I’ll admit it: I would have found it fascinating to be party to the discussions earlier this year that led to oscillating headlines on the
New York Times home page referring to the new EPA chief Scott Pruitt alternately as a “denier” or “skeptic.” At least it would have been fascinating for 20 minutes.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-editors-have-a-meltdown-1493766186 Press releases
MDMR to open state recreational Red Snapper season May 26 BILOXI, Miss. – Mississippi’s recreational anglers will be allowed to harvest Red Snapper in state waters from May 26 through Sept. 4, officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources announced Tuesday.
Mississippi territorial waters will be open from 12:01 a.m. Friday, May 26, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4. The bag limit will be two Red Snapper per person with a minimum size of 16 inches.
Also on Tuesday, NOAA announced that the federal season for private recreational anglers is three days – from 12:01 a.m. June 1 through 12:01 a.m. June 4.
The season for federally permitted for-hire charter vessels is 49 days – from 12:01 a.m. June 1 through 12:01 a.m. July 20.
Jamie Miller, executive director of MDMR, testified Tuesday in Washington D.C. before the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy and Environment. He told the subcommittee that the largest management issue with Red Snapper is within the recreational sector.
“Over the past decade, the recreational private sector has seen annual seasons reduced from 194 days in 2007 to just 11 days in 2016,” Miller said. “These conditions created by the current management system have led to derby seasons, which have frustrated the private anglers and forced them to fish offshore in less favorable and sometimes dangerous conditions.
“These derby seasons also have decreased the ability of NOAA’s data collection tool, the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) to accurately determine harvest levels,” he said. “There are also serious questions about the timing and accuracy of stock assessment updates.
“As a result, our agency, as well as the public, has lost confidence in the data being used to determine season lengths.”
Joe Jewell, director of MDMR’s Office of Marine Fisheries, said the state season will give recreational fishermen more opportunities to fish for Red Snapper.
“The federal season will once again be one of the shortest on record,” he said. “We look forward to providing our recreational fishermen an extended opportunity to catch Red Snapper this year.”
In 2012, the state Legislature approved extending state waters to nine miles for fisheries management, and the law went into effect July 1, 2013. The federal government in December 2015 also approved the extension of state waters to nine nautical miles; however, that extension expires May 4. If it is not renewed, anyone possessing Red Snapper farther than three miles south of the barrier islands could receive citations from federal law enforcement officers or federally deputized law enforcement. Fishing between three and nine miles in Mississippi is at the angler’s own risk.
Anglers also are required to participate in MDMR’s reporting program for Red Snapper, “Tails n’ Scales.” This program is available through a smartphone App, a website and a call center. The App is available in iTunes and Google Play. The website is tailsnscales.org. Fishermen also can call 1-844-MSSNAPP (677-6277) to speak to a representative.
Fishermen must create a profile and start a trip and then report their catch. They must close out one trip before creating a new one.
“The purpose of this electronic reporting system is to provide fishery managers the best available data to ensure Mississippi anglers the most opportunities and greatest flexibility for Red Snapper harvest,” said Matt Hill, director of MDMR’s Finfish Bureau. “This reporting system provides fishery managers with accurate and timely data that will be used for better resource management.”
PA Program to Provide $1B in Credit to Finance Over $2B in Water Infrastructure Investment
Federal/local/private partnership will help expand water infrastructure systems to meet the needs of growing communities
05/02/2017
Contact Information:
Tricia Lynn (
lynn.tricia@epa.gov)
(202) 564-2615
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program received 43 letters of interest from prospective borrowers for projects to update our nation’s water infrastructure. EPA’s WIFIA program will provide $1 billion in credit to finance over $2 billion in water infrastructure investments. EPA received letters from entities seeking loans for the program from all over the country, demonstrating the high demand from businesses seeking to invest in the economy and local communities.
“As a federal-local-private partnership, this program will help expand water infrastructure systems to meet the needs of growing communities. This investment will empower states, municipalities, companies, and public-private partnerships to solve real environmental problems in our communities, like the need for clean and safe water,” said EPA Administrator Pruitt.
WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide-range of projects, from drinking water treatment to seawater desalination and drought mitigation to water recycling. About a third of prospective borrowers indicated they plan to co-finance their projects with other funding tools available through EPA, the Drinking Water or the Clean Water State Revolving Funds. WIFIA works separately from, but in coordination with, the State Revolving Fund programs to provide subsidized financing for large dollar-value projects. By combining the benefits of the WIFIA and SRF programs, more communities can benefit from innovative loans and financing.
EPA issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on January 10, 2017, to solicit letters of interest from prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance. For its initial project selection round, EPA announced availability of up to $17 million of budget authority appropriated for the WIFIA program to provide credit assistance. EPA estimates this budget authority will provide approximately $1 billion in credit assistance and finance over $2 billion in water infrastructure investment. The deadline for submission was April 10, 2017.
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a new federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in our nation’s water by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. For more information about the WIFIA program, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/wifia 
