State
Navy to begin testing water in Kemper County
WTOK
KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) - The U.S. Navy says it will begin testing private water wells in late September in and around Joe Williams Field in Kemper County. It's part of the Navy's commitment to ensure local drinking water well supplies are not impacted from past Navy use of firefighting foam, AFFF.
FIFTH PHASE OF WEST BANK CONSENT WORK FINISHED
Northside Sun
Jackson has finished work on another major chunk of its consent decree work.
Recently, Engineering Manager Charles Williams told the city council work has wrapped up on the fifth phase of the West Bank Interceptor Rehabilitation Project.
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service honors Oxford scientist
Oxford Eagle
Scientist Dr. Jason Taylor’s research has taken him to Texas, Ohio and New York, and more recently to Oxford as a research ecologist for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service at the National Sedimentation Lab, Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit off McElroy Drive.
City names Ware head of sanitation, OKs budget
Starkville Daily News
The Starkville Board of Aldermen named Calvin Ware as the new department head of Sanitation and Environmental Services at its work session on Friday.
Mississippi deer linked to CWD-positive facility
Clarion Ledger
Two Louisiana men have been charged with illegally importing live white-tailed deer into Mississippi and according to authorities, some of the deer came from a facility that has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
State Government
Legislative leaders' budget work soon going public
Daily Journal
JACKSON – The long and winding road that leads to the Legislature’s finally passing a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, goes public later this week.
Oil Spill
BP oil spill money coming to Alabama
WPMI
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WPMI) — Millons of dollars in BP oil spill money is up for grabs.
It’s also the deadline for local governments, nonprofits and environmental groups to submit their priorities to the restore council.
Regional
Environment notebook
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
State seeks ideas for VW settlement
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality seeks input on how it should spend $14.6 million in funds from a consent decree reached in federal court over the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
State's haze plan gets EPA support
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to accept changes the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has suggested for the state's implementation of a federal rule governing visibility at national wilderness areas.
National
Trump's air pollution pick goes before senate at critical moment
Houston Chronicle
Expect some fierce questioning when President Donald Trump's pick to head the EPA's air pollution division gets his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Next EPA science advisers could include those who question climate change
Washington Post
People who have questioned aspects of mainstream climate research appear on a list of 132 possible candidates for positions on EPA’s influential Science Advisory Board, which the agency has opened for public comment until September 28. The board currently has 47 members, but 15 have terms ending in September and could be replaced by some of the candidates.
Trump Administration to Brief Officials on Emissions Goals
New York event follows meeting that raised foreign officials’ hopes the administration would revisit Paris agreemen
WSJ
President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser is expected to outline the administration’s proposals to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while restating that its stance on the Paris climate accord has not changed, White House officials said, following signals over the weekend that the U.S. was exploring ways to remain in the 2015 pact.
Colorado mulls state limit for groundwater contamination from PFCs
PFCs have been linked to health issues, including low birth weights and kidney and testicular cancers
Denver Post
COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado health officials grappling with groundwater contamination from firefighting foam — containing a toxic chemical the federal government allows — have proposed to set a state limit to prevent more problems.
Trump Administration to Expand Hunting at National Monuments
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs order instructing agencies to allow hunting, fishing
WSJ
President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to expand hunting, fishing and target shooting at as many U.S. national monuments as possible, under a plan signed Friday by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Should utilities build charging stations for electric cars?
WASHINGTON
Faced with deadlines to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road, states are being asked to decide whether utility companies can build electric vehicle charging stations — and pass on the cost to their customers.
Opinion
Public servants hiring spouses, mothers, brothers, lovers: Is it ethical?
Geoff Pender
Clarion Ledger
Mississippi public servants are deeply concerned about doing right by taxpayers and public sensibility, so they frequently seek guidance from the state Ethics Commission.
Press releases
Agriculture Conservation Easement Program
from USDA/NRCS
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Department of Agriculture / Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). ACEP provides financial
and technical assistance to landowners and Native American Tribes with
conservation efforts on agricultural lands and wetlands.
