2/18/13
Oil Spill
South Mississippians will have a say in how RESTORE Act money will be spent
Sun Herald
By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Those who will write a comprehensive plan for restoring the
ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast after the 2010 BP oil spill want to
hear what South Mississippians think should be funded.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/02/16/4473436/south-mississippians-will-have.html
Coastal restoration talks set
Public invited to discuss La.'s draft plan
By AMY WOLD
Baton Rouge Advocate
A series of three public meetings will be held this week along Louisiana's
Gulf Coast to take comments from the public about the state's draft plan
laying out how money will be spent on coastal restoration and protection in
fiscal year 2014.
http://theadvocate.com/news/5179936-123/coastal-restoration-talks-set
Environmental groups deliver more than 133,000 petitions to Justice
Department demanding BP be held accountable for Gulf oil spill
By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
updated February 15, 2013 at 6:01 PM
A coalition of national and Louisiana environmental groups delivered
133,501 petitions to the Justice Department office in Washington, D.C. on
Wednesday demanding that federal attorneys "hold BP accountable to the
fullest extent of the law" for its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/02/environmental_groups_deliver_1.html
Keeping guard over Restore Act money: Editorial
By The Editorial Board, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on February 16, 2013 at 5:44 AM
Despite the dire state of Louisiana's coast, some legislators last spring
made an attempt to co-opt Deepwater Horizon oil spill fines for other items
in the state budget. They didn't prevail. But the Legislature also refused
to give the restoration money constitutional protection and left itself the
power to raid it in the future.
http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/02/keeping_guard_over_restore_act.html
State News
Interim DMR director looking for $4 million in overspending on projects
Sun Herald
By KAREN NELSON — klnelson@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Danny Guice, the interim director of the state Department of
Marine Resources, has told the Sun Herald he can't account for millions in
state money that has come to the agency in the last decade.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/02/16/4473371/interim-dmr-director-looking-for.html
Documents show DMR spends on clothes, boat motors and bait
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE and JOHN FITZHUGH — calee@sunherald.com
BILOXI -- Public records the Sun Herald has reviewed from the Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources reveal hundreds of thousands of dollars
spent on outdoor gear, recreational boats, fishing shirts with embroidered
logos and other promotional items, seafood, conferences and event
sponsorships.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/02/16/4473455/documents-show-dmr-spends-on-clothes.html
Sun Herald posts DMR records online
To our readers:
As many of you well know, the Sun Herald has diligently fought for openness
in state and local governments in Mississippi, most recently suing the
state Department of Marine Resources for records relating to spending by
the agency.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/02/16/4473416/sun-herald-posts-dmr-records-online.html
Crop of programs help DeSoto farmers boost production, environment
Commercial Appeal
By Henry Bailey
Originally published 12:00 a.m., February 18, 2013
Updated 12:04 a.m., February 18, 2013
With some hoped-for help from the federal Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Michael and Janet Hawks hope to see big results from a "micro
irrigation" system to serve the 12 to 13 acres in eastern DeSoto County
where they grow field and sweet corn, cantaloupe, sweet peas, pumpkins and
watermelon.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/feb/18/no-headline---ds_farms/?print=1
National News
Natural gas isn't the only reason U.S. carbon emissions are falling
Washington Post
By Brad Plumer , Updated: February 15, 2013
It's become something of a cliché in energy-policy discussions: The United
States is making headway on global warming and slashing its carbon-dioxide
emissions all because of a glut of cheap natural gas that's elbowing out
dirtier coal power.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/15/natural-gas-isnt-the-only-reason-u-s-carbon-emissions-are-plummeting/
Dems hold fire on climate votes
The Hill
By Ben Geman - 02/17/13 03:00 PM ET
Congressional Democrats will not commit to forcing votes on major climate
change bills, even as they try to build political momentum behind President
Obama's promise to make global warming a second-term priority.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/283569-democrats-hold-fire-on-climate-votes
A Water Dispute Nears a Boil in Arizona
State Support for Pumping River Area for New Development Creates Clash With
Federal Government, Environmental Groups
Wall Street Journal
By HANNAH KARP
Like many retirees who have flocked to Sierra Vista in recent years, Judy
Sturgeon enjoys the cool temperatures afforded by the southern Arizona
city's high elevation, views of the Huachuca Mountains and regular
appearances by migrating cuckoos and warblers on the banks of the San
Pedro River.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324906004578288222682431306.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Crowd marches to voice opposition to Keystone pipeline
Washington Post
By Steven Mufson, Published: February 17
A crowd that organizers said numbered approximately 35,000 braved the cold
on Sunday and marched to urge President Obama to reject the Keystone XL
pipeline and to show leadership on other climate issues they called urgent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/crowd-marches-to-voice-opposition-to-keystone-pipeline/2013/02/17/a36be95e-7937-11e2-82e8-61a46c2cde3d_story.html
Opinion
EPA's Secret And Costly 'Sue And Settle' Collusion With Environmental
Organizations
Forbes
"Sue and Settle " practices, sometimes referred to as "friendly lawsuits",
are cozy deals through which far-left radical environmental groups file
lawsuits against federal agencies wherein court-ordered "consent decrees"
are issued based upon a prearrangedsettlement agreement they
collaboratively craft together in advance behind closed doors. Then, rather
than allowing the entire process to play out, the agency being sued settles
the lawsuit by agreeing to move forward with the requested action they and
the litigants both want.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2013/02/17/epas-secret-and-costly-sue-and-settle-collusion-with-environmental-organizations/
Press Releases
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Partners Invest in |
| Conservation for Mississippi River Health |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013–Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced |
|the investment of $59 million this year from the Natural Resources |
