The US Clean Water Act and habitat replacement: evaluation of mitigation sites in Orange County,California, USA

Both permit requirements and ecological assessments have been used to evaluate mitigation success. This analysis combines these two approaches to evaluate mitigation required under Section 404 of the United States Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which allow developers to provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. This study reviewed permit files and conducted field assessments of mitigation sites to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation required by the US Army Corps of Engineers for all permits issued in Orange County, California from 1979 through 1993. The 535 permit actions approved during this period allowed 157 ha of impacts. Mitigation was required on 70 of these actions, with 152 ha of enhanced, restored, and created habitat required for 136 ha of impacts. In 15 permit actions, no mitigation project was constructed, but in only two cases was the originally permitted project built; the two cases resulted in an unmitigated loss of 1.6 ha. Of the remaining 55 sites, 55% were successful at meeting the permit conditions while 11% failed to do so. Based on a qualitative assessment of habitat quality, only 16% of the sites could be considered successful and 26% were considered failures. Thus, of the 126 ha of habitat lost due to the 55 projects, only 26 ha of mitigation was considered successful. The low success rate was not due to poor enforcement, although nearly half of the projects did not comply with all permit conditions. Mitigation success could best be improved by requiring mitigation plans to have performance standards based on habitat functions.     

Indicators Assessment for Habitat Conservation Plan of Yolo County, California, USA

/ Whereas habitat conservation plans (HCPs) have been intended to provide comprehensive environmental mitigation for multiple species, they often narrow in focus to one species and either one mitigation site or unspecified sites. We developed an indicators framework from which to rate land units for their ecological integrity, collateral values (nonbiological qualities that can improve conservation), and restoration and conservation opportunities. The ratings of land units were guided by the tenets of conservation biology and principles of landscape and ecosystem ecology, and they were made using existing physical and floral information managed on a GIS. As an example of how the indicators approach can be used for HCPs, the 29 legally rare species targeted by the Yolo County HCP were each associated with vegetation complexes and agricultural crops, the maps of which were used for rating some of the landscape indices. The ratings were mapped so that mitigation can be directed to the places on the landscape where the legally rare species should benefit most from conservation practices. The most highly rated land units for conservation opportunity occurred along streams and sloughs, especially where they emerged from the foothills and entered the Central Valley and where the two largest creeks intersected the Sacramento River flood basin. We recommend that priority be given to mitigation or conservation at the most highly rated land units. The indices were easy to measure and can be used with other tools to monitor the mitigation success. The indicators framework can be applied to other large-area planning efforts with some modifications.KEY WORDS: Ecosystem; Indicators; Landscape; Mitigation; Planning; Yolo County; California     

English county councils and their agenda for waste minimisation

Minimisation is the top priority of the waste management hierarchy, which is one of the guiding principals for national solid waste management planning throughout the developed world. As such it should be encouraged as a means for reducing wastes which require treatment and disposal, whether they be household, commercial or industrial in source. This paper suggests that minimisation is not being given the necessary policy frameworks or legislation within which to develop in the UK, and questions whether minimisation is being afforded the respect and attention, from all levels, that is due the most preferable waste option according to the hierarchy. This theme is investigated by surveying the county councils of England as a representative sample of waste disposal authorities in England, and former waste regulation authorities. They are responsible for guiding local and district waste policy and are the regional waste planners in the UK. If they are not seriously taking on board the message of minimisation, then there is little chance that it will succeed without further legislative developments. Some 59% of English counties have a minimisation policy, whilst only 47% have participated in and supported a minimisation programme or trial within their region. The majority of these developments have occurred within the last three years, and 78% of counties who have participated in a programme have found it a successful venture. By 1999 79% of English counties will have been actively involved in a minimisation programme in their region, which is a positive scenario. This trend must continue if waste minimisation is to become the key theme of future sustainable waste management in the UK as was intended by declarations at the Rio '92 conference and in subsequent UK Government policy and strategy.     

