1) Governor's ADEM Budget Request Sharply Less Than Agency's Proposal
2) Dauphin Island Sea Lab Takes a Hit From the Budget Ax
3) Bills, Bills, Bills - A Sampling of Green Legislation Introduced this Session
4) Scientists Issue Warning About Destructive Invasive Plants in Alabama
5) Explosion of Traffic Congestion Predicted for Mobile County
6) Learn About the BUGS Campaign in Birmingham
7) Celebrate Creation Day at Your Church in April

1. Governor's ADEM Budget Request Sharply Less Than Agency's Proposal - Governor Don Siegelman's 2000-2001 Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) budget recommendation is larger than last year's FY 99-00 amount, but falls drastically short of the request made by the agency.

Last year, ADEM's budget continued on its 10 year downward slide, when the legislature appropriated only $4,026,824 from the State's General Fund (the actual number may increase slightly as a result of the resolution of the franchise tax crisis, which will be decided after the March election). As reported in BEN earlier this year, ADEM's contribution from the state has decreased from a high of over $5 million in the 90's. Meanwhile, states such as Mississippi have tripled their environmental budgets in response to EPA pressure and the growth of federal responsibilities that have been placed on the state environmental protection agencies.

This year, the Governor has recommended $4,683,477 for ADEM's General Fund Operations FY 00-01 Budget. In contrast, ADEM requested $5,398,549 for the upcoming year. Along with ADEM's General Fund Operations request increase, the department has also requested an additional $4 million from the General Fund to fund the Public Water State Revolving Loan Fund, to upgrade public drinking water facilities in the state. ADEM anticipates an additional $20 million match from the federal government if the state commits to the fund.

Overall, including the various "funds" (ADEM's overall budget contains several funds, including monies for underground storage tank cleanup, Water pollution control, even Legacy's car tag receipts) in ADEM's budget, monies from the federal government, and fines and fees - ADEM's total 00-01 budget request is $94,736,446 (this includes the $24 million from the Public Water Fund).

2. Dauphin Island Sea Lab Takes a Hit From the Budget Ax - Although the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) recommended a 5% increase in the budget for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the Governor's budget recommendation included a $200,000 reduction in state funding for the facility which serves 22 colleges and universities within Alabama, 35,000 K-12 students annually and provides teacher training for several hundred teachers each year. Detailed analysis of the 5 year budget history of the laboratory reveals that it is already operating at $200,000/year less than it did 5 years ago,

A recent meeting of the Council of Presidents produced a resolution supporting the ACHE recommendation for the Sea lab, plus an additional $250,000 for repairs to the physical plant that have been deferred for years. The House Ways and Means Education Committee has taken testimony from both the Finance Director and the Sea Lab Director, but has not reported out a recommendation.

3. Bills, Bills, Bills - A Sampling of Green Legislation Introduced this Session - The Alabama legislature has a full plate of environmental legislation to consider this session. Bills ranging from designating the Red Hill Salamander as the state amphibian to a proposed clean up fund for drycleaners are being debated and decided upon in the next few months. Here
is a brief sampling of some of the bills that have been introduced this session. If you would like to read a specific bill, visit the legislature's website at : http://www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableInstruments/2000RS/Bills and click on the bill number that you want to view.

