July 2, 2002

#179

1) Sen. Shelby Secures Conservation Funding
2) Wade Mountain Preserve Named American Heritage Park
3) Mobile Bay Watch Launches Mercury Study
4) Franklin County, Alabama: Another Community Dropping Recycling
5) Environmental Reporter Receives SELC Award
6) BEN Notes: Help Wanted - Job Openings Throughout Alabama, ADEM Seeking
Pollution Prevention Award Applications, Statewide NonGame Wildlife
Conference Set, Ruffner Mountain Celebrates 25th Anniversary, Celebrate the
Clean Water Act

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On May 10th, Tamra Power, a Sheffield High School senior received the inaugural Sheffield High School Environmental Public Service Scholarship. The Public Service Scholarship is one of BEN's three chosen charities.

In lieu of subscriptions, we ask our readers to contribute to either the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College, Camp McDowell Environmental Education (Pat Byington) Scholarship or the Sheffield Education Foundation. To learn more about these organizations and "how to contribute" visit the BEN website at http://www.bamanews.com/donation.html

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1. Sen. Shelby Secures Conservation Funding - As a member of the Interior Appropriations Committee, Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama recently secured funding in subcommittee for several important state conservation projects. These projects include:

Perdido River Protection Plan - $2 million - This major conservation effort will protect both Alabama and Florida sides of this South Alabama river from development, through the use of private, county, state and federal funds.

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge - $3 million - The Refuge was established in the 106th Congress and is home to 32 animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act. The monies will help purchase the land for the refuge. Congressman Spencer Bachus has also been instrumental in securing funding on the House side.

Talladega National Forest - $700,000 - This funding will assist in the acquisition of a portion of land in the Choccolocco connector parcel between Fort McClellan and Talladega National Forest in Calhoun, Talladega, Cleburne and Clay counties.

Pinhoti Trail Construction - $360,000 - This funding is for construction of 31 miles of the Pinhoti trail through the southern portion of the Talladega National Forest. The Alabama portion of the trail has reached the Alabama-Georgia state line on the north, thus completing the northern portion of the trail. This proposal intends to construct the southern portion of the Pinhoti Trail.

Several environmental groups and leaders are praising Senator Shelby's efforts to fund environmental projects. Pete Conroy, director of the Jacksonville State University Environmental Policy and Information Center stated, " Sen. Shelby has hit a home run for conservation."

2. Wade Mountain Preserve Named American Heritage Park - Of the more than 38,000 parks nationwide created by the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation (AHR) has named the Wade Mountain Preserve in Huntsville, Alabama one of its ten "21st Century American Heritage Parks."

The 550 acre preserve was described by AHR as a "model" LWCF project. In a ceremony this weekend announcing the national award, AHR listed the partnership between the city of Huntsville and the Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama and the region's unique recreational opportunities as the primary reasons for the designation. Wade Mountain Preserve is also scheduled to receive a $100,000 LWCF grant this year to expand the park.

To learn more about the Wade Mountain Preserve visit the Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama website at http://www.landtrust-hsv.org.

3. Mobile Bay Watch Launches Mercury Study - Over the next two to three weeks do not be surprised to see people "cutting hair" in front of local supermarkets in Baldwin and Mobile counties.

This week a team of Boston University-based researchers, working with the University of South Alabama, kicked off a major mercury exposure study by clipping locks of hair at the Food Tiger supermarket in Robertsdale, Alabama. The study is designed to determine who is exposed to mercury in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Commissioned by Mobile Bay Watch, the expanded study will collect small hair samples from 400 people who agree to participate, in eight communities on both sides of Mobile Bay. The Boston-based JSI Inc., a non-profit public health research group, working in coordination with Dick Clapp, professor of environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health has designed the study. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota will be doing the chemical analysis of the hair samples. The survey work being conducted by JSI has been approved locally by the University of South Alabama Institutional Review Board.

4. Franklin County, Alabama: Another Community Dropping Recycling - Another community in North Alabama is dropping its recycling program.

