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Monday Mailing

Year 21 • Issue 19 26 January 2015 1.

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Quote of the Week: "The next time your mind wanders, follow it around for a while." ~Jessica Masterson

Oregon Fast Fact: There are nine lighthouses standing along the coastline. Five are still being used; the others are designated historic monuments.

Yurt to Yurt Gorge?

Oregon’s ‘Last Virgin Cove’ Protected in Wildlife Refuge Apply Now for the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Modern Mapping Connects Historic Preservation and Planning Bottled Water Wars: Nestlé’s Latest Move in Cascade Locks Sparks Outcry from Opponents A Map Of The Carbon Footprint Of All 31,000 ZIP Codes In The U.S. Web Resources From Natural Hazards Center WEBINAR: Food Policy and Regional Food Systems: Opportunities for Networking Across Jurisdictions Can Coastal Communities Survive A Tsunami?

Oregon Projects Awarded $22 Million in Federal Grant Funding Funding Opportunities Oregon Water Treatment Company Wants to Turn Sewer Water Into Beer

1. Yurt to yurt Gorge?

Mountain trails in Europe are renowned not just for their stunning beauty, but for their hospitality. In the Alps, the intrepid hiker doesn’t have to rough it. She can end the day with a glass of wine and a plate of local delicacies at one of the region’s trailside lodges.

Pretty soon, hikers may find the same type of rugged but relaxed trekking in the Columbia River Gorge.

The nonprofit Friends of the Columbia River Gorge is in the midst of an ambitious program called Gorge Towns to Trails. The goal? To link the National Scenic Area’s communities, tourist draws and recreation sites with a series of footpaths, using existing trails and building new ones.

To access the full story, click here.

2. Oregon’s ‘Last Virgin Cove’ Protected in Wildlife Refuge In a step aimed at protecting the last virgin cove on the Oregon Coast, a partnership of government agencies and nonprofit organizations have purchased land in Lincoln County for the highest level of environmental protection.

The 13.97-acre property surrounds Whale Cove, 2 miles south of Depoe Bay, that will become part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

The land was purchased for $1.1 million with the intent of preserving a sanctuary for marine life and nesting seabirds.

To access the full story, click here.

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3. Apply Now for the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship recognizes outstanding individuals who share Myers' commitment to disaster research and practice and have the potential to make a lasting contribution to reducing disaster vulnerability.

At least one scholarship recipient each year will receive financial support allowing them to attend the Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. Scholarships can cover part or all of transportation, meals, and Workshop registration costs.

Recipients are recognized at the Workshop and may be asked to serve as panelists, where they can highlight their research or practical experiences with hazards and disasters.

Eligibility and Application Hazards practitioners, students, and researchers with a strong commitment to disaster management and mitigation and who reside outside North America and the Caribbean are eligible to enter.

Eligibility is based on current residence, not citizenship. Applicants from North America and the Caribbean will be eligible for the scholarship in 2016.

Previous attendees of the Natural Hazards Workshop are not eligible for the 2015 Mary Fran Myers Scholarship. Preference is given to those who can demonstrate financial need.

Applications must be received by March 27 Apply for the 2015 Competition Here 4. Modern Mapping Connects Historic Preservation and Planning The historic district in the small seaport city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire is an architectural treasure, with a mix of Georgian, federal and colonial styles. Many buildings are made of so-called Portsmouth brick, a distinctive kind that appear handcrafted. The picturesque streets attract thousands of tourists every year, creating demand for new hotels and retail. Now, the city faces the challenge of balancing that growth with the strong desire of citizens to preserve its celebrated heritage.

“People have a lot of opinions and care about what Portsmouth will look like in the next 20, 30 years,” says Jared Foley, a native of the city and director of visualization at the design firm Tangram 3DS. “There is a big concern among the public that new projects coming in aren’t appropriately taking the aesthetics of Portsmouth into consideration.”

To access the full story, click here.

5. Bottled Water Wars: Nestlé’s Latest Move in Cascade Locks Sparks Outcry from Opponents The water that gushes from Oxbow Springs is undeniably pristine, but no more so than the stuff that pours from Cascade Locks residents’ taps.

Chemically speaking, they’re the exact same thing.

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Yet, Nestlé -- a Swiss multinational corporation -- is willing to invest years of time and large sums of money to obtain the former. If the company wins the right to bottle Oxbow Springs water, it stands to make more money than by bottling tap water alone.

“They capitalize on the perception that spring water is healthier, that it’s healing water,” said Todd Jarvis, an Oregon State University professor who studies the bottled water industry. “It’s great marketing.”

To access the full story, click here.

6. A Map Of The Carbon Footprint Of All 31,000 ZIP Codes In The U.S. Which households contribute most to climate change? To find out, take a look at this interactive map created by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. It provides estimates for all 31,000 ZIP codes, based on everything people consume in a single year, including energy, travel, goods, and services.

A major finding of the research: suburbs account for more greenhouse gas emissions than other areas. In total, suburbs produce about 50% of household emissions, despite housing only 143 million people in total from a U.S. population of 313 million. Inner city residents tend to have lower carbon footprints, because they live in smaller homes and use more public transit. Some urban households produce 50% of the national average, while some suburban households emit double the national average.

To access the full story, click here.

7. Web Resources From Natural Hazards Center A few resources for those involved or interested in hazards related work…

USGS Science Pop Quiz: Natural Hazards Edition Think you know your hazards? Take this quick quiz from the U.S. Geological Survey and prepared to get served. With questions on everything from sinkholes to magnetic storms, you’ll have to dig deep to get a respectable score—but you’ll also walk away wiser and wow your friends.

