May 29, 1999
1) Rep. Bob Riley Plans To Introduce Wilderness Bill
2) Mobile Bay Watch Secures Air Health Study
3) Nature Conservancy's Contribution To The Delta Deal
4) Region 2020 Announces Environmental Plans
5) Mobile Register Reporters Win Award for Delta Series
6) Enviro. Announcements: Land Trust News, Shades Creek Cleanup,
Waterwatch
Picnic and Nature Conservancy Job Opening
***********************************************
1. Rep. Riley Plans To Introduce Dugger Bill - According
to an Anniston Star
report (May 19), U.S. Rep. Bob Riley has announced that he will
introduce
legislation to designate Dugger Mountain, a roadless area within
the
Talladega National Forest, a Wilderness Area.
"I think we should increase the amount of wilderness areas
where campers and
hikers can go see places as nature intended it, and people will
still be able
to hunt and fish." stated Riley, the 3rd District Republican.
If this potential legislation passes, the Dugger Mountain Wilderness
area
would encompass more than 14,000 acres, and would join the Sipsey
in the
Bankhead National Forest and Cheaha in the Talladega National
Forest as
Alabama's only federally designated Wilderness areas. For more
information
about the Dugger Mountain Wilderness proposal, contact Pete Conroy
at the
Jacksoville State University Environmental Policy and Information
Center. His
number is 256-782-5681.
2. Mobile Bay Watch Secures Air Health Study - On May
19th Mobile Bay Watch
(MBW) and members of the Mobile County Board of Health met with
the State
Board of Health to discuss air quality in Mobile and a request
by Mobile Bay
Watch for the health department to impose a moratorium on the
issuance of any
further air pollution permits for Mobile County by ADEM. MBW further
sought
to prevent the opening of any industrial businesses, which may
already be
permitted to emit toxic pollutants, but are not yet on line, until
an
environmental impact statement and health study can be undertaken.
While falling short of issuing a moratorium, the State Board
reviewed
emissions data and health statistics and voted unanimously to
support the
"acquistion of hard scientific data and to discuss all available
data with
Mobile Bay Watch, ADEM, the governor's office and other interested
parties."
Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb, a local pulmonary specialist and chairman
of the Mobile
County Board of Health said "There is a growing concern among
my professional
colleagues regarding our local air quality and the health of the
general
population. We are very encouraged by the fact that the State
Board of
Health has recognized the need for a health and environmental
study to be
performed, and that they have put their full endorsement behind
doing such."
Mobile Bay Watch has already initiated discussions with several
independent
environmental/ecological specialists with regard to the comprehensive
environmental study for the area. It looks like the battle for
clean air in
Mobile has begun. For more information about the study and Mobile
Bay
Watch's positions please contact Casi Callaway, director at 334-665-1385.
3. Nature Conservancy Played Role In Delta Deal - The
Nature Conservancy is
renowned for doing things quietly behind the scenes. I'd like
to expose them
on this 47,000 acre Mobile Delta Deal.
In the pool of money that was gathered to buy these massive
tracts of land,
there was a $1 million dollar grant which came from federal funds
that was
designated specifically for the purchase of Delta lands. The State
of Alabama
had this "money in the bank" as a result of a partnership
between the Game
and Fish Division and the Nature Conservancy of Alabama (TNC).
Using their
professional staff TNC wrote and secured the million dollars (which
was also
the largest grant given nationally for this specific funding source)
which
was applied to the Delta purchase.
For the record, this was also the second $1 million dollar
grant that TNC had
secured for Forever Wild purchases. Almost 2 years ago TNC in
partnership
with Game and Fish secured a million dollars to purchase Gulf
Oak Ridge, one
of the Gulf's last intact maritine oak forests.
There are so many people to thank and recognize for putting
this historic
deal together. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama is yet another
group that
needs to be applauded.
Comment: When you look at the partnerships, alliances, and
the important
roles people played, big or small, on this Delta acquistion, it
makes you
proud to live in Alabama.
