Earthhope Action Network environment action Alerts for June 1-June 7, 2000

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Alerts for June 1 - 7, 2000

Simple Concrete Action
Step for U'wa Defense Take Action-Thai Villagers Urgent! Help Stop Disastrous
In Danger of Drowning Mountain Top Removal

National Monument Threatened LCV Update June 5 NLP Urgent Flash

Alaskan Rainforest Update                        SC Action #215                                 USAID Funding for
                                                                                                                          Primates Protection Cut
                                                                 ENS News June 5

Denlines Issue # 16 SC Action #216 ENS News June 7

ENS News June 1 Senate Vote on Fuel
Efficient Cars

ENS News June 2 ENS News June 6

from Global Response and U'wa Defense Working Group June 1, 2000

[Global Reponse]
From: U'wa Defense Working Group

Action Alert:

One simple, concrete action you can take in solidarity with the U'wa

Please post and distribute
----------------------------------------------------------
There is a letter circulating in the US Congress
from members of the House
to Colombian President Pastrana
on behalf of the U'wa indigenous people

Please call your representatives and
urge them to sign on before June 19
---------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

As you may be aware, a Colombian court recently overturned the injunction
against Occidental Petroleum's oil project on U'wa ancestral land in
northeastern Colombia. This ruling in favor of oil exploitation means that
Occidental is permitted to resume construction of its facilities in the
'Gibraltar 1' area even as the U'wa challenge the project's
constitutionality through two higher legal channels.

In tandem with the recent surge of support for the U'wa within Colombia -
manifesting in grassroots mobilizations, legal action, and solidarity from
national legislators - international support has been a vital source of
pressure on both the company and the Colombian government. In Washington in
March, the U'wa leaders called upon members of the US Congress to take
action on behalf of their community's struggle to defend their human rights
and environment. And some of them are taking action by expressing their
concern over Occidental's oil project through a letter to Colombian
President Pastrana. Now it is your turn to make their efforts worth while.

Reps. Sam Farr (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) are
circulating a very important "dear colleague" letter urging other members
of
the House of Representatives to sign on to a letter to President Pastrana
on
behalf of the Colombian U'wa indigenous people. Citing on-going and eminent
human rights violations, the letter urges the Pastrana administration to
halt further construction activity by Occidental Petroleum of an oil well
on
U'wa ancestral and titled land until the government can guarantee that the
project will not violate the U'wa community's human rights or the
environment upon which their lives depend.

Please call the foreign policy aide in your representative's office and ask
if the representative can sign on to this letter. To sign on, they should
contact Laura Joshua in Sam Farr's office before June 19.

Please see below for the text of the letter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
------------------------
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121
Or look up your members of Congress on the Internet: www.house.gov

------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
-----------------------
For more information about the letter, contact:
Abby Reyes, U'wa Defense Project
udp@mindspring.com

For background information regarding the U'wa struggle to protect their
homeland from Occidental Petroleum, please see www.amazonwatch.org,
www.ran.org, and www.moles.org

This action alert is being circulated by the U'wa Defense Working Group.
The
UDWG is comprised of U.S.-based non-governmental environmental and human
rights organizations providing advocacy and international support to
critical areas of concern identified by the U'wa, in particular "the U'wa
struggle to reclaim their full traditional territory, realize their right
to
halt industrial projects that threaten their survival, and protect their
culture without fear of violence or repression." UDWG is endorsed by the
following organizations: Action Resource Center, Amazon Watch, Earthjustice
Legal Defense Fund, EarthWays Foundation, Indigenous Environmental Network,
Project Underground, Rainforest Action Network, Sol Communications, U'wa
Defense Project, International Law Project for Human Environmental and
Economic Defense.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--------------------------------------

Here's the Dear Colleague letter and the letter to President Pastrana
itself:

SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA

COSIGN LETTER TO COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PASTRANA

May 31, 2000

Dear Colleague:

We invite you to join us in urging Colombian President Andres Pastrana to
promote human rights in Colombia by protecting the Colombian U'wa
indigenous people from a controversial oil development project in their
region. We believe this case offers President Pastrana a prime opportunity
to demonstrate his commitment to human rights by addressing the U'wa
community's grievances.

