| SUSTAINING THE FLOW A newsletter for organizational partners of the Alabama Rivers Alliance Welcome to the NEW monthly newsletter from Alabama Rivers Alliance to our partner groups and organizations! This newsletter's purpose is to help us all sustain the flow & keep moving forward together in our respective work in Alabama. Open us up each month to read about upcoming events, funding opportunities, training sessions, job postings and news from folks working to #DefendRivers across the state. Did we reach the right inbox? | | | | | PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES Submit your opinions to agencies to let them know how their decision can impact your work. ADEM DIRECTOR'S EVALUATION The Environmental Management Commission (EMC) is asking for comments on the job performance of ADEM Director Lance LeFleur. Comments due July 29, 2022, learn more. Tell the EMC if you think Director LeFleur is leading ADEM in the right direction! NEW TMDLs ADEM announced a proposed list of seven waterbodies that necessitate the establishment of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or pollution budget, in the Black Warrior, Perdido, Tennessee, and Chattahoochee watersheds. Comments due July 29, 2022, learn more. REMOVE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER FROM ESA DUE TO EXTINCTION US Fish & Wildlife Service is soliciting comments on their proposition to delist the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker as an Endangered Species due to extinction. Tell them if you have seen it! Comments due August 8, 2022, learn more. PERMIT TO CAP COLBERT PLANT ASH POND IN PLACE TVA has applied to ADEM for a permit to close Ash Pond 4 at the Colbert Fossil Plant. Public hearing is August 4, 2022 at Sheffield City Hall, learn more. | | | | | | UPCOMING EVENTS IN ALABAMA August 2 - Southern Exposure Film Screening in Mobile - Stay tuned for details about this event with Sierra Club, Mobile Bay Group
August 3 - Energy Alabama Birmingham Meet-Up - Come say hello at Cahaba Brewing from 4-7 pm
August 3 - Wild Wednesday Hike for Kids & Families - Take the family on an educational hike with Wild Alabama in the Bankhead National Forest
August 6 - Moonlight Paddle with Cahaba River Society - Paddle the beautiful 280 pool with the stars
August 11 - Legacy Luncheon with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper - Celebrate your love for the Chattahoochee
August 13 - Free Movie in Semmes - Watch The Underwater Forest film screening organized by the Alabama Coastal Foundation
August 26 - 13th Annual Land Aid Concert - Enjoy some live music at Avondale Brewing to benefit the Freshwater Land Trust
August 27 - Bay Bites with Mobile Baykeeper - Get a little bit of everything at this food truck festival
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT EVENTS TO THE ARA CALENDER! Want to bring the Southern Exposure films to your community? Let us know by emailing Kelly at kmarshall@alabamarivers.org | | | | AROUND THE ARA OFFICE -
We're excited to share the 2022 Southern Exposure films with everyone soon! It was awesome to have these four incredibly talented film fellows with us this summer & we can't wait to see what's next for them - we know they will be on to incredible things! Learn more about Southern Exposure, the fellows, and their films by clicking here. -
We've been all over the state this year building and sustaining our strong alliance of river defenders in such ways as: facilitating strategic planning with Village Creek Society (huge thanks to Hugh Kaul Foundation for their support!), helping organize our Huntsville Environmental Coalition to lead the way for a Green Sustainability Initiative in Huntsville and galvanizing new relationships around the Alabama River in Montgomery to create a new partner group. -
Jack and our summer legal intern Laura Kate Smith have been working on framing an executive summary for a statewide water management plan to reinvigorate the conversation about water planning with policymakers. -
As a continuation of our long-term efforts to advocate improvements to Alabama's wastewater infrastructure, we are collaborating with partners across the state to monitor the American Rescue Plan dollars and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation dollars to ensure the state doesn't miss out on this huge opportunity. Our awesome summer intern, Connor McMahon, is helping lead this effort with much needed research into the state's revolving loan fund program through which most of the water and wastewater funding is being distributed. -
Our new Advocacy Assistant, Victoria, has been busy learning the ins and outs at ARA. Comms, policy, & advocacy - oh my! She is thrilled to be able to produce this newsletter filled with all the useful things she's learned. Let her know if you have ideas for things you want to see! | | | | | | PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACROSS ALABAMA Amplifying the voices of those working for change in Alabama by celebrating news, wins of all sizes, milestones, AND ways others could use support from other organizations! - The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Mobile Baykeeper, sent Alabama Power a Notice of Intent to Sue (NOIS) due to the company's plans to permanently leave coal ash on the banks of the Mobile River. Read more details from SELC.
- Dr. Scot Duncan will become the new Executive Director of Alabama Audubon! The long time BSC professor is excited to start his new dream job on August 15th. Read more about Dr. Duncan.
- The Canoe Creek Clubshell was listed granted protections under the Endangered Species Act and Critical Habitat for the species' survival was established on Little and Big Canoe Creeks in the Coosa River watershed! Read more, with quotes from Coosa Riverkeeper.
- A petition from GASP, Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition (MEJAC), & Sierra Club asking the EPA to step into enforce pollution limits at Plant Barry was granted. This is the second time this year the EPA rejected an air permit from ADEM. Read more from the partners involved.
- The Alabama Coastal Foundation is gathering support for a sea turtle tag! Help them by pre-purchasing a plate here.
Newsletters are only as good as the community that contributes to them, so help ARA celebrate you and appeal to our community for support when you need it! | | | | | | FUNDING | LEARNING | EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | | TRAINING & LEARNING - Water Affordability Advocacy Toolkit, learn about resources to help your community afford water
- Alabama Watershed Stewards Online Course, register for 8/1
- Alabama Water Watch Monitor Training, 8/19 in Prattville & 8/30 in Enterprise
- Beginner Bird Banding Course with Alabama Audubon, 9/19-24. Space limited, scholarships available.
| | | EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIPS - Alabama Audubon is hiring a Coastal Biologist and an Outreach & Comms Director, learn more
- WILD Alabama is hiring a Public Lands Intern, apply by 7/31
- The Auburn Water Resources Center is hiring a Drought Outreach Specialist, learn more
- Freshwater Land Trust is hiring a Autumn Stewardship intern, apply by 8/8
| | | | | | Alabama Rivers Alliance 2014 6th Avenue North, Suite 200 | Birmingham, Alabama 35203 205.322.6395 | info@alabamarivers.org | | | | | | | | |