Factor that may have caused the unrest/looting in SA and how the teenagers engaged during looting.

development:   floodplain development often directly impacts wetlands by removing vegetation (increasing bank erosion),   and filling or draining wetlands for building sites.   floodplain development sometimes indirectly impacts riparian wetlands through the installation of artificial stream stabilizing devices like rip-rap and bulk-heads that attempt to stop the natural meandering process which creates new wetlands and replenishes existing ones.    

road building:   most river valleys have roads and/or railroads.   these structures squeeze rivers and streams by narrowing the floodplain.   this destabilizes the river which   has less room to meander and therefore has an excess of energy.   the roads and railroads also affect drainage from uplands onto the floodplains, and many are built on top of areas that once were wetlands.   such roads often create long, low-quality wetlands upslope of the road by interrupting surface and groundwater flows.   these wetlands can attract wildlife dangerously close to roads.   wetland loss caused by roads is mitigated through the restoration of other impacted wetlands although the replacement wetlands are not always of the same type and quality as those lost. see montana department of transportation's off-site wetland mitigation reserves map.

grazing: overgrazing harms wetlands through soil compaction, removal of vegetation, and stream bank destabilization.   wetlands offer some of the best forage for livestock as well as a water source and cover, so livestock tends to spend a disproportionately large time in wetlands.   there are many grazing strategies that discourage cattle from using wetlands. click on rwrp's web site for a discussion of these strategies.

agriculture:   wetlands often have fairly flat areas of rich organic soil that is highly productive agricultural land if drained.   for this reason many wetlands have been drained and converted to agricultural lands.  

mining: historic mining has had a major impact on wetlands of the clark fork basin, particularly along the upper river where mine wastes have been deposited in the floodplain, creating the country’s largest superfund site. view the superfund site.  

the epa also list the following as major human causes of wetland loss:   logging,   runoff, air and water pollution, introducing nonnative species. see examples of nonnative species here.

the following lists specific damaging actions commonly taken in wetlands.

dumping:   dumping fill material buries hydric soils and effectively lowers the water table so hydrophytic (water loving) plants cannot compete with upland plants.  

            dredging:   the removal of material from a wetland or river bed.   dredging of streams lowers the surrounding water table and dries up adjacent wetlands.

            draining:   water is drained from wetlands by cutting ditches into the ground which collect and transport water out of the wetland.   this lowers the water table and dries out the wetland.    

            diverting flow:   water is diverted around wetlands, lowering the water table.  

            devegetation:   vegetation plays an important role in wetland ecology by removing water through evapotranspiration, altering water and soil chemistry, providing habitat for wildlife, and reducing erosion.   removal of vegetation can drastically and sometimes irreversibly alter wetland function.

            damming flow:   many ponds and reservoirs are constructed on wetlands.   a flooded wetland cannot provide the same habitats and functions.  

            development of springs:   pumping large quantities of water from springs lowers nearby groundwater and can result in the loss of wetland vegetation.   compaction of springs by cattle can cause springs to cease to flow.

explanation:

d - failures.

the only attempted british colony in north america before 1600 was roanoke, virginia, which was a total failure. england claimed several areas, including newfoundland, but made no sustainable attempts to colonize them before 1600.

in the united states a public policy is an agreed upon way that our federal, state, or local government fulfills its responsibilities, such as protecting the rights of individuals and promoting the welfare of all the people. some public policies are written into laws by legislatures. other policies are contained in rules and regulations created by executive branches of government, the branches responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws.

the following are examples of public policies and the governmental agencies responsible for carrying them out.

school districts are responsible for making policies regarding student behavior and discipline. teachers and school administrators enforce these policies. state legislatures are responsible for making laws that place speed limits on drivers. police officers enforce these laws. city governments often adopt policies that prohibit people from operating liquor stores near public schools. city inspectors and zoning departments enforce these policies.

when people become aware of problems in their communities, they often want government to develop and carry out policies to deal with those problems. these may be problems for which there are

existing policies or laws that do not work well,

existing policies or laws that are not being enforced,

no policies or laws.

as a citizen of the united states you have a right to say what you think government should do about problems in your community. you also have a right to say what you think about problems in your state, the nation, and about international problems. you have the right to try to influence the decisions people in your government make about all of those problems.

to be able to participate effectively, however, citizens need to know which levels of government and which governmental agencies are responsible for changing, enforcing, or developing a specific public policy. for example, state legislatures may direct agencies to enact policies resulting from federal legislation. or, local governments may create policies in order to carry out responsibilities assigned to them through laws enacted at the state or federal level. additionally, as part of the process of developing and implementing policy, governmental agencies must determine if the new policy conflicts with existing legislation or policy.

this project is intended to you learn how to express your opinions, how to decide which level of government and which agency is most appropriate for dealing with the problem you identify, and how to influence policy decisions at that level of government. it calls for you to work cooperatively with others in your class and, with the of your teacher and adult volunteers, to accomplish the following tas