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Bama Environmental News - BEN
October 6, 1999

1) Ozone Pollution Sends 3000 Alabamians to the ER According to Study
2) Sierra Club Study: Alabama Not Addressing Sprawl
3) Check Out the New BEN Website
4) Alabama Outdoor Columnist Mike Bolton Calls For Action on LWCF
5) Important Conference Announced On the Future of Hunting and Fishing in Bama
6) Enviro. Tidbits - Special TREASURED Forest Speaker, Children Calling for Special Recognition of Red Hill Salamander, Camp McDowell Enviro Position Open, WildLaw Essay Contest Announced

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"Saint George killed the last dragon, and he was called a hero for it. I've never seen a dragon, and I wish he would have left at least one. Saint Patrick made a name for himself by running the snakes out of Ireland, leaving the place vulnerable to rodent infestation. This business of making saints out of men who exterminate their fellow creatures has got to stop. All I'm saying is, it's starting to get a little lonely up here at the top of the food chain." - Excerpt from the book "The Big Picture" by Comedian A. Whitney Brown
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1. Ozone Pollution Sends 3000 Alabamians to the ER According to Report - According to a report released this week by Clear the Air: National Campaign Against Dirty Power, a joint project of the National Environmental Trust and the United States Public Interest Research Groups (USPIRG) thousands of Alabamians experience "summer smog" ozone-related adverse health effects.

The report was based on the health study "Out of Breath: Health Effects From Ozone in the Eastern U.S.", authored by Abt Associates, the consulting firm under contract with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to analyze air pollution damages, in the 37 Eastern states affected by EPA's summer smog rule. According to the study's findings, in the summer of 1997, Alabama had the following "ozone related" adverse health effects.

Statewide - Respiratory admissions - 1000, Total Respiratory ER visits - 3,000, Asthma ER visits - 350, Minor Symptoms - 1,700,000, Asthma Attacks - 130,000

In Birmingham - Respiratory admissions - 170, Total Respiratory ER visits - 510, Asthma ER visits - 64, Minor Symptoms - 320,000, Asthma Attacks - 24,000

In Mobile - Respiratory admissions - 88, Total Respiratory ER Visits - 264, Asthma ER visits - 32, Minor Symptoms - 160,000, Asthma Attacks - 12,000

In Montgomery - Respiratory admissions - 50, Total Respiratory ER Visits -149, Asthma ER visits- 18, Minor Symptoms - 85,000, Asthma Attacks - 6,600

For more detailed information about this report, it's methodology, sources and conclusions, please visit the coalition's website at http://www.cleanair.net

2. Sierra Club Study: Alabama Not Addressing Sprawl - Alabama lags far behind neighboring states in planning for land-use and transportation according to a new report issued by the Sierra Club on "Sprawl".

Urban Sprawl is quickly becoming a major environmental issue throughout Alabama as statistics show the rapid conversion of forests and farmland into built up areas. Sprawl is associated with loss of habitat, increased air and water pollution and the decline of urban centers. For example, in a report earlier this year by the Mobile Register, Mobile County's rural to urban land conversion has outpaced population by a margin of four to one since 1975. While the county's population grew by 25% from 320,000 to 400,000 in two decades the amount of urbanized land in the county has grown from 82,000 acres to more than 170,000 acres.

Here is how Alabama ranked and fared with our neighbors in the Sierra Club national report.

Land Use Planning - Georgia - 4th, Tennessee -6th, Florida -11th, Mississippi - 31st, Alabama - 42nd

Transportation Planning - Georgia - 24th, Florida - 29th, Tennessee - 46th, Al abama -47th , Mississippi - 49th

Open Space Protection - Florida -14th, Georgia - 25th, Tennessee - 34th, Mississippi - 36th, Alabama - 37th

Community Revitalization - Georgia - 6th, Florida - 13th, Mississippi-14th, Al abama-22nd, Tennessee 39th.

For complete details about the Sierra Club Sprawl report, please visit their national website at http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/report99/

3. Check Out the New BEN Website - Ever wanted to find that edition of BEN featuring Alabama websites? Or search for that story on the Water Wars? Now you can access all of the 80 plus editions of BEN at our new website http://www.bamanews.com

Please bookmark this new site which includes "archived BEN's", links to most of Alabama's media outlets and environmentally related organizations, and a listing of BEN Quotes. In coming weeks we will also be publishing action alerts and recent environmental polls.

