1) Georgia-Pacific Makes Large Donation to the Nature Conservancy
2) Conservation Department & APT Launches "Outdoor Alabama" TV Series
3) Greenprints 2000: The Real Super Bowl in Atlanta
4) More Green Power News: TVERC Looking for Green Power Organizer
5) A Website Article on "How to Save Energy, Money and Clean Air"
6) New Sierra Club Group Founded in Northeast Alabama
7) All Students!! Please Read This Announcement About Green Corps
8) Forever Wild Board Meeting Scheduled

****************************************************************

1) Georgia-Pacific Makes Large Donation to the Nature Conservancy - Last week, Georgia-Pacific and it's foundation announced it will provide $3 million in cash contributions over three years to support vital conservation efforts targeted by the Nature Conservancy. The contribution includes $1 million earmarked in 1999 for Nature Conservancy sites in Georgia , Florida and Alabama.

The Alabama site receiving a portion of this generous donation is the Grand Bay Savanna. The Grand Bay Savanna is one of the Nature Conservancy of Alabama's landscape scale, community based conservation projects located in southern Mobile County and southeastern Mississippi. The area includes uplands, wetlands and nearshore coastal waters comprising more than 300
square miles. Represented in the project area are a mosaic of some 20 distinct natural communities and no less than 73 rare species. Grand Bay Savanna supports one of the largest and least disturbed wet pine savannas in the U.S. Approximately 97% of these habitats have been altered or otherwise lost in recent years. For more information about the Grand Bay Savanna and the Nature Conservancy's efforts to preserve it, contact the state office at 205-251-1155.

2) Conservation Department & APT Launches "Outdoor Alabama" TV Series - Last night (Jan. 23), Alabama Public Television in a joint venture with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources launched an exciting new 30 minute magazine-type format TV program about Alabama's natural environment. The first show highlighted bald eagle restoration efforts at Guntersville Lake, development of deer antlers, hunter safety, a kid's corner and striped bass fishing and stocking efforts. The program will be shown year-round with 26 new shows each year.
In case you missed last night's show, it will be repeated on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.

3. Greenprints 2000: The Real Super Bowl in Atlanta - Forget the Super Bowl next week in Atlanta. The real Super Bowl event in Atlanta will be the Greenprints 2000 Sustainable Communities by Design Conference and Trade Show, which will be held February 6-8. For people interested in sustainable communities, this is one of the nation's premier conferences. A real "how to" conference, you can register for Greenprints 2000 by calling 404-653-0606.

4. More Green Power News: TVERC Looking for Green Power Organizer - The Tennessee Valley Energy Reform Coalition (TVERC) is looking for a Green Power Organizer. Even though the position will be based in Knoxville, the organizer will be working in Alabama along with other TVA states. Here is a description of this important new staff position:

About the Organizer position:

• The Organizer is a full time position based in Knoxville, responsible for coordinating TVERCís grassroots campaign in support of TVAís Green power Pricing Program and directing a field campaign to educate consumers on the value of Green Power. The organizer is accountable to the TVERC Executive Director.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Regular communication with TVERCís Executive Director
• Coordinate grassroots campaign network of "Green Teams";
• Work with TVA and Power Distributors to promote the Green Power Program
• Develop educational and promotional materials, media information
• Regional travel to targeted cities in the southeast

Experience and Qualifications:

• Commitment to the vision and mission of TVERC
• Experience working on environmental issue campaigns with a energy and/or
• Renewable energy background;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement a grassroots campaign program;
• Strong analytic and strategic campaign planning skills;
• Strong public speaking skills
• Ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds

Salary and Benefits:

• Annual salary of $23,000 - $30,000 per year (depending on experience)
• benefits including full medical coverage.

To apply/contact:
Send cover letter, resume, 3 references and 2 writing samples by January 31, 2000 to: Stephen Smith, TVERC, P.O. Box 1842, Knoxville, TN 37901.

5. A Website article on "How to Save Energy, Money and Clean Air" - While we are on the issue of sustainable communities and energy, I recently found a very good article on "Green Living" in E Magazine. The article provides helpful tips on how to reduce energy and your electric bills. Please check it out at: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/EDF-Letter/1999/Dec/h_green.html or http://www.emagazine.com

6. New Sierra Club Group Founded in Northeast Alabama - According to BEN reader Blake Otwell, the Alabama Chapter of the Sierra Club has officially endorsed the formation of the new Coosa Group to serve Northeast Alabama. With cutting issues such as the Ala/Ga "water wars", Little River Canyon and the chemical weapons incinerator, it is good to see a new Sierra group in that region of the state. The next meeting of the Coosa Group will be held Thursday, February 3rd at 6:30 in the Stone Center on the Jacksonville State University campus.

7) All Students!! Please Read This Announcement About Green Corps - Green Corps. the field school for environmental organizing is launching its annual search for the best and brightest young organizers to enter an intensive year long training program. Currently they are hiring activists for one year paid positions in their leadership training program. The early submission deadline for the Southeast is today January 24th, but I recently talked to them and they extended the deadline to Friday, January 28th. To learn more about the program and to apply, go to the Green Corps website at http://www.greencorps.org and fill out the application online. You can also e-mail Lynn Wood, the Southeast recruiter at: greencorpsrecruit@hotmail.com. Please e-mail me at pkbyington@aol.com if you also have any questions.

8. Forever Wild Board Meeting Scheduled - A reminder: The Board of Trustees for Forever Wild will be holding it's next board meeting Thursday, February 3rd at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the State Capitol auditorium.

Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists. If you have any questions or comments about this publication, contact Pat Byington, the author and publisher of BEN at 205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com We also encourage readers to visit our website at : http://www.BamaNews.com