Water and Our Changing Landscape

Perspectives from the Wild and Scenic White Clay Watershed

April 14, 2005

Clayton Hall, University of Delaware

Biographies of Conference Presenters

Charles Barscz, Topic: National Park Service Perspective

Manager, National Rivers, National Park Service

Chuck Barscz joined the National Park Service as a professional planner in 1989, working primarily in the area of river conservation. Since that time Chuck has worked on several partnership wild and scenic rivers including the Great Egg Harbor River and Maurice River in New Jersey; the White Clay Creek in Pennsylvania and Delaware; the Upper, Middle and Lower Delaware River in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey and the New River in WV. Part of Chuck’s responsibilities includes developing and implementing river management plans to protect the outstandingly remarkable natural, cultural and recreational resources associated with wild and scenic rivers. Before joining the National Park Service Chuck was the Assistant Town Planner for Wilton, Connecticut. Prior to that Chuck was a land surveyor for Chandler, Palmer and King, Architects and Engineers, Norwich, Connecticut. Chuck received an MLA in Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS in Geography from the University of Idaho, and an AAS in Forestry/Forest Recreation from Paul Smith’s College.

Linda Stapleford Topic: Wild and Scenic White Clay Creek Report

River Administrator, White Clay Creek Watershed Management Committee

Linda’s love for nature led her to work in the environmental and education arena for the past twenty years. Prior to her appointment as the White Clay Wild and Scenic program River Administrator, she did public outreach and program administration for the Delaware Nature Society’s natural resources conservation department for 12 years. Her interest in environmental education was a primary focus for an earlier career teaching sciences at the secondary school level. She has a Bachelor of Arts in biology and education from Denison University and a Master of Applied Sciences in environmental engineering from the University of Delaware.

Dr. Bernard Sweeney Topic: White Clay Creek: A Historical and Scientific Perspective

Executive Director, Stroud Water Research Center

Bernard W. Sweeney is presently Director, President, and Senior Research Scientist at the Stroud Water Research Center, an independent research institution focused on stream and river ecology located in Pennsylvania. He is also President of the Asociacion Centro de Investigacion Stroud, a non-profit Costa Rican corporation established to facilitate research and educational programs related to tropical stream ecology. He has an adjunct Professor appointment at the University of Pennsylvania in the Biology Department and School of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests include the ecology of stream invertebrates, the role of streamside forests in the structure and function of streams, the genetic structure and secondary production of aquatic insects, stream pollution assessment, and stream restoration. He received the 2003 National Award of Excellence in Conservation from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service for his research and work on the restoration of streams and their riparian corridors.

Rick Darke Keynote: The Livable Landscape

President, Rick Darke, LLC

Rick Darke is a widely published author, photographer, educator, and consultant focused on regional landscape design, planning, conservation, and enhancement. Blending art, ecology, and cultural geography, Darke is dedicated to the design and conservation of the livable landscape, and has been profiled on National Public Radio. He has been studying and photographing the White Clay Creek watershed for nearly thirty years, and this work is reflected in many of his articles and books, including The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest, which received the American Horticultural Society's Book Award, the Garden Writers Association Golden Globe Award for book photography, and the National Arbor Day Foundation's Certificate of Merit. A University of Delaware graduate and current Vice President of the London Britain Township Land Trust, Rick lives in Landenberg, PA, a short walk from the White Clay Creek.

Frank Piorko Topic: Stormwater Utilities

Environmental Prog. Administrator, Drainage Section, Div.of Soil and Water Conservation, DNREC

Frank Piorko is an Environmental Program Administrator with Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Soil and Water Conservation. Frank has been involved with Stormwater Management Programs at the local, county and state level for 19 years. Frank is responsible for the State Drainage, Sediment and Stormwater Program and participates in land use and environmental committees throughout the State. Frank is a graduate of the University of Delaware holding a Bachelors of Science Degree in Agricultural and Natural Sciences and a Masters of Science in Public Administration from Wilmington College.

Jeffrey Bross Topic: Recharge and Facility Design

President, Duffield Associates

As President of Duffield Associates, Inc., a geoscience consulting firm, Mr. Bross has administrative, consulting, and project management responsibility for, water resources, coastal engineering, environmental, solid and hazardous waste, and regulatory agency projects. He has authored numerous technical articles and papers and is a featured national speaker on issues involving environmental and construction matters. Mr. Bross is a Registered Professional Engineer in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nebraska. He is the Past-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Committee of 100 and the Associated General Contractors of Delaware as well as being National Chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies and Associated General Contractor’s Construction Liaison Committee. He is an appointed member of the State of Delaware Workforce Investment Board, the State of Delaware Surface Water Taskforce, and the State of Delaware Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council. He is also an instructor for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware.

Wesley Horner Topic: Pennsylvania’s Initiative: New Stormwater Manual

AICP, Principal Planner, Cahill Associates

Mr. Horner has 30 years of experience in environmental planning and management, with specialization in all aspects of water resources in both the private and public sectors. Prior to returning to Cahill Associates in 2001 and serving as project manager for PADEP’s new stormwater BMP manual, he served as Associate Director of the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Management Center and directed the Municipal Assistance Program and was responsible for the Water Based Land Use Regulation program. He directed preparation of a the State of Delaware’s Conservation Design for Stormwater Management. At Cahill, he has been a principal designer of the Sustainable Watershed Management Plan and Program for Northern Chester County and developed the concept of “Minimum Disturbance/Minimum Maintenance,” a non-structural approach to stormwater management. His other experience covers numerous environmental impact projects and studies across the country. Mr. Horner received his Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1975, his undergraduate degree from Haverford College, and is registered in the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Daniel J. Greig Topic: Chester County Initiatives

Director, Chester County Conservation District

Dan is the manager of the Chester County Conservation District. He is a graduate of West Chester University with a BA. in Geography. He has worked for the Conservation District for 26 yrs. Dan major conservation district experiences have been involving stormwater management BMPs, and the installation of mushroom and other agricultural BMPs. Dan lives in East Fallowfield PA, in the heart of Chester County’s Brandywine Watershed.

John Harrod Topic: Backyard Habitats/SMARTyards: A Municipal Outreach Tool

Backyard Habitat Coordinator, Delaware Nature Society

Mr. Harrod administers the Delaware Nature Society’s Backyard Habitat Program, promoting habitat enhancement and biodiversity conservation and cultivating a stewardship ethic. John has a B.S. degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University and M.S. degree in public horticulture from the University of Delaware. John has worked in design-build nursery and landscape businesses, and in botanical gardens including Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. He also writes and lectures on environmentally responsible gardening.