Conservation

November 17, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that DOE is awarding nearly $40 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Florida and Maine to support clean energy projects. Under DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, these states will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.    » read more »

Conservation Groups Welcome Australian Senate’s Support for Coral Sea Conservation Zone

Sydney, Australia - 11/17/2009 - Conservation groups today welcomed the Australian Senate’s support for the Federal Government’s Coral Sea conservation zone. This support now gives a green light for assessing whether the Coral Sea should be protected as a marine park.

The motion by National Party Senator Ron Boswell and Liberal Party Senator Ian Macdonald today to disallow the Coral Sea conservation zone was voted down by the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Greens, and Senator Nick Xenophon.    » read more »

Federal Recovery Funds Will Help Local Governments, Non-Profit Groups Reduce Energy, Save Money

Nov. 17, 2009 -- Harrisburg – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced Pennsylvania’s Conservation Works! grant program will save more than 570 million kilowatt hours of electricity, generate an additional 14.4 million kilowatt hours, and reduce natural gas use by 2.1 million thousand cubic feet over the lifetimes of the various projects.

Conservation Works! is a $22 million competitive grant program, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to help local government and non-profit organizations improve energy efficiency, curb energy consumption and reduce energy costs by at least 25 percent.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- AUBURN - After touring a recycling center in Auburn, Alabama Governor Bob Riley announced that eight local governments have received more than $1 million under a new grant program designed to encourage recycling.

Governor Riley signed the Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act into law in 2008. The law created the Alabama Recycling Fund, which provides grants to cities, counties and non-profit organizations to start new recycling programs or expand existing programs at the local level. During its first year, eight local governments have received $1,161,552 from the fund.    » read more »

November 17 2009 -- Washington, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that DOE is awarding $9,593,500 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Maine to support clean energy projects across the state. Under DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, the state will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that their agencies would acquire seven parcels of high value conservation land, totaling 5,026 acres in Colorado, Montana and Nevada for $11.7 million. The largest is a 4,573-acre property within the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado.    » read more »

Nov. 16, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today praised the federal government's decision to purchase thousands of acres from willing sellers in Colorado, Montana and Nevada, including nearly 4,600 acres within the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

"On behalf of the people of Colorado -- and the millions of people who visit our great state every year -- thank you to Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack for leading this effort," Gov. Ritter said.

"Adding nearly 4,600 acres to the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is a tremendous accomplishment that will allow us to protect one of Colorado's most treasured natural, cultural and archeological areas now and in the future.    » read more »

PHILADELPHIA (November 12, 2009) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today reaches a milestone for the Energy Star program by passing the one millionth Energy Star qualified home mark. Number 15 on the list of the top 20 markets for Energy Star built homes, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area has 12,455 Energy Star qualified homes.

These Energy Star homes are saving the equivalent to eliminating emissions from 667 vehicles, saving 4,034,004 pounds of coal and planting 1,102 acres of trees, and saving the environment 7,911,493 pounds of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.    » read more »

11/12/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after the Obama Administration announced the brown pelican has been removed from the federal endangered species list.

"The brown pelican is a treasure of the California coast, and the announcement that the species has been able to rebound is exciting, not only for me, but for all who enjoy our coastal wildlife. It is also a testament to the importance of continuing environmental action for the benefit of future generations. By taking action to clean up the pollution that could have caused the extinction of the pelican, we are ensuring our children and grandchildren can experience one of the most majestic birds on the ocean."    » read more »

Charleston, S.C. (November 11, 2009): A new study released today shows that a combination of energy and water efficiency policies could cut electricity and water bills for South Carolinians by $5.1 billion and could create almost 22,000 new “green” jobs by 2025.    » read more »

Salazar: Brown Pelican Recovery is “an Amazing Success Story”

November 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton today announced that the brown pelican, a species once decimated by the pesticide DDT, has recovered and is being removed from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

“At a time when so many species of wildlife are threatened, we once in a while have an opportunity to celebrate an amazing success story,” Salazar said. “Today is such a day. The brown pelican is back!”    » read more »

Kick starts the campaign by sensitising the students of Sinhagad Public School of Sinhagad UniversityNovember 10, 2009 -- Lonavla: Energy “saved” is Energy “earned”. With the demand for energy skyrocketing, the need for effective management and conservation has become paramount with each passing day. Taking due consideration of this urgent need, Tata Power started an innovative and interactive conservation programme Tata Power Energy Club, involving the youth i.e., school children, to propagate efficient usage of energy and to educate the society on climate change issues.    » read more »

Bill Preserves Over 61,000 Acres in San Juan, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties; Respects Private Property Rights and Recreation Access

November 10, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet announced that they have introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2009 in the Senate. It is a companion bill to one introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Salazar (H.R. 3914).    » read more »

Permanently Extend Conservation Easement Tax Credit for Colorado Farmers and Ranchers

November 10, 2009 -- Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, announced today his support for bipartisan legislation that would protect Colorado's lands and rural heritage by permanently extending the enhanced tax incentive for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners to conserve their lands.

The legislation, the Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act of 2009, would make permanent the enhanced tax incentive for conservation easements, which allows all taxpayers to deduct up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI) for donations of conservation easements and carry forward the deduction up to 15 years.    » read more »

Hinchey Leads 89 House Members in Calling on Interior Secretary Salazar to Administratively Protect Wild Lands in Utah While Congress Continues to Work on Legislation

November 10, 2009 -- Washington, DC - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today led a letter from a group of 89 members of the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to protect Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands proposed for wilderness designation in Utah while Congress continues to work on measures to legislatively protect 9.4 million acres of public, wilderness quality land in the state.    » read more »