A new report by the US Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, other federal agencies, and university experts says the water-hogging reputation of the two species has little merit, but found that effects on wildlife are mixed.

The USFS Forest Legacy Program has awarded a total of $72 million to 36 property owners in 33 states and territories to apply conservation easements to their land, with the goal of preventing development or other uses of the land that would reduce its forest value.

The proposed air toxics standards cover emissions from three types of combustion sources and address emissions of mercury, cadmium, dioxin, furans, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, and other pollutants.

The 2010 update to the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims is expected to feature new guidance for marketing carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, green packaging, textiles, building products, and building.

A new Web tool summarizes by state the number of smaller dischargers whose actions have been reviewed, the number that had a serious violation of their permit, and the number against whom a state took enforcement action.

US EPA's "National Priorities List" includes about 1,280 of the nation's worst sites. But there are tens of thousands of sites not on the NPL, and finding them is fairly easy.

Dept. of Interior/US Fish and Wildlife Service awards $12 million for construction of docks, boat slips, and other recreational boating facilities at 13 locations in 10 states.

Bat losses can have major impacts on ecosystems, as they routinely consume large quantities of insects and themselves provide food and nutrients for other plants and animals. There also are economic impacts as caves close to recreational use, in an effort to combat the spread of the disease.

The 48 mines are also linked by the fact that most of their owners have been legally delaying action on the violations through appeals of the citations. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is faced with a backlog of approximately 16,000 appeals.

Here are several resources for localizing this 40th anniversary event.