Bama Environmental News (BEN) Year In Review Special

* The following is a listing of the top Alabama environmental headlines, stories and achievements of 2000. To read the stories go to http://www.BamaNews.com - click on BEN Archives and go to the (date) the BEN story appeared.

1) Conservation
2) State & Local Government
3) Waste/Pollution/Environmental Justice
4) Environmental Community
5) Environmental Reports/Surveys

We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent upon its vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed for our safety to its security and place, preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work and, I will say the love we give our fragile craft.

We cannot maintain it half fortunate, half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half slave to the ancient enemies of mankind and half free in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this day. No craft, no crew, can travel safely with such vast contradictions. On their resolution depends the security of us all.

-Adlai Stevenson, July 1965

1. Conservation

On April 1, the Dugger Mountain Wilderness Area (9200 acres) was officially dedicated during a mountaintop ceremony. (March 14)

The Nature Conservancy purchased 125 acres along the Cahaba River in Perry County. The biologically diverse sandbar on the Cahaba River is called "Barton's Beach." (April 17)

After eight years of debate and lawsuits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "lists" the Alabama Sturgeon as an endangered species. (May 5)

Forever Wild and the Jefferson County Commission purchased an additional 429 more acres of land adjacent to the Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve. The Forever Wild/JeffCo purchases increased the Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve to 977 acres, surpassing New York City's Central Park as one of the nation's largest urban preserves. (May 5)

"Our Green is Our Gold" Monument coalition lobbied the Clinton Administration to declare portions (140,000 acres) of the Bankhead and Talladega National Forests as National Monuments. (June 23 and July 24)

The Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama completes their "Madison Campaign" bringing their holdings on Wade Mountain to 550 acres. (June 23)

Congress passed legislation to create a 3500 acre Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County (the legislation was sponsored by Reps. Spencer Bachus and Bob Riley, and Sen. Jeff Sessions). President Bill Clinton signed the legislation into law this fall. (Oct.3)

Senator Jeff Sessions helped secure more than $20 million in Coastal Assistance funding for FY-2000-2001. Along with coastal funding, the state received $2.15 million in Federal Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) monies (funding the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge) and $1.4 million for state LWCF projects. (Nov. 3)

Forever Wild purchases a total of 2160 acres in 2000. Two parcels were acquired. A 227 acres tract adjacent to Ruffner Mountain in Birmingham and the 1933 acre Bayou Canot tract in Mobile County.

Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to create a 12,000 acre Longleaf Pine Wildlife Refuge in Calhoun County.

In a Spring resolution, the city of Florence commits $100,000 to be appropriated toward the pending Forever Wild purchase of the Shoal Creek Preserve.

2. State & Local Government

Conservation Department and Alabama Public Television launched "Outdoor Alabama" a 30 minute magazine TV show about Alabama's environment. (Jan. 24)

Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of a sales/subsidy tax plan used to fund state park renovations. The vote was 6-2. (Feb. 24)

The Red Hills Salamander was named Alabama's official "amphibian" by the Alabama legislature. (Apr. 5)

Governor Don Siegelman creates the Alabama Commission on Environmental Initiatives. The Commission holds 12 public hearings statewide attracting more than a 1000 people. In December, the Commission produces a "Draft" report containing 40 different consensus initiatives. (Apr. 27 and July 31)

The Jefferson County Commission has cleaned up more than 600 illegal dumps since March of 1999. Over 25 cases of criminal littering have been sent to the district attorney's office. (Apr. 27)

Auto emissions testing bill fails by one vote in Alabama legislature. (April 27)

The Alabama legislature passes into law the "Alabama the Beautiful" Scenic Byway legislation (a bill setting up a Scenic Byway system) and State Park legislation, authorizing the sale of bonds to renovate Alabama's state parks. (May 5)

Legislature finds $50,000 to help fund the Mobile Air Pollution Study. (May 21)