NRCS strives to help producers and landowners enact environmentally
friendly activities such as improving water and air quality, building healthier
soils, improving grazing and forest lands, enhancing organic operations and
conserving energy. ACEP consists of two separate components, the
Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) option and the Wetland Reserve Easement
(WRE) option. These options are tailored to benefit different land types that
meet specific qualifications and are cost effective.
The ALE component is geared to protect agricultural lands devoted to food
production from conversion into non-agricultural uses. ALE works with eligible
partners such as conservation organizations, state and local governments to
share the easement costs.
The WRE component aims to restore, enhance and protect wetlands through
the purchase of a wetland reserve easement. WRE works with individual land
owners and land managers to cover the total restoration cost for a permanent
easement or up to 75% funding assistance on a 30 year easement.
Both programs ensure long term conservation of agricultural lands, either through
preservation of farming operations or restoring wetlands and improving wildlife
habitat.
“The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program offers land owners and land
managers two options to protect agricultural lands and protect wetlands,” stated
Kurt Readus, NRCS state conservationist for Mississippi. "This conservation
investment helps to improve environmental health and the natural resources of
Mississippi."
Applications for all NRCS financial-assistance programs are accepted on a
continuous sign-up process, however specific sign-up deadlines are established
to rank, contract and fund qualified tracts of land. The deadline to sign-up to be
considered for consideration in ACEP’s fiscal year 2018 funding period is
October 27, 2017.
Landowners, Non-Government Organizations, and Native American Tribes
interested in participating in ACEP should visit the nearest USDA Service Center
for more information.
To locate your local service center,
For more information, visit our website at
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Secretary Zinke signs Secretarial Order to Support Sportsmen & Enhance Wildlife Conservation
Order seeks to expand access on public and private lands and to promote hunting and fishing among youth, veterans, and minority communities
9/15/2017
Date: September 15, 2017
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3356, which will support and expand hunting and fishing, enhance conservation stewardship, improve wildlife management, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. Secretarial Order 3356 is an extension of Secretarial Order 3347, issued on Zinke's first day, March 2, 2017. That order identified a slate of actions for the restoration of the American sportsmen conservation ethic, which was established by President Theodore Roosevelt. The new order comes days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a survey that found there are 2.2 million fewer hunters in America now than in 2011. The order seeks to improve wildlife management and conservation, increase access to public lands for hunting, shooting, and fishing, and puts a new and a greater emphasis on recruiting and retaining new sportsmen conservationists, with a focus on engaging youths, veterans, minorities, and other communities that traditionally have low participation in outdoor recreation activities.
“Hunting and fishing is a cornerstone of the American tradition and hunters and fishers of America are the backbone of land and wildlife conservation,” said Secretary Zinke. “The more people we can get outdoors, the better things will be for our public lands. As someone who grew up hunting and fishing on our public lands - packing bologna sandwiches and heading out at 4AM with my dad - I know how important it is to expand access to public lands for future generations. Some of my best memories are hunting deer or reeling in rainbow trout back home in Montana, and I think every American should be able to have that experience.
“Today’s Secretarial Order is the latest example of how the Trump Administration is actively moving to support hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation on public lands. This means finding ways to expand hunting and fishing on public lands, improving access, and taking necessary actions to facilitate the enjoyment of these time-honored activities by any member of our society.”
Secretarial Order 3356 directs bureaus within the department to:
- Within 120 days produce a plan to expand access for hunting and fishing on BLM, USFWS and NPS land.
- Amend national monument management plans to ensure the public's right to hunt, fish and target shoot.
- Expand educational outreach programs for underrepresented communities such as veterans, minorities, and youth.
- In a manner that respects the rights and privacy of the owners of non-public lands, identify lands within their purview where access to Department lands, particularly access for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other forms of outdoor recreation, is currently limited (including areas of Department land that may be impractical or effectively impossible to access via public roads or trails under current conditions, but where there may be an opportunity to gain access through an easement, right-of-way, or acquisition), and provide a report detailing such lands to the Deputy Secretary.
