1) Nature Conservancy Releases Species Study: Alabama Ranked 2nd in Extinctions
2) If Water War Talks Fail... Who Wins? The Lawyers
3) Finally! New Water Quality Standards for Lakes
4) Alabama Sturgeon/Endangered Species Act Debated on "For the Record"
5) Free Tree Seedlings Available
6) Green Job Opportunities Throughout the Southeast

In honor of St. Patrick:

"I bind unto myself today, the virtues of the starlit heaven, the glorious sun's life giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even, the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks, the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old eternal rocks." - St. Patrick's Breastplate, Hymn 370 in the Episcopal Church's 1982 Hymnal

* Note - St. Patrick did not drive the snakes out of Ireland - he has gotten a bum rap.

1. Nature Conservancy Releases Species Study: Alabama Ranked 2nd in Extinctions - To address the looming extinction crisis, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committing $1 billion in private funds to its new Campaign for Conservation. The Campaign will enhance TNC's efforts to protect natural areas around the U.S. and abroad.

The Nature Conservancy made the billion dollar commitment last week after the group released the book "Precious Heritage - the Status of Biodiversity in the United States". The book, which was written by TNC scientists and the Association for Biodiversity Information, is considered the most complete analysis of U.S. plants and animals ever conducted. Some of the findings include:

* More than 200,000 native species, double the previous estimate, have been identified in the U.S.
* As many as one-third of the nation's species are at risk, and at least 500 species have already gone extinct or are missing.
* The single biggest threat to species survival is loss of habitat, with almost 60 percent of America's landscape already severely altered.

Alabama is prominently featured in the study as a result of our state's unique landscapes and biodiversity. Here are some of the book's most interesting "Alabama" statistics.

Alabama ranks 6th nationally in the number of plants and animal species by state (3,947). States ahead of Alabama - California (5,653), Texas (5,571), Arizona (4,206), New Mexico (4,037), Georgia (4,004).

Alabama ranks 8th nationally in "rarity by state," - percentage of species considered vulnerable, imperiled, or extinct. Proportion at risk: Hawaii - 60.2%, California - 32.1%, Utah - 15.6%, Arizona - 15.1%, Nevada -14.9%, Florida - 14.7%, Georgia -13.3% and Alabama - 12.6%.

Alabama ranks 2nd nationally in the number of extinct and missing species with nearly triple the number of the nearest state. Hawaii leads the list with 249, Alabama - 96, California - 35, Tennessee -27 and Georgia - 24.

For more information about "Precious Heritage" and how to order the book, please visit the Nature Conservancy website at: http://www.tnc.org or call the Alabama chapter at 205-251-1155.

2. If Water War Talks Fail... Who Wins? The Lawyers - While Alabama-Georgia-Florida Water Allocation talks inch ever so nearer to total collapse, a story came out in Monday's March 20th Anniston Star, that should awaken the negotiators. If the water talks over the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River basin (ACT) fails, and the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, the Court will appoint a special master, usually a retired judge or expert attorney in water litigation.

What are the costs of such litigation?

Recently, in a Supreme Court case involving Colorado and Kansas over water flowing on the Arkansas River, the cost to the state of Kansas to litigate was more than $1 million a year, according to George William Sherk, an attorney and professor in environmental management at George Washington University. Dr. Sherk has participated in numerous water disputes between
states in the 90's. Because of the complexity of the Alabama/Georgia/Florida disputes, Sherk estimates the cost of a legal battle for Alabama would be "three to five times higher" than the cost incurred by Kansas.

Many of the participants in the water talks believe a court case will take years to settle. Is Alabama ready to invest the same amount of money we currently contribute to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to win battle in court? Who will win? The lawyers or the environment? Something to think about.

3. Finally! New Water Quality Standards for Lakes - On March 17th, ADEM announced plans to develop Alabama's first water quality nutrient standards for lakes. The first lake to receive the new standards will be Weiss Lake located in Cherokee County.

ADEM's announcement comes on the heels of a resolution that was introduced by state representative Richard Lindsey D-Centre, calling on the state to adopt water quality nutrient standards for Alabama as required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Lindsey stated in a Gadsden Times article, "Because Alabama doesn't have water quality standards, the state doesn't have a leg to stand on when negotiating with Georgia over water quality... Quantity and quality go hand in hand. If you don't have quantity, you don't have quality."

For more information about the resolution and the efforts to secure the new standards, contact Joe Turnham of AlaLeavs at 1-334-834-2956.

4. Alabama Sturgeon/Endangered Species Act Debated on "For the Record" - Alabama Public Television's "For the Record" aired a live discussion on the Endangered Species Act and the Alabama Sturgeon last Wednesday (March 15th), between WildLaw director, Ray Vaughan and Bill Satterfield, an attorney at the Balch and Bingham law firm who has represented interests against the listing of the Alabama Sturgeon.

Along with the lively debate, "For the Record" previewed the March 15th discussion, with a detailed program on the Sturgeon and Endangered Species the evening before on March 14. To view the 2 shows, go to http://www.aptv.org/ForThe Record/ and click on "Click here to watch Past Shows", and then click on the March 14 & 15 shows to watch it in streaming video.

5. Free Tree Seedlings Available - The National Tree Trust (NTT) has released their seedling request form for the Southeast. The trees are beautiful and free to public spaces with very few strings attached according to our sources at BEN. The postmarked deadline to request tree seedlings is May 31. For more info on the NTT, visit their website at: http://www.nationaltreetrust.org or contact David West -256-237-1621 at their regional grow out station in Anniston (for larger trees).

6. Green Job Opportunities Throughout the Southeast - It is officially Spring! - which means job openings throughout the environmental community. Unfortunately none of these positions are located in Alabama, but most of them are in the Southeast.

The Listings

National Park Service - The NPS has a River Team Leader-Hydropower Coordinator position in Chattanooga, TN. The posting is on their website at: http://usajobs.opm.gov/ or contact Chris Abbett at 404-562-3175 ext. 522 for more info.

The Wilderness Society - TWS has several openings in their main office in Washington D.C. including: Communications manager, BLM Program Director, Development Coordinator, Foundation Development Director, Planned Giving Officer, Legal Fellowship, ORV Campaign Manager, ORV Communication Specialist, and Facilities Manager. Plus TWS does have an ongoing internship program in D.C. and at their field offices. For more information visit - http://www.wilderness.org/abouttws/jobs.htm

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