|Conservation Service (NRCS) for the health of the Mississippi River basin, |
|making a total of approximately $289 million for the initiative that reduces|
|nutrient and sediment run-off. |
| |
| |
|"The Mississippi River basin is an example of how voluntary conservation |
|practices in small watersheds can help improve a larger system," said |
|Vilsack. "This initiative provides an opportunity for farmers and ranchers |
|to voluntarily do their part and get recognized for it, while also |
|continuing to build on the success of our producers, partners, and other |
|state and federal agencies whose combined efforts have made significant |
|progress toward reducing nitrogen and sediment runoff in the Mississippi |
|River Basin." |
| |
| |
|More than 640 small watersheds across 13 states are part of the Mississippi |
|River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which is in its fourth year. |
|Through cooperative conservation partnerships, NRCS works with hundreds of |
|local organizations and conservation experts to focus funds to help the |
|greater efforts of water quality improvements in the river. |
| |
| |
|By using a partnership approach, resources are targeting to the most |
|vulnerable acres in the watershed with the most sediment and nutrient |
|losses. Producers and landowners work with NRCS to begin voluntary |
|conservation practices to improve water quality, restore wetlands, enhance |
|wildlife habitat and sustain agricultural profitability in the basin. |
| |
| |
|Previous conservation on cropland in the upper river basin reduced |
|edge-of-water sediment losses by about 61percent, nitrogen by 20 and |
|phosphorus by 44, according to NRCS' conservation effects assessment |
|project, showing how effective conservation is for the basin's health. |
| |
| |
|In addition to its vital role in providing drinking water, food, industry |
|and recreation for millions of people, NRCS has identified the basin as a |
|top priority due to water quality concerns, primarily related to the effects|
|of nutrient loading on the health of local water bodies and, eventually, the|
|Gulf of Mexico. |
| |
| |
|# |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
USDA Announces 45th General Sign-Up for the Conservation Reserve Program
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 16, 2013—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced at the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a four-week general sign-up
for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), beginning May 20 and ending on
June 14. CRP has a 27-year legacy of protecting the nation's natural
resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant
economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United
States. Under Secretary Vilsack's leadership, USDA has enrolled 11.7
million acres in various CRP efforts.
"Since the 1980s, the CRP program has established itself as a benchmark in
voluntary conservation efforts, providing American producers with assets to
address our most critical resource issues," said Vilsack. "Last year,
during one of the worst droughts in generations, the CRP proved vital in
protecting our most environmentally sensitive lands from erosion. Emergency
haying and grazing on CRP lands also supplied critical feed and forage for
livestock producers due to the drought. And the program continues to bring
substantial returns to rural areas, attracting recreation and tourism
dollars into local economies while sustaining natural and wildlife habitat
for future generations."
Additional sign-ups for continuous CRP programs—such as Highly Erodible
Land Initiative and Initiative to Restore Grasslands, Wetlands and
Wildlife—will be announced in spring 2013.
Currently, about 27 million acres are enrolled in CRP, which is a voluntary
program available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard
environmentally sensitive land. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term,
resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil
erosion and enhance wildlife habitat. Contracts on 3.3 million acres of CRP
are set to expire on Sept. 30, 2013. Producers with expiring contracts or
producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate
their options under CRP.
Producers that are accepted in the sign-up can receive cost-share
assistance to plant long-term, resource-conserving covers and receive an
annual rental payment for the length of the contract (10-15 years).
Producers also are encouraged to look into CRP's other enrollment
opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, sign-up basis and
that often provide additional financial assistance. Continuous sign-up
dates will be announced at a later date.
Over the past 27 years, farmers, ranchers, conservationists, hunters,
fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts have made CRP one of the largest
and most important USDA efforts. CRP continues to make major contributions
to national efforts to improve water and air quality, and to prevent soil
erosion by protecting the most sensitive areas including those prone to
flash flooding and runoff. CRP has also helped increase populations of
pheasants, quail, ducks, and rare species, like the sage grouse, the lesser
prairie chicken, and other grassland birds. Highlights of CRP include:
· CRP has restored more than two million acres of wetlands and two
million acres of riparian buffers;
· Each year, CRP keeps more than 600 million pounds of nitrogen and
more than 100 million pounds of phosphorous from flowing into our
nation's streams, rivers, and lakes.
· CRP provides $1.8 billion annually to landowners—dollars that make
their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and
creating jobs; and
· CRP is the largest private lands carbon sequestration program in the
country. By placing vulnerable cropland into conservation, CRP
sequesters carbon in plants and soil, and reduces both fuel and
fertilizer usage. In 2012, CRP resulted in carbon sequestration equal
to taking about nine million cars off the road.
The Obama Administration is leading a host of federal agencies in the
America's Great Outdoors initiative to develop a 21st century conservation
agenda and reconnect Americans to the outdoors. At the same time, USDA
continues to enroll a record number of acres of private working lands in
conservation programs, working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers
to implement conservation practices that clean the air we breathe, filter
the water we drink, and prevent soil erosion. Since 2009, USDA has enrolled
more than 50 million acres into the Conservation Stewardship Program to
incentivize the most productive, beneficial conservation practices. And
USDA's work in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Mississippi River Basin,
and Gulf of Mexico are among 19 initiatives applying the most effective
conservation practices to increase agricultural and environmental returns.
USDA science is also helping to focus work in areas to reduce problematic
nutrients making it to rivers and streams by as much as 45 percent.
For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA
service center or www.fsa.usda.gov.
#
