July 9, 1999
1) Alabama Legacy Millennium Trails Announced
2) Free Auto Emissions Testing Offered in B'ham Metro
3) Upclose: Mobile Register Examines the Sturgeon Issue
4) Excerpt: Huntsville Times Bald Eagle Editiorial
5) Environmental Library Website: Check Out the Bama Site
6) The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space
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1. Legacy Millennium Trails Announced - The Alabama
Millennium Trails
Committee which is headed up by honorary chair First Lady Lori
Siegelman and
chair Pete Conroy, has named the following trails as the state's
- "Alabama
Legacy Millennium Trails":
Alabama Coastal Trail System
The Selma to Montgomery Trail
Pinhoti Trail
Bankhead Trail System
More than 80 trails were submitted to the committee with 40 trails
falling
into the Legacy Trail catagory. It took the committee almost an
entire
working day to view photos/maps and discuss the "candidate"
trails. The
Legacy Trail winners will be eligible for a financial award from
the state.
In the coming weeks, the Governor will send his top choice or
all of the
nominees to the National Millennium Trails Green Ribbon Panel.
Next week,
the committee will be choosing the top "Community Trails"
throughout the
state. For more information about this exciting program promoting
Alabama's
trails, contact Pete Conroy at 256-782-5681.
2. Free Auto Emissions Testing Offered - Before I give
out the dates and
locations where residents in Jefferson and Shelby counties can
receive a free
auto emissions test, let me tell you - It is Easy! This past week
on
Tuesday, I had my 1988 240 Volvo tested, and I am proud to announce
it did
pass. The test only took about 3-4 minutes and even with 4 cars
ahead of me,
I was able to be "in and out" of the location in less
than 15 minutes.
Now, for folks who think - "hey if Pat's Volvo with 140,000
miles on it can
pass, my car should have no problem." Think again. A good
friend of mine
tested his 1995 Lexus and proceeded to fail the test. So, I encourage
folks
to take advantage of this free service being sponsored by the
Birmingham Area
Chamber of Commerce and Belbro Discount Auto. It is one simple
thing you can
do to clean up the air during the ozone season. Here are the scheduled
emissions testing sites in July.
July 14 - Belbro Discount Auto, 2111 Center Point Parkway
July 16-17 - Western Hills Mall
July 19 - West County Marketplace Shopping Center, 2000 Forestdale
Blvd.
July 22 - Pelham, site TBA
July 27 - Century Plaza Mall, at the Sears Auto Center off Crestwood
Blvd.
For additional details about locations contact Patrick Kennedy,
the
Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce at 323-5461
3. Upclose: The Mobile Register Examines the Sturgeon Issue
- Last Sunday
(July 4) Mobile Register staff reporters Bill Finch and Daniel
Cusick wrote
several powerful articles trying to clarify the current Alabama
Sturgeon
debate. The lengthy articles examine the dire economic claims,
the ongoing
decline of river traffic, and some of the politics concerning
the Sturgeon
issue. If you care about the sturgeon or endangered species issues
in
general, these articles are very enlightening. You can access
them on the web
at:
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/Jul1999/4-a263417a.html
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/Jul1999/4-a263522a.html
4. Huntsville Times: Bald Eagle Editorial - On July
6th the Huntsville Times
celebrated the "delisting" of the bald eagle with some
strong words in
support of the endangered species and conservation. Here is an
excerpt:
"...If protecting an endangered species has an economic
downside, where is
it? The nation's producers of food and fiber has never been more
effective
in their labors. The low prices that hurt today's farmers are
a result of too
much success, not too much environmental regulation.
The bigger lesson from the banning of DDT and the return of
the bald eagle is
that man is an inseparable part of the natural world. Sacrificing
wetlands,
endangered species or aesthetically pleasing open space for economic
gain is
shortsighted and wasteful, and in the long run waste is never
economical.
The future of the nation's symbol seems assured. But let's
not stop there.
Even beyond what the law requires, let's make preservation and
conservationan
intregal part of ethical public-policy decisions. It will ensure
the future
of all the planet's organisms and that includes us."
5. Environmental Library Website - The Committee for the
National Institute
for the Environment, whose goal is, "To improve the scientific
basis for
making decisions on environmental issues," has developed
a website that
promotes itself as the "National Library for the Environment".
It is an
incredible site, that actually is a "virtual" library
for anyone seeking
environmental news and information. My favorite link inside this
library
website are the "EPA Environmental Profiles." People
can access Alabama
toxics release information, air and water quality info, all by
typing in your
zip code. Here are the direct links:
Committee for the National Institute for the Environment
http://www.cnie.org/
EPA Environmental Profiles
http://tree2.epa.gov/ceis/ceis.nsf
6. The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space - The
Trust for Public Land
has released a very impressive publication showing "how land
conservation
helps communities grow smart and protect the bottom line."
Called "The
Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space" the document provides
chapters on
"Growing Smart", "Attracting Investment",
"Revitalizing Cities", "Protecting
Farms and Ranches", "Preventing Flood Damage",
and "Safeguarding the
Environment".
To receive a copy of this report contact me (Pat Byington)
at 205-226-7739 or
pkbyingto@aol.com. People can also view and download the document
at
http://www.tpl.org/tpl
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
