http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1025/OFR2013_1025.pdf
Describes landscape disturbances from hydraulic-fracturing used to extract natural gas from the MarcellusShale located in the Allegheny Plateau. From the U.S. Geological Survey
Despite the date, this report was released in March 2013. Provides information on the ecological condition of the nation’s rivers and streams (not good) and the key stress factors that affect them. It also compares changes in water quality from an earlier study, the Wadeable Streams Assessment of 2004. From the Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42992.pdf
The surge in gun sales following the Newtown school massacre and renewed legislative efforts at gun control have resulted in increases in funds for wildlife conservation from the excise tax on guns and ammunition sales. This report examines these taxes, their allocation, and their use. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41622.pdf
Describes controversies over whether environmental regulations affecting agriculture, especially those dealing with air, water, energy, and chemicals, will impair economic growth and productivity or are needed to protect against adverse impacts on the environment. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42432.pdf
Reports on the supply and price fluctuations of crude oil and natural gas, the amount that comes from federal lands, and whether production on federal lands could be increased by making drilling more attractive through price and permit changes. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1034/pdf/ofr2013-1034.pdf
Measures concentrations and loading estimates for nutrients, suspended sediment, and E.Coli bacteria at three monitoring stations of tributaries of the Potomac River. From the U.S. Geological Survey
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3008/fs2013-3008.pdf
Covers the status of water quality in the U.S., groundwater monitoring and modeling, predicting ecological conditions in streams, and forecasting future conditions. From the U.S. Geological Survey
http://www.unep.org/pdf/uyb_2013.pdf
Sounds an alarm about damage to the polar icecaps. As sea ice melts (it was 18% below previous recorded minimums in the summer of 2012), a rush to exploit natural resources creates conditions for further damage to the fragile system. From the United Nations Environment Programme