Franklin County started its own recycling program nearly 10 years ago in 1993. Last month, the Franklin County Commission voted to discontinue the county's drop-off recycling program beginning August 1st. Franklin County's program is the third recycling program to be discontinued in North Alabama this year. This spring, Muscle Shoals and Tuscumbia stopped their curbside recycling efforts. The city of Florence proposed ending their program, but decided to continue it.

Franklin County officials claimed they were losing more than $40,000 a year trying to keep the recycling program afloat. Lack of local recycling markets and minuscule revenues for their recyclables were also reasons for the program's demise.

5. Environmental Reporter Receives SELC Award - The Southern Environmental Law Center has awarded Ben Raines of the Mobile Register their prestigious Phillip D. Reed Memorial Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment.

Raines received the award for his special report on mercury in the nation's seafood. Published over several months in 2001, the stories drew swift and widespread attention among regulators and agencies. One federal researcher described Raines as the "most expensive reporter in the country," because of the number of scientists in Washington now tracking his work and the number of federal studies initiated in response to his reporting.

To read the entire Mercury series visit the Mobile Register's website at: http://www.al.com/specialreport/?mobileregister/mercuryinthewater.html

6. BEN Notes: Help Wanted - Job Openings, ADEM Seeking Pollution Prevention Award Applications, Statewide NonGame Wildlife Conference Set, Ruffner Mountain Celebrates 25th Anniversary, Celebrate the Clean Water Act

Job Openings -

Legacy Seeks Business Manager - Legacy, Inc., Partners in Environmental Education, has an opening in its Montgomery office for a Business Manager. This position is responsible for managing Legacy's accounting system to include payroll, accounts payable/receivable, taxes and insurance and other financial matters. The job also includes office duties. Requirements include: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or related field; or at least 5 years of bookkeeping experience. Candidates should forward resume, cover letter and salary requirements to Legacy, Inc., P.O. Box 3813, Montgomery, Alabama 36109 or fax 334-270-5527. The deadline to apply is July 15th.

South Wings Seeks Executive Director - South Wings, the nonprofit conservation flight service for the southeastern United States, is pleased to announce the search for an Executive Director to be responsible for: researching, planning. coordinating and implementing its policies, projects and programs; drafting and controlling the annual budget; and supporting the Board of Directors. To learn more about this exciting organization and position, visit their website at http://www.southwings.org To apply, send before August 30th a cover letter, resume, three references and salary expectations to: South Wings, Attn., Search Committee, 730 East First Street, Chattanooga, Tn. 37403.

ADEM Seeking Pollution Prevention Award Applications - The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is currently accepting applications for its 2002 Pollution Prevention Awards. Pollution Prevention (P2) encourages businesses to utilize materials, processes, or practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants at the source. The deadline to submit a P2 award application is fast approaching - July 5th. To request an application package or receive additional information, contact Gavin Adams with the ADEM Pollution Prevention Program at 334-394-4353 or email mga@adem.state.al.us

Statewide NonGame Wildlife Conference Set - The Department of Conservation will be holding the 2nd Annual Alabama NonGame Wildlife Conference July 23-24 at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center. If you care about Alabama's NonGame program and the welfare of nongame wildlife, this conference is a must. For more information regarding registration fees and meeting agenda, please visit the following website - http://www.forestry.auburn.edu/mirarchi/mirarchi.html or contact Ralph Mirarchi at 334-844-9253.

Ruffner Mountain Celebrates 25th Anniversary - Ruffner Mountain will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an Open House July 13th, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ruffner will be opening up a new trail, holding a scavenger hunt for children, providing refreshments and musical entertainment and exhibiting photos marking the history of Ruffner. The Silver Anniversary celebration will continue July 16th 11:00 a.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, with a luncheon and silent auction. All proceeds will benefit Ruffner Mountain. Tickets are $40. Please call Julie Stone at 205-833-8264 or email jstone@ruffnermountain.org for more information.

Celebrate the Clean Water Act - The 30th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act is just around the corner. Several groups are planning events including Alabama Water Watch and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Visit http://www.alabamawaterwatch.org to find out about local events in your community.

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