1) Governor Siegelman Announces Study to Open the Causeway
2) Congressman Riley Calls For Hearings On Tooele Leaks
3) Al. Public Land Association Saves Wildlife Area in Northwest Alabama
4) Bibb County Citizens For Wildflowers to Hold Workshop
5) Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama Releases Summer Outdoor Schedule
6) Rising from the Smoke and Ashes: The Alabama River Alliance

1. Governor Siegelman Announces Study to Open the Causeway - Last week (Tuesday, May 30th), Governor Don Siegelman announced that a joint federal and state study will be conducted to determine whether parts of the U.S. 98 Causeway should be removed or rebuilt to benefit the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Joining the Governor at the announcement was Department of Conservation Commissioner Riley Boykin Smith and representatives from the Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Causeway - a 73 year old roadway built primarily on fill dirt - connects Mobile and Baldwin counties by cutting across the wetlands at the mouth of the Delta. The Delta is considered one of the richest estuaries in North America. Gov. Siegelman stated in the Mobile Register that the study would be designed to determine whether to, "reconstruct parts of the Causeway to
allow for more natural flow" between the fresh waters of the rivers and the salty water of the Gulf of Mexico. He added, the 8 mile long Causeway has "disrupted the processes of this unique system," and appears to have impacted everything from sediment movement to plant life to fish populations in the Delta and Mobile Bay.

The joint study has been applauded by local community leaders and conservation organizations. Wendy Allen, a former Baldwin County commissioner who chairs the Scenic Causeway Coalition said it was "exciting that the governor is in such a line with local thinking, and we're proud that they have decided that this is just such an important area to restore."

2. Congressman Riley Calls For Hearings On Tooele Leaks - Responding to a letter sent to him by the Calhoun County Commission, Rep. Bob Riley will be asking for Congressional hearings, exploring the causes of a May 8th release of chemical agent from the smokestack of the Tooele, Utah chemical weapons incinerator. According to an Anniston Star June 2nd article, the May 8 release was the largest in the history of the Army's incineration program - 18 milligrams of the nerve agent GB, 3.6 times the limit of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality permit. Only 0.5 milligrams are required to kill an adult.

The letter from the County Commission expressed concern that a similar or worse event may happen at a nearly identical incinerator being built in Anniston, Alabama. The letter stated that assurances the Army has made about its incineration technology are now clearly suspect in light of the deadly agent release. In a telephone interview with the Anniston Star, Rep. Riley stated, "I share the same concerns. Especially with the revelations coming out of Tooele."

3. Al. Public Land Association Saves Wildlife Area in Northwest Alabama - Born out of the loss of public hunting land in Northwest Alabama, a new group, the Alabama Public Land Association has scored a temporary victory in Lauderdale County. Faced with the possibility of the state losing its lease with Champion International, on 3920 acres within the Lauderdale Wildlife Management Area, the Public Land Association raised money to "save" the local Wildlife Management Area. The group raised nearly $12,000 to extend the lease for an additional two years.

Despite this victory, the Alabama Public Land Association has witnessed the disappearance of more and more public land for hunting and other recreational activities throughout Northwest Alabama. They are organizing to stop the rapid decline and loss of public lands and will be working to increase more land for public recreational use.

For more information about the Alabama Public Land Association contact Jesse Pigg, President, at 256-764-3880.

4. Bibb County Citizens For Wildflowers to Hold Workshop - If you care about Alabama's wildflowers and roadsides, mark your calendar for Saturday, June 10th, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, to attend the Bibb County Citizens for Wildflowers Workshop (BCCW). The event will be held at the Cahaba Lily Center in West Blocton, Alabama.

Bibb County is site of "Alabama's Wildflower Revolution." To make a reservation for the workshop, call 205-665-5650 or e-mail glory@mindspring.com . The registration fee is $10.

5. Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama Releases Summer Outdoor Schedule - If you like to explore caves or mountain habitats, the Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama has a summer schedule filled with opportunities. The Land Trust will be holding their "Explore a Thon" Saturday, June 17th 4:00-8:00 at Three Caves (you must register to attend this one) and has scheduled almost weekly Three Caves tours. For more information about these events contact the Land Trust at: 256-534-5263 or visit their website at http://www.landtrust-hsv.org.

6. Rising from the Smoke and Ashes: the Alabama River Alliance - Come celebrate the opening of the Alabama Rivers Alliance's new office in downtown Birmingham - June 20th from 5:15 to 7:30 pm. The office is located at 2027 2nd Ave. North, Suite A, Birmingham, Al. 35203. For directions call 205-322-6395.

As many BEN readers know, the Rivers Alliance survived a fire just a few months ago. It is great to see them up and running in a new office. Welcome Back!

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