April 26, 2004
#223
1) Tennessee River #4 Most Endangered
2) Alabama Congressmen Support Forest Legacy
3) Bill To Tax Toxics in Alabama Introduced
4) Alabama/Gabon, Africa Partnership
5) BEN Notes: Mobile Bay NEP Mini-Grants, Legacy Funding Opportunities, 11th Annual Wiese Distinguished Lecture Series, Great American Cleanup/Renew Our Rivers, Weeks Bay 5th Annual Kids Fishing Day, Do Dah Day In Birmingham, Longleaf Pine Management Guide, Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Dedication Ceremony
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6th Annual Livable Cities Conference
If you care about Smart Growth and Livable Cities make plans to attend the 6th Annual Livable Cities Conference to be held May 12-14 at Birmingham Southern College. Sponsored by the Southern Environmental Center, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Commission, the conference will have nationally recognized speakers on the issues of Smart Growth and Livable Cities. It is a "can't miss" conference.
Registration is $30, which includes lunch on the 13th. For more details about the event download the brochure at http://www.bsc.edu/sec/news/default.html or contact the Southern Environmental Center at 205-226-4934 or email rhazelho@bsc.edu
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Every Earth Day people ask the question. What can I do to protect the environment?
This Earth Day, you can help protect and preserve special places throughout this country by signing the Americans Saving American Places (ASAP) petition. It is very easy to do. Just log on to:
http://www.asap2004.org
Read up about the importance of the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and then sign the petition at the site. It is very easy to do, and you will be joining an effort to garner over a million signatures from citizens who want to save the special places we all cherish throughout this country.
Please also forward the website http://www.asap2004.org or this email to a friend.
For just a couple of minutes of your time you can truly celebrate Earth Day - doing your part for the environment.
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1. Tennessee River #4 Most Endangered - Last week, American Rivers, a national rivers protection organization, placed the Tennessee River at the #4 slot on the Most Endangered Rivers list for 2004. The group cited the river's severe problem with sewage discharges and spills and the potential for that problem to increase, as the reason for the river's placement on the national list.
According to American Rivers, sewage infrastructure has not kept up with population growth along the Tennessee River for decades, and the result is that millions of gallons of raw or partially treated sewage are accidentally or deliberately discharged into the river each year.
To learn more about the American Rivers annual "Most Endangered" list, and the Tennessee River, go to http://www.americanrivers.org/mostendangeredriversof2004announced.html
2. Alabama Congressmen Support Forest Legacy - One way a congressperson can express his or her support for important environmental programs are through "Dear Colleague" letters to appropriation committee chairs. If a "Dear Colleague" letter is signed by a large and bipartisan number of representatives or senators, a strong positive message is sent to the committee considering the funding for that particular program.
This year, the Forest Legacy Program, if funded fully, will enable the public to protect several areas important to Alabama. These areas include: the purchase of the remaining "Walls of Jericho" land in Tennessee connecting up with the Forever Wild land that was purchased this spring; additional areas in Jackson County, Alabama and ecologically vital Mobile Delta lands.
Alabama congressmen Bud Cramer of Huntsville, Jo Bonner of Mobile and Artur Davis of Birmingham joined 89 of their colleagues in signing a "Dear Colleague" letter in support of Forest Legacy funding this April. The letter was sent to the chair of the Appropriations Resource Committee.
For more information about Forest Legacy go to - http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/programs/loa/flp.shtml
3. Bill To Tax Toxics in Alabama Introduced - According to the Mobile Register, Rep. Sue Schmitz of Toney, Alabama, a town north of Huntsville wanted to honor Earth Day. Last week, she did so by introducing a bill to tax anyone who releases certain toxic substances into Alabama's air, water or land.
The bill (HB 813), which is supported by members of Alabama's environmental community, would charge 10 cents per pound for toxic substance emissions reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Toxics Release Inventory program. Alabama ranked 11th nationally in the release of toxics into the environment according to the latest analysis by Environmental Defense, a national environmental group.
