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Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Boyd Science Center Room 001

**Students, Faculty, Staff and the Public are all welcome **

September 12

New threats and new solutions to protect New England Lakes
Steve Kahl, Director, Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University

Northeastern lakes are facing unprecedented development pressures from new land development and reconstruction of existing structures.In the northern forest, an often unrecognized trend is the sale of leased paper company land of shorefront property, which leads to rapid development pressure because large numbers of the camp-owners on entire lakes can now invest in property improvements on land they own.Moreover, expansions can often be made within the protected set-back zone (the “grandfather” clause).Lack of supply of lake property also means that second and third tier development is occurring near lakes. Runoff into lake tributaries have been cited in some studies as the main cause of water quality deterioration in the main water body. Other threats include the potential for increased internal phosphorus recycling due to climate change, increasing conductance due to road salting, the spread of invasive plants, and even the unintended consequences of decline in acid rain that may be increasing the mobility of phosphorus. This talk will explore these issues, and propose new ways to think about protecting our lakes for the long-term.

Steve Kahl is the founding director of the Center for the Environment and Professor of Environmental Science. Steve was the founder and long time director of the George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine, where he earned his Ph.D. in Watershed Geochemistry. His research interests include acid rain, lake chemistry, mercury cycling, paleolimnology, and the intersection of science and public policy. His long-term acid rain research on northeastern lakes has been used by the Environmental Protection Agency to report to Congress on the effectiveness of the federal Clean Air.

September 19

System Dynamics Analyses for Managing Lake Carrying Capacity
Lori Siegel, Siegel Environmental Dynamics, LLC; Ecological Risk Assessor, NH Department of Environmental Services; PSU Graduate Adjunct Faculty

System Dynamics Analyses (SDA) is a computer modeling approach that can be applied to complex systems. An overview of SDA and the basic building blocks of the modeling software will be presented. The application SDA for gaining insight into inherently complex aquatic ecosystems along with its use in facilitating and defending management decisions that optimize the human activities and ecological integrity will be explored.

Lori Siegel is a Professional Engineer with expertise in the fields of fate and transport in contaminants, hydrology, hazardous waste management, toxicology, ecological risk assessment, and system dynamics analyses (SDA).As a sole proprietor of Siegel Environmental Dynamics, LLC, she consults on a variety of environmental engineering projects. Her clients include international engineering firms with assignments concerning water quality trading and natural resources.She also is involved in researching trends of mercury in aquatic ecosystems and subsequent effects on the common loon. In addition, Lori serves as the Ecological Risk Assessor for the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, where she continually develops the State’s Ecological Risk Program, assists consultants in their assessments and reviews their work, and conducts her own assessments.

September 26

Petroleum Diesel Engine Emissions:  Air Quality and Public Health Impacts
Melinda Treadwell, Associate Professor, Technology, Design, and Safety Department, Keene State College

For the past ten years Dr. Treadwell has been evaluating federal policies regarding diesel engine emissions and directing federal grant projects researching the gaseous pollutants and particulate matter emissions from heavy duty diesel engines. Most recently, her research has been evaluating engine emission changes created by blending biodiesel with petroleum diesel fuels. Her talk will provide an understanding of the significant health and environmental impact of these engines in our society, the likely impact of current and pending environmental regulations, and the challenges and opportunities ahead for biofuels.

Dr. Treadwell has a B.S. in industrial safety and Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology. Her background includes Principal Environmental Safety and Health Coordinator at  Lockheed Martin; Environmental Program Manager, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Air Resources Division; and Senior Public Health Policy Advisor for the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. She has served on numerous committees and boards including the New Hampshire Clean Air Strategy Advisory Committee, the Regional Fuels Taskforce’s Public Health Impacts Committee, and has been a member of the Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee for the Federal Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. She currently is an Associate Professor in Technology, Design, and Safety Department at Keene State College where she was the recipient of the Faculty Distinction in Scholarship and Research Award in 2007.

