October 13, 1999
1) Water War Victim: Weiss Lake Crappie Capital of the World
2) Fish Advisories Available On the Internet
3) Birmingham News Editorial: "Poor Air, Poor Health"
4) Introducing Ruffner Mountain's New Director
5) Environmental Tidbits: Birmingham Southern's "Gendered
Environments" Locust Fork River Survey, Earth Science Week
Proclaimed, New ! Earth Day 2000 Website
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A nation that destroys it's soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people." - President Franklin Roosevelt
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1. Water War Victim: Weiss Lake "Crappie Capital of the World" - How important is fishing and water quality to the small East Alabama communities that straddle the Alabama/Georgia border? According to recent economic and recreational studies, Weiss Lake "the Crappie Capital of the World" in Cherokee County Alabama is responsible for more than a $200 million impact annually. Statewide, Cherokee County sells 25% of all non-resident fishing licenses in Alabama annually, according to the Game and Fish Division of the Department of Conservation. Approximately 40% of Cherokee County's income comes from the revenues and turnover of dollars that the fishing industry generates. If the Georgia/Alabama Water War is not resolved, small resource dependent East Alabama communities such as the ones along Weiss Lake will be devastated.
These economic and environmental figures and concerns are documented in a very well written October 11th article by the Anniston Star, "Ebb & Flow: Residents Fear Weiss Lake Will Die if Water Compact With Georgia is Based on a Bare Minimum". (You can access the story at: http://www.annistonstar.com/news/news_19991011_4195.html Along with comprehensive interviews with local residents and activists, the article clearly points out the immediate "need" for the state of Alabama to enact a numerical water quality standard pertaining to nutrient levels in Alabama lakes. Currently the state has a narrative standard that is subjective and difficult to enforce. These new standards would help insure that the water quality of Alabama's lakes and rivers in East Alabama are protected.
For more information about the Georgia/Alabama Water War and how you can help, please contact the Alabama Rivers Alliance at 205-322-6395 or visit their website at: http://www.alabamarivers.org
2) Fish Advisories Available On the Internet - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making it easier for the public to find out if the fish they catch is safe to eat. Check for local fish consumption warnings on any river, lake, or stream in Alabama through EPA's national list of fish advisories. Visit EPA's site at: http://www.epa.gov/ost/fish
3) Birmingham News Editorial: "Poor Air, Poor Health" - The following excerpts comes from a pro- public health/clean air Birmingham News editorial that appeared in the October 13th edition titled, "Poor Air, Poor Health - Ozone Woes Send 3,000 in State to Hospitals".
"There's much more at stake than just the loss of industries and a holdup on road projects in the Birmingham area if we don't take steps to reduce our bad air days. Our health is at risk. ...According to the study by the National Center for Health Statistics, ground-level ozone-summertime smog - sent some 3000 Alabamians to hospital emergency rooms between April and October 1997. Of those , 1000 were admitted to the hospital.
...It's easy to focus on the economic penalties Birmingham pays for its air quality problems. Some 7000 jobs and $2 billion in construction have been lost. But the risks to public health are just as bad."
For the complete text of this outstanding editorial visit the
B'ham News site at:
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/Oct1999/13-e279853b.html
4) Introducing Ruffner Mountain's New Director - Cory J. Thomas has been named the Executive Director of Ruffner Mountain, a nature preserve and education center in eastern Birmingham. Thomas, formerly the Director of Development at McWane Center, took the position October 1. His appointment was announced by Marty Keller, president of the Board of Directors.
Thomas, 39, of Vestavia Hills, takes the helm as Ruffner Mountain prepares to expand to 1,000 acres of protected woodlands. A nature preserve/park, we may add, within the city limits of Birmingham, that is larger than New York's Central Park!
Ruffner Mountain was organized in 1977 by a group of community residents to preserve the last undeveloped woodlands on the Red Mountain ridge. The nature preserve has grown from its original 20-acre tract to encompass more than 500 acres. In cooperation with the Trust for Public Land, Ruffner is in the final phases of negotiation to acquire another 500 acres. It is managed by a private non-profit corporation, the Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition.
Please welcome Cory to Ruffner Mountain and this important position within the environmental community. He can reached at 205-833-8264.
5) Environmental Tidbits: Birmingham Southern's "Gendered Environments", Locust Fork River Survey, Earth Science Week Proclaimed, New ! Earth Day 2000 Website
Birmingham Southern's "Gendered Environments" Conference - Please mark your calendars for this very exciting conference that will be held at Birmingham Southern College, October 15-17. On Friday October 15th, 4:00 there will be a special "Alabama" panel of women leaders in the environmental movement. Mary Burks, the founder of the Alabama Conservancy, Cameron Vowell, National board member of the Nature Conservancy, Lynn Battle, founder of the Community Lead Education Poison Prevention Project (CLEPP), Beth Stewart, director of the Cahaba River Society and Jennifer Fairley, a local activist will be the featured speakers. A reception will immediately follow their presentation. At 7:00 that evening, nationally renown environmentalist Lois Gibbs will be speaking. Of course this is just a sampling of this weekend long conference. Please join us!! For more information about the conference and scheduled events contact Jane Archer at 205-226-4667 for additional details.
Friends of Locust Fork River Meeting - Please join Friends of the Locust Fork River on October 21st for a presentation by the United States Geological Survey's, on their just completed fish survey on the Locust Fork River. The slide presentation will include maps and locations of fish populations in the Locust Fork River. If you care about the Locust Fork and water quality, this meeting is a "must". The program begins at 5:30 and will take place at the Blount County Office Building located on Hwy 231 in Oneonta.
"Directions" - From Hwy 75 in Oneonta, take Hwy 231
North two blocks. The Auditorium is in the upper part of the building
with it's entrance on 5th Avenue East street. For more information
check out the Friends of Locust Fork River's web site at http://www.swma.com/flfr
or E-mail them at river@hopper.net
Earth Science Week - Governor Don Siegelman has proclaimed the week of October 10-16, 1999, Earth Science Week in Alabama. Earth Science Week is a time when earth science organizations, such as the Geological Survey of Alabama, devote extra effort to educating the public about earth science, and about the earth, home to us all. To view a copy of the Governor's proclamation, please visit the Geological Survey of Alabama's web site at http://www.gsa.state.al.us/
For more information about Earth Science Week, please visit the Earth Science Week web site at http://www.earthscienceworld.org/week/
The Geological Survey of Alabama is observing Earth Science Week (Oct. 10-16, 1999) by assisting Alabama schools in holding Earth Science festivals and other activities in October. The Survey participates in these festivals by donating educational materials, providing advice and information, lending educational kits, and lending the services of staff members to conduct demonstration activities. The Survey has plans in place to participate in five such activities in five different school systems (two in Madison County, two in Tuscaloosa County, and one in Baldwin County). Three of the activities will be held during Earth Science Week, and two will take place at other times during the month of October. For information, please contact David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Education Committee, Geological Survey of Alabama, PO Box 869999, Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6999. Telephone (205) 349-2852. FAX (205) 349-2861. Email davidkm@gsa.state.al.us
Earth Day 2000 Gearing Up - If you are interested in holding
a 30th anniversary Earth Day event in 2000, please contact Jill
Johnson, the Southeast regional coordinator for Earth Day 2000
out of Atlanta. To receive information about Earth Day 2000's
campaign, visit their website at : http://www.earth-day2000.org
or call Jill directly at 404-876-7050. It is not to late to sign
up.
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
