1) Forever Wild Approves Plan To Purchase 34,000 Acres
2) Gulf State Park Bond Passes Alabama Legislature
3) Special Session Provides Opportunity To Fund Environmental Programs
4) Governor Siegelman Announces Conservation Celebration Expo 2002
5) Alabama Historical Commission To Feature Smart Growth Speaker
6) Cahaba River Society Car Tags Available
7) BEN Notes : AWF Seeking Development Director, Regional Greenways Conference Planned, The North Alabama Preservation Coalition, AEC to Hold Soil Watch Workshop, Birmingham Audubon To Hold 37th Annual Bird Count

1. Forever Wild Approves Plan to Purchase 34,000 Acres - On September 20th, the Forever Wild Board of Trustees approved three (3) separate proposals to purchase more than 34,000 acres in Northwest Alabama and the Mobile Delta region. The following is a description of the pending land purchases approved by the Board last Thursday.

Southern Timber Ventures Tracts (31,500 acres) - Located in Lauderdale and Colbert counties, this land consists of 21 separate tracts, many which abut federally owned TVA lands and Wildlife Management Area lands owned by the Department of Conservation. More than 9,763 acres of the property consist of bottomland hardwoods together with hardwood and mixed stand timber.

Shoal Creek Preserve (300 acres) - After considering this project for more than three years, the Forever Wild Board approved the purchase of this special area located a few miles outside the city of Florence, Alabama. The Shoal Creek Preserve received widespread community support including a $100,000 grant from the city of Florence, endorsements from the entire legislative delegation, the Times Daily, and support from the local environmental community.

Mobile-Tensaw Delta Phase II Tracts (1809 acres) - Through a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant, Forever Wild was able to purchase the Salco and Mobile Delta-Oswell tracts. These lands are located near Forever Wild's Mobile Delta lands (48,000 acres) that were bought 2 years ago.

Once these pending purchases are completed, Forever Wild will own nearly 100,000 acres of land statewide.

2. Gulf State Park Bond Passes Alabama Legislature - A $70 million bond issue to aid a local-state overhaul of Gulf State Park was passed by both chambers of the Alabama Legislature last week. Governor Don Siegelman, a proponent of the bill, is expected to sign it.

The bill, which was supported by the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and local business interests, creates a government authority to build a hotel with at least 300 rooms, a 50,000 square-foot convention center and an outdoor amphitheater. The newhotel/convention center will replace the current hotel/convention center which had areas "closed off" this summer
because of falling concrete. Conservation Commissioner Riley Boykin Smith stated in the Mobile Register, that the state "hopes to break ground on the new facilities in a year, with 18 to 24 months of construction to follow."

Along with the bond issue, legislators also placed amendments on the bill including a prohibition on sales of park land and an amendment directing the committee to take into consideration the per-capita income and average family income of Alabamians in planning and approving the design and costs of lodging facilities.

3. Special Session Provides Opportunity To Fund Environmental Programs - A couple of environmental programs fared well during the August/September special session of the Alabama Legislature.

Pollution prevention advocates scored a major victory this month with the passage of a bill to fund the WRATT (Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer) Foundation. The legislature appropriated $75,000 for 2000-01 and $75,000 for 2001-02 fiscal years. The WRATT program based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, conducts waste assessments using retired engineers to help small and medium sized industries reduce and prevent waste. Over the past decade WRATT has received national and local recognition for innovation and has been held up as a model program for states outside Alabama. Currently, Minnesota and Michigan have founded "WRATT-like" programs.

Along with the funding of WRATT, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) did receive funds ($175,000) to continue implementation and maintenance of the state's new Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)
rules/program.

4. Governor Siegelman Announces Conservation Celebration Expo 2002 - Last month, Governor Don Siegelman announced the dates and location for "Conservation Celebration Expo - 2002."

To be held September 28-29, 2002 at Oak Mountain State Park, the "Expo" will be the first event of it's kind in the state of Alabama. Coordinated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources the event will showcase environmental groups and recreational activities, ranging fishing and rock climbing to wildlife viewing and nature photography.

