3E. Obed capsules
[From contributions by Phil Campbell]

3F. Lower Clinch Watershed Council update: Poplar Creek Watershed mtg. planned
[Submitted by Tiffany Foster, TVA)]

This spring the Lower Clinch Watershed Council (LCWC) will be hosting a series of public meetings to provide an overview of the Lower Clinch Watershed restoration planning project. Meetings will be held in each of the six main watersheds that make up the Lower Clinch. The restoration planning project is designed to assess resource conditions and needs, using satellite imagery, and to develop a Rapid Watershed Assessment to guide long-term conservation efforts in the Lower Clinch.
Each meeting will consist of a brief presentation of the resource conditions currently assessed in each watershed. The meetings will also provide an opportunity for participants to comment on the interpreted land use data, express areas of concerns, and join the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for their watershed. LCWC will provide staffed information stations with specific information on the watershed planning process, on implementation options, and on how stakeholders can become involved. Input received from the facilitated community meetings and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee will be utilized to develop a watershed management plan for each of the six watersheds
The Poplar Creek Watershed meeting will be held April 12 at 6:30 p.m. at a location yet to be determined. For more information visit the LCWA website at http://www.waterqualityforum.org/details.asp?PRID=184.

4. THE SMOKIES and NEARBY

4A. Hearings on Foothills Parkway

Of the 72 miles of the Foothills Parkway planned near the northern boundary of GSMNP, 23 miles have been completed. One of the three remaining segments is Section 8B. The Park has announced scoping meetings to discuss the EIS for this section, which would run from Pittman Center to Cosby, TN, a distance of 14.2 miles. The meetings will provide the opportunity to collect handouts, review study area maps, talk individually with study team representatives, and offer comments.
Dates and locations are as follows:
March 19, 2007, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cosby High School Cafeteria
3318 Cosby Highway
Cosby, TN 37722
March 20, 2007
Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Cafeteria
150 Profitt Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
For further information, contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park at (865) 436-1207.

4B. Park releases Transportation Conformity Report on N. Shore Road
[From NPS news release, 1/16/07]

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has released a report that evaluates whether air pollutants for vehicular traffic on the proposed North Shore Road would conflict with Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Conformity regulations or with North Carolina's ability to reach and maintain Federal air quality standards.
The report concludes that, even if the full 38-mile North Shore Road were constructed, the annual releases of ozone-causing pollutants during the year 2030 in the North Carolina portion of the Park (which lies within an EPA-designated non-attainment area for ozone) would still be lower than those emissions were in the 2002 baseline year. Based upon this analysis, the National Park Service could select any of the five North Shore Road alternatives -- from No-Action to full construction of the North Shore Road -- without affecting the State's ability to meet its air quality goals or violating Clean Air Act provisions.
Park Superintendent Dale A. Ditmanson stressed that the study conclusions should in no way be taken as an indication that the Park Service has decided to support any of the alternatives that call for new road construction.
The complete Transportation Conformity Analysis Report and full details on the North Shore Road process are available at www.northshoreinfo.info, or at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

4C. Environmental health of the Appalachian Trail

The 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail (A.T.), which traverses the GSMNP and stretches through 14 states and 8 national forests, may undergo monitoring for its environmental health. The Appalachian Mountains are home to one of the richest collections of temperate-zone species in the world, and the natural diversity of A.T. fauna and flora is nearly unsurpassed, especially since the Trail traverses numerous different ecosystems.
The idea for environmental study of the A.T., to be performed by volunteer citizen scientists, is supported by the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the AT Conference, Cornell University, the National Geographic Society, and other entities. Many proponents also believe that adverse environmental trends (e.g., global warming, or air pollution) will become more meaningfully illustrated for the general public by accounts of first-hand experience on the Trail.

5. THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE

5A. Administration proposes to sell off national forest lands, including Cherokee lands

For the second year in a row, the President's Forest Service budget includes a proposal to sell off $800 million worth of National Forest lands -- nearly 270,000 acres in 35 states.  Included would be lands in Tennessee's Cherokee and North Carolina's Pisgah and Nantahala's National Forests. (To view the official list of potentially eligible lands for sale, visit www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/spd.html.)
When a similar scheme was proposed last year, it was stopped in Congress (Rep. Wamp was one of the opponents) following widespread opposition from numerous groups. Of the money raised by this year's proposal, half would go to local counties to bail out rural schools and other county programs, and the other half to the US Forest Service for various programs, including -- ironically -- land acquisition (but also to cover the administrative costs of the mandated land sales). The author of this proposed budget measure, USDA Under-Secretary Mark Rey, who is a former timber industry lobbyist, is quoted as saying, “It was a good idea last year, and it's a better idea this year. But, more to the point, it's the only idea on the table.”
Fortunately, Reps. Ben Chandler (D-KY) and Ric Keller (R-FL) have taken the lead in trying to stop this misguided plan.  They've written a letter to the Budget Committee expressing their strong opposition to selling off our National Forests.  Their letter, copied below, tells the story. It needs more co-signers (see Action Box, below).
Chandler/Keller letter to Budget Committee:
“We are writing to urge you to oppose the Administration's recent proposal to sell vast tracts of our national forests and find alternative funding for any extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act in the Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional Budget Resolution. This proposal is similar to one offered last year by the Administration but rejected by Congress. “The Administration's FY 2008 Budget proposes to sell some 270,000 acres of National Forest System lands in 35 states and using half the revenues to fund a four-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. This program provides support to rural schools across America, but we strongly oppose the false choice embodied in the Administration's proposal. “Selling parcels of our national forests provides at best a temporary solution to funding the Secure Rural Schools program. Furthermore, this proposal would set a dangerous precedent if enacted. Congress should not develop the habit of selling treasured public lands to the highest bidder as a means of temporarily plugging gaps in the budget.
“Our national forests provide recreation for millions of citizens a year in the form of hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, swimming, boating, skiing and enjoying the serenity of the outdoors. The forests are also important for watershed purposes and provide habitat for thousands of species. If we sell this land it will be gone forever, and we will still not have found a permanent source of funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.
“We urge you to craft a budget that protects our public lands and finds alternative funding sources for any extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act.”

5B. Forest Service has a new Head

Dale Bosworth has resigned as Head of the USFS.  The new Chief is Abigail Kimbell.

6. TVA CAPSULES

6A. Updating of the Watts Bar Plan

Reservoir management plans, always of importance, have become more so under TVA's new Land Policy (NL271 ¶4A). While land sales for residential developments are banned under this Policy, leases or sales of lands for commercial recreation or industrial use will still be considered by TVA if such lands have been allocated for these uses in the land management plan for a specific reservoir.
The latest revision of the Watts Bar Lands Management Plan/EIS got under way three years ago (NL255 ¶7A), but work on it was suspended until the Board had adopted a land policy. This occurred in November, after which TVA began revising the Watts Bar EIS to bring the alternatives in line with this new land policy. TVA will reissue a revised Draft EIS later this spring for public review. Hearings will be held to provide additional opportunities for public input. The final EIS and lands management plan are expected to be ready later this year.

6B. Former chairman resigns from the Board

Pres. Bush named Bill Baxter to the 3-member TVA Board in 2001, and four years later he was elevated to Chairman. He remained in that position until the new Board – expanded to 9 members – elected a new chairman, Bill Sansom, in 2006. Baxter, however, stayed on the expanded Board, and in that position, was the only one of the nine who voted in opposition to TVA's new Land Management policy (NL271 ¶4A). Prior to his tenure on the TVA Board, Baxter (who had been running his family's gas supply company in Knoxville) was Gov. Sundquist's Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

7. NATIONAL ISSUES

7A. The Parks may get more money

Of three environment-oriented promises George W. Bush made during the 2000 presidential campaign -- regulating emissions of CO2, funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund at its annual authorized level of $900 million, and putting more money into the national parks -- he is at last delivering on the third.
The Administration's FY2008 budget contains a $258 million (12%) increase over last year's National Park System appropriation. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park would get an extra $1.9M in FY2008. In addition, this budget guarantees an extra $1 billion over 10 years, nationwide, for special projects related to the NPS's upcoming 100th birthday in 2016. (The nation's most visited Park, the GSMNP, will celebrate its 75th birthday in 2008.) In addition to the $100 million per year for base operating funds, money would be added to match contributions/investments from the private sector.