October 10

Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Water
Anil Waghe, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Plymouth State University

Pharmaceutical products are being found in surface and ground waters around the world. While the consequences to human health are unknown, it is suspected that these contaminants adversely alter aquatic ecosystems. Once in the surface or ground water, the pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PCPP) contaminants can potentially biodegrade, react with other contaminants, hydrolyze or sorb to soil organic matter. However, the fate of most PCPPs in the environment is still unknown due to lack of long-term investigations. Various approaches and their advantages and limitations to control and remove these compounds from water will be discussed. 

Anil Waghe is currently an Assistant Professor of chemistry at the Plymouth State University. Prior to this, he worked at the University of Oklahoma, Civil Engineering and Environmental Science department as a Dreyfus postdoctoral fellow. His Ph.D. is from the University of Maine, Orono where his research project was semi conducting metal oxide gas sensors. Anil earned his M.S. and B.S. in chemistry with research background in polymers and organic chemistry. His research interests are focused around environmental organic chemistry. He is currently working in the areas of water treatment, sensor, mesoporous materials, polymers, surfactants and electrochemistry.

October 17

Using GIS to visualize alternative future land uses at the community and watershed scale
Katie Callahan, GIS Coordinator, NH Fish and Game Department

CommunityViz™ is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool from the non-profit Orton Family Foundation that can assist people in making informed decisions about the future of their communities.  Currently in New Hampshire, it is being used to complete Build-out analyses.  Build-out reflects the remaining capacity of land for development, or the theoretical maximum.  It is based on assumptions for density, physical constraints to development, and land-use regulations that define the placement of structures.  Assumptions can be easily modified and subsequent scenarios can be visualized side-by-side to compare fiscal, social and environmental impacts.  The interactive tool encourages participation and can lead to more effective land-use planning.  Local examples of CommunityViz™ projects currently underway in NH will be demonstrated.

After receiving a bachelors degree at the University of New Hampshire in 1992, Katie has worked for the State of New Hampshire, first with the Department of Environmental Services and during the past four years as GIS Coordinator at the NH Fish and Game Department.  Katie is currently working on a master’s degree in environmental science and policy at PSU, conducting research with fellow PSU graduate student Nancy Comeau to evaluate effectiveness of aversive conditioning on nuisance activity levels of black bear using low-cost GPS telemetry collars.

October 24

The Economic Impact Of Potential Decline in New Hampshire Water Quality: The Link between Visitor Perceptions, Usage and Spending
Anne Nordstrom, Principal Investigator for the Lakes, Rivers, Streams and Ponds Partnership

Fresh-water recreation brings substantial revenue and jobs to the New Hampshire tourism industry: more than skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing combined; more than NASCAR; and more than Laconia’s Bike Week. “How would the New Hampshire economy be affected if resident and non-resident recreationalists who fish, boat and swim perceive any negative changes to the water quality in the areas where they recreate?” To answer this question, recreationalists’ current satisfaction and usage offreshwater recreation sites in New Hampshire was compared to a hypothetical “what-if” scenario. “What if water levels and flows changed for the worse? What if crowding increased? What if toxins and invasives worsened? What if the natural beauty and scenery were despoiled?” The answers to these questions were then used to determine how the usage patterns of anglers, boaters and swimmers would change if they perceived a decline in water resource quality; how the usage change in turn would affect spending; and the subsequent rippling economic impact throughout the 7 tourism regions of the New Hampshire economy.

Anne Nordstrom is a Sociologist who specializes in solving research design, statistical analysis and program evaluation problems for environmental, non-profit, and educational organizations. She has taught statistics and research methods to undergraduates for many years, and has consulted with the Partnership since 2004. She received her Ph.D. from Boston College in 1996.

