1) Governor's Amendment Protects Forever Wild Funding
2) Mobile County Launches $1.2 Million Air Study
3) ADEM Funding Needs and Increases Outlined
4) WRATT Program Performs 1000th Assessment
5) North Alabama Birding Trail Gaining Momentum
6) BEN Notes : SAFC Job Opportunity, Holiday Bird Counts, Recycling Mini-Grant Program Introduced

Don't Forget to Send in Your Contribution Today

In lieu of subscription fees, we ask BEN readers to contribute to one or all of the following charities.

Southern Environmental Center (SEC) at Birmingham Southern College
Camp McDowell Episcopal Church Camp - Pat Byington Environmental Scholarship
Sheffield Education Foundation - The Environmental Public Service Scholarship

Please click on - http://www.BamaNews.com/support.html to learn more about these groups and where to send a contribution. (*If you have business with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Management Commission or foresee future business we cannot accept your gifts. The letter on the Bama News website will explain why we have this restriction.)

1. Governor's Amendment Protects Forever Wild Funding - Yesterday (December 20), the Siegelman administration drafted and supported the passage of an amendment to protect the funding of the Forever Wild Trust Fund.

House Bill-8, "The Education Rainy Day Trust Fund," is a proposed constitutional amendment which will transfer $171 million (this figure was used at the introduction of the bill) from the Alabama Trust Fund into a "education rainy day fund" to be used to prevent education cuts during economic downturns. The Forever Wild Trust Fund, receives part of its funding from a portion of the Alabama Trust Fund's interest. By removing a large portion of the Alabama Trust Fund's monies into a separate fund,
Forever Wild could potentially lose several millions of dollars over the life of the program. The Siegelman Administration prevented this from happening by offering an amendment to HB-8, essentially protecting Forever Wild's program from any reduction in funding. The amendment, which was approved in the State Senate, was championed by Sen. Jack Biddle of Gardendale.

In 1992, the Forever Wild Constitutional Amendment received 84% of the popular vote. Once Forever Wild completes the purchase of more than 32,000 acres in Northwest Alabama by the end of 2002, Forever Wild will have purchased more than 80,000 acres during its 10 year history.

2. Mobile County Launches $1.2 Million Air Study - Last week, Mobile County's long-awaited comprehensive study of the region's air quality was launched. Sponsors of the $1.2 million study say it could reveal hidden hazards that regulators have only begun to speculate.

At a west Mobile County press conference, city of Mobile Mayor Mike Dow and County Commissioner Mike Dean unveiled the first of 5 high tech pollution monitors that will evaluate 35 hazardous air pollutants. By the spring of 2003, data from the monitors will be used to develop an air quality profile of virtually every square mile of the county.This first of its kind study will attempt to plug a hole in state and federal regulations, by monitoring toxics that are not regulated. In fact, only two of the seven "major" air pollutants regulated by environmental protection agencies will be monitored.

This groundbreaking study is being made possible through an impressive partnership which includes, the city of Mobile, the Mobile County Commission, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, The Forum (a coalition of Mobile industries) and Mobile Bay Watch. For more information about the study contact Keith Fordham of the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission at 251-208-5893.

3. ADEM Funding Needs and Increases Outlined - In his report to the Alabama Environmental Management Commission and in a letter to the Governor's Commission on Environmental Initiatives, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Director James Warr outlined the agency's fiscal year 2003 budget request.

This year, ADEM has requested a $3.6 million increase in its operating budget for FY 2003. The much needed increase will go toward enhancing ADEM's inspection and monitoring programs and offset losses in federal fundsassociated with Superfund activities, the Decatur Field Office and the "match" for drinking water "set asides." In addition to the increase sought
for basic operations, ADEM is requesting match monies for the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds programs (the Safe Drinking Water Fund program has been unfunded since 1998) totaling $3.9 million and a $6 million capital outlay for the central laboratory. Part of the central laboratory's facilities include temporary buildings constructed during World War II.

4. WRATT Program Performs 1000th Assessment - This fall, the Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer (WRATT) Foundation conducted its 1000th on site assessment on at the Bibb County Courthouse in Centreville, Alabama.

Incorporated in 1993, WRATT uses approximately 60 retired engineers and scientists across Alabama, each having 30 to 40 years of industrial experience, to assess pollution prevention and waste reduction opportunities within small to medium sized businesses, schools, hospitals, banks and municipalities. Based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, WRATT's highly acclaimed program has saved industries and government millions of dollars through pollution prevention and waste reduction assessments.

For more information about WRATT, visit their website at http://www.wratt.org

5. North Alabama Birding Trail Gaining Momentum - Jumping on the eco-tourism bandwagon, Decatur City Council voted this week to support the North Alabama Birding Trail.

Similar to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, the $260,000 North Alabama Birding Trail will wind its way through the Tennessee Valley from Fort Payne to Florence. Along with Decatur, nine other cities, agencies and industries have been asked to donate monies to match a federal grant. They include Athens, Florence, Scottsboro, Huntsville, Tuscumbia, Guntersville, Fort Payne, TVA and BP.

6. BEN Notes : SAFC Job Opportunity, Holiday Bird Counts, Recycling Mini-Grant Program Introduced

SAFC Job Opportunity - The Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (SAFC) is seeking an individual to fill a Communications director position. Seeking an individual with extensive communications experience, the director will design, coordinate and deliver materials and events that generate publicity and public education advancing SAFC's mission to protect the ecological, social and economic values of our national forests. For more information about this position visit the SAFC website at http://www.safc.org

Holiday Bird Counts - Audubon Bird Counts are one of the most enjoyable holiday season activities. The Birmingham Audubon Society will be conducting their 66th Bird Count since 1946 this coming weekend. Please checkout the following Audubon Bird Counts across the state and join them!

Saturday, December 22nd - Birmingham Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count - Contact Bob Reid at 205-879-1935 for directions and info.

Saturday, December 22nd - Dauphin Island Bird Count 2001 - Contact John Porter at 251-861-2120.

Saturday, December 29th - Fort Morgan Christmas Bird Count 2001 - Contact Sarah Whitfield at 251-344-8158.

Saturday, January 5th - Gulf Shores Christmas Bird Count 2001-Contact Dr. Greg Jackson at 205-987-2855.

Recycling Mini-Grant Program Introduced - Want to get your local public school to recycle? The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Alabama Department of Education are offering an Alabama Grades K-12
Recycling Mini-Grant Program. Grants up to $1000 will be given to schools on a competitive basis. For more information contact Robin Long-Nelson at 334-242-8038. Proposals are due January 31, 2002.

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