7B. Conservation Reserve Program sacrificed to biofuels

The president's FY2008 budget has eliminated USDA funding for the Conservation Reserve Program, which currenly protects some 35 million acres of agricultural lands that farmers elect to keep uncultivated. The idea behind starving the conservation program is to boost the production of corn for ethanol production. It's not that there isn't enough now, but that the price is high and the government wants to drive it down. There must be other ways!

7C. New Wilderness areas total over 1,000,000 acres
[From the Sierra Club]

A number of bills that designate a total of over 1,000,000 acres of Wilderness were eventually passed by the 109th Congress. Some of these bills had been bottled up in the House Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Pombo (R-CA), who was defeated in November (NL270 ¶1A). The areas are in New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Utah, Northern California, New England (VT and NH), and – the largest total acreage – in Nevada. Additional bills are poised for action in the new Congress.

8. GLOBAL WARMING; ENERGY POLICY

8A. Global warming is “unequivocal,” and human activity is causing most of the temperature rises

“February 2, 2007, will be remembered as the date when uncertainty was removed as to whether humans had anything to do with climate change,” said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP). February 2 was the date that IPCC (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released the 20-page summary of its Fourth Assessment (which may be viewed on www.ipcc.ch). The scientist-authors concluded with a confidence level of greater than 90% that greenhouse gases from human activities are the main causes of global warming. In IPCC's previous report, issued in 2001, the confidence level was 66-90%.
IPCC was created in 1988 and is administered by UNEP and the World Meteorological Society. The current report was produced with the input of more than 1,200 scientists, and reviewed by ~ 2,500 experts from altogether more than 130 countries. The wording of the summary had to be approved by representatives of 113 countries, including the USA, but the scientists-authors have the final say over the underlying technical reports, of which there are to be four, published later this year.
The atmospheric levels of CO2 are compared with the pre-industrial level in the year 1750. If CO2 rises to twice that level, which is likely, then the temperature increase is projected to be 3.5-8°F. There is a greater than 10% probability that the increase would exceed the upper end of this range. By 2100, temperatures could match those last seen 125,000 years ago when sea levels were 12-20 ft higher than they are now.
It is with regard to predicted sea-level rises that the report may be unduly conservative in estimating a global rise by 2100 of 7-23 feet. This is because IPCC had set December 2005 as the cutoff for submission of scientific data, and it was subsequent to that date that important new evidence began to be reported. It is now apparent that the Greenland ice sheet and glaciers around the world are melting much faster than anticipated, and that Antarctica is feeding considerable amounts of melt water into the ocean. Whatever the magnitude of the rise by 2100 turns out to be, there is agreement that it is just the beginning; the oceans will continue to rise for at least another 1,000 years to come.
There is also no dispute about the considerable stress that will be suffered by many ecosystems, even if the level of warming falls only in the middle of the range of projections. The oceans will become acidified (NL271 ¶7A) (although they will stay overall alkaline), which could have a major impact on organisms at the bottom of the food chain.
The alterations in longstanding climate patters will have major effects on water supplies and agricultural production. Semi-arid subtropical regions (e.g., in Africa and southern Asia) that are already plagued by droughts would have a further 20% drop in rainfall. Typhoons and hurricanes will become more intense and have more heavy precipitation associated with them, and heat waves will continue to become more frequent.
No one can honestly point to any remaining uncertainties in facts as justification for further delay in taking major actions. This did not stop Sen. Inhofe (R-OK) from issuing a news release entitled “Corruption of Science,” which rejects the IPCC report as a “political document.” Unfortunately, our capacity for studying future impacts of climate change is being seriously hobbled by a sharp reduction in the number of Earth-observing satellites and instruments in orbit. According to a January report by the National Academy of Sciences, decreases in NASA's budget for earth sciences is likely to diminish this number by 40% by 2010. Some of this decrease could be avoided by NASA shifting money internally to give Earth a higher priority relative to space.
As for global warming, “we basically have three choices,” said Harvard's John Holdren, an energy and climate expert, and president of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science): “Mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. We're going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be.”

