Welcome

|PAGE UPDATED ON July 29th, 2008|

Announcements - In Reverse Chronological Order

Summer edition of THE LAY OF THE LAND was mailed to active members on July 24th. The PDF version will be posted in mid-August.

The MAPSS membership voted in the majority at their annual meeting on March 11th, 2008, to endorse the efforts of the THE MAINE ASSOCIATION OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS to seek licensing of wetland scientists in Maine. Download the letter here.

PART II: NATURAL RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION AND REGULATION WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR 2008
On Wednesday, September 3rd, MAPSS, MASE, and MAWS will host a day-long field (from the intertidal zone to the landward limit of protection) conference at Reid State Park. Regulatory staff include Marcia Spencer-Famous (LURC), Jay Clement (US ACOE), Lana Clough, State Code Enforcement Officer Training Coordinator, Rich Baker (MDEP), Linda Kokemuller (MDEP), Steve Dickson (MGS), and Mike Mullen (MDEP). Topics to be covered include:

• Determination of Highest Anual Tide (H.A.T.) level using surveying methods
• NRPA versus Shoreland Zoning definition of a stream
• Wetlands of Special Significance in the S.Z.
• Vernal pools
• Hydraulic connectivity in the S.Z.
• Significant Wildlife Habitat
• Where to start your measurements for shoreland zoning setbacks
• Where is the Normal High Water Mark (Great Ponds, streams)
• Wetlands adjacent to great ponds (so they are considered part of the pond)
• Sand dunes
• "Special Freshwater Wetlands" (plumbing Code designation)
• Shoreland zoning setbacks from streams

Download the field conference description and registration form.

• The New Hampshire Board of Certification for Natural Scientists has granted 2.0 CEUs for this workshop, for both WETLAND SCIENTISTS and SOIL SCIENTISTS. You must register by 9am and participate throughout the day, including the afternoon panel discussion. Certificates of attendance will be available at the conclusion of the workshop.

Please scroll down for the complete listings.
Use this link 2007 & 2006 EVENTS to download past event calendars.

Check out the Chesuncook soil monolith at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (scroll down to Image #11) in Washington, D.C. MAPSS raised over $10,000 for the monolith display.

Executive Committee meeting scheduled for July 25th, 1pm, in Augusta. Members always welcome.

2008 MAPSS Annual Meeting Minutes available for review. To be approved at the 2009 Annual Meeting.

Coarse fragment descriptions in the National Soil Survey Handbook have been updated.
Please check out this link to coarse fragment descriptions.

Maine Catena Key Update (spring, 2008)

• Boothbay is now limited to MWD
• Pushaw added as an aquept (SPD) to the Boothbay catena
• Ricker now limited to cryic areas
• Knob Lock replaces Ricker in frigid areas
• Moosabec replaces Waskish as sphagnofibrists in the Northeast
• Meadowsedge replaces Rifle as Euic Frigid Typic Haplohemists in the Northeast
• Do NOT use the Peru soil series in the Marlow catena; use Dixfield
• Do NOT use any mesic soil series in Maine
• In the old soil surveys, Buxton soils on a B-slope are now Lamoine soils

BAD E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Please contact: Chris Dorion if your e-mail address changes and you wish to remain on the MAPSS bulk e-mail notification list. This is the primary means of communication now.

Annual Meeting Summary: Thanks to all who helped organize the meeting in 2008, and especially the speakers

1. AGENDA

2. The REGISTRATION FORM is now available.

3. Please review the minutes from last year's annual meeting (go to navigation column at left, click on meeting minutes, scroll down - it's a PDF file).

4. Please review the Exec. Comm. meeting minutes (on left navigation pane) from June 1, 2007 regarding Licensing of Wetland Scientists in Maine. The MAPSS membership will be voting whether to endorse/not endorse MAWS's efforts.
   

   Please read the background letter from the MAWS Certification Committee to MAPSS, presented at the June 1st MAPSS Exec. Comm. meeting.

   Please go to Final Exploratory Paper on the Issue of Credentialing Wetland Scientists in Maine (03/02/2007) for more background information on this issue.

5. 1.0 CEU will be awarded for New Hampshire Certified Soil Scientists. For past CEU credits in Hew Hampshire, go to theNH Board of Natural Scientists.

UNH SOIL AND WETLAND COURSES offered for late fall 2007 and 2008. Download the PDF information here.

COMMON GROUND FAIR booth, backhoe soil pits, and related information:
MAPSS is again fielding an informational booth for 2008 adjacent to the Maine Soil Testing Lab booth. Several backhoe-dug soil pits at the fairgrounds will be open for those interested. A PowerPoint presentation on Maine soils will be given also.
For information on helping with this event (a bonus being free admission), please contact: Dave Turcotte for more information.

Summer edition of The Lay of the Land will be mailed to MAPSS members in July, 2008. The on-line version will be posted 2 weeks later.

MOOSABEC soil series adopted in Maine

The MOOSABEC series has replaced the Waskish series. These are very poorly drained organic soils. For more information, visit the links in the left navigation column SOIL DATA and head to the OSD descriptions.

KNOB LOCK soil series adopted in Maine

"The Knob Lock series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained to excessively drained organic soils on mountains and hills. They formed in thin organic deposits underlain in most places by a very thin mineral horizon over bedrock. TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, frigid Lithic Udifolists" (Official Series Description)
Note that this soil series is in the frigid temperature regime. Ricker soils are now limited to the cryic temperature regime.
For more information, visit the links in the left navigation column SOIL DATA and head to the OSD descriptions.

MAPSS Display Board
MAPSS Secretary Dave Turcotte has overhauled the MAPSS display board. If you need it for a presentation, please contact Dave Turcotte.