For more information about this exciting new statewide event contact Jim Mullis at 334-242-3163.

5. Alabama Historical Commission To Feature Smart Growth Speaker - Pulitzer Prize winner, Thomas Hylton will be addressing this year's annual meeting of the Alabama Historical Commission in Montgomery September 28-29. Hylton, a
smart growth advocate and author of "Save Our Land, Save Our Towns" (see http://www.saveourlandsaveourtowns.org)will be giving a kickoff talk Friday night at 6:30 pm in the Alabama State Capitol, following the opening reception that begins at 4:30.

For more information, visit the Alabama Historical Commission website at http://www.preserveala.org . To attend the opening reception and hear Hylton speak on Friday only, register online by Thursday, September 27th. The fee will be $25.

6. Cahaba River Society Car Tags Available - Here is a great way to support the Cahaba River Society (CRS). After several years of effort, the Cahaba River Society now has a distinctive Alabama "Save the Cahaba" car tag. For an
additional $50 tag fee you can be one of the first families in your neighborhood with this colorful and supportive tag. Proceeds from tag sales will go toward CRS programs.

For more information about the "Save the Cahaba" car tag, call CRS at 205-322-5326. To see what the tag looks like - visit the CRS website at http://www.cahabariversociety.org

7. BEN Notes - AWF Seeking Development Director, Regional Greenway Conference Planned, The North Alabama Preservation Coalition, AEC to Hold Soil Watch Workshop, Birmingham Audubon To Hold 37th Annual Bird Count

AWF Seeking Development Director - The Alabama Wildlife Federation is seeking a Development Officer for their state office. The Development Officer will be responsible for planning and implementing successful development strategies for approaching corporations, foundations, and individuals for annual operating support. The position reports directly to the Executive Director, and will work closely with the AWF Development Committee.

To apply, send a one page letter of application along with a resume to: Tim Gothard, Executive Director, Alabama Wildlife Federation, 46 Commerce Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104. For more information regarding the Alabama Wildlife Federation and this position, visit their website at http://www.alawild.org

Regional Greenway Conference Planned - If you care about "greenways" and open spaces, Region 2020, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission and the JSU
Environmental Policy and Information Center will be holding a Regional Greenways Roundtable Discussion Friday, October 12th, 9:00 to 2:00pm at Jacksonville State University. The meeting will focus on greenways activities throughout the Region 2020 twelve (12) county region and the creation of a regional greenways plan.

For more information about this very important roundtable meeting, contact Pat Byington at 205-226-7739 or Bill Foisy at 205-251-8139.

The North Alabama Preservation Coalition - Up in Northwest Alabama, a new group called the North Alabama Preservation Coalition (NAPC) has formed to advocate a "better way" to deal with traffic problems created by Shoals railroad crossings and proposed highway relocations. Specifically, the group has petitioned ALDOT to consider overpasses and tunnels as a more cost effective and environmentally beneficial alternative to the traffic congestion problems of the Shoals in lieu of a proposed $30 million seven (7) mile relocation of Nolfork Southern tracks through pristine farmland, multigenerational homesites, sensitive drinking water recharge areas and a civil war battle site.

To learn more about this new group and their efforts to protect the environment, contact Tim Zuelke at 256-383-5121 or email tzulke@bibank.com

AEC to Hold Soil Watch Workshop - The Alabama Environmental Council's Watchdog Program will be holding their 2nd annual "Soil Watch - A Citizen's Training Workshop" on Saturday, September 29th, 9:00 to 3:30 pm at Carmichael Hall on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. Learn how to protect and preserve Alabama's lakes, rivers and streams from soil erosion. The fee is $5. To register for the conference, contact the AEC at 205-322-3126.

Birmingham Audubon To Hold 37th Annual Bird Count - Please join the Birmingham Audubon Society on Saturday, September 29th for their 37th Annual BAS Bird Count. BAS will be sending out groups throughout Jefferson, Blount, St. Clair and Shelby counties to help count. If you are interested in joining BAS in this wonderful all day event - contact Paul Franklin at 205-823-0438 or Greg Harber at 205-251-2133.

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