddle Fest Deadline Today!!!

Whoa! Time creeps by so QUICKLY! Today, 8/16, registration, with a
complimentary T-shirt, ENDS at 4:30.  We can still see you in New Harmony
on Saturday BUT you're on your own for the 'must have' accessory of the
Wabash River season.

Call: 800-467-8600 or 812-464-1989, but wait till  I get off the phone -
I don't want to get a busy signal...  Meanwhile,  see you tomorrow at the
State Fair (just east of the Home & Family  Arts Building) for VISIT INDIANA
(the River State!) DAY.

Ron James, Executive Director
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission
102 North  Third Street, Suite 302
Lafayette IN 47901
765-427-1505

Wabash River Art Collection Sale

RIVER ODYSSEY: TWO ARTISTS FOLLOW THE WABASH - has
reached the river mouth! Buy it NOW before it
disperses into the waters of the world.

Special Preview & Award Ceremony - August 23, 6:30-8pm

David Dale and Jim Faulkner will be presented with
a "River Reward" From "Banks of the Wabash"
presented by Ron James, Executive Director of the
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission at 7pm

(RSVP required for this event, call 317-844-7253)

Public Preview - Friday, August 24, 1-8pm

View the collection of ninety paintings to be sold
the following day at Public Auction! The artists
will be present from 1-6pm

Auction of River Odyssey Collection
Saturday, August 25, 1pm

We are honored to represent artists David Dale
and Jim Faulkner as they complete their "River
Odyssey" journey by offering their amazing
collection at public auction. Representative
paintings from this important collection have
been exhibited at the Indiana State Museum,
the New Harmony Hoosier Salon Fine Arts Gallery,
the Knox County Public Library, Logansport Art
Association, the West Lafayette Public Library,
Wabash County Historical Museum, Richmond Art
Museum, and the Minnetrista Cultural Center.
Now, they are available for purchase at this
noteworthy auction event.

12232 Hancock Street, Carmel, IN 46032
[Take W. Carmel Drive east off US 31, cross
Pennsylvania and Old Meridian St, to Hancock,
which runs south between W. Carmel Dr. and
W. 122nd St.]  There will be signs posted &
visible by the time you reach the Old Meridian
and W. Carmel drive intersection.

317-844-7253

Preview the entire collection at:
www.wickliffauctioneers.com
Members IAA, NAA, CAI