8B. Support the proposal to list polar bears as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act!

The scientific evidence is overwhelming that global warming threatens polar bears with extinction. The survival of the species is completely dependent on Arctic sea ice, but 80% of that ice could be gone in only 20 years, and all of it by 2040. Polar bear populations are already suffering the effects: birth rates are falling, fewer cubs are surviving, and more bears are drowning. At the present rate, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is predicting a 30% reduction in polar bear numbers in the next 45 years.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (NL271 ¶7C). While this is a crucial first step, it only just begins to address the problem. Even while the FWS's proposal to list the species discusses the kind of habitat that is essential for the polar bear's survival, it fails to designate this as "critical habitat," i.e., as habitat that the species needs for its recovery. The Endangered Species Act requires that the FWS formulate a Recovery Plan for listed species. The bears can't recover unless the Arctic Sea ice is kept from melting. The scientific evidence is also overwhelming that the global warming that threatens the bears with extinction is manmade (¶8A, this NL); the primary contribution to the problem comes from our government's refusal to curb the emission of greenhouse gases. (Note: According to the Washington Post, “The administration proposed the polar bear designation only after environmental groups petitioned for it and then sued to force a decision.”)
Yes, we must act swiftly to get the polar bear listed as threatened and to designate its critical habitat. If we are serious about helping the species survive, however, we must also act swiftly to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the long half-life of those gases already in the atmosphere, melting will, unfortunately, continue to occur for a while, even then. We must therefore take all possible additional steps to help the species survive. A major such step is protection of polar-bear denning areas by keeping oil and gas drilling out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bristol Bay, and other crucial land areas where bear cubs are born and raised.
Polar bears aren't the only species put at risk by global climate change. But they are right on the front lines, and will be there for the next few years -- as we either change our present course, or doom them to extinction.

8C. It's not just polar bears that want to cap emissions: Fortune-500 companies are speaking out
[From Environmental Defense]

On January 22, as aired on CSPAN, 10 major U.S. businesses and 4 national environmental organizations issued a joint report, A Call to Action, calling on the federal government to quickly pass strong national legislation to cut global warming pollution.
The companies are well-known Fortune-500 corporations: Alcoa, BP America, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, DuPont, Florida Power and Light, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, Pacific Gas & Electric, and PNM Resources. They have joined Environmental Defense, the World Resources Institute, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and Natural Resources Defense Council to form an unprecedented alliance — the United States Climate Action Partnership (US-CAP).
The partners pledged to work together to support 6 recommendations for national action:

8D. Al Gore wins an Oscar

Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, the scientifically satisfying, artistically pleasing, and action-inspiring film about global warming has also been a huge box-office success – the third-highest grossing documentary in history. On February 25, it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
When Gore accepted his Oscar, he said: “My fellow Americans, people all over the world — we need to solve the climate crisis. It's not a political issue. It's a moral issue [much applause]. We have everything we need to get started -- with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it”
Two years ago, global warming was still considered a fringe issue to many. Today, Americans overwhelmingly agree that the global warming exists and that we must act to stop it. An Inconvenient Truth had a major impact on how Americans view this issue.
The documentary has received high praise from respected film critics (e.g., “intellectually exhilarating”); but some of the same voices that had blasted the Grammy-winning Dixie Chicks are already claiming that An Inconvenient Truth won the Oscar simply because Hollywood agrees with Gore's views (well, what thinking person doesn't?).

