NEMWI's Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) is bringing a dozen mayors from nine of the Mississippi River states to Washington, DC this week. The mayors are gathering to laud the formation of a bicameral Mississippi River Caucus and unveil their platform to help the waterway for 2013. Senator Roy Blunt (MO), who chairs the bicameral Caucus, along with Congressman Tim Walz (MN), Ron Kind (WI), Stephen Fincher (TN), and Rick Crawford (AR), will be on hand to meet with the mayors. The mayors will also open a Mississippi River-focused art exhibit on the Hill; MRCTI partnered with arts organizations along the Mississippi to create a photography exhibit highlighting beauty, life, and challenges of the River. The exhibit is open to the public and will be the backdrop for an MRCTI mayors' press conference on March 21, 10:00am, Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. The exhibit will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm on March 21. 

For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director of the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a free half-day webcast training on April 3, entitled "Urban BMPS and the Bay TMDL: A Users Guide". The webcast will focus on the Chesapeake Bay Program's Expert Panel recommendations for each of the newly-approved urban best management practices (BMPs) for achieving nutrient and sediment reductions toward the Bay's total maximum daily load (TMDL). The training is designed for local stormwater permit managers, design engineers, state TMDL staff, and anyone else involved in getting credit for urban practices in the Bay TMDL. To register for the webcast, visit the EPA webcast site. 

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.