SB 147 - To designate the Red Hills Salamander as the official state amphibian
SB 225 & HB 410 - To amend the state constitution to allow up to a maximum of 2% of the expenditure of certain motor vehicle related fees and taxes for costs related to public transportation.
SB 237 - To exempt Legacy, Incorporated, from payment of all state, county, and municipal sales and use taxes.
SB 243 & HB 259 - To increase liability and penalties for timber theft.
SB 327 & HB 438 - To authorize ADEM to establish a motor vehicle emissions testing program.
SB 360 - To implement provisions of Amendment 617 of the Constitution of Alabama authorizing the state to sell $110 million in bonds for State Park renovations.
SB 366 - To establish a state Clean Indoor Air Act.
SB 369 - To make an appropriation of $250,000 to the State Land Management Program from the Forever Wild Land Trust Stewardship Account.
SB 378 - To enact the Alabama Brownfield Voluntary Redevelopment Act (Land Recycling) to be administered by ADEM.
HB 45 - To develop the Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer (WRATT) Foundation and related ADEM waste related programs. Proposed appropriation of $700,000.
HB 182 - To establish the crimes of cruelty to animals.
HB 291 - To establish the Alabama Wilderness System
HB 418 - To establish the Alabama Dry-cleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Act.
HB 424 - Increases scope of criminal trespass and unauthorized dumping.
HB 522 - To regulate vessel or residential boat sewage discharges and marine sanitation devices

4. Scientists Issue Warning About Destructive Invasive Plants in Alabama - Last week, The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, a consortium of 38 scientific and professional societies, released a report on the
destructive nature of invasive and exotic plants that threaten cropland, forests and water bodies, and called for a coordinated government strategy to fight such plants. The report specifically pointed out Alabama as a state that has been hit particularly hard by invasive plants, but is spending little money or resources on the problem.

According to a recent Mobile Register article, the state of Florida is currently spending more than $15 million to combat invasive plants such as hydrilla and water hyacinth. According to Joe Zolczynski and aquatic plant specialist with the state Conservation Department, Alabama spends about $35,000 a year in state and federal funds, which goes toward cursory monitoring of invasive plants.

To learn more about invasive plants and their destructive effects on the environment, please read the following webpage/article that was written by Mobile Register reporter Sam Hodges on this growing environmental problem. The address is: http://www.al.com/news/mobile/mar2000/2-a354885a.html

5. Explosion of Traffic Congestion Predicted for Mobile County - According to a South Alabama Regional Planning Commission study on traffic and road needs, some areas of Mobile County expect their traffic and household counts to more than double over the next two and a half decades as a result of uncontrolled sprawl.

The impact of growth on roadways "would be intolerable by today's traffic service standards," says a report based on the study. "The street miles operating at unacceptable, overcrowded conditions would increase from 1997s 29 miles to over 200 miles in 2025.

Because of anticipated and dramatic commercial and residential development in some areas of the county, road use will explode. For example, traffic along U.S. 45 between Mobile and Citronelle is expected to jump from 34,000 daily trips in 1997 to 87,000 in 2025. Closer to Mobile, projected traffic around the Mobile Regional Airport is expected to increase from 135,000 daily trips
to 250,000 trips.

6. Learn About the BUGS Campaign in Birmingham - Jennifer Fairley at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has told me about an exciting program with an unusual name.... BUGS - or the Birmingham Urban Gardens. This program is
currently in the process of accepting applications for groups interested in establishing community gardens throughout the 99 Birmingham neighborhoods. Qualifying groups will be having their first preparation day for their spring gardens on March 11th. If anyone would like to volunteer for this community/environmental workday and help prepare the gardens for planting,
they can contact Jennifer at: earth_team@hotmail.com for details.

7. Celebrate Creation Day at Your Church in April - For folks who want to celebrate Earth Day in a spiritual fashion - check out the following information I received from the Evangelical Environmental Network.

Creation Sunday Announcement

Over the past several decades many churches have begun to celebrate the gift of God's creation on the Sunday that falls closest to Earth Day, which is always April 22nd. However, since this year April 22 falls on the day before Easter (Holy Saturday) many churches might forgo highlighting the gift of creation. There is a solution! This year we at the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) have chosen April 2 as "Creation Sunday." EEN and our partner organizations would like to encourage churches to celebrate Creation Sunday this April 2 (or the date most appropriate for your situation) in the worship service and through educational programs.

To help churches observe Creation Sunday, we have prepared a packet of materials designed especially for this occasion, which we can mail upon request (EEN's phone number is 1-800-650-6600) or you may access it off our website at: http://www.esa-online.org/een/

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