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Responsible
Off Road Vehicle Use
Between 1990 and 1998, the number of off road vehicles (ORVs) used
off-trail in the United States increased by more than 150 percent.
Many state and local governments were caught off guard and did not
have effective tools in place to manage the onslaught of ORV users.
ORVs are commonly used for hunting and recreational purposes, but
often times a rider will access areas off trails, scaring away wildlife
and harming vegetation. Studies have linked the increased ORV usage
to decreased elk and deer populations. ORVs also create soil compaction,
soil displacement, and pollution. For more information on how your
state can encourage Responsible ORV use visit: http://www.serconline.org/orv/pkg_frameset.html. |
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New
Jersey Provides More Funds to Clean Up Brownfields (Philadelphia
Inquirer 5/8)
New Jersey Gov. McGreevey recently signed legislation allocating
$40 million to the state's Hazardous Discharge Remediation Site
Refund, which had dwindled down to $4 million, to clean up contaminated
industrial sites or brownfields. The state has approximately 12,000
contaminated sites. The fund has provided $95 million to 150 sites
since its creation in 1993. The Department of Environmental Protection's
Commissioner commented the money would not only help save farmland
from development, but also is a centerpiece to McGreevey's smart
growth plan – developing old industrial sites rather than
suburbs. McGreevey said, "The funds will not only remove the
environmental threat, they provide for redevelopment that will benefit
the entire community." For more information on how your state
can deal with brownfields visit: http://www.serconline.org/brownfields/index.html. |
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'Freedom
to Fish' Act Swims Through New Jersey Legislature
Marine ecosystems, just as important – and just as threatened
– as terrestrial ecosystems, are a public resource that should
be managed for the public good. One crucial management tool is the
creation of fully protected marine areas, where no extractive activities
are allowed, which benefit fish populations, other marine life and
the entire coastline by providing a refuge for marine animals. A
bill making its way through the New Jersey legislature would make
it almost impossible to set up fully protected marine areas, denying
the state an important conservation tool. SB 2323 and AB 3326, which
have both passed out of committee, would prohibit the creation of
areas closed to recreational fishing unless the state can prove
that recreational fishing is the cause of a specific problem. The
legislation puts the burden of proof on those who want to protect
marine resources rather than on those who are consuming –
and potentially harming – them before taking action. Clearly,
this is a dangerous precedent. Similar legislative language, promoted
by the Recreational Fishing Alliance, has been introduced in eight
other states – CA, DE, MD, NY, RI, SC, TX, and WA. These bills
would make it impossible for states to protect and restore ocean
ecosystems. This bill unnecessarily restricts a state's ability
to manage its coastal habitats. If your state has a coastline, watch
out for this type of bill. |
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Maine
Bill Prompts State Study into Greenhouse Emissions
(WMTV.com 5/9)
LD 845, which addresses global warming concerns, has received
initial approval in the Maine House. The bill directs the
Department of Environmental Protection to create a greenhouse
gas emissions inventory for state facilities and programs.
The bill also calls for carbon emission reduction agreements
with businesses and nonprofits, state participation in a regional
greenhouse gas registry, and goals for the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions in the state. The sponsor of the bill, Rep.
Koffman, said the state would face significant economic costs
if the bill was not implemented, while opponents contend the
plan is too expensive for the state to be undertaking in the
current fiscal crisis. |
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2003
National Wetlands Awards Winners Announced
(5/6/03)
The Environmental Law Institute, The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service,
and the USDA Forest service have announced the 2003 National
Wetlands Awards Winners. The Awards Program recognizes individuals
from across the country who have demonstrated extraordinary
effort, innovation, and excellence at the regional, state
or local level. This years recipients include John Beal (Washington),
David Carter (Iowa), Bryce and Brad Evans (Missouri), Paul
Scott Hausmann (Wisconsin), Maggy Hurchalla (Florida), Neil
Johnston (Alabama), and Graeme Lockaby (Alabama). For more
information visit: http://www.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm. |
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'California
Car Bill' Begins to Rev in New Jersey
(The Star-Ledger, 5/7)
Environmental groups are pushing to bring California's strict
auto-emissions regulations to New Jersey, and 51 lawmakers
have rallied to the cause, in spite of threats by opponents
to withdraw endorsements. The bill is currently in the Appropriations
Committee but will likely be released by the end of June.
If signed into law, it would make New Jersey the fifth state
to adopt California's stringent car-pollution control measures. |
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Virginia
'Invasive-Species Crew' Succeeds
(Richmond Times-Dispatch 5/5)
Students at the University of Richmond got a taste of the
legislative process this year when a bill they promoted was
signed into law. The bill creates an invasive species council,
which will coordinate the efforts of state agencies to control
and prevent problems caused by invasive species. Invasive
species cost Virginia an estimated $3 billion annually. Students
convinced legislators to sponsor the bill, and lobbied for
votes. The bill passed both houses unanimously and was signed
by the Governor this spring. For information on how your state
can deal with invasive species, see http://www.serconline.org/invasives/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Texas
Senate OKs Higher Car Fee (The
Dallas Morning News, 5/9)
The Texas Senate passed a bill Monday requiring car buyers
to pay an extra fee in order to generate $642 million over
the next four years for the Texas Emissions Reductions Program.
This program would target diesel emission reductions in efforts
to comply with the Clean Air Act. Currently the Huston-Galveston
and Dallas-Fort Worth regions do not comply with the Clean
Air Act; if these regions do not comply the state could loose
hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway money. |
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Delaware
Senate Passes Environmental Felony Bill
(The News Journal, 5/7)
Delaware's Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would make
it possible for corporate executives to face up to eight years
of prison if their actions were found to engender environmental
damage that caused physical harm to people. Additionally,
it would enforce harsher penalties for companies guilty of
submitting false statements to the Department of Natural Resources
and Environmental Control. The bill was approved 15-5 in the
Senate and is expected to pass with ease in the House, perhaps
because its language is somewhat benign. "I've seen more
teeth on a 30-year-old mule than we have in this bill,"
said Senator Charlie Copeland, R-West Farm, alluding to the
fact that, under the legislation's proposed checks and balances
system, lawbreakers would have to push very hard to incur
any penalties. |
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Georgia
Bill Targets Pollution from Construction
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/7)
A bill quietly working its way through the Georgia legislature
could do a lot to clean up Georgia's rivers and streams. HB
285, which has passed both the House and Senate, intends to
prevent discharge of sediment into state waters. It would
implement a fee system to help local governments pay for training
builders and inspecting construction sites. It would also
require development projects to follow erosion reducing practices,
with a goal of keeping as much soil on-site and out of waterways
as possible. |
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Groups
Urge Veto of New Wetlands Bill
(South Bend Tribune, 5/8)
A wetlands bill that passed Indiana's General Assembly late
last month is the target of environmental groups across the
state who, in the wake of a report released by the National
Wildlife Federation, fear that the legislation would leave
wetlands and other bodies of water vulnerable to degradation
and in some cases, complete destruction. The NWFs analysis
of the bill revealed that it provides insubstantial protection
for most wetlands and undermines the state's ability to control
the discharge of pollutants into many other bodies of water.
Governor Frank O'Bannon will take action on the bill by the
end of the week. For information on how your state can protect
wetlands, visit: http://www.serconline.org/wetlands/index.html. |
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