July 13, 1999
1) Poll: Strong Support For Sturgeon Listing & ESA
2) B'ham News Editorial On Forever Wild
3) Bald Eagles Back In Alabama
4) New Brochure on the Bankhead Heritage Trail
5) Website Describes Electricity in Alabama
6) AWF Announces Governor's Awards
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1. Poll: Sturgeon Listing and ESA Strongly Supported -
According to a Mobile
Register/University of South Alabama poll released last Sunday
(July11),
there is signficant public support for the federal listing of
the Alabama
Sturgeon and for the Endangered Species Act. The scientific poll
was
conducted between June 28-July 1. Here are the questions and results
of the
poll.
Do you think the government currently provides too much, too
little, or about
the right amount of protection for endangered species?
Too Much - 20% , About the right amount - 35% , Too little
- 35% , Don't
know/no answer - 10%
The Alabama Sturgeon is an extremely rare fish that once was
common in
Alabama rivers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to put
it on the
endangered species list with th hope of restoring a healthy sturgeon
population in the state. Would you approve or disapprove of putting
the
Alabama Sturgeon on the endangered species list?
Approve - 63% , Neither - 6% , Disapprove - 17% , DK/NA -14%
Which of the following reasons you disapprove of putting the
sturgeon on the
endangered species list? (Some who answered gave more than one
reason)
Would interfere with commercial operations - 41%
Too many species on the list already - 41%
Would have a negative impact on Alabama economy - 36%
Would interfere with recreational activities - 24%
Endangered Species Act should be abolished - 24%
DK/NA - 17%
2. B'ham News Editorial on the Forever Wild Program
- On Wednesday July 7th,
the Birmingham News published a supportive editorial on the Forever
Wild
Program titled, "Wild, Wild Trust - Forever Wild Finally
Living Up to Its
Promise". Here are some excerpts from the article.
"...Congratulations to the 15 members of the Forever Wild
board, which makes
decisions on what land to purchase and protect."
"...From a 17 acre tract where eagles nest to a 47,000
plus acre
environmentally rich land mass near the Gulf Coast, Forever Wild
is stepping
forward to fulfill its promise."
Since the fall of 1998, Forever Wild has participated in deals
to purchase
more than 55,000 acres (the Delta land is expected to close this
month). For
more information about the Forever Wild Program please contact
the State
Lands Division at 334-242-3484 or contact me (Pat Byington) at
pkbyington@aol.com or 205-254-8805.
3. Bald Eagles Back in Alabama - Last week, President
Clinton announced that
the Bald Eagle is coming off the federal endangered species list.
At present
there are more than 5000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower
48 states,
up from only 417 in 1963.
For decades there were no confirmed eagles nests in Alabama.
Today in Alabama
there are 26 confirmed eagle nests. Keith Hudson, a Conservation
Department
biologist, estimates that the state's winter population of bald
eagles has
climbed to about 300. In January and February there are now popular
"Eagle
Watch" programs being held at several Alabama's State Parks.
The comeback of the bald eagle is something we all should be
proud of in the
United States and Alabama. It shows that the Endangered Species
Act can
work, especially when we are committed to it.
4. New Brochure on the Bankhead Heritage Trail - It
is hard to call this new
"brochure" on the Bankhead Heritage Trail System produced
by Wild Alabama - a
"brochure". The word does not quite describe this beautiful
and colorful 18
x 24 fold out document which contains 22 color photos, a comprehensive
map,
and 17 descriptive "points of interests" wonderfully
described in well
written prose. This "Bankhead brochure" highlights and
describes not only
the famous Sipsey Wilderness, but also the 400 miles of pleistocene
relict
canyons, 100 waterfalls, the Bankhead's cultural and historic
wonders and
many of the region's recreational opportunities. This is a rich
and stunning
publication.
Wild Alabama has mass produced the Bankhead Heritage Trail
System publication
for the public. To obtain it, please contact Wild Alabama, P.O.
Box 117
Moulton, Al. 35650 or call 256-974-6166.
5. Website Describes Electricity In Alabama - If you
just spent $100 this
past month on your electric bill, wouldn't you want to know an
estimate
where it came from? What percentage was coal... hydro...renewables?
Or how
about the annual emissions (pollution) you contributed as a result
of your
energy consumption?
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has created an "Electricity
Label
Generator" that is designed to show how Your electricity
is produced - and
how much pollution is created in the process. Along with the "electricity
calculator" are webpages of information about "Green
Electricity" and
subjects ranging from global warming to renewable energy sources.
It's a
great site.
To visit this particular EDF site just access:
http://www.edf.org/programs/energy/green_power/x_calculator.html
6. Alabama Wildlife Federation Announces Awards - The
Alabama Wildlife
Federation (AWF) announced this week the winners of their prestigious17th
Annual Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards. This year AWF
will honor
this year's recipients at a banquet on July 23, in Montgomery.
Here is a sampling of AWF's 1999 Award winners:
Conservationist of the Year - Wm. "Red" Blount
Forest Conservationist of the Year - Alabama TREASURE Forest Association
Wildlife Conservationist of the Year - Glenn Coffee
Conservation Organization of the Year - Mobile County Wildlife
&Conservation
Association
Legislative Conservationist of the Year - Rep. James Hamilton
of Rogersville
Conservation Communicator of the Year - Writers and Photographers,
at the
Mobile Register for the publication "A Wilderness Despite
Us"
For more information about the Governor's Awards and the banquet,
please
contact AWF at 1-800-822-9453 or awf@mindspring.com
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
