INFORMATION ON CLEAN VESSEL ACT NOW AT NEW DNR WEB SITE-

Why worry about your boating waste? Because improper disposal of sewage, whether
treated or raw, can impose major impacts on the environment. The Clean
Vessel Act was created to target this problem and inform the public.
Getting information on how you can comply is easier than ever with a new
Web site from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Check out
www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/vessel/index.html for information such as "Map of
Pumpout Stations" and "How to Operate a Pumpout." Contact Lorianne
Riggin DNR Inland Clean Vessel Act coordinator at RigginL@dnr.sc.gov, or
Scott Meister, DNR Coastal Clean Vessel Act coordinator, at
MeisterS@dnr.sc.gov, for more information. The U.S. Congress established
the Clean Vessel Act in 1992 to provide states with funds to educate the
public about the consequences of discharging sewage, as well as to
provide federal aid for marinas for up to 75 per cent of the approved
costs of pumpouts.

 DRAFT 2007 AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT PLAN 

            NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW

    The public is invited to review the Draft 2007 South Carolina
Aquatic Plant Management Plan through the S.C. Department of Natural
Resources. Comments and suggestions should be submitted in writing or
email and received by Monday, March 7, 2007.  No telephone comments will
be considered.
    The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in conjunction
with the S.C. Aquatic Plant Management Council is responsible for the
management of nuisance aquatic plants in the state's public waters.
Each year the DNR and the Council prepare an Aquatic Plant Management
Plan that identifies aquatic weed problem areas, prescribes management
strategies, and determines funding requirements.
    Part 2 of the Draft 2007 Aquatic Plant Management Plan
identifies 27 public water bodies, 8 State Park Lakes, and 9 SCDNR State
Lakes with aquatic weed problems and prescribes management strategies
for each problem area. The estimated cost of the proposed management
program is about $960,000.  A major focus of the plan is Phragmites
control in Coastal South Carolina with almost a third of the projected
budget being utilized for that.
    All comments should be received in writing or by email by the
closing date to ensure that they are given proper consideration in the
final plan.  No telephone messages will be considered.  Anyone
interested in providing input should contact Chris Page at the S.C.
Department of Natural Resources, 2730 Fish Hatchery Road, West Columbia,
SC 29172, fax (803) 755-0617, or e-mail invasiveweeds@dnr.sc.gov. 
    The plan is in Adobe PDF format and can be reviewed at:
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/water/envaff/aquatic/draftplan.html.