1) New Huntsville Port Could Harm Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
2) Senator Jeff Sessions Concerned About CARA Passage
3) Governor's Enviro Task Force to Hold Public Meetings
4) "Save the Cahaba" Car Tags Now Available
5) U of A Students Help Stop Purchase Of Rainforest Lumber
6) BEN Notes

1. New Huntsville Port Could Harm Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge - On Wednesday, August 23rd, the day after municipal elections in the city of Huntsville, the city council of Huntsville approved spending $1.6 million of sewer money to buy 182 acres at the end of Wall-Triana Highway. The purchase is part of the city's plan to build a barge canal from the Tennessee River through the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge to a basin in a proposed industrial park. The massive facility would provide industries with air, water and land access. The approval of the land purchase was done without public hearings or comments.

The Council and Mayor Loretta Spencer proceeded with the purchase of the land, despite receiving a letter from Tuck Stone, the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Manager, stating his opposition to the new right of way corridor through the Wheeler refuge that would be needed to make the project a reality. Stone cited the plan's incompatibility with wildlife objectives, endangered mussels in the river and the threats of pollution. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, which was passed in 1997, designates the refuge manager as the sole authority in determining whether public access is compatible with refuge objectives. Without the Refuge Manager's approval the city of Huntsville's only option would be to redraw the refuge's
boundaries. That action would require national legislation.

In a meeting with the Huntsville Times editorial board, Mayor Spencer was asked if they had an ace in the hole that would trump a rejection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The mayor answered, "We can play hardball too."

To learn more about the Huntsville port project and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's opposition, check out the following article written by Huntsville Times reporter Mike Salinero - http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/Aug2000/27-e7213.html Alan Clemons, outdoor writer for the Times has also written a passionate "call to arms" article in defense of the refuge. It can be viewed at : http://www.al.com/columnists/huntsville/aclemons/08272000-e18407.html

If you want to help protect the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge please contact Sid Smith, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association, a "friends" advocacy group for the refuge at 256-564-9858.

2. Senator Jeff Sessions Concerned About CARA Passage - According to an August 30th Mobile Register interview, Senator Jeff Sessions, a vocal supporter of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) expressed concern
about the bill's passage this year.

Touting the bill, Session's stated, "It could be the biggest deal we've ever done." Session's noted that the money from CARA could be critical to further preservation of areas such as the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, which is rapidly being encroached on by surrounding development, and could even be used to restore damaged coastal areas, such as the Mobile -Tensaw Delta. Under the current Senate proposal, Alabama would receive $74 million a year, with monies going toward coastal assistance, wildlife programs, land acquisition, city parks, urban forestry and historic preservation.

According to Senator Sessions opposition to CARA has come from western private property rights activists, senators from land locked states and fiscal conservatives. Time is CARA's biggest foe with the Senate planning to end the session on September 30th.

After two years of weaving its way through the U.S. Congress, garnering enormous widespread and bipartisan support, CARA is just one step shy - a vote in the U.S. Senate. To learn more about CARA visit the following websites - and take action. http://www.teaming.com or http://www.ahrinfo.org

* THIS JUST IN" The Mobile Register has written a strong editorial in support of CARA. Read it at: http://www.al.com/news/mobile/Aug2000/31-a401730a.html

3. Governor's Enviro Task Force to Hold Public Meetings - The Governor's new Alabama Commission on Environmental Initiatives (ACEI) decided at its inaugural meeting, to hold 12 public meetings across Alabama in the month of
September. The meetings will be held in Florence, Huntsville, Guntersville, Anniston, Birmingham,Tuscaloosa, Thomasville, Selma, Evergreen, Auburn, Dothan and Mobile.

ACEI also decided to organize its 60 member task force into 4 separate workgroups. The following are the areas of interests: 1) Alabama Department of Environmental Management Review 2) Natural Resources and Land 3) Air and Water 4) Health and Education.

The next ACEI meeting has been scheduled for September 19th, 1:00 at the State Capitol in Montgomery. To learn more about ACEI, contact the Jacksonville State University Environmental Policy and Information Center at 256-782-8010.

4. "Save the Cahaba" Car Tags Now Available - They are going fast!! If you are interested in being one of the first 1000 people to receive a free "Save the Cahaba" Alabama license tag - now is the time to order.

Through an innovative partnership with the Environmental Support Center, the Cahaba River Society is underwriting the $50.00 per tag distinctive license fee for the first 1000 tags (the CRS will only be paying for the first year, you will still be responsible for any regular taxes and county fees due at your normal registration time) in its "Save the Cahaba" car tag campaign. The Department of Motor Vehicles won't begin production of the tags until commitments for 1000 of the tags have been bought and paid for. Once the 1000 registered tag threshold is reached, the "Save the Cahaba" tag will go on sale statewide (and you will have to pay for those tags). Of course, the best part of this deal, whether you get a free tag or not, is that the monies for the sale of the tags go to the Cahaba River Society!

Interested? Here is what you need to do. Call Mike McCracken at the Cahaba River Society (205-32-CLEAN or visit their website at http://www.cahabariversociety.org) and sign-up for a tag today. CRS has almost reached the 1000 threshold, so you may want to place your call soon. If you missed receiving the one of the first 1000 tags - be the first in your neighborhood to own a "Save the Cahaba" with the distinctive Cahaba lily on it. Most importantly, the money will be well spent.

5. U of A Students Help Stop Purchase Of Rainforest Lumber - Student activism is alive and well in Alabama. A year ago, the University of Alabama's Alabama Environmental Council chapter joined a national campaign by the Rainforest Action Network to protest the sale of old growth wood at home improvement stores across the country. Locally, the students targeted seven home improvement stores in Tuscaloosa. The Tuscaloosa AEC chapter protested outside stores, and held a letter writing campaign. On August 24th, the last store, 84 Lumber, agreed to comply with the campaign demands.

To learn more about the old growth campaign and 84 Lumber's decision, visit the Rainforest Action Network website at http://www.ran.org and 84 Lumber's site at http://www.84Lumber.com go to their "press room".

6. BEN Notes:

Chattowah Open Land Trust - There is a new and exciting land trust that is working to preserve and lands in North and Eastern Alabama. The group, which is based in Rome, Georgia is led by their director Alabamian Katherine Eddins. One of the goals of the land trust is to protect an average of 10,000 acres of land per year for the next three years in Alabama and Georgia. The group has also produced an excellent guide on how to secure conservation easements. You can check out the Chattowah Open Land Trust's website at http://www.chattowah.org and order guide at 706-802-1544.

CNN Focuses on Lead Poisoning In B'ham - On Sunday, August 27th, CNN ran a 45 minute CNN/Time special investigative report on lead poisoning. The city of Birmingham was one the 3 cities the report focused on. Lynn Battle, director
of Birmingham's Community Lead Education Poison Prevention Organization (CLEPP) was interviewed for the program. The program is a "must see". You can view the program by visiting the CNN website at: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/cnntime

Why Regional Cooperation Matters! - Regional planning organizations, smart growth advocates and civic leaders will be converging on Birmingham September 28-29 to attend the First Annual Conference on Regional Matters. This conference is going to be a groundbreaking event for advocates of smart growth. To register contact the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham at 205-251-8139 or eevans@brpc-al.org

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