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A Dear BEN Readers,

As you can see BEN is back after a two month break.

I want to say "thank you!" to all of the readers who sent notes to me on the birth of our first child, Whitney Rose. My wife Kathy and I have collected all of the e-mails (over 170), and pasted them in a book to present to Whitney when she gets older. I think it will show her the incredible number of people who cared about her and her family during that very special first month of her life.

Whitney and Kathy are doing very well. And again, thank you for your notes of encouragement, support, advice, congrats and prayers. They have truly touched our hearts, and we are very thankful.

Best Wishes,

Pat Byington
BEN Publisher

P.S. If you haven't seen the birth announcement you can access it at: http://homepage.mac.com/willbyington/Events20.html

1. Alabama Environmental Management Commission to Hold Public Meetings - The Alabama Environmental Management Commission (EMC) will be holding five public meetings across Alabama in the next two weeks. The EMC, which oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is seeking public input to assist in the development of a Strategic Plan for the EMC and ADEM. The adoption of a strategic plan is scheduled for February 2004. The public meetings will be held on the following dates and locations:

Groups sponsoring the meetings include - the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at A&M, Southern Environmental Center and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program.

2. Birmingham Area Attains 1-Hour Ozone Standard - This past summer, the 10 air quality monitors used to measure ground-level ozone in the Jefferson/Shelby County area recorded no exceedances of the 1-hour ozone standard. As a result, ADEM will be formally requesting EPA to re-designate the Jefferson/Shelby County area as in "attainment" of the 1-hour standard.

Throughout the 1990's Jefferson/Shelby counties were declared "marginal" non-attainment for the 1 hour standard. Under ADEM's State Implementation Plans (SIP), programs ranging from voluntary emissions reductions programs, regulatory controls to reduce NOx emissions, and cleaner - burning gasoline, all played a role in bringing the region back into compliance of the air quality standard.

The attainment of the 1-hour standard closes a chapter in the air quality history of the region. In 2004, the region will be faced with new designations under EPA's new 8-hour ozone standard in April of 2004. For additional information about Birmingham's air quality go to the Alabama Partners for Clean Air website at http://www.alabamacleanair.com.

3. Forest Legacy Program Set to Protect 4000 Acres of Delta Land - According to the Mobile Register, a $3 million Forestry Legacy grant will aid in the purchase of some 4000 acres of unusual forest land and black bear habitat on the edge of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

The tract, which lies within the city limits of Saraland and Mobile, is a network of dry bluffs, sandy natural beaches and thick swamps and bogs surrounding Bayou Sara. Greg Lein, biologist with the Department of Conservation described the tract of land as the largest block of public land to be added to the Delta since the first Forever Wild acquisitions of tens of thousands of acres in the late 1990's.

Dan Dumont, of the Alabama Forest Resource Center, the group that administers the Forest Legacy program in Alabama, stated the Delta tract was the number one Forest Legacy tract for the nation last year, after it was scored for it's biological importance to the region.

4. Urban Forestry Popular and Supported According to Survey - "What Trees Mean to Alabamians" That was the theme of a survey conducted this summer by the Center for Governmental Services at Auburn University, working with the Urban Forestry Partnership. Here are some of the findings:

The survey was conducted from July 14 to July 24, 2003; and there wee 506 completed responses, yielding a +/- 4.5% margin of error. For more information about the entire survey contact Auburn University at 334-844-4781.

5. Mobile Register's : "LNG - Analyzing Risk" Series - For the past 2-3 months there have been more than 20 stories and op-eds published in the Mobile Register about the ExxonMobil Corp's proposal to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Mobile Bay. The Register has compiled these articles at it's Alabama Live website.

6. BEN Notes - Alabama Power Tree Grants, Cahaba River Publishing at Brookwood Mall, New Alabama Forest Service Chief, Now and Forever CD's, RedRainstore.com.

Alabama Power Tree Grants - Communities across Alabama are receiving cash grants to purchase trees for parks, schoolyards and other public spaces under a partnership between the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Urban Forestry Association.

This year, the program provided $52,000 in grants to 47 communities in Alabama. Over the past five years, more than $241,000 in grants have been distributed to more than 246 cities, counties, schools and community groups. To learn more about this year's grantees go to http://www.aufa.com.

Cahaba River Publishing at Brookwood Mall - Once again, folks will have a great opportunity to purchase Beth Maynor Young's beautiful notecards and prints at Brookwood Mall this holiday season. If you don't want to leave your house or drive to Birmingham, order Beth's work online at http://www.kingfishereditions.com.

New Alabama Forest Service Chief - Steve Rickerson, a 28 year veteran of the USDA Forest Service, has been chosen to oversee the 660,000 acres of National Forests in Alabama, beginning in mid-January. Before becoming Alabama's supervisor, Rickerson served as deputy supervisor for the Cherokee National Forest. Rickerson replaces Jim Gooder, who recently accepted an assistant director's post in Minnesota.

Now and Forever CD's - In a joint project between the Nature Conservancy of Alabama and Alabama Power, a new environmental education interactive CD-Rom program titled "Now and Forever Alabama" is now available to educators free of charge. The disks provides details about the Nature Conservancy's 17 preserves across Alabama. To learn more about the program and how it works, visit http://www.nowandforeveralabama.org.

RedRainstore.com - Check out in person or on the web one of Alabama's best environmental "General Stores" - Red Rain. Currently, Red Rain is running several discount specials and committing proceeds to benefit several environmental groups. You can visit Red Rain on the web at http://www.redrainstore.com.