8E. Legislative actions

In mid-January, the House of Representatives passed the Clean Energy Act of 2007. This eliminates $14 billion in subsidies to oil companies that are already making record profits, and uses the resources to invest in a reserve for research on clean renewable energy and energy efficiency.
In both Houses of Congress, several bills are being generated that seek to curb global warming. The Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, S. 309, by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) requires that, by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions be reduced 80% from 1990 levels, and it provides incentives for development of renewable energy. A companion bill is being introduced in the House by Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA). – The Udall-Platts Renewable Energy Standard (H.R. 969) requires that 20% of America's electricity come from clean, renewable energy sources by 2020
The states, too, are beginning to take action. In August 2006, California adopted the Global Warming Solutions Act, which calls for a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, and establishes controls on such large industrial sectors as utilities, oil refineries and cement plants. So far, 11 states have copied California's clean-car standards, Governors Bill Richardson (D-NM) Janet and Napolitano (D-AZ) have announced that they will join the 11 states. Tennessee is considering legislation to do likewise (see ¶2A, this NL).

8F. Bush Administration views on our energy future

Strategic Petroleum Reserve
[Based on a New York Times editorial of 1/27/07]
One item in President Bush's energy program is his proposal to double the capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1.5 billion barrels over the next 20 years, at a cost of $65 billion. The present capacity of the reserve is for 55 days worth of net oil imports; this would be increased to about 97 days
The United States, which has only 3% of global oil reserves but accounts for 25% of the world's consumption, is highly vulnerable to interruptions in the global oil supply chain. But might not the $65 billion (or a significant part of it) be more usefully deployed developing alternative fuels or more efficient vehicles, thus reducing the nation's dependence on oil and its vulnerability to future shocks? The $$ the Administration proposes to spend on the Petroleum Reserve project each year for the next 20 years is three times the amount that Congress authorized last year for the Energy Department's entire research and development program for alternative energy sources. It would be encouraging if the Administration would show its commitment to lasting security by reducing Americans' consumption of oil, rather than just squirreling it away.
Study on America's energy future
Another indicator of the Administration's mindset comes from the choice of ExxonMobil's recently retired CEO, Lee Raymond, to lead the government's Oil and Gas study. A major objective of this study is to examine the viability of alternative energy sources. ExxonMobil has been described as “the highest-profile corporate skeptic about global warming” [Washington Post]; see also ¶11 (resources), below.
US Climate Action Report
Under the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty signed by Pres. Bush Senior, participating countries produce periodical summaries of climate-related trends and actions. The fourth report was due almost 2 years ago, and a draft was finally leaked by someone frustrated by the slow pace of its preparation.
The document claims progress toward the goal laid out in 2002 by the present Pres. Bush, namely, a lessening of “greenhouse gas intensity” through voluntary action only. Intensity means that these gas emissions grew at a slower rate than did the economy. In absolute terms, however, emissions grew at a rate of 11.6% in the decade before 2002, and they are projected to grow another 11% between 2002 and 2012 under this administration's climate policy. (It should be noted that, as governor of Texas and as Presidential candidate in 2000, Bush supported mandatory limits on CO2 emissions.) The document makes projections of significant adverse effects of warming, particularly persistent droughts and water shortages in the Northwest and Southwest. Because of the likely future persistence of climate changes, adaptation is considered an essential response for future protection of climate-sensitive ecosystem.” Or else?
Interference in federal global-warming science
A Congressional committee in January heard the results of a recent investigation that documented the government's alteration of scientific reports so as to misrepresent global-warming findings, the watering down of press releases, and the censoring of scientists in their conversations with representatives of the media. The investigation was conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Government Accountability Project. For more information, contact rsi@ucsusa.org.

8G. Thoughts on biofuels and other solutions

We should remember that biofuels must fulfill a dual function: (a) to wean us from oil, and (b) to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Many of our politicians tend to forget (b). In choosing sources of biofuels the variables to be considered must thus include:
- the quantity of energy needed for, and the quantity of greenhouse gasses emitted during, production of the fuel;
- quantity of greenhouse gases emitted during the burning of the fuel;
- possible damage to lands and waters that might be caused by large-scale cultivation of any given crop that has been proposed (see, e.g., ¶7B, above)
At some level also, possible competition with food crop production will have to be considered. The grain required to make enough ethanol to fill just one SUV tank is enough to feed a person for a whole year. Basic to any possible “fixes” are significant reductions in energy consumption through technological developments and lifestyle changes.

