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Anti-Wolf
Legislation
After being hunted nearly to extinction, the Northern Rocky Mountain
gray wolf was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species
Act (ESA) in 1973, and the Mexican gray wolf was added in 1976.
From that time until the present, millions of dollars and much time
have been spent on recovery efforts for the wolf. Yellowstone wolf
reintroduction began in 1995 and has been largely successful, as
have recovery efforts in Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Michigan. There have also been successful recovery efforts undertaken
for the Mexican gray wolf in New Mexico and Arizona. This may sound
like an ESA success story, but today the wolf is again under heavy
attack. Anti-wolf organizations, such as the Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition,
and anti-wolf advocates within state and federal agencies have worked
to pass strong anti-wolf legislation. In addition, in mid-July 2004,
Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced that the gray wolf had
made such a good recovery in the eastern U.S. that the animal would
soon lack federal protections across that half of the country. Unfortunately,
many states lack effective protections that would ensure the long-term
survival of the wolf. For more information on anti-wolf legislation,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/antiWolfLeg.html. |
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Alabama
Commission OKs Proposals to Protect Minorities (Birmingham
News 8/25)
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1093425656167040.xml
Alabama's Environmental Management Commission has approved two measures
aimed at protecting the state's minority and low-income residents.
One, an ombudsman for "environmental justice" would seek
to counter the trend whereby communities with a large population
of low-income and/or people of color are more likely to be subjected
to environmental hazards. The other measure would require new pollution
permits to include demographic information, such as the race and
poverty level of the people affected. Both measures must pass a
series of rule-making procedures before being finalized. Speakers
at the commission's hearings included U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, the
state's only black congressman, and Tanisa Foxworth of the Alabama
African American Environmental Justice Action Network and the ADEM
Reform Coalition. Davis and Foxworth spoke in support of the measures,
and urged the body to take steps to ensure more accountability and
responsibility when it comes to pitting employment opportunities
against dangerous environmental hazards. To learn more about the
growing environmental justice movement and how your state can work
to combat environmental injustice, visit: http://www.serconline.org/ej/index.html. |
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Partnership
for the West's Promises Add Up to Environmental Destruction (TomPaine.com
5/7/04; Land Letter 5/27/04)
http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/9286
http://www.eenews.net/Landletter/Backissues/052704/052704ll.htm#1
An organization called Partnership for the West (PFTW) promises
to do a myriad of things, including managing water resources better,
getting public access to public lands, getting better paying jobs,
and getting "common sense" laws and regulations into
place, without really explaining how they will be accomplished.
Although the group attempts to hide its anti-environmental agenda,
they are not doing a very good job. PFTW recently sent a letter
to western governors asking them to encourage the federal government
to not list the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
It also coordinates the so-called Sage Grouse Conservation Task
force whose coordinator, Jim Sims, is quoted as saying, "If
science shows that sage grouse is truly on the verge of extinction,
then the absolute worst thing we could do is subject the bird
to the chocking hammerlock of the Endangered Species Act."
He goes on to say, "These fringe activists [conservationists
who support ESA listing] really want to use this law to take away
private property, run farmers off their land, stop all natural
resource development, raise energy prices, and turn back the clock
on progress in the West." The organization targets the Endangered
Species Act and supports the Bush administration's "Healthy
Forests" Plan. It is openly hostile to federal land management,
and feels the government is not as effective as private management.
The group grew from a conference that included representatives
from the American Land Rights Association, the Blue Ribbon Coalition,
the Mountain States Legal Foundation, and People for the USA.
The Executive Director, Jim Sims, led Vice-President Dick Cheney's
secret energy task force that has come under tremendous scrutiny.
He contends that environmentalists complicate and delay the process,
while operating in so-called "sophisticated networks."
