Environmental protection

October 26, 2009 -- Representatives from NOAA and the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, announced the formation of a partnership to better manage and protect ocean and coastal resources, ensure regional economic sustainability, and respond to disasters such as hurricanes. The announcement was made during the annual meeting of the Coastal States Organization in Charleston, S.C.    » read more »

Pledges to help save the world’s forests

WASHINGTON, Oct.15, 2009 -- HP today announced it has joined the Global Forest & Trade Network in North America (GFTN-NA), a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative linking more than 300 companies globally that share a commitment to responsible forestry.

By becoming a member of the GFTN, HP has committed to progressively increase the amount of responsibly harvested fiber used in its paper products and sold globally. HP has set a target of 40 percent of its paper sales from Forest Stewardship Council-certified or post-consumer recycled sources by 2011.

As part of meeting these goals, HP will be engaging with suppliers and informing customers of its commitment. WWF will provide technical assistance toward reaching these goals.    » read more »

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, announced that the United States supports a proposal submitted by the principality of Monaco to list the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

CITES Appendix-I listing affords a species stringent protection and prohibits all international commercial trade. The fifteenth regular meeting of the CITES parties is scheduled for March 13-24, 2010 in Doha, Qatar (CoP15). Strickland will lead the United States’ delegation to CoP15, on behalf of the U.S. government.    » read more »

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today launched a Fiscal Year 2010 work plan for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forests in western Oregon that will add economic certainty for local communities while protecting endangered species.

In addition to a proposed schedule of 62 timber sales under the Northwest Forest Plan, Salazar announced that federal field teams will identify future proposed timber sales with high likelihood of being sold and harvested and a special task force will take a fresh look at forest management issues in Oregon.    » read more »

Seattle, WA - 10/13/2009 - Steve Kallick, director of Pew Environment Group’s International Boreal Conservation Campaign, issued the following statement today commending Premier Gary Doer and the Province of Manitoba, Canada, for creating a fund for a proposed World Heritage Site (WHS). The $10 million trust will support the establishment of Pimachiowin Aki, a WHS candidate area covering over 10 million acres of pristine boreal forest.    » read more »

Proposed Mine Could Destroy World's Largest Salmon Run and Local Fishing Industry

LOS ANGELES (October 13, 2009) –The Natural Resources Defense Council announced today a new BioGem campaign to save Alaska’s Bristol Bay, the world’s most productive salmon fishery, from the development of Pebble Mine, one of the largest gold and copper mines ever proposed.

“There are few human activities as toxic as large-scale mining,” said Joel Reynolds, senior attorney and director of NRDC’s marine mammal protection project. “The Pebble Mine project could lead to widespread water contamination, which would destroy the salmon runs of the Bristol Bay watershed and thereby devastate the native communities and abundant wildlife the salmon have supported for thousands of years.”    » read more »

Larsen expresses concerns with rules, asks for more time for public comment

October 13, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Rick Larsen recently sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) asking that they extend the public comment period for their proposed rules to restrict vessel activity near orca whales.

The rules, which were proposed in July, would prohibit vessels from approaching within 200 yards of orcas at all times, outlaw parking in the path of a moving orca, and ban virtually all vessel traffic within 800 yards of west side of San Juan Island for 5 months each year.    » read more »

Legislation will protect endangered species habitat salmon

October 13, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 1593) to designate Illabot Creek in Skagit County as a component of the Wild and Scenic River System. The House legislation, sponsored by U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), will permanently protect the free flowing nature of this tributary of the Skagit River. This legislation was introduced in March of this year and earned widespread local support, including endorsements from environmentalists, Skagit County Commissioners, fishing groups, and farmers.    » read more »

October 13, 2009 -- Washington, DC -- Chairman Raul M. Grijalva today hailed the release of the National Parks Second Century Commission’s report “Advancing the National Park Idea.” The report, authored by a distinguished bipartisan panel of environmental and public policy experts, reaffirms Congressman Grijalva’s call for stronger environmental protections, enhanced citizen stewardship, robust financing measures and other critical improvements to the nation’s environmental land management efforts.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will distribute approximately $1.7 billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to participants across the country in fiscal year 2010.

"President Obama and I are committed to conservation and environmental stewardship and this program provides the tools and resources to enable America's producers to be responsible caretakers of their land," said Vilsack. "I encourage interested producers to consider enrolling their land through continuous sign-up opportunities."    » read more »

10/06/09 -- Washington, DC -- Today, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing to understand the current state of the Long Island Sound (the Sound), assess the reasons for continued impairments, and consider policy recommendations to achieve full restoration of the Sound. The Long Island Sound is one of the nation’s largest and most diverse estuaries.    » read more »

Governor and Attorney General urge Obama Administration to support 9th Circuit Court Decision

Oct. 6, 2009 -- (Salem) – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and Attorney General John Kroger announced today that they sent letters urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue a legal strategy that supports the Clinton-era Roadless Rule to protect pristine wilderness areas.

“The Roadless Rule provides important protections to special places across our country,” Governor Ted Kulongoski said. “I hope we can end this cycle of litigation and implement the Clinton Roadless Rule as originally intended and applied nationwide.”    » read more »

New Report Identifies Top Threats and Recommendations to Protect Parks

Denver and New York (October 1, 2009)—Climate change from human activity is the leading threat to wildlife, plants, water and ice in 25 of America’s national parks, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO).

The report, NationalParks in Peril, comes on the heels of the introduction of clean energy and climate legislation in the U.S. Senate, as well as Ken Burns’ national parks series on PBS, which has put parks in the center of America’s national conscience.    » read more »

Conflicting legal decisions highlight the need for federal legislation

October 01, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Two Washington state lawmakers are ratcheting up the fight to preserve 58 million acres of pristine areas in national forests from road building, logging and other development.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) today filed legislation in the Senate and House respectively that would codify into law the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Clinton-era regulation aimed to protect roadless areas, which provide clean drinking water to over 60 million Americans and habitat to over 1,600 threatened, endangered or sensitive plant and animal species.    » read more »

Federal Dollars Would Fight Invasive Species, Pollution And Contamination

October 2, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, joined with their Great Lakes colleagues this week to call for $475 million for the Great Lakes in the combined Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The Senate version of the legislation only included $400 million, whereas the house version has $475 million. Schumer and Gillibrand are urging the conference committee tasked with combining the bills to approve the higher number. New York shares roughly 700 miles of coastline with the Great Lakes.    » read more »