1) Gov. Siegelman Saves Rare Maritime Forest Habitat
2) Rep. Bachus Sponsors Conservation Tax Incentives Act
3) Sen. Shelby Secures Funding For Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge and Enviro Education
4) BEN Notes: Renewable Energy Info Online, Gopher Tortoise Program Praised, Fort Morgan Public Meeting Scheduled, American Lung Association Launches Emissions Testing

1. Gov. Siegelman Saves Rare Maritime Forest Habitat - Last week, Governor Don Siegelman publicly signed an agreement to purchase 591 acres from the city of Orange Beach. The historic agreement which took nearly seven years to secure, will effectively preserve one of Alabama's last remaining "intact" rare maritime forests.

"Today we're adding 591 acres and a one of a kind maritime forest to our state park (Gulf State Park), to forever be preserved and protected for our children to enjoy," Siegelman stated before signing the agreement.

The maritime forest which is adjacent to Gulf State Park, was made possible by a 239 acre land exchange of Gulf State Park property to Orange Beach. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama and local environmental advocates support the plan and intend to pursue grants to purchase and preserve surrounding areas next to this natural treasure.

2. Rep. Bachus Sponsors Conservation Tax Incentives Act - Congressman Spencer Bachus of Alabama is one of 7 representatives sponsoring the Conservation Tax Incentives Act of 2001. According to the Nature Conservancy, if enacted, this
legislation could save millions of acres of prime farmland and natural habitat from development by allowing landowners to get a tax break for placing their land under conservation protection.

The Conservation Tax Incentives Act, which has the support of President Bush, would allow landowners to exclude 50 percent of the gain on sales of land or easements made for conservation purposes. The Act is supported by a diverse range of groups including The Nature Conservancy, American Farm Bureau, Ducks Unlimited, Defenders of Wildlife and the Association of State Foresters.

Since 1982-97 the total acreage of developed land increased by more than 25 million acres, according to the Agriculture Department's National Resource Inventory. This legislation is aimed at protecting America's farmlands and forests and preserving open space.

3. Sen. Shelby Secures Funding For Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge and Enviro Education - Last week, Senator Richard Shelby announced the passage in committee of the Senate Interior Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2002. Included in the bill are a couple of important environmental initiatives. They are:

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, $2.5 million - The Refuge which was established in the 106th Congress is home to 32 animal and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act. This funding will allow for the purchase of the land to make the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge a reality.

Environmental Learning Center at the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, $100,000 - This funding will help begin construction of an environmental learning center at the 11,184 acre Refuge. The center will serve students from schools and universities within a 100 mile radius.

To learn more about Senator Shelby's efforts to support environmental and historic preservation programs within the Interior appropriations process, visit http://shelby.senate.gov/press/prsrs432.htm for more details.

4. BEN Notes : Renewable Energy Info Online, Gopher Tortoise Program Praised, Fort Morgan Public Meeting Scheduled, American Lung Association Launches Emissions Testing

Renewable Energy Info Online - Want to know what electrical products are truly "green" and "renewable"? Check out Green-e , a voluntary certification program for renewable electricity products. They have got a very informative website that will bring you up to speed on the latest renewable energy trends. Their site is http://www.green-e.org

Gopher Tortoise Program Praised - As reported in the June 20th #148th edition of BEN, the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local property owners, Environmental Defense, Senator Jeff Sessions and many other partners announced the creation of the world's first refuge for gopher tortoises. The program has been universally praised for it's
creativity and innovation. Please check out the following websites about this exciting new first of it's kind program.
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/?Jul2001/2-a435495a.html - Mobile Register Opinion http://southeast.fws.gov/daphne - U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Daphne Office

Fort Morgan Public Meeting Scheduled - A public meeting sponsored by the Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust concerning "Preservation vs. Development of the Navy Cove-Pilot Town Site (on the Fort Morgan Peninsula bordering Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge) will be held Tuesday, July 24, 5:00, pm at Gulf State Park. For more info call 334-540-7756.

American Lung Association Launches Emissions Testing - The American Lung Association of Alabama (ALAA) and Alabama Partners for Clean Air (APCA) will be conducting automobile emissions testing events throughout the summer in Jefferson and Shelby counties. This summer's first event will be held on July 12th in Sam's Club parking lot off Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, from 9:30 to 6:30. At noon Sam's Club will present a check for $5000 as part of their environmental grant program. This grant made it possible for Alabama Partners for Clean Air to purchase its own portable emissions testing machine.

The next emissions testing event will be held on July 20th at the BP station in Bessemer off Academy Drive. People can register to win free gas cards from BP, makers of Super 93, the lowest sulfur gasoline available. For more info about the ALAA and APCA's emissions testing program contact Pam Lewis at plewis@alabamalung.org

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