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October 2007 E-Newsletter
News/Events/Resources/Festivity
http://alabamariversalliance.blogspot.com/
FAST Approaching Opportunities!
Deadline: Friday, October 12th
Dear Friends,
Below is a sign-on letter supporting higher funding levels for LWCF and Forest Legacy. I'd like to get 125 groups/organizations from the Southeast on this letter. Let's make a strong Southern statement! To sign-on you can either send an email to Tom_Gilbert@tws.org or pkbyington@aol.com (and please forward & invite your friends to sign-on!) I look forward to hearing from you - and thank you for all of your support!
Best Wishes, Pat Byington, The Wilderness Society
Click Link Below for Letter:
http://alabamariversalliance.blogspot.com/2007/10/email-your-support-tomorrow-to-fund.html
Deadline: Friday, October 12th
FREE Pentium IV computers
At the fall training sessions, we are going to be awarding groups with surplus computers from the Office of Surface Mining. These are GOOD computers! Pentium IV processors with Windows already loaded on them. We will be giving away computers and keyboards, but unfortunately no monitors (too hard to transport).
If you would like one of these FREE Pentium IV computers, please send me an email with a 2-3 sentence blurb telling me how it will be used. I will be taking applications until October 12th.
Cheers, Duncan Wilson
Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team, Clean Streams Practicum Coordinator
Phone: 304.461.3132, Fax: 304.254.9144, training@accwt.org
Deadline: Tuesday, October 16th
Sign up for Watershed Financing—Moving Beyond Grants
An EPA Watershed Academy Series webcast on funding.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007Two-hour audio Web broadcast
Eastern: 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Central: 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Mountain: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Pacific: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
You must register in advance to participate in the Webcast.
For the full announcement:
http://alabamariversalliance.blogspot.com/2007/10/epa-webcast-watershed-financingmoving.html
Deadline: Friday, October 26th
"Big Money for Small Organizations" Fundraising Workshop with exciting Andy Robinson, by the Institute for Conservation Leadership in partnership with Alabama Rivers Alliance and Flint River Conservation Association in Huntsville on November 17th. Register Now, email quentin@icl.org! http://alabamariversalliance.blogspot.com/2007/09/big-money-for-small-organizations.html
Deadline: Friday, November 2nd
Call for Fish Habitat Project proposals from the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership:
Last year the National Fish Habitat Action Plan funds appropriated to the US Fish and Wildlife Service provided funding for nine fish habitat projects through the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership. Funding amounts provided for each project ranged from $13,000 to $120,000.
High quality projects will also be considered for other funding sources identified by the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership. Please return Fish Habitat Project proposals by e-mail to scott_robinson@dnr.state.ga.us by November 2, 2007. For more information about the Partnership (SARP), visit our website at www.sarpaquatic.org. More information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan can be found at www.fishhabitat.org.
Resources:
Tip from Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Michael William Mullen:
Be on the lookout for ALDOT bridge maintenance projects where stream/river banks are
being riprapped to stabilize banks and protect supports. I found one in my area where the
riprap was placed so as to block fish passage. If rock is left in the stream bottom it should
not alter the elevation of the stream bottom or grade of the stream.
If you see problems similar to this report them to your local highway district office and to Buddy Cox at ALDOT coxb@dot.state.al.us
TIP from Enviro-lawyer, David Ludder:
Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) has some new features, mostly in search and output parameters. http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/index.html
Online Tracking Information System (OTIS) is maintained by EPA and billed as "the premier environmental and enforcement and compliance analysis and reporting resource for government agencies." It is mostly restricted to government agencies and contains more than the public Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database. However, one portion is available to the public -- charts and tables of effluent data and permit limits. With this new data presentation, mining of data in the Permit Compliance System (PCS) is not necessary and examination of Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) is largely unnecessary. This can be especially important if you don't want to tip ADEM off that you are intending to file a 60-day notice of intent to sue. There are two ways to obtain publicly available OTIS data. The most direct is http://www.epa-otis.gov/cgi-bin/effluentsquery.cgi?tool=otis. Enter the permit number and click "search" and charts of effluent data will be presented. Click on "Details" for any chart and a table of the effluent data and permit limits will be presented. [Caution: It appears that not all permit limits for a particular parameter may be shown, e.g., weekly averages] Another way is to enter the ECHO website and pull up data for a facility of interest. Scroll to the table labeled "Environmental Conditions" and click on the blue "W." That will take you an "OTIS Water Quality Report" page. At the top is a link to "NPDES Effluent Charts Report."
ADEM Electronic Environmental Reporting System (E2) has been launched. https://e2.adem.state.al.us/NPDES/Pages/Main/Login.aspx "The E2 DMR systems provides wastewater facilities with an alternative way to submit DMR data and allow the ADEM to electronically validate the data, acknowledge receipt, and upload data to Alabama’s central wastewater database." Director Trey Glenn promised the environmental community (I believe on Jan. 10, 2007) that this data would be accessible to the public via the web. No provision has been made for public accessibility. I have an inquiry in to ADEM about their plans
Group Events:
Friends of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Annual Meeting At the Refuge boat launch. Potluck. Bring a favorite dish.
Sunday, Oct 21- 2:30 PM
http://cahabafriends.freespaces.com/
Dubconscious Concert for Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Riverkeeper supporters Dubconscious, a reggae band from Athens, Georgia, will help raise awareness about Riverkeeper at Zydeco in Birmingham.
Friday, October 19, 2007, 10:00 PM - 11:55 PM
http://www.blackwarriorriver.org/
Fundraiser at Bottletree for Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Thursday, November 8th
http://www.blackwarriorriver.org/
Raindrop Festival for the Hulsey Little River Landtrust
Saturday, November 10th
http://friendsofshane.blogspot.com/2006/11/land-trust-meeting.html
Festivity:
ARA’s River Revival a HUGE Success!
With over 350 attendees, including guests, artists, and grassroots groups, our 2nd Annual River Revival was a huge success! Our ten grassroots groups, who came out, really brought the festival to life. This event will be moving around the state and we hope that you can come next year, if you missed it this year. Let us know if you would like to host a River Revival in your watershed. River Revival raises awareness about local grassroots groups protecting our rivers and waters, the environment, and the people of Alabama, while celebrating the beauty and diversity of life in our waters.
Alabama Water Watch produces yet another beautiful publication; the Citizen Water Monitoring Brochure on Wolf Bay is now available in print through AWW or online at https://aww.auburn.edu/awwp/pubs.aspx#rs. This informational brochure is filled with facts and figures, maps, and articles, including an article on the new use classification of Outstanding Alabama Water for Wolf Bay. The publication was produced by Alabama Water Watch staff, with funding from the Wolf Bay Watershed Watch and the Alabama Water Watch Association.
Please send in your Grassroots Highlights and Events! We’re producing a quarterly newsletter and we need your highlights. A role of ours is to keep you connected and informed, so if you have something going on, let’s celebrate…
http://alabamariversalliance.blogspot.com/2007/08/grassroots-highlights.html
10-10-07
No justice, no place: Alabama Arise develops environmental justice initiatives