8H. Museum program on Arctic Climate Change

On Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, 1-4 p.m. the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge will host a special program featuring Arctic warming. The discussion will be led by research scientists Drs. Lee Cooper and Jackie Grebmeier, who have spent more than two decades studying biological changes in the Bering Sea. They are taking part in the Western Arctic Shelf-Basin Interaction study, a project of the National Science Foundation and one of the largest US global climate-change research efforts currently underway in the Arctic. Grebmeier and Cooper are among co-authors of a paper published in Science a year ago, which concludes that recent physical changes in the Arctic, including rising air and sea-water temperatures and decreasing seasonal ice cover, are having a profound effect on Arctic life
The Earth Day program will also include music presented by R.B. Morris, Hector Qirko, and the band Ga-Na-Si-Ta, which performs with Australian and African native instruments.

9. THE OAK RIDGE AREA

9A. Progress for OR Melton Lake Greenway, Phase IV
[Contributed by Cindy Kendrick]

The City of Oak Ridge has begun work toward design of Phase IV of the Melton Lake Greenway. The greenway will be extended approximately 2.5 miles, first downstream under the Edgemoor Bridge, then along Old Edgemoor Road and Edgemoor Road. The extension will provide access to Haw Ridge and Solway Parks. City Park Maintenance Crew Chief Jon Hetrick, citing uncertainties, said his “best guess” for completion at this time is fall 2008.
The City Recreation and Parks Department is actively engaging the public in finalizing the Phase IV routing and design, with a “walk-down” of the proposed route scheduled, as of this writing, for March 9. Says Hetrick, “I would like to try to get a lot of participation and, hopefully, a lot of buy-in from the community and our various user groups. I believe this is going to be an exciting project and possibly the nicest greenway to date.”
Funding is from a federal highway bill called the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. This 2005 bill included a $650,000 grant for the project, and the funds will come to the City through TDoT. Rep. Zach Wamp, was credited for spearheading inclusion of the Oak Ridge project in the bill, and Senator Alexander and former Senator Frist supported funding as well. The City is providing matching (20%) funds. According to Hetrick, “The long-term goal is to somehow bring the trail over the river and tie into the Knox County greenway system, linking our system to a greater regional greenway system.”

9B. Comments on GNEP siting

TCWP submitted testimony at the February-13 scoping meeting on the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Pres. Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Initiative. Oak Ridge is one of 13 places being considered (NL272 ¶8B), and DOE had requested that the suitability of some 4,000-7,000-acre site within the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) be evaluated. Both TCWP and AFORR opposed use of presently unspoiled forest areas in the ORR when “brownfield” sites are already available in the former K-25 area. Many millions of taxpayer $$ have been spent there for clean-up to make it suitable for new industry. The organizations also requested again that an ORR-wide environmental planning document be generated.

9C. Nature walks on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) are sponsoring a series of walks on the ORR. For all events, the limit is 25 participants (except 10 on May 19), and children are allowed, but pets are not. Dress in layers, bring bug spray, wear sturdy shoes, and carry water. For the bird walks, also bring a field guide and binoculars.

10. TCWP NEWS

10A. Political Guide enclosed

This year's Political Guide is enclosed with NL272. Please save it in a safe and accessible place, and use it often – starting with this Newsletter!
We are very grateful to Board member Carol Grametbauer for preparing the 2007 Guide, which was an even bigger job than usual because of the numerous changes this year, both on the federal and state levels. Additionally, several improvements in presentation have been made. The Guide may also be found on the TCWP web site, www.tcwp.org.

10B. TCWP receives large gift from Unitarian Church

The congregation of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church (ORUUC) votes each year to select recipients for their weekly split-the-plate collection. Each Sunday's collection is split 50-50 with the organization or cause of the month. Organizations are chosen whose activities support one or more of ORUUC's seven principles, one of which is the care and stewardship of the earth and all its ecosystems.
The split-the-plate collection for this past February was sent to TCWP. We have just received the extremely generous check and express our deepest gratitude to the membership of ORUUC. The gift will indeed be used for our energetic efforts on behalf of the “care and stewardship of the earth and all its ecosystems,” and we hope that ORUUC members can be proud of our achievements.