Influenza Forecasts Tis the season for getting the flu, and those who like to keep track of where the virus lurks will love this interactive site put together by Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. Visitors can view outbreaks by city, compare forecast methods, and even look at flu incidences by location and season.

Also check out the school’s predictions for the 2013-2014 flu season (spoiler alert: January is the month to look out for!)

Responder Self-Care App It’s no shock that first responders often neglect caring for themselves when they’re caring for others, but this app from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health won’t stand for it. The app contains checklists, reminders, and tips to make sure responders pack what they need, maintain their health and relationships, and take a moment to reflect when their mission is over. Available on iPhone and Android platforms.

Communicating About Asteroid Impact Warnings and Mitigation Plans While Hollywood seems to have a pretty good idea about how an asteroid hurtling toward earth would be announced, the people actually responsible for issuing such warnings are still working it out. This report is the result of a workshop where experts gathered to discuss near-earth object Page 3 of 6

(NEO) risk communication. Recommendations include strategies for creating a strong, credible network for information dissemination and a workable scale that allows non-experts to understand NEO risk.

Community Disaster Recovery and Resiliency The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently brought together a panel of experts (including our director, Kathleen Tierney) to discuss a number of elements that can lead to ensuring communities are resilient and able to recover from disasters. This video archives that live event and includes presentations on the reinsurance industry and Greensburg, Kansas.

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors There are plenty of resources aimed at getting senior citizens prepared for disasters—but this one is written by people who have been there. The American Red Cross collected suggestions from a dozen seniors caught in a New York ice storm in this guide that includes checklists, preparedness tips, and what to do if you have to shelter in place.

Model EMS Clinical Guidelines The National Association of State EMS Officials has compiled this collection of evidenced-based and consensus-based practices to assist EMS organizations in delivering enhanced patient care, increasing safety, and promoting positive outcomes. While adoption of the guidelines are optional, it was created with the intent of standardizing EMS care at the state level.

Disasters at Data.Gov Need disaster data? This newly launched site includes disaster data sets, tools, news, and just about any other disaster related information you could put on a Website. The site is meant to be a community effort that increases resilience, so be sure to weigh in with any info you might have, too!

8. WEBINAR: Food Policy and Regional Food Systems: Opportunities for Networking Across Jurisdictions Wednesday, February 11, 2015 1:00 - 2:15 PM EST Where does your local food policy council fit within the regional food system? Would you like to play a stronger role in both your locality and at a regional level but not sure how? Functioning with limited resources and volunteer members, it can often be easiest for a food policy council to concentrate locally. By understanding the role of local food policy councils within the context of a regional food system, groups can network across geographies to maximize impact and effectiveness of policy changes.

During this webinar, expert panelists will address a number of big picture questions local food policy councils have about regional food systems, including: The role of local food policy councils within a regional network When is it beneficial to connect across a region How to determine your "region" and what to do when definitions vary Best practices and challenges to organizing and building regional networks, including resources and infrastructure needed These issues will be addressed to show participants how networking across jurisdictions can positively influence food system change.

The webinar will also include time for participant Q&A. Join Us for This Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3927084263151283457

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9. Can Coastal Communities Survive A Tsunami?

Communities up and down the Oregon Coast have known about the threat of a tsunami for years.

A distant tsumani hit in 1964 — after an earthquake in Alaska. The main street through Cannon Beach was flooded and four campers at Beverly Beach State Park died after logs carried by the advancing water crushed them.

Now, recent scientific research and images of Japanese towns being inundated after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami have Oregon officials proposing tsunami zones that push deeper and deeper inland.

To access the full story, click here.

10. Oregon Projects Awarded $22 Million in Federal Grant Funding Six Oregon conservation projects have been awarded $22 million in grants from the federal Natural Resource Conservation Service, an arm of the USDA. Almost half the money, $9 million, will fund greater sage grouse habitat improvement on private land in eight eastern and southeastern Oregon counties. Other grants will help restore native oak and prairie habitat, remove fish barriers, help establish carbon markets and improve rangeland.

The Oregon sage grouse work, with local soil and water conservation districts serving as the gobetween for ranchers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has become a national model.

Under voluntary plans called Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, or CCAA, landowners agree to manage their land in a way that benefits sage grouse. The work includes such things as removing western juniper so that native sage and grasses return, marking fences to avoid bird strikes, keeping cattle out of breeding grounds called leks and putting escape ramps in water troughs.

To access the full story, click here.

11. Oregon Water Treatment Company Wants to Turn Sewer Water Into Beer Clean Water Services of Hillsboro has an advanced treatment process that can turn sewage into drinking water.

The company, which runs four wastewater treatment plants in the Portland metro area, wants to show off its “high-purity” system by turning recycled wastewater into beer.

But right now, the state of Oregon wouldn’t allow anyone to drink it.

Clean Water Services has asked the state for permission to give its recycled water to a group of home brewers. The Oregon Brew Crew would make small batches of beer to be served at events – not sold at a brewery.

The Oregon Health Authority has already approved the company’s request. But the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission will also have to sign off on it before anyone serves a beer made from recycled sewage.

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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is holding a public hearing on the proposal Feb. 12 in Portland. If it’s approved by the commission in April, Clean Water Services will still need additional state approvals for an amended Recycled Water Reuse Plan before the brews are cleared for drinking.

To access the full story, click here.

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