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e-River Ties, March 2008

by Katie Shaddix — last modified March 31, 2008 03:57 PM

 

e-River Ties, March 2008 

Welcome to the March edition of e-River Ties!

 

 

We Dare Defend Our RiversImportant reminder: The second annual River Action Day is next Tuesday, April 8!

Protect your right to clean, healthy water by joining the Alabama Rivers Alliance and other activists from around the state to celebrate Rivers of Alabama Day by meeting with legislators at our state capitol in Montgomery.

 

More information about River Action Day is available by clicking here.

 

Register online at www.AlabamaWaterAgenda.com or contact April Hall by email at AHall@AlabamaRivers.org or by phone at 205-322-6395.

 

 

 

Inside this Issue:

 

Alabama Rivers News Digest for March

 

Alabama Rivers Alliance News

 

Grassroots Highlights

 

Events

 

Support the Rivers Alliance

 

 

March News Digest

 

Developer Clears Land upstream of Little River Canyon Preserve, faces scrutiny from citizens and agencies

According to Jared Felkins’ March 26 article in the Times-Journal ,recent clearing of land near Mentone has garnered the attention of nearby residents, as well as state and federal agencies.

Thomas Shafer, of Atlanta, is listed as chief executive officer of Turtle Time, Inc., according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. The company and Shafer individually have bought hundreds of acres of land in Georgia just across the state line to Highway 117 near Mentone, according to DeKalb County probate records.

While many in the area do not know what’s in store for the land, Shafer said it’s just farming.

“I’m not developing anything around Mentone,” Shafer said. “This is a timber investment, as well as a family farm.”

But officials with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Corps of Engineers say whatever is intended for the land and nearby Little River is not in compliance with their practices.

“We have received several complaints on the land clearing activity,” said Scott Hughes, a spokesperson with ADEM. “We have conducted two inspections on Feb. 27 and March 12. We have documented numerous issues that need to be addressed. We are in the process of reviewing our information in house and taking the next step.”

Hughes said that whenever a landowner disturbs more than 1 acre of land, a permit must be obtained from ADEM.

“The owner has not registered this activity with this department and obtained the proper approvals,” Hughes said. “The best management practices that have been installed are not sufficient.”

Click here for the complete text of the article.

 

 

Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of Hurricane Creek win third court victory over TRI Mining Company

March 21st marked another victory for the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of Hurricane Creek in the long fought struggle to protect this already impaired creek from further mining operations. 

 

On Friday, March 21st, the Court of Civil Appeals announced its latest decision, overruling the application for a rehearing.  This marks the 3rd court victory in this case for the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Friends of Hurricane Creek.  We are grateful to our lawyer, Edwin Lamberth, for his dedication to our organization and to seeing this case through to the end.  For more information on this case, see this news article: "Appeals court upholds ruling against ADEM on permit challenge."

 

 

 

Department of Transportation Officials vow to improve in light of U.S. 98 woes

Promising to listen more, follow environmental laws and create a hot line for reporting problems on road projects, state Transportation Director Joe McInnes on Thursday said his agency was using the environmental failures on U.S. 98 as motivation to improve.

 

Describing the roadway as a "top priority" during a news conference in Mobile, McInnes was unable to provide a total when asked how much it ultimately would cost taxpayers to fix the problems along the new, rerouted section of U.S. 98 in west Mobile County.

 

To read the full text of the March 21 article in the Mobile Press-Register, click here.

 

Alabama Rivers Alliance News

 

River Action Day is next week!

Join the Alabama Rivers Alliance and other groups from across the state in Montgomery for River Action Day on Tuesday, April 8! Click here to find out more.

R.A.D. Boat Giveaway horizontal

 

Enter for your chance to win in the R.A.D. Boat Giveaway contest!

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win this sit-on-top kayak! You can buy your tickets online by clicking here.

 

Rivers Alliance unveils second brochure in River Protection Essentials series

The Rivers Alliance is proud to unveil the second publication in the River Protection Essentials series, “How to perform a file review at ADEM.” These short publications are available in a printable, online format and are designed to help empower citizens to protect their right to clean, healthy water.