PFTW is supported by a number of corporations, including Dow Chemical,
Unocal, and Western Gas Resources. The group's actions may soon
influence your state. Before this organization's "grassroots
efforts" take hold, let's reveal Partnership for the West
for what it is -- another industry-funded organization determined
to develop and destroy our natural resources. |
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California
Fee Hikes Would Aid Smog Fight (Los Angeles Times
8/21)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-smog21aug21,1,1775487.story?coll=la-news-environment
Californians could soon pay $2 more to register their cars
and 75 cents more to buy a new tire, as part of a deal brokered
by the Schwarzenegger administration and lawmakers to help
fund an expansion of air pollution programs. The package of
proposed increases, which still must be approved by the legislature
and signed into law by the governor, would raise about $90
million more a year to help fight smog. It would increase
state tire fees to $1.75 per tire and allow local air pollution
control districts to raise a vehicle registration surcharge
that helps fund environmental programs. Motorists would also
receive the option of donating $10 a year to air pollution
programs by checking a box on their DMV registration forms,
a voluntary approach favored by Schwarzenegger's environmental
protection secretary, Terry Tamminen. State officials estimate
that 4% of drivers would make the contribution, raising $10
million annually. The legislation that includes the increases,
AB 923, requires only simple-majority approval in the legislature
rather than the two-thirds majority that would be needed for
a tax increase. Together, the new fees would generate more
than $150 million to repair or retire heavily polluting school
buses and agriculture equipment. Some of the money might also
be used to scrap older cars and trucks. Air quality officials
consider those programs to be among the most cost-effective
ways of cutting nitrogen oxides and the other pollutants that
form smog. The programs have been supported by industry groups
as well as environmental advocates. The programs that would
receive the new money have largely been financed with state
bond money and were in danger of losing future funding because
of the state's profound budget problems. Expanding the programs
with the new money would reduce smog-forming pollutants by
about seven tons a day statewide, air board officials estimated.
More important, officials said, the expansion would make new
money available to fix or replace old school buses that expose
children to diesel exhaust. The legislation targets school
buses built before 1977 that not only are heavy polluters,
but were also made in an era of fewer safety standards. |
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Nebraska
Gov. Proposes Plan for Drought-Stricken Farmers (Omaha
World-Hearld 8/27)
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=1638&u_sid=1186489
Gov. Mike Johanns sought federal help last week to encourage
Nebraska farmers to shut off center pivots and plant wildlife
cover instead of corn. Johanns sent a proposal to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a second Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program in drought-stricken areas. If
approved, the plan would cover up to 100,000 acres in the
North Platte, Platte and Republican River basins. Farmers
would be paid not to grow crops on land that's irrigated with
surface water from those rivers or with groundwater drawn
from areas next to those rivers. The areas selected have been
hit hard by the drought. Also, they are areas where water
conservation is critical if the state is to comply with major
water agreements. Under the conservation proposal, farmers
would be paid at levels comparable to rent on irrigated land,
an average of $126 per acre, said U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne. The
program would cost an estimated $158 million over 10 years,
with 80 percent coming from the federal government. Existing
conservation programs should fulfill the 20 percent match,
so no additional state dollars would be needed, Roger Patterson,
director of the State Department of Natural Resources said.
Another $10 million would be needed to prepare land enrolled
in the program. The federal government would split that cost
with landowners or other local sources. Since introducing
the program in 1997, the federal government has signed 29
such conservation agreements with 25 states aimed at various
environmental goals, said Charles Chadwell, program manager
for the USDA. |
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Alaska
Considers Proposal to Ease Stream Pollution Rule (Daily
News-Miner 8/26)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_POLLUTION_PROPOSAL_AKOL-?SITE=AKFAI&SECTION=HOME
State environmental regulators are proposing to allow wastewater
to enter some fish spawning streams. The proposed rule would
replace the current ban on mixing zones in Alaska's freshwater
spawning areas, which has been in place since 1997. Mixing
zones are areas in a water body where wastewater discharge
is allowed to exceed pollution limits while blending with
uncontaminated water for dilution. Mixing zones are commonly
used in Alaska by sewage treatment plants, seafood processors,
and other industries. All three of Juneau's sewage treatment
plants -- discharging to the Mendenhall River, Gastineau Channel,
and Auke Bay, where spawning does not occur -- are allowed
to use mixing zones. The only other state with a prohibition
on mixing zones specifically in fish spawning areas is Minnesota,
said Nancy Sonafrank, who heads the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation's (DEC) water quality standards section. Officials