县（市）环保执法的现状与对策

概述了目前县（市）环保执法中存在的问题，提出了加强县（市）环保执法的对策。     

武隆滑坡形成机理与成灾分析

２００１年５月１日，重庆市武隆具发生了一起严重的滑坡灾难，滑坡体积仅１．２万ｍ３，摧毁了一幢９层商 住楼．造成７９人死亡，中断３１９国道４昼夜，这次滑坡灾害是在特殊的环境条件下形成和发生的，具有压制 拉裂一拱溃剧滑的力学机理．类似的滑坡灾害还有１９８７年９月 １日重庆市巫溪县发生的南门湾岩崩、１９９７ 年７月１７日四川省兴文县发生的金风村滑坡．这些滑坡灾害的惨痛教训说明，县、乡、村级基层组织防灾 减灾的意识淡薄，防灾减灾的科普宣传、教育还未落到实处；因此必须加强县、乡、村级的防灾减灾工作．     

达县百节"水保生态园区"水土流失治理与生态环境保护

本文反映了严重的水土流失是导致达县百节河小流域生态环境恶化的主要原因。阐述了通过实施水土流失治理三大措施：工程措施、生物措施、农耕措施,有效地控制了水土流失等生态问题,极大地改善了当地生态环境,取得了显著的三大效益：经济效益、生态效益和社会效益。同时陈述了百节河小流域生态园区的建设特色：组织协调部门资金捆绑使用,集中投入：业主参与,责、权、利统一,投资渠道多元化,为水土保持和生态环境建设注入了生机与活力。     

不同类型农户对宅基地退出的响应

利用重庆市梁平县农户的调查数据,运用Logistic模型,探讨了户籍制度改革下不同类型农户宅基地退出意愿及其影响因素。结果表明：(1)在现有退地补偿政策下农户意愿普遍偏低,不同类型农户退地意愿存在一定的差异性;(2)影响纯农户宅基地退出的因素有户主年龄、家庭拥有的房屋数量、对政策的支持度和退地收益;影响Ⅰ兼业户宅基地退出的因素有家庭宅基地面积大小、对政策的支持度和退地收益;影响Ⅱ兼业户宅基地退出的因素有家庭小孩数、对政策的支持度和退地收益;影响非农户宅基地退出的因素有户主年龄、户主文化程度、家庭人口数、宅基地面积和退地收益;其中,退地收益是影响各类农户退地决策最显著的因素,对政策的支持度是农户退地决策影响力最大的因素。研究认为,影响各类农户退地决策的因素存在差异,其核心问题还在于退地政策。政府应根据不同类型农户的特征完善目前的农村宅基地退出政策,这有助于提高农户的参与意愿,顺利推进户籍制度和农村土地制度的改革     

县、乡村防灾减灾系统工程

根据县、乡村的组织管理体系和所存在的防灾减灾问题 ,提出了建立县、乡村防灾减灾体系的构想。建议的县政府内设立“县防灾减灾 (中心 )协调办公室” ,组织实施县、乡村防灾减灾系统工程。从抓防灾减灾科普教育宣传入手 ,对全县、乡村灾害进行详细调查评估、监测预报 ,在此基础上有计划地选择小流域和重要灾害点进行治理 ,逐步达到全面推进防灾减灾工作的目的。     

行政区域环境风险评估与管理--以泉州市惠安县为例

随着经济高速发展,环境问题逐步显现,突发环境事件时有发生,开展以环境风险评估为基石的主动风险管理势在必行。本文以泉州市惠安县为例,基于行政区域环境风险指数评估方法,构建评估指标体系,结合评估区域环境风险特征,计算全县环境风险指数,绘制风险等级分布图,并提出管理建议[1]。     

四川东部沱江茎瘤芥产地重金属特征及其富集规律研究

通过对四川省沱江乡榨菜种植区土壤和榨菜中重金属的分布特征进行调查分析。结果表明,菜头叶茎中（Zd、Cr、（Zu、Hg、As、Pb6种重金属元素的含量一般随着土壤中此6种重金属元素含量的增加而增多,但分析样品中也有部分样点表现出异样趋势,通过分析此异常主要是人为活动影响造成的。菜头叶茎中对此6种重金属元素均表现出较高富集性,其中尤以cd最为严重,富集系数高达12．14。