 | SUSTAINING THE FLOW A newsletter for partners of the Alabama Rivers Alliance Happy fall, y'all, and welcome to ARA's September 2024 monthly partner newsletter! This newsletter aims to foster collaboration and help us keep moving forward together in our work across Alabama. Dive into this past month's newsletter to learn what's been going on at ARA and with our partners, engage in comment opportunities, explore job postings, seize funding possibilities, and check out upcoming events and trainings across our network.
Please send us your news or suggestions for this newsletter anytime! | | | | | |  | REGULATORY NEWS & COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES Relevant environmental regulatory updates & opportunities to let agencies know how their decisions can impact your work. FERC ANNOUNCED REVISED SCHEDULE FOR HARRIS DAM RELICENSING The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has set a new target date for releasing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Harris Hydroelectric Project for public comment in November 2024. This is the next step in Alabama Power's process to license Harris Dam for continued operation. See FERC's notice here. ADEM WITHDRAWING TMDL FOR TOWN CREEK
Town Creek (Tennessee River watershed) has a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) set for organic enrichment, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia, which ADEM is proposing to withdraw. Find a copy of the "Assessment Decision Report" in the public notice here. GOOD TO KNOW: SIGN UP FOR ADEM NOTIFICATIONS If haven't already, you can sign up for email notifications from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management! Visit this link to sign up or refresh your notification settings to receive email updates on Administrative Orders, Forms, Public Hearings, sewer overflow reports, and more. | | | | | |  | AROUND THE ARA OFFICE - Continuing with the Southern Exposure-heavy months, we worked with Black Warrior Riverkeeper to place DVDs of last year's films into each library in the Birmingham Public Library system (and Jefferson County)! We are so stoked to continue partnering with our libraries and hope to hold more free screenings soon. Speaking of screenings, how about this gentle and friendly reminder that we hope to see you Friday in Birmingham at the big premiere and then in Montgomery, Mobile, Montevallo and towns that don't begin with M soon, too! Bookmark this link to keep track our screening schedule.
- We are also thrilled to work with Coosa Riverkeeper to present River Reels & Tales: A Night of Film and Discussion About the Coosa River! While our first event was postponed due to threat of severe weather (stop us if you've heard that one before), we can't wait for the upcoming ones in Gadsden, Wilsonville and Wetumpka! Click here to learn more about this town hall / film screening series.
- Jack submitted comments on behalf of ARA, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, and the Nature Conservancy in Alabama regarding the US Army Corps of Engineer's invasive species prevention and pilot for the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Tombigbee watersheds. Review those comments here.
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Cindy has been working to explore and procure funding for river protection in Alabama -- and not just for ARA but all for all of our movement! Stay tuned for big news coming soon about a new funding opportunity that will be available to all partners! -
Martha joined our partner ASRT (Alabama Scenic River Trail) for a wonderful paddle on the Flint River earlier this month. She also excited to keep working with the newly recognized 501(c)3 Huntsville Environmental Coalition (HEC)! | | | | | |  | We are so excited to announce our move into a brand new space in Avonwood, just outside of downtown Birmingham! With our staff traveling all four corners of the state for meetings and events, and working remote from Mentone, Blount County, and Montgomery, we felt the time was right to move into this beautiful brand new space more conducive to our hybrid work-style. We can’t wait to share the space with you once we get settled in this November! We have a giant magnolia tree begging for your company over coffee. In the meantime, if you or your office are in need of the following things, please let us know! - Beautiful tall wooden bookshelves
- Extra-large wooden desks with one drawer
- All sorts of file cabinets
- Brand new 9.7-cu ft refrigerator - black (used less than 6 months)
- Two super comfy beige fabric chairs
- Slightly used office chairs on wheels
| | | | | | | | 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! Submit your news so we can celebrate you! - A federal judge in Birmingham has granted a Black Warrior Riverkeeper's request to approve a Consent Decree requiring Warrior Met Coal to clean up their act. Great job holding polluters accountable, y'all! Read more from BWRK here, or check out coverage from WBMA/CBS 42, WVUA 23, and APR.
- Tune into Season 4 of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC)'s Broken Ground, focusing on women in the South who are on the frontlines of the fight for environmental justice. Listen & learn more here!
- Join Coosa Riverkeeper and ARA for River Reels & Tales screenings! We're joining forces to bring films, discussion, and delicious food to Gadsden on October 15th, Wilsonville on October 24th, and Wetumpka on October 29th. See coverage here from the Anniston Star.
- Shiloh, a community impacted by flooding as a result of ALDOT, has been highlighted by the national Sierra Club and President Ben Jealous recently visited with the community. Sierra Club is hosting a petition to encourage folks to send a message to ALDOT this is not acceptable.
- The 2024 South Alabama Land Trust Photo Contest is now open through November 1st! Submit your photos capturing the beauty of coastal Alabama & see the guidelines here.
- Check out the winners of the Friends of the Locust Fork River Art, Photo, Video, & Poetry Contest on YouTube.
- ARA's Martha will once again be a part of the National Solar Home Tour on Saturday, October 5th. Come check out a wide variety of homes (strawbale, underground, modified Mongolian Yurt, clerestory, & a 1950’s retrofitted house) from a group of folks living an environmentally conscious life style. Tour is FREE but registration is required.
- Black Warrior Riverkeeper had a busy September! Together with SELC, they released statements in response to Bluestone Coke and West Virginia Governor's son failing to fulfil federal contempt requirements. Read those statements here.
- Hit the trails with Wild Alabama this fall in the Talladega National Forest, Bankhead National Forest, and more! Find hikes and volunteer opportunities for all ages and interests, including a Howl-loween Night Hike in the Sipsey!
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This newsletter is created by a small team with limited resources, please use reply to this email or click below to submit newsletter items from your organization! | | | | | | | | FUNDING | LEARNING | EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | | TRAINING & LEARNING - RMS's Using Fluvial Geomorphology virtual training course
- UAB's 4th Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Centers for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Right Studies 10/14-16
- River Network Trainings: Fish Passage Funding (10/31) & Federal Tools for EJ (11/14)
| | | | | | Alabama Rivers Alliance
2014 6th Avenue North, Suite 200 | Birmingham, Alabama 35203
205.322.6395 | info@alabamarivers.org | | | | | | | | | | | |