with the DEC said the plan would apply only in areas that
would not be harmed, but environmentalists and fishermen wonder
where the state will draw the line on often conflicting scientific
evidence. Critics also questioned the state's decision to
hold public hearings on its proposal in the middle of the
commercial fishing season. |
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MD
Gov. Says 'Yes', Panelists Say 'No' to Bear Hunting (Washington
Post 8/26; Baltimore Sun 8/26)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33981-2004Aug25.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.bear26aug26,1,5333685.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
In Maryland, a joint committee of the General Assembly voted
to oppose a proposal for the state's first black bear hunt
since 1953. The ruling was announced at the state's first
public hearing on the issue, held August 25th. Although
the ruling was received joyously by many anti-hunting advocates,
the committee's ruling may be fairly ineffective. Gov. Robert
L. Ehrlich, Jr., who has final say in whether the proposed
bear hunt will be authorized, supports the renewal of bear
hunting. The state Department of Natural Resources announced
the proposed hunt -- designed to kill 30 of the state's
estimated 500 bears -- this spring. The hunt is scheduled
for one week in October, and another week in December. They
cited increasing run-ins with the animals, due to their
increasing numbers since bear hunting was banned, as the
reason for the hunt, which would only be authorized in particular
state counties. The Humane Society and another group, the
Fund for Animals, have offered the state $75,000 to stop
the hunt. They want that money used to teach people how
to avoid bears and to compensate farmers whose crops are
damaged by the animals. |
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Ford
CEO Tries to Stop California Hybrid Bill (Sacramento
Bee 8/24, 8/27)
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/10491153p-11410496c.html
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/10526058p-11445158c.html
Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford, who pitches himself
as one of America's leading corporate environmentalists, has
launched a campaign in the waning days of the legislative
session to kill a plan that would reward Californians who
buy the most fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger has voiced his support of AB 2628, as has state
Treasurer Phil Angelides. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman
Fran Pavley, would set aside 75,000 permits to let owners
of hybrids that average 45 miles per gallon (mpg) or more
and meet near-zero-emission standards to drive solo in highway
car-pool lanes. In a letter to Schwarzenegger, Ford stated
that the legislation was tantamount to a "buy Japanese"
bill, and that it could hurt Ford employees and stockholders.
Ford is almost ready to release its new hybrid SUV, the Escape,
which is expected to average about 35 mpg. AB 2628 was on
Schwarzenegger's desk as of Friday, August 27th. |
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Open
Space Rule Will Go to Utah Voters in November (Salt
Lake Tribune 8/24)
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2399138
After clearing a number of hurdles required to get on the
ballot, Utah's $150 million open space initiative, approved
by the Lieutenant Governor's Office on August 23rd, will be
decided by voters in November. Several groups will be lobbying
heavily to make sure they reject it. The Utah Taxpayer's Association
and the Utah Farm Bureau Federation have announced their opposition
to the proposal. The state has proposed instituting a one-twentieth
of a cent sales tax increase to finance the bond, which would
cost the average Utah family about $14 more per year, a cost
that the state Taxpayer's Association says it too high. The
Utah Farm Bureau wants such decisions to be made by the legislature
instead of by voters. Advocates of the initiative say a statewide
tax is an equitable and acceptable way to finance the project,
which, in turn, will equitably and effectively serve all residents
by preserving clean air and water. |
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California
Senate Committee Tanks Solar Energy Plan (Los Angeles
Times, 8/27)
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-solar27aug27,1,5248983.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-fi-solar27aug27,0,7056339.story?coll=la-news-politics-california
The California State Legislature pulled the plug on Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger's hopes of fulfilling a campaign promise
to install solar power systems on 1 million homes. With lawmakers
adjourning last week, the governor's negotiators failed to
find the votes needed to pass a $1 billion program that Schwarzenegger
said would cut pollution and boost power reserves. The bill,
SB 199 by Senator Kevin Murray, received only two of the seven
needed votes in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
Chairwoman Sarah Reyes said passage probably would have led
to a rate increase for residential and industrial electricity
customers, which are still recovering from the energy crisis
of 2000-01. The governor's solar program would have required
home builders to offer new-home buyers the option of installing
photovoltaic solar generating systems, beginning in 2010.
The extra cost to home buyers would have been about $6,400,
after a $5,600 state rebate. Instead of backing the governor,
the committee endorsed and sent to the full Assembly a more
modest solar energy bill by Senator Debra Bowen. Her measure
contained no potential rate hike. The Bowen proposal sets
up a rebate program for homeowners installing solar systems
but depends on limited funds from existing state programs.