Businesses and other entities that report releasing less than 1,000 pounds of toxic substances would be exempt from the tax. Meanwhile, a facility could not be charged more than $25,000. The bill could raise between $5 million to $10 million per year. HB 813 also dedicates the monies raised to Medicaid, public health and environmental management.
For more information about this bill go to http://www.legislature.state.al.us/
4. Alabama/Gabon, Africa Partnership - WildLaw, an Alabama non-profit law firm dedicated to preserving some of the last wild places in the Southeastern United States has forged a unique and innovative partnership with the West African country Gabon to promote eco-tourism.
Gabon, which has been called "Africa's Eden" by National Geographic magazine, is roughly the size of Alabama and Mississippi combined. In August of 2002 Gabon's President El Hadj Omar Bongo created the largest reserve of fragile ecosystems since Teddy Roosevelt, a network of 13 national parks covering 11,294 square miles. Boasting one of the largest populations of great apes and the African Forest Elephant, Gabon is banking its future on eco-tourism.
Check out WildLaw's VIP Gabon Eco-Tour at http://www.wildlaw.org/gabon/index.htm . It is truly a one of a kind project that can help save one of world's important places.
5. BEN Notes: Mobile Bay NEP Mini-Grants, Legacy Funding Opportunities, 11th Annual Wiese Distinguished Lecture Series, Great American Cleanup/Renew Our Rivers, Weeks Bay 5th Annual Kids Fishing Day, Longleaf Pine Management Guide, Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Dedication Ceremony
Mobile National Estuary Mini Grants - The deadline for the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program's Mini Grants is May 3rd. For complete information about the Mini Grant program go to their website at http://www.mobilebaynep.com/Minigrant_guide.htm . If you have any questions call 251-431-6409 or email lyokel@mobilebaynep.com
Legacy Funding Opportunities - Legacy Partners in Environmental Education has several "funding opportunities" deadlines that are fast approaching. Here are the programs and deadlines:
Competitive Grants (grants up to $10,000) - Deadline April 30, 2004
Mini-Grant Program (grants up to $2,500) - Deadline April 30, 2004
College Scholarships ($1,500 for undergraduate, $2,000 for graduate) - Deadline May 7, 2004
To download information and applications go to http://www.legacyenved.org/
11th Annual Wiese Distinguished Lecture Series - World famous oceanographer Dr. Jeremy Jackson will be presenting "The Silent Ocean" on April 28th, 7:00 PM, at the University of South Alabama, Humanities Building Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call 251-460-7136.
Great American Cleanup/Renew Our Rivers, - The Great American Cleanup/Renew Our Rivers Campaign will be held in Mobile on May 15th, 7:00 AM to Noon with lunch at 1:00 PM at the Barry Guest House. Volunteers are needed. Contact Richard Kraynak at Alabama Power, 251-829-2001 for more information.
Weeks Bay 5th Annual Kids Fishing Day - Don't miss the Weeks Bay Reserve Foundation's 5th Annual Kids Fishing Day. The event is May 1st, 8:00 AM to Noon at the Safe Harbor RV Park Pond. Registration for the event can be found at http://www.weeksbay.org
Do Dah Day in Birmingham - Come support local animal shelters and have a lot of fun at the 25th Annual Do Dah Day Parade and Festival. The event will held on May 1st , 11:01, Southside Birmingham. For additional information go to http://dodahday.org
Longleaf Pine Management Guide - A wonderful publication promoting Longleaf Pine titled "Managing the Forests and the Trees, A Private Landowner's Guide to Conservation Management of Longleaf Pine" is available at the Nature Conservancy - 205-251-1155.
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Dedication Ceremony - The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge will be dedicated May 2nd, 2:30 at the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge & Cahaba Lily Community Center on Main Street in West Blocton, Alabama. The event is open to the public. Along with the dedication ceremony, Alabama Power and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will be presenting a $23,500 grant.
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The Bama Environmental News is edited and published by Pat Byington. To receive back copies of BEN got to http://www.BamaNews.com . If you would like to be removed from this e-mail listserve contact BEN at pkbyington@aol.com .