The Government of Colombia recently approved construction of an oil well by
Occidental Petroleum of the United States on land that is ancestral to and
titled by the U'wa people and that is located approximately several hundred
meters outside the boundaries of their governmentally-recognized
reservation in northeastern Colombia. The military presence around the oil
project has led to violence against the U'wa, including forced evictions,
arbitrary detentions, unlawful seizure of property, verbal intimidation,
and blockage of food and medicine. It was also in this region that FARC
guerrillas kidnapped and brutally assassinated Terence Freitas of
California, Lahe'ena'e Gay of Hawaii, and Ingrid Washinawatok, of Wisconsin
during their visit to the U'wa community in March 1999.

The U'wa's internationally-recognized right to participate in decisions
concerning natural resource exploitation activities that affect their
environment or their ethnic, cultural, or religious integrity has also been
violated. However, in a positive step, the 11th Circuit Court of Bogota
issued a temporary preventive suspension of further construction of the
Occidental oil well. A subsequent ruling by a higher court repealed this
decision, which the U'wa community is in the process of challenging.

The following letter urges President Pastrana both to ensure that any
military troops in the area of the U'wa territory fully respect the rights
of the U'wa community and to halt construction of the wellsite until the
government can guarantee that this project will not violate the U'wa
peoples' human rights. Lastly, the letter commends President Pastrana's
recent efforts to meet directly with U'wa leaders and encourages the
participation of both the government and civil society sectors until the
conflict is resolved.

The complexity of Colombia's internal strife, including conflict arising
from disputed energy resource development policy, should not overshadow the
protection of the human rights of Colombian indigenous communities, such as
the U'wa. We hope that renewed pressure by Congress will lead to heightened
awareness of and protection for the U'wa indigenous community. If you would
like to cosign this letter or if you have questions, please contact Laura
Joshua with Rep. Farr at 5-2861.

Sincerely,

SAM FARR

BARBARA LEE

CYNTHIA McKINNEY

Dear President Pastrana:

We write to you out of growing concern for Colombia's indigenous U'wa
people, a nonviolent community caught in the crossfire of the armed
conflict. At the same time, we commend your efforts to bring about a
negotiated settlement to this conflict. We cite the 11th Circuit Court of
Bogota's recent decision in favor of the temporary preventive suspension of
Occidental Petroleum and Ecopetrol's project at the Gibraltar 1 area of the
Samore Block as evidence of the state's efforts to protect the human rights
of Colombia's marginalized citizens. We are aware that a higher court has
reversed that decision and that the U'wa are exercising their
constitutional right to appeal this second decision before the highest
court on administrative matters.

Regardless of the oil project's fluctuating legal status, we remain gravely
concerned about recent escalation of violence against U'wa people in the
area surrounding the Gibraltar 1 site. We have received reports of abuses
committed by police and army forces in the zone which include forced
evictions, arbitrary detentions, unlawful seizure of property, verbal
intimidation, and blockage of food and medicine. We understand that during
one forced eviction of peacefully demonstrating U'wa people by the
Colombian police, three children drowned and eleven other people
disappeared. We have also received reports that left-wing guerrillas
continue to bomb neighboring oil facilities and to destroy heavy machinery,
acts which threaten civilian safety and ecological health of surrounding
wetlands. We followed closely the kidnapping and brutal assassinations last
year by FARC guerrillas of three North American indigenous advocates who
were in the region aiding the U'wa people.

The U'wa have unequivocally and publicly denounced the actions of all of
these armed groups. They assert that these human rights violations arise
out of the presence and conduct of military troops in the U'wa territory;
the Government of Colombia's forcible removal of the U'wa from their titled
property; the Government of Colombia's active support for and acceleration
of oil exploitation in U'wa traditional territory; and the Government of
Colombia's failure to consult with the U'wa concerning the Gibraltar 1
well. While we understand that the proposed well site is not part of the
U'wa community's governmentally-recognized reserve, we also understand that
the site is located approximately several hundred meters outside of this
reserve on land recently independently transferred and titled to the U'wa
community. At such close proximity to the official U'wa reserve, on land
the U'wa consider traditional territory and to which the U'wa contend it
has title, we urge you to seriously consider the above grievances. In light
of Plan Colombia's goal to improve the military and national police's human
rights performance and to further economic and social development, these
grievances highlight the tremendous challenge and opportunity your
administration faces in resolving the U'wa Occidental conflict.

