Maine Assocation of Professional Soil Scientists

Welcome

|PAGE UPDATED ON May 18th, 2009|

Announcements - In Reverse Chronological Order

The 2009 MAPSS Guidelines are now uploaded. Use the link at left "Publications + MAPSS Guidelines" to download the PDF files.

The March 26th, 2009 MAPSS MEMBER DIRECTORIES are now uploaded. Use the link at left "Member Information" to download the PDF files.

2009 WETLAND DELINEATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND SITE EVALUATOR SOIL PIT CLASSIFICATION WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR September 9th, 2009
On Wednesday, September 9th, MAPSS, MASE, MAWS, SSSNNE, and the MFS will host a day-long field conference at Reid State Park. Regulatory staff include Paul Minkin, Senior Wetland Scientist with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Marcia Spencer-Famous (LURC), Doug Coombs (State of Maine Site Evaluator), and Mike Mullen (MDEP). Topics to be covered include:

Determination and delineation of wetlands using both the existing 1987 ACOE Manual and the Draft Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Northcentral and Northeast Region.
4 transects that begin in uplands and extend into wetlands
Parent materials to include: glacial till, marine sediments (Presumpscot Formation), coastal sand dunes, and alluvium.
Each transect will have a soil and plant expert
Each transect will have specific soil pits for Site Evaluators emphasizing the new 9 inch depth to a limiting factor
An afternoon panel discussion and PowerPoint presentation with regulatory staff on the 4 transects and the Site Evaluator soil pits

Download the field conference description and registration form.

Download the DRAFT Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Northcentral and Northeast Region (5.7 megabytes).

You must register by 9am and participate throughout the day, including the afternoon panel discussion, in order to receive CEU Certificates of attendance that will be available at the conclusion of the workshop.
The New Hampshsire Board of Licensure for Natural Scientists has granted 2.0 CEUs for Soil Scientists and for Wetland Scientists

Photo on left shows a challenging forested wetland? or upland dominated by Picea rubens and Abies balsamea. Photo on right shows a challenging wetland delineation along a Great Pond. A soil scientist and botanist will be available at each transect.

Photo on left shows glacial till with water in the soil pit. How does the Hydrology parameter match the soil morphology? Photo on right - are those redoximorphic features in the Bs horizon?

Photo on left shows a soil pit in marine sediment (Presumpscot Formation). Is this a Scantic (poorly drained) or Lamoine (somewhat poorly drained) soil? Try keying out the drainage class using both the New England Indicators and the new National Indicators. Photo on right shows the afternoon discussion session with State and Federal regulators in the pavillion. This is also the lunch area. BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH AND DRINKS.

This workshop should have broad appeal to soil scientists, wetland scientists, site evaluators, code enforcement officers, planners, municipal officials, regulators, lake association members, foresters and the general public. You can participate at whatever level is appropriate for your background and knowledge of wetland delineation and septic system soil pit evaluation (the experts at each transect site will provide the level of assistance you require).

LOGISTICAL NOTES
Be sure to tell the ranger at the gate that you are registering for the MAPSS workshop. Otherwise, you will be charged $4.50 per person to enter the park.

Parking is limited, so PLEASE CAR-POOL to the extent practicable.

The 2009 Executive Committee was elected at the Annual Meeting on March 10th. Use the link to the left for the new E.C. and Committee Chair list and e-mail contacts.

Why soil is important: that 10 inch thick Ap horizon is all that separates us from starvation. See the review of Dirt the Movie

MAPSS ANNUAL MEETING WAS HELD ON Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at the Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center in Hallowell, Maine.

Morning business meeting with presentations by University of Maine faculty, UMaine Soil Judging Team, and NRCS; begin discussion of SITE LAW REVISIONS AND MAPSS GUIDELINES REVISIONS, break for buffet lunch, followed by afternoon presentations and panel discussions on:
Continuation of SITE LAW and MAPSS GUIDELINES REVISIONS, including the new Linear Soil Survey (Class L) and accompanying connotative soil map: panel discussion with Dave Rocque (State Soil Scientist), Al Frick (Al Frick Associates), Marsha Spencer-Famous (LURC), and Jim Cassida (MDEP)
The National Indicators for Identifying Hydric Soils: Paul Minkin, US ACOE, will discuss the field testing of the Interim Northeast Regional Supplement to the 1987 ACOE Wetland Manual with the help of local experts familiar with the New England Field Indicators ( some MAPSS members helped with the field testing in Maine and can answer questions on a comparison of the two soils keys). He traveled throughout New England field testing the Supplement and will use a PowerPoint presentation of the results. His talk will cover soils, vegetation, and hydrology, with a focus on vegetation and hydrology.
Steve Roberge, Third Party Inspector, will discuss the unique hydrology of high mountain areas and erosion control techniques necessary to construct projects there (from an engineer's prospective). He will use a PowerPoint presentation of his experience as a third party inspector.
Discussion and implications for making hydric determinations for soils with OXYAQUIC conditions (cool climate soils of coastal areas, high elevation areas, and northern Maine)

Please download the AGENDA and REGISTRATION FORM and return by Friday, February 27th.
Please prepare for the Annual Meeting by carefully reading the following documents (in PDF format):

Download the document Proposed Revisions to the Site Location of Development Law
Download the document MEMO with comments to Jim Cassida regarding the Site Law Application.
Download the 2008 Annual Meeting Minutes by using the link at left. The membership will need to approve these during the morning business meeting.
The New Hampshire Board of Licensure for Natural Scientists has awarded 1.0 CEUs for both WETLAND SCIENTISTS and SOIL SCIENTISTS for those atteding the day-long meeting.
The Subsurface Wastewater Program, Division of Environmental Health will allow three 3.0 professional development hours for the March 10th, 2009, Maine Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Annual Meeting.

MAWS VERNAL POOL WORKSKHOP scheduled for February 6th, 2009. Download the registration information by clicking on the Ambystoma maculatum

MAWS ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED for Friday, March 27th, 2009 at the Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center in Hallowell, Maine. Download the program agenda and registation forms .

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING scheduled for 1pm on Friday, November 21st, 2008, in Belfast. Meeting is open to MAPSS members; contact info@mapss.org for more information. Agenda to focus on planning for the 2009 MAPSS Annual Meeting, increased support for the UMaine Soil Judging Team, maintaining the relevance of soil mapping as land use ordinances change, and updating the MAPSS Guidelines for the new expedited soil surveys.

UMAINE SOIL JUDGING TEAM placed 5th out of 11 universities. Photos and summary page. Read the full report by Mary Beth Parent.

MASE / MAPSS Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, September 25th, 2008
The Invitation is attached which includes a schedule for the day, a map of the location, and directions to the site from Interstate 95.
The New Hampshire Board has awarded 2.0 CEUs for NH licensed soil and wetland scientists.
The workshop is free for all members of MASE or MAPSS. Cost is $10 for all others.
Please reply to this email: gfullerton@sebagotechnics.com
or call me at 856-0277 if you plan on attending so I can purchase a meal for you. If I don’t hear from you, I can’t guarantee there will be food for you.
Hope to see you there!
Gary M. Fullerton, CSS, LSE
NOTE - for past year's photos and reports, go to "Past Events & Workshops...." in the left navigation pane.

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.

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

AGENDA
The REGISTRATION FORM is now available.
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).
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.
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.