1) Birmingham Metro Area Particle Air Pollution Problems
2) Number of Alabama's Bald Eagles Increasing
3) Legacy Gives Out More Than $100,000 in Grants
4) BEN Notes: Alabama Rivers Alliance Seeking Executive Director, Mobile Baykeeper Seeking Program Director, The Raindrop Festival Honoring Shane Hulsey, Red Mountain Park Public Open House, ADEM Non-Point Source Conference, Cahaba River Society's Annual Meeting, EEAA Annual Meeting & Round Table Meeting, Legacy's 2007 Environmental Partnership Conference, Volunteers Needed for the Baldwin County Water Festival
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BEN Charitieshttp://www.BamaNews.com/donation.html
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Numbers from the U.S. Forest Service's "Cooperating Across Boundaries - Partnerships to Conserve Open Space in Rural America" - pg. 36.
- Birdwatching increase in participation from 1982 to 2001: 236%
- Amount spent by birdwatchers to further their interest in 2001: $32 Billion
- Miles of road in the U.S.: 4 million
- Number of vertebrates run over by cars each day: 1 million
- Number of invasive plant species in the U.S. : 2000
- Cost to the public of invasive species per year: $120 Billion
- Percent of endangered species at further risk from invasive species: 46
- Number of off-highway vehicle users in 1972: 5 million
- Number of off-highway vehicle users in 2000: 36 million
- Largest single source of water in the United States: National Forests
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1. Birmingham Metro Area Particle Air Pollution Problems - According to last month's Birmingham News Jefferson and Shelby counties were poised to violate the new federal air pollution standard for particle pollution.
Under the new standard, no monitor may capture more than 35 micrograms of particles per cubic meter of air in one day. The air in North Birmingham on the first day of testing weighed more than 45 micrograms, according to the Health Department. Officials will continue to measure the air in the two counties for three years before the EPA judges whether the area has failed the standard. The worst 2 percent of the readings are disregarded.
Jefferson County officials have predicted that the area will fail unless cleanup measures are implemented. Recently, the Health Department has contracted with a California environmental consulting firm to build a model to determine how it can meet the new rule by reducing emissions from North Birmingham and the surrounding areas. The new tougher particle air pollution standard is aimed at addressing a pollution problem that EPA estimates is the cause of 15,000 premature deaths a year.
2. Number of Alabama's Bald Eagles Increasing - This, week the Department of Conservation announced a record year for Alabama's Bald Eagle Restoration Project. State wildlife biologists counted 77 bald eagle nests in Alabama in 2006 - a 21 percent increase over 2005 (61 nests) and the highest since the program began in 1984.
A true Alabama environmental comeback story, in the middle part of the 1900s, Alabama lost its nesting population of bald eagles due to habitat loss and the impact of DDT. Prior to restoration efforts, the last known successful bald eagle nests in Alabama was in the 1950s. In 1984, Alabama's Non-game Wildlife Program initiated a project to restore nesting bald eagles to the state. After a 7 year period, in 1991, two successful eagle nests appeared in Henry and Wilcox counties.
To learn more about Alabama's Bald Eagles, participate in the Guntersville State Park Eagle Weekends, scheduled each weekend in January. For info on tours call 256-571-5444 or email guntersvillestpk@dcnr.alabama.gov
3. Legacy Gives Out More Than $100,000 in Grants - Legacy Partners in Environmental Education (the group with the "Protect the Environment" car tags) recently announced the distribution of more than $109,000 to 27 environmental education organizations throughout Alabama. Some of the grantees include: Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, Alabama Water Watch, Wolf Bay Watershed Watch, Mobile United and the Jacksonville State University Field Schools.Legacy's Competitive and Mini-grant Program is just one of several Legacy initiatives. The group also gives out grants for Earth Day events, Chemical Collection Day events and college undergraduate and graduate scholarships.
To learn more about these and other programs, visit Legacy's website at http://www.legacyenved.org
4. BEN Notes: Alabama Rivers Alliance Seeking Executive Director, Mobile Baykeeper Seeking Program Director, The Raindrop Festival Honoring Shane Hulsey, Red Mountain Park Public Open House, ADEM Non-Point Source Conference, Cahaba River Society's Annual Meeting, EEAA Annual Meeting & Round Table Meeting, Legacy's 2007 Environmental Partnership Conference, Volunteers Needed for the Baldwin County Water Festival
Alabama Rivers Alliance Seeking Executive Director - The Alabama Rivers Alliance is seeking a visionary executive director to lead the organization in the areas of effective water policy and outreach, staff supervision, budgeting and fundraising. To learn more about this position and how to apply, visit the Alabama Rivers Alliance website at http://www.alabamarivers.org
Mobile Baykeeper Seeking Program Director - Mobile Baykeeper is seeking a program director to carry out many of the organization's natural resource and environmental initiatives. To learn more about the position go to http://www.mobilebaykeeper.org .
The Raindrop Festival Honoring Shane Hulsey - There will be to events this weekend honoring the joyful life of the late Cahaba River Society Education Director, Shane Hulsey. All proceeds from both events will benefit Shane's family and the Land Trust being formed in his honor. The event details:A Silent Auction - Saturday, January 13th, 6-8pm at Rojo, 2921 Highland Ave. in Birmingham Music Festival - Sunday, January 14th, 2pm at Bottletree, 3719 3rd Ave. South in BirminghamFor additional details visit http://www.friendsofshane.blogspot.com
Red Mountain Park Public Open House - Final highlights and designs of the Red Mountain Park Draft Master Plan will be available Tuesday, January 23rd, 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Birmingham Museum of Art. For more information contact Kristie McCullough at 254-0129 or 616-4563.
ADEM Non-Point Source Conference - ADEM's 18th Annual Nonpoint Source Conference "Aiming for Success in Reducing NPS Pollution" will be held on January 24th, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Montgomery, Alabama. The conference is free with lunch provided. Spaces are limited, so register early. Contact Molly Tatum at 334-279-3051 or visit
http://www.adem.state.al.us/Education%20Div/Conference/Announcement2007.pdf
Cahaba River Society's Annual Meeting - The Cahaba River Society will be holding their 2007 Annual Meeting on January 25th, 5:30 pm at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, 1800 8th Avenue, Birmingham. For additional details visit - http://www.cahabariversociety.org
EEAA Annual Meeting & Round Table Meeting - The Environmental Education Association of Alabama will be holding their 19th Annual Conference at Cheaha State Park on February 1-3. On February 1st there will also be a Round Table Meeting for EE Practitioners and Administrators at the Cheaha Restaurant. For details about the EEAA Conference visit http://www.aces.edu/eeaa/main.html to participate in the Round Table call Maggie Johnston at 205-387-1806 or email maggie@campmcdowell.org by January 16th.
Legacy's 2007 Environmental Partnership Conference - Legacy will be holding its 2007 Environmental Partnership Conference on February 14-16 at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach. The hotel deadline is January 14th, while the conference registration deadline is January 19th. For agenda and registration information visit http://www.legacyenved.org
Needed for the Baldwin County Water Festival - The Alabama Coastal Foundation is seeking volunteers for the Baldwin County Water Festival. Contact Angela at 251-990-6002 for details.