Governor Siegelman announces study to open up Causeway. Pulling together federal and state agencies, the governor announced plans to study the possibility of opening up the 73 year old, 8 mile long roadway that joins Baldwin and Mobile counties. (June 7)

Water war talks continue throughout 2000. The on again, off again, ACT and ACF river basins water allocation talks between Georgia, Alabama and Florida came to a head in December 2000. After talks broke down in early December - negotiators approved a last minute extension on December 28th. (July 31 and Dec. 19)

Governor Siegelman and State Forester Tim Boyce commit to the Forest Legacy Program, a federal program created to assist forest owners with conservation easements on lands threatened with conversion/development. (Aug. 8)

The city of Huntsville's plan to build a port on the Tennessee River, by crossing the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge is defeated after strong opposition from local citizens. (Aug. 31 and Sept. 8)

Conservation Department and Governor Siegelman create a "bass fishing trail" and "hunting and fishing trail" for people with disabilities. (Oct. 27 and Nov. 29)

City of Huntsville became the second municipality in the TVA region to join the "Green Switch" program, an innovative energy conservation project. (Dec.19)

Governor Siegelman selects the Pinhoti Trail as Alabama's its top Millennium Trail.

3. Waste/Pollution/Environmental Justice

Leeds, Alabama lead Superfund site hauls more than 190,000 tons of waste from 7 sites in 2000. (Jan. 31)

A large toxic plume found in downtown Montgomery endangers riverfront development plan. (March 24)

American Rivers, a national environmental group, declares the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) and Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river basins the 5th most endangered rivers in America. (April 11)

Alabama's latest Toxic Release Inventory figures (1998 data, released in 2000) show that industries released more than 147.9 million pounds of toxics into Alabama's environment. ( May 12)

Rep. Bob Riley called for an investigation/hearing on the causes for leaks at the Tooele, Utah chemical weapons incinerator. (June 7)

BPAmoco introduced cleaner gasoline in Birmingham. Birmingham Metro became the 5th city in the nation to receive BPAmoco's cleaner low sulfur fuel. (June 7)

Alabama Supreme Court reverses $52 million Lake Martin water pollution case. (Aug. 8)

ADEM adopts new Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations. (Aug 13)

10,000 ton a day landfill proposal in Macon County was defeated after overwhelming opposition expressed by local residents, Governor Siegelman and Jesse Jackson. (Aug. 24)

Birmingham area cities declared a water emergency this fall. As a result of the summer drought, mayors of Homewood, Birmingham, Hoover and Vestavia Hills declared a water emergency, a move that added police enforcement to outdoor
watering bans. Lake Purdy, one of B'ham's primary water sources had dropped below 39% of capacity. (Sept. 24 and Nov. 29)

Jefferson County and the city of Birmingham secured a $1.2 million lead grant to target houses and communities with above average concentrations of lead. (Oct. 13)

Developer in Baldwin county sentenced for wetlands violations. (Oct. 20)

ADEM assessed $1.8 million in fines for FY 1999-2000, an increase of $600,000 from the previous year. (Nov. 14)

4. Environmental Community

E. O Wilson addresses the Gulf of Mexico Symposium. (Jan. 31)

Alabama Rivers Alliance and nature photographer Beth Young lose offices to devastating fire. (June 7)

Environmental community creates "River Photography Fund" to support river conservation and the arts. (July 6)

Mercedes Benz holds international environmental event in Tuscaloosa. Several state environmental groups benefit from event. (June 23 and Sept. 23)

5. Environmental Reports/Surveys

Nature Conservancy released national species study. Alabama ranked 2nd in number of extinct species. (March 21)

In June, the Anniston Star produced a week-long critical editorial series on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. (June 23)

In November, the Birmingham News published "The Water We Drink," a three day series on Birmingham's water quality and dwindling supply.

Alabama ranked 49th among "green" indicators. (Nov. 29)

This month, the Huntsville Times published a four-day series on urban sprawl called, "Can Bigger Be Better?" (Dec. 19)

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 To receive back issues of BEN, please go to our website at: http://www.BamaNews.com