Congratulations to our 2010 Life Time Achievement Award Recipient Yvonne Vallette The Life Time Achievement Award is to honor individuals and/or groups that have performed outstanding service and dedication in leading and promoting the functions and activities of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of SWS. Yvonne has done just that through her many years of service. She has volunteered in just about every known capacity for the PNW Chapter of SWS since the mid 1980s and has been a board member for well over a decade. She is tireless in her volunteer efforts, perpetually pleasant and upbeat, and is always encouraging volunteers to engage in the society’s meeting and activities. She is involved with many other organizations and is responsible for a broad range of wetland programs and initiatives for the EPA in Oregon. We thank Yvonne for her years of dedication and congratulate her in receiving this honorable award from the PNW Chapter of SWS.

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Version 7 of the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils is now available for download!!

Version 7 incorporates several years of Errata information, plus improved photos from the previous version of the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils.
Download your own copy at ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/Hydric_Soils/FieldIndicators_v7.pdf.

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Announcing the launch of the new Oregon Wetlands Explorer!

Launched in November 2009, the Wetlands Explorer is a useful tool for anyone doing wetland work in Oregon. Major components include:

1. A statewide wetlands geodatabase containing wetland mapping and hydric soils mapping based on NWI and SSURGO, but enhanced with extensive additional mapping from state, federal, and local governments, NGOs, nonprofits, and academia. Other datasets include FEMA flood zones, sites in the NRCS Wetland Reserve Program, existing wetland mitigation banks, boundaries of local wetland inventories, and recommended priority sites for use in wetland conservation, enhancement, and mitigation.

2. The interactive Oregon Rapid Assessment Protocol (ORWAP) tool, developed by Paul Adamus and the Department of State Lands. ORWAP provides a standardized method for rapidly assessing the functions and values of the state's wetlands.

3. State-focused information about wetland conservation and restoration, wetland ecology and classification, wetland plants and animals, and implications for climate change.

4. Wetland GIS and vegetation plot data available for downloading.

Data development for the Oregon Wetlands Explorer is still underway, and the site will be updated on an ongoing basis. The Wetlands Explorer is a collaborative effort between Oregon State University, The Wetlands Conservancy, EPA, and the Oregon Department of State Lands. Funding was provided by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and EPA.

The Oregon Wetlands Explorer is at http://oregonexplorer.info/wetlands/.

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Proposed Washington Soil and Wetland Scientist Title Act SSB 5698

Proposed Washington Soil and Wetland Scientist Title Act SSB 5698
A soil scientist and wetland scientist title act (describing two parallel certification programs) is now pending before the Washington State Legislature.  If passed, this legislation would establish a voluntary certification program for professionals who wish to use the titles “state-certified soil scientist” or “state-certified wetland scientist.” The certification program would be self-sustaining and establish minimum education and experience requirements for each of the two professions.

Information on the current status of the bill and history of the bill is posted on this website: www.soilscientistlicensing.com.

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