January 17, 1999
1) Alabama's Newest National Wildlife Refuge a Reality
2) Alabama State Park Funding Dealt a Blow
3) New Clinton Land Plan Good for Alabama
4) Demos Control Alabama Senate /Enviro Chairs
5) "Poop Counter" In North Carolina Demonstrates Hog
Problem
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New Fact: When Ruffner Mountain in Birmingham completes it's land
acquisition expansion later this year, the nature preserve nestled
inside
urban Birmingham will be larger than New York City's Central Park.
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1. New National Wildlife Refuge Becoming a Reality -
Fort McClellan reuse
officials agreed this week to a new wildlife refuge of at least
6500 acres,
with the possibility of additional land to be included after a
study is
completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The newly created
National
Wildlife Refuge in Anniston will be Alabama's first in almost
a generation.
The study that was agreed upon will encompass more than 12,000
acres
including almost all the undeveloped land at the fort. By including
this
land in the study the Joint Powers Authority can easily incorporate
additional land into the refuge.
Major kudos go out to Pete Conroy of the Jacksonville State
University
Environmental Policy Information Center and former State Senator
Doug Ghee
for brokering the deal.
2. State Park Funding Dealt a Blow - In a devastating
blow to Alabama's
State Parks, a Montgomery County Circuit Judge ruled against the
tax plan
that was paying for renovations of Alabama's parks for the past
two years.
Judge William Gordon's ruling overturned a 1996 executive order
by Gov. Fob
James that forced large retailers to pay the state a greater share
of sales
taxes to the state by keeping a smaller processing fee for themselves
(remember: all the state did was limit the amount of "our"
taxpayers dollars,
going to large retailers for processing the tax ). Most Alabama
busineses
were not affected by the cap, but 234 big retailers were, including
Harco
Drugs, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Delchamps, Bruno's, Big B's and Sears,
Roebuck & Co.
who brought the suit.
Judge Gordon's ruling comes 16 months after he heard arguments
in the case,
and his decision came in his final week in office.
The impact of this last minute decision is far-reaching. Since
1996 the
state has used more than $20 million dollars from the tax plan
to renovate
state parks. The judge has ruled for a hearing to be held to determine
refunding the retailers. In addition, these funds were also going
to be used
to finance the $110 million State Parks Bond that passed in November
by more
than 76% of the popular vote. This ruling overturns that vote.
3. Clinton's Land Legacy Program Benefits Alabama -
On January 12th, the
Clinton Administration announced a comprehensive new plan to expand
federal
protection of critical lands, help states and local communities
preserve
green spaces, and strengthen protections for our oceans and coasts.
More
than $1 billion is proposed to carry out the initiative, including
$900
million from the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), marking
the first time
any administration has requested full funding from LWCF, which
draws revenues
from federal offshore oil sales.
Along with the additional funding, the President is calling
on Congress to
extend permanent wilderness protection to more than 5 million
acres in 17
national parks and monuments.
In Alabama, this proposal will potentially enhance the state's
Forever Wild
Program and Jefferson County's new Cahaba Land Trust. Private
"Land Trust"
protection groups will also be able to leverage, and protect more
land.
4. Demos Take Control of the Senate - This week the
Alabama Senate and House
held organizational meetings. In the House, Seth Hammett of Andalusia
was
named the Speaker, while Demetrius Newton of Birmingham was rewarded
with the
pro-tem position.
In the Senate, with Governor- elect Don Siegelman still presiding
as outgoing
Lt. Governor, the Democrats held on to its majority and named
State Senator
Lowell Barron of Fyffe as Senate President Pro-Tem. After this
move, the
majority of senators stripped Lt. Governor Steve Windom of his
power to
appoint members to committees and gave it to Barron. The current
Senate
majority is a razor thin 1 vote - 18 to 17. Breaking it down along
party
lines, the Siegelman/Demo forces held onto 18 Democrats while
Lt. Gov. Windom
picked off 5 Demos and held on to the 12 Republicans.
Immediately following the election of the leadership and rules
for the
session, committee assignments and chairmanships were given out.
The
following is a listing of Senate/House committee chairmanships
on important
environmental committees.
House Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources - Thomas
Jackson,
D-Thomasville; Chairman; John Robinson, D-Scottsboro, Vice Chairman
Ways and Means General Fund - John Knight, D-Montgomery; Chairman;
Perry
Hooper Jr. R-Montgomery, Vice Chairman
Ways and Means Education Fund - Howard Hawk, D-Arab; Chairman;
John Rodgers
D-Birmingham; Vice Chairman
Senate Conservation, Environment and Natural Resources Committee;
Larry Means
D-Attalla, Chairman; Del Marsh R-Anniston, Vice Chairman.
Senate Rules - Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega; Chairman; Pat Lindsey,
D-Butler;
Vice Chairman
5. Hog Watch Website Includes "Poop" Counter
- The Environmental Defense
Fund (EDF) has released a very effective and educational website
on the
problems with hog factories. Originating from North Carolina,
the site
includes a continuously updated "NC Poop Counter" which
sends a powerful
message about the enormous waste problems created by these massive
concentrated animal operations. The web address is: http://www.hogwatch.org
The Alabama Environmental Council and the Alabama Chapter of
the Sierra Club
have closely followed this issue in Bama. For more information
about
potential hog factories coming into our state call the Council's
Watchdog
helpline at: 1-800-982-4364.
Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists.
If you have any questions about BEN, contact Pat Byington at
205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com
