TOP STORY
| Angling for Love in All the Wrong Places Bush touts sport-fishing executive order and migratory-bird conservation plan President Bush this weekend speechified and photo-op'ed for the environment, specifically courting the hunting and angling crowd through a fishing trip and wildlife refuge visit touting an executive order for sport fishing and conservation measures for migratory birds. The president's migratory-bird plan involves asking Congress to increase tax incentives for landowners who donate conservation easements, and also includes a program that the administration called "recovery-credit trading," which is also aimed at property owners. Describing the trading system, Bush said, "Landowners can earn recovery credits for the habitat they improve and then they can sell those credits" -- likely to federal agencies. Bush's executive order prohibits the sale of two fish species prized by recreational fishers -- striped bass and red drum -- that are caught within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. If this sounds familiar, it's because federal rules already prohibit the exact same thing. "It's an executive order to close two fisheries that are already closed," said Louis Daniels, director of North Carolina's division of marine fisheries. "What's the practical implications of this? Nothing." [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Associated Press, The Baltimore Sun, Associated Press straight to the executive order: Protection of Striped Bass and Red Drum Fish Populations |
TODAY'S NEWS
| Catch a Waiver and You're Sittin' on Top of the World California to sue EPA to force decision on vehicle-emissions waiver California is expected to follow through on its threat to sue the U.S. EPA this week for not yet deciding whether to give the state the waiver it needs to implement its 2002 law limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from cars. The state's law requires a nearly 30 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2016, which experts say can only realistically be achieved by upping vehicle fuel-economy -- something the automakers argue can only be set by the feds. California applied for the waiver in December 2005; the EPA has promised to make a decision on it by the end of the year, but state officials are skeptical. State attorney general Jerry Brown said of the EPA, "they require continuous, persistent pressure" -- just like a wound. The suit will likely be filed on Wednesday in a Washington, D.C., federal court. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle |
| Transmission: Impossible Cape Wind project denied transmission-line permit, developer to appeal The Cape Wind project was dealt another setback last week when a local commission denied a permit for the transmission lines that would carry electricity to the grid from the 130 offshore wind turbines that Cape Wind Associates proposed in 2001. In a 12-0 vote, the commission's decision to withhold the permit was based on what they said was a lack of information on the impact of the transmission lines. CWA has said it will fight the decision; the company could elect to try again with the local commission and/or appeal to a state board to override the decision. Other than acquiring the transmission-line permit, the project must be approved by the U.S. Minerals Management Service since the turbines would be in federal waters. A draft report from the agency is expected next month with a final decision coming sometime next year. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Boston Globe, Reuters, Cape Cod Times |
| How's My Drying? Call 1-800-F-U-Species Georgia declares state of emergency due to drought, anger at species protections Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) declared a state of emergency in 85 of the state's 159 counties due at least in part to anger at endangered-species protections for critters downstream that the governor says take up too much water. The governor asked President Bush to issue a federal disaster declaration that would provide low-interest loans to help businesses hurt by the drought, make federal funds available to state and local governments, and allow less water to be released downstream from the Atlanta area's main water source, Lake Lanier. The state's lawmakers and many of its officials have made no secret they blame the imperiled species of mussels and sturgeon downstream and the federal agencies charged with keeping the water flowing for exacerbating the drought. "If the [Army Corps of Engineers] and the Fish and Wildlife Service do not act now, I will hold them fully responsible for endangering the people of Georgia," said Perdue. "Any harm that comes to humans is 100 percent on their hands." [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] sources: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Reuters |
GRIST COLUMNS AND FEATURES
 Ghoul, Interrupted Umbra on Halloween Q. Dear Umbra, We really enjoy the community aspect of trick-or-treating but we don't want to give out candy to the little ones, or toxic plastic Chinese toys. Two hundred kids come to our house every Halloween. How do we keep it green, safe, and economical? Jodi McMillian Charleston, W.Va. A. Dearest Jodi, Two hundred children? How did you keep it economical last year? Let's see ... Read the rest of Umbra's answer. [ email | discuss | + digg | + del.icio.us ] new in Grist: Umbra on Halloween |
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