Bama Environmental News

1. Forever Wild Secures $2.4 Million From Forest Legacy Program - According to the Department of Conservation, the Forever Wild Land Trust was recently awarded two U.S. Forest Legacy grants totaling $2.4 million. The federal matching grants will help facilitate purchases of land in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in South Alabama and the Cumberland Mountains Preserve, in Northeast Alabama.

In the past five years, Alabama has received $21.6 million from federal land acquisition programs, including $8 million from the Forest Legacy program. The additional federal funds were made possible because the programs received their required matching funds from the Forever Wild Program.

The Mobile-Tensaw Delta purchase consists of 684 acres, and will adjoin the Forever Wild Jacinto Port Tract. This area in south Alabama is an important travel corridor and year long habitat for the state's largest remaining black bear population. The Cumberland Mountains Preserve, located in Madison and Jackson counties consists of 7,846 acres, and are adjacent to Forever Wild's Walls of Jericho Tract, one of the most biologically significant areas in the region.

For more information about the Forever Wild Program go to http://www.outdooralabama.com.

2. Nature Conservancy Secures Reef Restoration Funds - Thanks to Congressman Jo Bonner, the Nature Conservancy in Alabama and Mississippi will receive $35,000 to restore reef habitat in the eastern Mississippi Sound.

The grant, which comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will focus on restoration of five acres of reef habitat in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The Conservancy will also identify an additional 30 acres of ecologically suitable reef restoration sites across the Mississippi Sound, in both Alabama and Mississippi waters.

Reefs stabilize estuaries, decrease shoreline erosion and provide critical fisheries habitat. For more information about this important project contact the Nature Conservancy at 251-473-4009.

3. EPA Sides With North Carolina On TVA Air Pollution - According to a Chattanooga Times/Free Press article, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) could be required to install more costly pollution controls on its coal plants next year under a consent agreement signed by the EPA and North Carolina officials pushing to limit smog in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Under the landmark settlement, EPA will have until August to determine the validity of North Carolina's claim that neighboring states are unduly polluting its air. If North Carolina prevails EPA will require a remedy to pollution problem power plants in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. North Carolina is the first Southern state to pursue an action against its neighbors under a provision of the Clean Air Act that allows one state to petition to EPA to control pollution from upwind power plants and factories, according to the Times/Free Press.

4. BEN Notes: State Lands Events, Forest Voices Workshop, American Chestnut Foundation Organizational Meeting, Wilderness Author to Hold Book Signing, AWF's Ireland Youth Contest & Photography Contest, JSU, Camp McDowell & Sierra Club Enviro. Education Opportunity

State Lands Events - Alabama State Lands will be holding the following events this month:

March 5 - Midway, Alabama at the Wehle Land Conservation Center - Open Trails/Fishing/Boating Day at the Wehle Center. Go to http://www.Alabamastatelands.com to access the schedule.

March 12 - Jasper, Alabama - Dedication of Union Chapel Mine Trackway site. Open to the public, there will be fossil hunting following the dedication. Come see the footprints of 350 million year old animals as they chase one another and go about their daily life. For more info go to http://www.bama.ua.edu/~rbuta/monograph/npyenson.html or call 1-800-Land-Ala.

April 2 - Midway, Alabama - Celebrate the 8th Annual Bird Awareness Day at the Wehle Nature Center. For more info go to http://www.outdooralabama.com.

Forest Voices Workshop - The Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (SAFC), Wild South and Wild Law will be holding a Forest Voices Workshop, Saturday, March 12th 10:00 to 2:00 at Alabama Outdoors in Birmingham. The event and lunch is free if you pre-register by calling SAFC at 888-8Forest or email safc@safc.org

American Chestnut Foundation Organizational Meeting - Come help start an Alabama Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation on March 12th 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. For more information on the Foundation visit their website at http://www.acf.org or call Les Tate at 256-764-5608.

Wilderness Author to Hold Book Signing - Come see John Randolph, author of "The Battle for Alabama's Wilderness" on March 15th at the Jonathan Benton Bookseller in Mountain Brook from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M.

AWF's Ireland Youth Contest & Photography Contest - The Alabama Wildlife Federation has two contests presently occurring. They are the following contests:

AWF's Ireland Youth Wildlife Art Contest - AWF Ireland Youth Wildlife Art Contest recognizes the outstanding artistic abilities of Alabama students, while increasing student's knowledge and awareness of wildlife and wildlife habitat in Alabama. The deadline for entries is March 15. For contest details and forms go to http://www.alabamawildlife.org

AWF Photography Contest - AWF is holding its first Photography Contest this Spring. The deadline for entries is April 1st. For contest rules and entry forms, go to http://www.alabamawildlife.org

JSU, Camp McDowell & Sierra Club Enviro. Education Opportunity - The Camp McDowell Environmental Center, Jacksonville State University (JSU) and the Alabama Chapter of Sierra Club are joining in partnership to offer "Topics in Environmental Education: Watersheds." This graduate level course is designed especially for teachers who want to incorporate more environmental education that correlates to the Alabama Course of Study into their classrooms. The class will be taught by Dr. David Steffy from JSU at Camp McDowell from June 19 to June 24. The Sierra Club is funding the program which covers tuition, books, fees, lodging and meals. This offer is available to the first 12 teachers who apply and qualify for the class. For more info about this program, call Maggie Wade at 205-387-1806.