Environmental protection

May 28,2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) praised the United States Department of Agriculture and United States Forest Service for taking steps to protect roadless areas in our national forests by reversing years of Bush Administration policies.

In March 2009, Cantwell sent a letter with 24 other senators to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the Obama Administration to act quickly to ensure that national forest roadless acres weren’t harmed because of uncertainty surrounding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which was issued in January 2001.    » read more »

Senators pleased that Idaho plan stays intact

May 28, 2009 -- Boise, ID – Idaho Senator Jim Risch says he is pleased that a new U.S. Forest Service directive on roadless areas will exclude Idaho. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that no road construction or timber removal will take place on National Forests under the Roadless Area Conservation Rule without approval from the Secretary for one year.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Jeff Bingaman today applauded the decision by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to provide interim protections for nearly 60 million acres of special national forest land.

In 2001, the Clinton administration put into effect a rule to protect the remaining ‘roadless’ areas in our National Forests. The Bush administration soon overturned the rule. Lawsuits challenging both the Clinton and Bush rules remain in the courts, leaving no national policy on managing roadless areas.

Today, Vilsack temporarily reinstated important protections for roadless areas, requiring secretarial approval for any road construction and timber harvesting in the roadless areas. In the coming months, the administration will work to develop a permanent policy.    » read more »

Expansion Projects Expected to Create More Than 100 Jobs for Wisconsin Families

May 28, 2009 -- LA CROSSE – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today announced $21.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding that will improve and protect important Wisconsin environmental resources, and create jobs for hardworking Wisconsin families.

Wisconsin is receiving $13,946,000 to make improvements at four U.S. Geological Survey centers, the most of any state for these types of projects. Wisconsin is also receiving $7,439,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build visitors centers, improve infrastructure, and bolster conservation at its national wildlife refuges and hatcheries.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- Everglades And Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today toured the Florida Everglades with United States Senator Bill Nelson and United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to discuss Florida’s natural resources. Governor Crist highlighted Florida’s commitment to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the 50/50 state and federal partnership to restore and protect the Everglades.

He also discussed the long-term needs of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river basin.    » read more »

Greater Protections For Every Oregonian And Our Environment

May 27, 2009 -- (Salem) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed 68 bills into law, representing many ways the state will better regulate those who care for children, protect seniors when confronting guardianship proceedings and prevent invasive species from entering ecosystems throughout Oregon.

A summary of some of those bills is below. For the full list, visit: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/2009_Action.shtml

Children and Families    » read more »

May 20, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today passed the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act, legislation introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA).

The bill will permanently protect the coastal waters and estuaries of Sonoma County and portions of Mendocino County by extending the boundaries of existing marine sanctuaries. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) has reintroduced a companion bill, which the House passed last year.    » read more »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal expressed his “unequivocal opposition” today to a proposed federal bill known as the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, the Governor criticized H.B. 980 that would designate 23 million acres of public land in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Oregon as wilderness.

“I have no doubt that the sponsors of H.B. 980 are well-intentioned. But even the best of intentions, when ill-conceived and poorly informed, can have a devastating impact on those of us that must live and work in their wake,” he wrote. “Please communicate to your colleagues that this legislation should be soundly defeated in the event it is even granted further hearing.”    » read more »

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program to Maintain Nearly 9,000 Acres of Active Farmland

May 13, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the State Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program will provide $23.1 million for the preservation of 8,940 acres of active farmland. The program, administered by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, assists local municipalities in the purchase of development rights so that land use is restricted for farming purposes. The grants will help to protect 27 farms in 16 counties throughout New York.    » read more »

May 13, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci has nominated two people to the Board of Environmental Protection.

The Governor has nominated for reappointment Elizabeth Ehrenfeld of Falmouth. He also nominated as a new appointee Franklin E. Woodard of Falmouth.

“The Board of Environmental Protection is charged with important tasks that help ensure that Maine’s valuable natural resources and environment are protected for future generations,” said Governor Baldacci. “These nominees bring unique experience and knowledge to the Board and are committed to ensuring that the public has a strong voice in Department decisions.”    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America and in furtherance of the purposes of the Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), and other laws, and to protect and restore the health, heritage, natural resources, and social and economic value of the Nation's largest estuarine ecosystem and the natural sustainability of its watershed, it is hereby ordered as follows:

PART 1 – PREAMBLE    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today asked the Department of Justice to seek clarification from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on the scope of its April 17, 2009 decision that Bush Administration officials did not conduct sufficient scientific and environmental analysis before scheduling oil and gas lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf off Alaska.    » read more »

O'Malley discusses "Tipping Point" strategy with scientists on tour of Bush River

HARFORD COUNTY, MD (May 11, 2009) - On the eve of the 26th Chesapeake Executive Council Meeting, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and senior advisors toured the Bush River aboard the R.V. Rachel Carson to discuss two new strategies to accelerate Bay restoration in Maryland.

Citing what scientists call a “tipping point” — a stage at which progress within a tributary can begin to promote self-healing — the Governor announced plans for a major new outreach effort to enlist local governments, businesses and citizens to take a more active role in restoring the health of Maryland’s waterways.    » read more »

May 8, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the Obama administration will not withdraw a special rule limiting protection for polar bears. The polar bear 4(d) rule was issued in the waning days of the Bush administration and would limit the protections afforded to the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.

Earlier this year, Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill that gave the administration the opportunity to withdraw two controversial endangered species act regulations. The deadline for action was listed as May 10.

Statement of Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope    » read more »

May 8, 2009, Juneau, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was pleased to learn that U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has decided not to change the existing Section 4(d) rule regulations concerning the protection of polar bears under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

This decision will provide for continued monitoring and strong protections for polar bears under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and international treaties. This means that subsistence activities and oil and gas development on the North Slope will not be subject to the consultation requirements of the ESA. Governor Palin and the Alaska congressional delegation argued strongly for retention of the polar bear rule.    » read more »