4. Region 2020 Announces Environmental Plans - Imagine
Central Alabama in the
year 2020. That vision was unveiled Monday (May 24) in downtown
Birmingham at
the McWane Center by Region 2020. Through an 18 month process
over 5000
citizens in Central Alabama participated in 24 public meetings
providing
thousands of ideas and insights on what would make the region
a better place
to live in 20 years. Region 2020, a citizen driven group, then
took on the
enormous task of boiling down all these these hopes, visions and
dreams into
a coherent plan for the future. Thirty (30) initiatives or "action
plans"
resulted from the process with nine (9) intiatives being environmentally
related. Those action plans include:
Preservation of Natural Resources - Greenbelts, Parks and Trails
- Clean Air
and Water - Waste Management -Planning & Zoning - Mass Transit
-
Transportation Infrastructure and Facilities - Alternative Modes
of
Transportation - Beautification
The overall plan is impressive and must read for anyone cares
about Central
Alabama's future. To learn more about Region 2020's vision for
Central
Alabama visit their website at:
http://www.region2020.org
or call them at 205-326-1100 or 888-326-1101.
5. Mobile Register Reporters Win Award for Delta Series
- Mobile Register
reporters Bill Finch and Sam Hodges were awarded the prestigious
Phillip D.
Reed Memorial Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment
by
the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) this week. The award
honors
the 36 page special report "A Wilderness Despite Us"
a fascinating story
about the past, present and potential future of the Mobile-Tensaw
Delta. The
report was published on December 20, 1998.
The award is named in memory of Phillip D. Reed, a founding
trustee of SELC
who helped guide the organization through the early years of its
development.
By recognizing top writing about the environment, SELC hopes to
raise public
awareness of the South's natural heritage and foster a conservation
ethic
that will protect that heritage. The series "A Wilderness
Despite Us"
touched many lives. Isn't it appropriate SELC announced this award
the same
week that the State/AWF purchased a large portion of the Delta
for protection
and preservation.
6. Environmental Announcements - Here are some environmental
"briefs" I
received this week (May 24-28).
Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama News - The Land
Trust will be
celebrating National Trails Day on Saturday June 5th at - mark
this down - 3
different locations. Locally, several hikes of varying skill levels
(from
easy to strenuous) will be offered at both Monte Sano State Park
-Hiker's
Parking Lot and The Land Trust - Bankhead Parkway. These hikes
will begin at
9:00 A.M. At 10:00 there will be a slow easy nature walk at Burritt
Museum's
paved handicapped accessible trail. The hikes are free and for
details
contact Heather Langford at 256-534-5263.
Alabama Trails Volunteer of the Year Awarded - The Land Trust
is also proud
to announce that one of their invaluable volunteers, Mr. John
Price of
Huntsville has been named Trails Volunteer of the Year. Mr. Price
is
recognized for the trail work he has performed on Wade Mountain.
Shades Creek Cleanup - The Friends of Shades Creek Watershed
along with the
Alabama Rivers Alliance, Alabama Environmental Council and the
Cahaba River
Society are holding a large cleanup event along Shades Creek in
Birmingham/Homewood/Mountain Brook. The event will be held on
June 12th
between 8-11: A.M. Call 322-3126 for meeting place directions.
Alabama Water Watch Picnic In Auburn - Also on the Saturday
June 12th Alabama
Water Watch will be holding it's 6th Annual Meeting and Picnic
in Auburn.
There will is a great agenda on tap, food and of course wonderful
fellowship.
For Registration details call AWW at 1-888-844-4785 by June 7th.
Nature Conservancy of Alabama Job Opening - So you want to
work for the
environment full time? The Nature Conservancy is seeking a "Conservation
Land Steward". Please call the Nature Conservancy of Alabama
State Office at
205-251-1155 to receive a full job description.
Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists.
If you have any questions about BEN, contact Pat Byington at
205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com
