FMCS Environmental Quality and Affairs Committee
Chairs: Steve
McMurray and Braven Beaty
Statement of Organization and Purpose
The Environmental Quality and Affairs Committee
(EQAC) identifies and reviews current environmental issues and develops
public comments and position statements for the Society. The name
of this committee was changed from "Water Quality, Habitat, and Zebra Mussel Committee" in
March 2003. Comments have ranged from developing support letters
for conservation initiatives to review of Environmental Impact Statements.
It typically draws from the expertise of Society members as well
as like-minded members from other societies. If you are aware of
environmental issues or policy developments that could impact freshwater
mollusks in a positive or negative way, please bring them to the
Committee for review. Members that are interested in environmental
issues related to freshwater mollusks are encouraged to join the
EQAC.
FMCS Public Policy/Comments:
Comments on Proposed Endangered Status for Neosho Mucket, Threatened Status for Rabbitsfoot, and Designation of Critical Habitat for both species (December 2012)
FMCS
comments on the proposal to list the spectaclecase mussel (Cumberlandia
monodonta) and sheepnose (Plethobasus cyphyus) as Endangered under
the Endangered Species Act (March 2011)
FMCS support for the protection of freshwater mussel habitat in Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky (February
2011)
FMCS
letter in support of the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) petition to list
a large group of freshwater mollusk species under the US Endangered Species Act (May 2010)
FMCS
comments on the Draft 2009 Update Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria
for Ammonia – Freshwater” (March 2010)
FMCS
comments on proposed revisions to the SMCR Act (December 2009)
FMCS
support letter for the proposed regulation changes to list 15 mussels as Threatened
in Texas (November 2009)
FMCS support
for the elimination of the Nationwide Permit 21 (NW 21) (October 2009)
FMCS
support for the reauthorization of the consultation requirements (Section 7)
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (April 2009)
FMCS comment letter in support of PA mussel listing (December 2008)
FMCS
support letter for the Center of Biological Diversity petition to list
42 species of freshwater snails (November 2008)
FMCS
stream buffer zone letter (November 2008)
FMCS
ESA Revisions comments (September 2008)
FMCS
NFS support letter for Athearn collection (May 2008)
FMCS
EPA ammonia letter (April 2007)
FMCS
TVA land policy letter (November 2006)
FMCS
position on dredging (May 2006)
CLICK HERE TO JOIN FMCS AND THIS COMMITTEE