October 13th
10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Pacific Time
Join us for this exciting Webcast on the new Healthy Watersheds
Initiative. While most EPA water quality programs have focused on
restoring impaired waters, the new Healthy Watersheds Initiative
encourages states, local governments, watershed organizations and others
to protect and maintain healthy waterbodies as well. Healthy watersheds
provide our communities with drinking water, recreational opportunities,
environmental benefits and services, including clean water for healthy
aquatic ecosystems, habitat for fish and wildlife, and better resilience
against storms and floods, climate change and future land use changes.
Protecting healthy watersheds will result in considerable savings over
time if the need for costly restoration can be avoided in watersheds
that would otherwise become impaired by cumulative impacts of multiple
stressors. Join us for this Webcast to learn what tools EPA is
developing to help promote Healthy Watersheds and to hear about what
several states are doing to protect their healthy watersheds.
Instructors:
Laura Gabanski, Healthy Watersheds Initiative Lead, U.S. EPA’s Office of
Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, has almost 30 years experience in
environmental science and management and holds degrees in biology and
oceanography. She has worked in consulting and for various federal
agencies on coastal and marine management, water quality monitoring, and
ecological assessment. Laura initiated and is building the Healthy
Watersheds Initiative whose goal is to identify and protect healthy
waters and watersheds based on a holistic, systems approach. Outside of
work, Laura enjoys outdoor pursuits such as ski mountaineering and
bicycle racing.
Rick Hill, Planning and Policy Manager, Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation (DCR), has more than 25 years of
environmental planning and resource management experience. For the last
15 years, he has worked on water quality issues at the Virginia DCR. He
has also worked on environmental policy development and land use
management at the state and local government level. During his tenure at
DCR, Rick has been at the forefront in conserving water resources in
Virginia. He led development of a Healthy Waters initiative that has
established conservation of ecologically healthy waters as a priority
for the Commonwealth. In addition, Rick has led numerous Chesapeake Bay
conservation and restoration efforts in Virginia. He is currently
coordinating implementation planning for the Chesapeake Bay restoration
effort.
Stephen Stanley, Project Manager, Puget Sound Characterization Project,
Washington Department of Ecology SEA Program, has degrees in aquatic
biology and environmental studies from University of California – Santa
Barbara and has more than 30 years experience in wetland and watershed
assessment, management and regulation. He has worked in Washington State
as both a consultant, educator, and regulator, conducting and reviewing
wetland delineations and assessments, developing wetland enhancement and
restoration plans. At the Washington Department of Ecology, he is
leading an effort to characterize Puget Sound watersheds and present
that information in a web-based format that promotes watershed-based
planning and permitting.
Registration You must register in advance to attend this Webcast.
Register at the Watershed Academy Webcast Web site at:
www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.
Note: Your computer must have the capability of playing sound in order
to attend this Webcast. To view archived Webcasts, go to