ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
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Summary of Environmental Issues

• Along with the country in general, Alabamas
  physical environment improved after 1970, due to
  urban migration, less chemicals on the farm and
  forest, better technology , and the Clean Air and
  Water Acts.
• Alabama actually has a pretty good physical
  environment, largely because it is still largely
  rural (if not agricultural).
• Alabama has some problems left over from the
  past.
• Alabama has some problems in its urban areas.
• Alabama has many concerned groups monitoring the
  environment and helping maintain quality.

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Summary of Environmental Issues, cont.

• Aside from state actions, land in Alabama is
  conserved in these ways
• Private foundations and trusts
• Farmers finding alternatives uses including
  agro-tourism and rural expensive, extensive
  housing
• Sports, particularly large hunting tracts
• The perception that Alabama has a poor
  environment partly comes from the notion that the
  general quality of life in the South is poor, and
  thus the misconception that the physical
  environment must be poor too. This material may
  be found on the website.

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Indicators of Good Physical Environment

• This space is reserved for a summary of
  environmental indicators, if useful. I think
  this summary would create a diversion, and not be
  useful. Also, I would have to collect the data.
  However, that is not a hard task and Id be happy
  to work on it.

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Environmental Problems from the Past

• Old mining and manufacturing scars in the north,
  especially around Montgomery.
• Chemicals and radioactive agents from the defense
  industry.
• Lakes, ponds, and streams that had been polluted
  or that had undergone eutrophication, and have
  not recovered.
• Poorly planned water supplies and sewage systems
  for urban areas of all sizes.
• Alabamas physical environmental is fragile due
  to the climate and soil. Some (national)
  forested areas had been logged off or overused,
  and have never properly recovered.

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Present Environmental Issues

• Alabama gets cheap electricity but it generates
  this electricity primarily through coal-fired
  plants. Some of the plants choose the cleanest
  coal and have installed clean modern technology,
  but hardly all. These plants contribute
  significantly to air quality problems in urban
  areas.
• Urban areas have paved over or covered up old
  mining and manufacturing scars.
• Birmingham in particular has air problems caused
  both by cars and by generating plants.
• Birmingham has sewage problems, and intends to
  solve those problems with a super sewer.

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Present Environmental Issues, continued.

• Near urban areas, Alabama rivers are overused.
  Too much water is taken out, and the water that
  is put back in is not always best treated. See
  the Birmingham super sewer.
• Medium sized towns have expanded without
  planning. Where they have expanded into
  unincorporated areas (or into another county)
  there is no clear supervising authority.
• Dense rural residences (trailer parks) have
  expanded without planning and without any clear
  supervising authority.
• See the urban-rural interface from previous
  slides.

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CAFO Pollution

• CAFO concentrated animal feedlot operation.
  This is a large scale chicken or hog farming
  operation.
• These produce about three times as much manure
  and other by-product as can be absorbed by the
  local environment or the state market for manure
  fertilizer.
• The state has enacted regulations calling for the
  limitation but it is not clear that CAFOs can
  comply.
• Most CAFOs are run well, but some are not. The
  state keeps a list of all CAFOS, and of their
  record of operation.
• Neighbors often complain of smell from CAFOs even
  when they are run well

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Environmental Groups

• A comprehensive list of dozens of groups
  concerned with the environment and land can be
  found at the following website
• Alabama Grassroots Clearinghouse
• www.ag.auburn.edu/grassroots

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Various Conservation Programs

• The following two sets of slides illustrate some
  conservation initiatives by the federal
  government and by one private agency in Madison
  country.

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Protecting Working LandsThrough USDA
Conservation Programs

• Denise Coleman
• National Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
  Manager
• USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service

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2002 Farm Bill Changing the Focus
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Conservation Programs

• Easement Programs
• Cost-Share Programs
• Stewardship Program

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A Greenprint for Growth

• A Master Land Preservation Plan for Madison
  County, AL

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Who we are and how far we have come.

• MISSION STATEMENT
• The Land Trust of Huntsville North Alabama is a
  non-profit organization dedicated to preserving
  lands for public use to enhance recreation,
  education, conservation and prosperity in the
  North Alabama region.
• As of 2002
• 1800 members
• 3,240 acres across Madison County one in
  Limestone County
• Partner support from the City of Huntsville,
  the Madison County Commission and the City of
  Madison.

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The Land Trust of Huntsville North Alabama

• Percentages for 2002
• Income 
• Fundraising 30 
• City Appropriation 29
• Membership 24
• Contributions 17

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Historical and Projected Land Use
Change, Madison County
1984
1990
2000
2020
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