10C. Upcoming activities
[For additional information on any of the listed events, contact Sandra at 865-522-3809, or at sandra@sandrakgoss.com]

“The Foothills Land Conservancy: Accomplishments and Goals” – March 22
[Contributed by Carol Grametbauer]
The FLC's Executive Director, Bill Clabough, and Board Member, Ed Clebsch, will speak at TCWP's quarterly meeting in the Craft Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m. Clabough, a former state senator from Maryville, has been executive director of the Conservancy since March 2006.  Prof. Ed Clebsch served as interim executive director following the resignation of Randy Brown in December 2005, and currently handles special projects for the Conservancy. After TCWP's formation in 1966, Ed Clebsch served on 7 of our Boards and was TCWP President in 1977 and 1978. He initiated, and for many years headed, the U.T. Graduate Program in Ecology. Together with his wife, Meredith, he founded Native Gardens in Greenback, TN, http://www.native-gardens.com/ The Foothills Land Conservancy, founded in 1985 and run by a full-time staff since 1992, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of land in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and their surroundings. More than 10,000 acres of the land protected by the Conservancy to date are now publicly owned by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Following their presentation, Clabough and Clebsch will respond to questions from the audience. Refreshments will be served. The program is free and open to the public.
North Ridge Trail: clean-up and wildflower viewing – Saturday, March 31
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]
North Ridge Trail Steward Susan Donnelly is calling for volunteers to participate in a clean-up/wildflower viewing on March 31. TCWP developed the NRT in the late 1960's, and it was subsequently designated both a National and a State Recreation Trail. Over the past four decades, dedicated trail stewards have overseen the maintenance of the NRT.
This outing will focus on the Key Springs-to-Wedgewood section. Volunteers should meet at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 W. Outer Drive, at 9:00 a.m., wearing sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate attire. Snacks and water, as well as gloves, loppers and/or snippers are also recommended.
Wildflower Walk and Garlic-Mustard Pull – Saturday, April 14
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]
The Greenway behind the Oak Ridge Garden Apartments is one of the best wildflower trails in Anderson County. Wildflower enthusiasts are encouraged to take advantage of this flower-viewing opportunity, while helping us banish garlic mustard, a very invasive exotic, which threatens to take over this beautiful woodland, pushing out native plants.
Volunteers should meet at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot behind the apartment building at the top of West Vanderbilt Avenue. Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate clothes; bring a digging spike or similar tool, if you own one.
Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement (BORCE) – Sunday, April 15
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]
To celebrate Natural Areas Week, TCWP and AFORR (Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation) are sponsoring an interpretive outing on the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement. Led by well-known plant ecologist Larry Pounds, the outing is designed to provide an overview of the entire conservation area.
Participants should meet at the west guardhouse on the Oak Ridge Turnpike at 1:30 p.m. From there a caravan will travel to the BORCE and take several short walks, which will total less than a mile. Some of the walking will be on uneven ground, and walkers should wear sturdy shoes. Bring water. For more information call Larry Pounds at 483-8635.
Birding workshop at Frozen Head – Saturday, May 12
[Contributed by Cindy Kendrick]
Join TCWP to explore a world-class birding paradise practically in our back yard (see ¶3B, this NL)! We will coordinate an outing to the Bird Workshop to be presented by and at Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area, near Wartburg, on May 12.
8 a.m. – Early Morning Bird Walk (led by Michael Hodge)
10 a.m. – Tennessee Bluebird Program (presented by Louis Redmon)
1 p.m. – Birds of Prey (Owls) (presented by Katie Cottrell)
Earl's BBQ will offer food for sale on site, beginning at about 10:30 a.m. All events begin at the Park Office. The bird walk and programs are free and open to the public.
Those who wish to carpool or caravan from Oak Ridge should meet at 7 a.m. at the old Food City location on South Illinois Ave near the intersection of the Oak Ridge Turnpike. For more info, contact Cindy Kendrick at 865-386-6382 or cindykendrick@comcast.net.

11. CALENDAR; RESOURCES

11A. Events calendar

11B. Resources