To learn more about state incentives for renewable power,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/RenewableEnergyIncentives/index.html. |
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MA
Planning Department to Complete Analysis of Land Inventories
(Smart Growth Online 8/19)
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4233&state=21&res=1024
Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., signed an executive
order directing the Maryland Department of Planning to work
with local officials, homebuilders, and environmentalists
to coordinate and direct future growth in accordance with
a statewide development capacity analysis, also called buildable
lot inventory. Chaired by Planning Secretary Audrey E. Scott,
the task force will continue quarterly meetings to track the
progress of the analysis program and help its implementation.
By following the state development plan and coordinating all
parties involved in development, Maryland can better channel
growth into already-developed areas, minimize sprawl, and
preserve open space. To see SERC's policy issues package on
suburban sprawl, visit: http://www.serconline.org/sprawl/pkg_frameset.html. |
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California
Bill to Cut Gas Consumption Dies (Los Angeles Times
8/23)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-gas23aug23,1,2849408.story?coll=la-news-environment
In a summer of sky-high pump prices in California, Assemblywoman
Christine Kehoe thought she had an idea everyone would like
-- cutting statewide gasoline consumption by 1% a year from
now to 2020. "It's a common-sense measure that I think
most Californians will support," she said. But her modest
proposal has run into an oil industry buzz saw. Energy companies,
claiming that Kehoe is trying to foist a "hidden tax
increase" on motorists, went all-out to cripple her bill
and, perhaps, threaten her political career. Kehoe's opponents
-- the oil companies and a coalition that includes the California
Chamber of Commerce, the California Farm Bureau Federation,
and the California Grocers Association -- have been relentless.
Over the last few days, Kehoe's offices have been bombarded
with dozens of faxes from small businesses in her district.
Using similar wording, the letters from truckers, caterers,
concrete companies, and other small companies express shock
and disappointment that Kehoe would write a bill that they
allege would raise taxes and drive up gasoline and diesel
prices. AB 1468 died in the state Senate -- the bill was defeated
after opponents complained that it would raise taxes even
though the proposal specifically ruled them out. |
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Michigan:
Public Transit Gains in Local Elections, Loses in Legislature
(Great Lakes Bulletin 8/18)
http://mlui.org/transportation/fullarticle.asp?fileid=16738
In a sharp challenge to the state legislature's resistance
to funding public transportation, citizens in 13 Michigan
counties voted overwhelmingly for either continuing or increasing
local property taxes to support their bus systems. Transit
advocates are heralding the statewide groundswell, which occurred
in local elections on August 3rd, and say they hope it will
persuade the legislature to increase, instead of decrease
or even eliminate, state support for local transit systems.
"Public transportation is valued and people are willing
to step to the plate and fund their fair share at the local
level," said Clark Harder, executive director of the
Michigan Public Transit Association, the state's oldest and
largest association of transit systems. "It is critically
important that the legislature step up and maintain the state's
fair share as well." However, the legislature continues
to move in the opposite direction. Lansing lawmakers are considering
a series of bills that could dramatically reduce state transit
funding and transform budgeting and policy making for bus
systems from a relatively stable, consensus building approach
into a politicized, unpredictable one. Among the transit bills
attracting the strongest criticism from public transportation
supporters are SB 1163, which would eliminate the possibility
of any yearly guarantee or goal for state support of local
transit systems. Another proposal, SB 1081, would prevent
local transit systems from administering ride sharing programs,
even if, as in Michigan's case, there are almost no private
companies willing to provide the service under state contract.
Two other bills would transfer the final decision-making powers
for Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) five-year
spending plans, as well as for MDOT's bonding, from the State
Transportation Commission to both chambers of the state legislature,
which observers describe as a direct attack on the transportation
department's policy and budgeting authority. These actions
seemingly ignore the transit-related recommendations made
by the bipartisan Michigan Land Use Leadership Council last
August. Among other pro-transit recommendations, the council
urged the legislature to fully and permanently fund local
transit with the full amount that state law allows. Last October,
Senator Burt Leland sponsored SB 768, which would turn that
council recommendation into state law. But the bill has languished
in the Senate Appropriations Committee without a hearing for
10 months. |
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