4. Alabama Outdoor Columnist Mike Bolton Calls For Action on LWCF - "The Land Water Conservation Fund is a lot like your gall bladder. You've got one, you benefit from it, you don't ever pay attention to it, but it hurts if it has to come out." - Introductory paragraph to Outdoor Columnist Mike Bolton's, October 3rd Birmingham News Column

In a very strong and frank op-ed, longtime Birmingham News outdoors writer Mike Bolton called on Congress to stop raiding the Land Water and Conservation Fund (LWCF) and to fully and permanently fund it. The column titled "Congress Raids Funds for Parks With Impunity" is a well written and a "must read". Please access this article and share it with your friends and local public officials. It truly sums up the importance of LWCF and the need to permanently and fully fund it. People can find the column at: http://www.al.com/columnists/birmingham/mbolton/10031999-e254716b.html

5. Important Conference Announced On the Future of Hunting and Fishing in Bama - The new Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation will be hosting the "Alabama Symposium on the Future of Hunting and Fishing" October 21 at the Montgomery Civic Center.

The conference which is being promoted and led by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and a number of wildlife groups will tackle important issues such as the recent decline in the number of hunters, anglers and shooting sports enthusiasts in Alabama. Since the Alabama Department of Conservation pins most of it's revenue on the purchase of licenses and fees paid by hunters and fishermen, the future of the agency and it's ability to effectively manage and conserve Alabama's natural resources could be in jeopardy. This is a very important conference even for people who do not hunt and fish. For more information about attending this symposium contact the Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Conservation at 334-242-3465.

6. Enviro. Tidbits - Special TREASURED Forest Speaker, Children Calling for Special Recognition of Red Hill Salamander, Camp McDowell Enviro Position Open, WildLaw Essay Contest Announced

Special TREASURED Forest Speaker - My good friend Dan Dumont, director of the Alabama Forest Resources Center has informed me that one of the nation's experts on conservation easements and preserving timberland for small family forestowners will be speaking at the TREASURED Forest Landowner Conference this Friday (Oct. 8th). Dr. Stephen Small is an author and former advisor in the Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS, where he wrote the federal income tax regulations on conservation easements.

If you care about conservation easements and preserving timberland this presentation is a "can't miss" (Continuing Legal Education credit has also been approved). Dr. Smith's presentation is scheduled for 8:00 A.M. Friday morning (Oct. 8) at the Four Points Sheraton/Paul Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa. For more information call 334-887-4510.

Children To Launch Red Hills Salamander Campaign - Currently, Alabama does not have a designated "state amphibian". Yet.... The students of Fairhope Elementary School in Baldwin County are sponsoring the adoption of the Red Hills Salamander as our state amphibian, and are hosting a reception at the school's library, Monday, October 11th, at 4:00 P.M. Several local and state legislators and biologists, including Dr. Robert Mount (author of, The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama) are expected to attend. A 20 minute video presentation will be shown at the reception. If want to attend, please RSVP the school at 334-928-8400. Let' hear it for the Red Hills Salamander!!!

Camp McDowell Seeking Homeroom Habitat Instructor - The Camp McDowell Environmental Center's Homeroom Habitat Program is seeking an instructor to teach outreach classes in the Birmingham area. The position will last from December through February, with time off over the holidays and the possibility of long-term opportunities and promotion. Applicants should have a college degree, background in environmental issues, experience working with children and a desire to play! The job involves visiting local fifth grade classrooms and leading students in games and activities that teach about urban-focused natural science and environmental issues. The schedule will average two classes per day, and each class lasts about 1.5 hours. For more information please call Nicole at 205-387-1806 or e-mail her at arborgirl@hotmail.com

WildLaw Essay Contest Announced - As part of WildLawís program to educate people about environmental laws and issues, WildLaw announced last week an essay contest for 4th through 6th graders throughout the United States. Now through March 2000, students are encouraged to submit a 500-word essay on "What the Endangered Species Act Means to Me." Contest ends March 15, 2000, and the winner will be announced May 15, 2000. The winner will receive $5,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds for college, and the winning essay and four runners up will be published on WildLawís Web site.


For more information, go to http://www.wildlaw.org or contact Ray Vaughan at 334/265-6529.

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