- Within 365 days, cooperate, coordinate, create, make available, and continuously update online a single “one stop” Department site database of available opportunities for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on Department lands.
- Improve wildlife management through collaboration with state, Tribal, territorial, and conservation partners.
"On behalf of the 5 million hunters, recreational shooters and members of the NRA, we commend Secretary Zinke for continuing to follow Teddy Roosevelt's sportsman legacy by opening more land and water to hunting and target shooting," said Chris Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association. "In the past, management plans for federal lands have been put in place to ban hunting and shooting. Sportsmen and women can now breathe a sigh of relief that those days are over. This administration values access to public lands for sportsmen and we commend them for it."
“For too long, sportsmen’s access to our federal lands has been restricted, with lost opportunity replacing the ability to enjoy many of our best outdoor spaces. This extension to Secretarial Order 3356 will go a long way to reversing that trend and help grow the next generation of hunters, fishermen, and recreational shooters,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I appreciate this new order and am committed to working with Secretary Zinke and my colleagues to do everything we can to expand and enhance access to our federal lands for all Alaskans, and all Americans, so that we can continue our rich sportsmen’s heritage.”
“Restoring wildlife habitat and expanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation will help increase wildlife populations and connect millions of Americans with our nation’s natural treasures," said Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "Secretary Zinke’s order demonstrates his commitment to collaborate closely with conservation organizations and state agencies to achieve these critical conservation outcomes. We look forward to working with the Secretary, the Department, and our conservation partners to recover America’s wildlife and connect every American with nature.”
“Secretary Zinke’s action today follows in the great tradition of President Teddy Roosevelt and recognizes the central role that hunters play in conservation and successful wildlife management,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “The National Shooting Sports Foundation is deeply grateful to Secretary Zinke for the historic Secretarial Order that he signed today. NSSF has worked closely with, and in support of, Interior Department officials on these priorities and other positive steps announced today. Today's action will serve to benefit current and future generations for years to come."
“Americans depend on reliable and affordable access to public lands to participate in outdoor sporting and recreational activities,” said Chairman Rob Bishop. “Unfortunately, these lands are not being managed to facilitate consistent, open access. Today’s Secretarial Order to increase these opportunities strengthens the foundation of our country’s hunting and fishing heritage and helps ensure that sportsmen and women continue to enjoy access to our federal lands and waterways.”
"For many Americans, hunting and fishing wouldn’t be possible without public land and the access it provides for these pastimes. Secretarial Order 3356 represents a renewed commitment to working with our nation’s sportsmen and women to ensure that our legacy of hunting and fishing-driven conservation continues to stand the test of time," said Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation President Jeff Crane. "We applaud Secretary Zinke for recognizing the critically important role that expanded federal land access plays in achieving this goal."
“We support Secretary Zinke’s order to expand opportunities for hunters and anglers on BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service and Park Service lands as well as on private lands,” said David Allen, President and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Access to quality wildlife habitat remains one of the most significant factors impacting hunting and fishing participation throughout the country. This order will help ensure sportsmen and women continue to have opportunities for quality recreational experiences on public lands and potentially private lands.”
“Generations of Idahoans, including me, have passed on their love of hunting, fishing, and shooting sports to their children and grandchildren,” said Senator James Risch, Co-Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. “I applaud Secretary Zinke’s quick action to protect those fundamental rights and expand access for sportsmen and women across the country.”
On his first day in office, Secretary Zinke reversed an order that would have banned lead ammo and tackle on National Wildlife Refuge lands, and he began the process of expanding hunting and fishing opportunities on public lands across the Department.
In August, the Secretary announced a proposal to expand hunting and fishing opportunities at 10 national wildlife refuges, and he announced the initial stages of a plan to acquire land to make the Bureau of Land Management Sabinoso Wilderness Area accessible for the first time ever to hunters, hikers, and wildlife watchers.
In addition, Secretary Zinke recently made recommendations to President Trump on 27 national monuments that call for changes to some that, while still protecting the land, would also protect and expand public access to that land for citizens who want to hunt, fish, and hike and experience the joy and beauty of these special places.