October 31

Northern goshawk nesting habitat in New Hampshire
Christine Costello, Wildlife Biologist, US Forest Service Northeastern Research Station

Large, wide-ranging avian predators such as the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) are keystone species in the matrix forests of northeastern US and Canada. The northern goshawk is designated as a species of greatest conservation concern in the NH Wildlife Action Plan because of its association with large tracts of forests and the rate at which forest habitat is being converted to other uses in this state. There is very little historical or contemporary data on the status, reproductive success, and nesting habitat of this raptor in New England. This information is essential for producing locally-based habitat management and conservation guidelines for this keystone species on public, private non-industrial, federal, and industrial forest lands. To address this information gap, biologists from the Northern Research Station have been locating nests, banding birds and describing habitat in the White Mountain National Forest region for several years and have recently expanded this effort to a state-wide level.  This talk will discuss what we’ve learned so far about the nesting habitat of the northern goshawk in New Hampshire.    

Christine Costello received her master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in Wildlife Biology in 1995. She has worked as a wildlife biologist for the Northern Research Station, USFS for the past 15 years and is currently stationed at the Bartlett Experimental Forest in Bartlett, New Hampshire. She spends most of her time doing field work related to the influences of silvicultural practices on species habitat relationships in northern forest ecosystems.  

November 14

Trends in New England Hydroclimate as Reflected in the Record of the Pemigewasset River at Plymouth, NH
Alison Culity, The Cadmus Group, Inc.

This talk will present a characterization of the hydroclimatic history of the Pemigewasset watershed. This study is a valuable source of information for the New England hydroclimate because: (1) there is a 100-yr record of continuous streamflow from the Pemi at Plymouth (2nd longest in NE); (2) there are no direct anthropogenic influences at site; (3) Plymouth, NH is located at the geographic center of New England; and (4) Hubbard Brook data was used to provide further insight into emerging trends.  Specifically the talk explores the Pemi streamflow time-series to detect long-term trends; the land use history & impact of land-use changes on the Pemi basin; the correlation of streamflow data with Hubbard Brook and climatic data from Bethlehem, NH; trends in the Hubbard Brook and Bethlehem data; and the correlation between streamflow, precipitation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.

Alison Cullity studied the hydroclimatic history of the Pemigewasset watershed for her Masters of Hydrology degree from the University of New Hampshire, which she received in the summer of 2005. Currently, Ms. Cullity works for The Cadmus Group, Inc., an environmental consulting company based in Watertown, MA.  She has extensive experience conducting data management, data quality assurance, and statistical analyses to characterize local, regional, and national contaminant occurrence in drinking water.

November 28, 2007

Field Studies of Aspects of Tropospheric Halogen Chemistry
Alex Pszenny, Research Associate Professor, Climate Change Research Center at UNH’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS) and Chief Scientist, Mount Washington Observatory

This talk will provide an overview of the sources of reactive halogen species (RHS) in the troposphere, the multiphase processes in which they participate and their potential impacts on oxidizing capacity and aerosol nucleation and growth. The results of several field campaigns focused on RHS in both coastal and open ocean regions will be described.

Multiphase chemistry of the marine atmosphere has been Dr. Pszenny’s research focus. Of particular interest has been the role of reactive halogen species (RHS) in the chemical and physical evolution of near-surface marine air. RHS influence oxidizing capacity through catalytic ozone destruction and through enhanced oxidation of trace gases and of S(IV) in aerosol solutions. The reaction products generated contribute to aerosol nucleation and growth. Pszenny has also studied fixed nitrogen deposition to the ocean and air-sea exchange of hydrocarbons and their impact on atmospheric oxidizing capacity. While a student in the 1970s and early1980s, he contributed to field investigations of acid rain and nuclear bomb fallout in New England and trace metal distributions and availability in Gulf of Maine marine sediments. Alex Pszenny has a B. S. and M.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. degree in Oceanography. He has worked as a Research Oceanographer at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and as Executive Officer of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Core Project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Since 2001, he has been Research Associate Professor in the Climate Change Research Center within the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS) at the University of New Hampshire, and also serves as Chief Scientist for the Mount Washington Observatory.