 

The 2008 Directory of Alabama River and Watershed Guardians—now available online

The Alabama Rivers Alliance is pleased to announce the completion of the 2008 Directory of Alabama River and Watershed Guardians. The Directory is available in an online printable format that you can view by clicking here. Anyone searching for a grassroots water protection organization in their watershed can find one in our comprehensive directory.

 

The 2008 Watershed Leadership Conference a resounding success

The 2008 Watershed Leadership Conference was another big success for the Alabama Rivers Alliance. With over one hundred participants from all across the southeast as well as from as far away as Mexico, the turnout was impressive. We were treated to some terrific speakers, some informative sessions, and some fabulous weather at Camp Beckwith in beautiful Fairhope, AL.

 

To read more about the Conference and see pictures, click here.

 

Grassroots Highlights

 

Alabama Rivers Alliance announces the 2008 recipients of River Celebration Awards

River Hero:   Mimi Fearn of Dog River Clearwater Revival

River Hero:   Sergio Ruiz-Cordova of Alabama Water Watch and Global Water Watch

River Hero:   Stanton Mahoney of Wolf Bay Watershed Watch

Watershed Group of the Year:   Mobile Baykeeper

Best New Watershed Group of the Year:  Hulsey Little River Land Trust

Beyond Rivers Partner of the Year:   Alabama Arise

Volunteer of the Year:   Stephen Guesman

 

Send in your grassroots highlights to be featured on our website and in our e-newsletter

If you have an event you’d like to see featured on our website or in our e-newsletter, email Elizabeth Salter.

 

Events

 

April is Earth Month! See a comprehensive directory of Earth Month Events on the Rivers Alliance website.

Click here to see a complete listing of Earth Day events in Alabama. If you know of an event that’s not included on our list, email Katie Shaddix and let us know.

 

River Action Day and Rivers of Alabama Day, Tuesday, April 8

Help protect our right to clean, healthy waters by participating in the second annual River Action Day on Tuesday, April 8 at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Celebrate Rivers of Alabama Day and join the Alabama Rivers Alliance and fellow activists from around the state to meet with legislators and promote legislation and programs that protect water health.  Developed by citizens to improve water quality and quantity through changes in state policy, the Alabama Water Agenda will again be a main focal point of the day’s activities.

Participants will receive copies of the Agenda to distribute to their state senator and representative.  Environmental leaders will provide an update on current environmental legislation and a training session on lobbying.  A catered lunch will be provided as well as a commemorative t-shirt.  Registration will begin at 10 a.m. and the event will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to conclude at 3:00 p.m.  

For more information and for registration, click here.

 

Alabama Rivers Alliance Event Calendar

Click here for a comprehensive list of events involving Alabama’s Rivers.

 

 

Support the Rivers Alliance

Three different styles of Alabama Rivers Alliance t-shirts now available online!

Click here to check out the designs and order yours today!

 

Shop to support the Rivers Alliance

We are proud to announce our guide to Eco-friendly, Socially-Conscious retailers. Do you know of a business that you'd like to see included on the list? Email us and let us know.

Did you know that you can support the Rivers Alliance just by purchasing Higher Ground Roaster's delicious River Blend Coffee? Or that 25% of purchases from www.LetsGoGreen.biz  will benefit the Rivers Alliance when you travel to the store through the links on our website?

To shop with our fundraising partners and other Eco-friendly, fair trade retailers, click here.

 

Donate to the Alabama Rivers Alliance

None of the Rivers Alliance's good work would be possible without the support of our members and donors. The Rivers Alliance is now accepting donations online through Paypal for those of you with Paypal accounts and also through www.Groundspring.org.  Visit our Donate page to contribute or to renew your membership today!

For more information about current happenings with the Alabama Rivers Alliance, read our print newsletter online in a pdf format by clicking here.

To unsubscribe to our e-newsletter, email Katie Shaddix.

 

 

 

 
 
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