We further urge you to assign observers from the People's Ombudsman's
office to the region to ensure that any military troops in the area of the
U'wa territory fully respect the rights of the U'wa community. Finally, we
urge you to halt construction of the well site until your administration
can guarantee that this project will violate neither the U'wa peoples'
fundamental human rights nor the environment upon which their lives depend.

Your handling of the U'wa case will set a precedent for democracy and
participation in Colombia as it faces one of its most critical historical
junctures. We are encouraged by your administration's recent efforts to
meet directly with U'wa leaders and urge that commitment to such dialogue
be sustained over time and with the participation of both the government
and civil society sectors until the conflict is resolved. We encourage you
to stay committed to a transparent communication process with the U'wa
leaders, and to look for means to establish common ground in order to build
the trust necessary on all sides for fruitful exchange about paths toward
development of that region.

Sincerely,

[co-signing Members of Congress]

cc: Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, State Department, Washington

Ambassador Luis Roberto Moreno, Embassy of Colombia

Ambassador Curtis W. Kamman, US Embassy, Bogota

Dr. Nestor Humberto Martinez Neira, Ministro del Interior, Bogota

Mr. Juan Mayr, Ministro del Medio Ambiente, Bogota

Mr. Luis Fernando Ramirez, Ministro de la Defensa, Bogota

************************************************************
PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF NEW EMAIL ADDRESS.

Distribuido por:      Distributed by:
'AMAZON ALLIANCE' FOR INDIGENOUS AND
TRADITIONAL PEOPLES OF THE AMAZON BASIN
1367 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-1860
tel (202)785-3334
fax (202)785-3335
amazon@amazonalliance.org
http://www.amazonalliance.org

Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to original publisher.
The Amazon Alliance has not verified the accuracy of the forwarded message.
Forwarding this message does not necessarily connote agreement with the
positions stated there-in.

Todos los derechos de autor pertenecen al autor originario.
La Alianza Amazonica no ha verificado la veracidad de este
mensaje.  Enviar este mensaje no necesariamente significa que
la Alianza Amazonica este de acuerdo con el contenido.

La Alianza Amazonica para los Pueblos Indigenas y Tradicionales de la
Cuenca Amazonica es una iniciativa nacida de la alianza entre los pueblos
indigenas y tradicionales de la Amazonia y grupos e individuos que
comparten sus preocupaciones por el futuro de la Amazonia y sus pueblos.
Las ochenta organizaciones del norte y del sur activas en la Alianza
Amazonica creen que el futuro de la Amazonia depende de sus pueblos y el
estado de su medio ambiente.

The Amazon Alliance for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of the Amazon
Basin is an initiative born out of the partnership between indigenous and
traditional peoples of the Amazon and groups and individuals who share
their concerns for the future of the Amazon and its peoples. The eighty
non-governmental organizations from the North and South active in the
Alliance believe that the future of the Amazon depends on its peoples and
the state of their environment.

[Global Reponse]

--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young
Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org

from World Wildlife June 1, 2000

National Monuments Threatened

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

Our national monuments are threatened by legislation pending in
Congress.  National monuments include gems such as Sequoia
National Monument, located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of
California and home to giant sequoia trees that are found nowhere else
on Earth, and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, with
some of the most spectacular canyons in the Southwest.

Some members of Congress attack the environment by attaching
"riders" to the annual federal spending bills that they know are moving
through Congress.  If subjected to an up or down vote in Congress on
their own merits, these anti-environmental riders would fail.  This
year's crop of riders is as bad as ever.  One of them, for example,
would drastically reduce or eliminate funding for all national
monuments designated since 1999, including Sequoia and Grand
Canyon-Parashant.  National monuments are outstanding public lands
that have been protected by the president for their national scientific or
historic significance.  Eliminating their funding would leave them
vulnerable to the same threats, such as logging, mining, and livestock
grazing, that led to their designation as national monuments in the first
place.  Moreover, without funding, future monument designations,
such as the proposed Soda Mountain National Monument, in an
ecoregion that is one of WWF's top priorities for conservation, would
be virtually impossible.

Another rider includes language so broad that it could be interpreted to
prohibit virtually all U.S. participation in international activity to
address global warming.  Tell Congress it is time to stop chipping
away at our environmental laws in the dead of night.  Please go to
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send a free message urging your
member of Congress to oppose all anti-environmental riders.

from Greenpeace June1, 2000

GREENPEACE UNVEILS GLOBAL CAMPAIGN CHALLENGING OLYMPIC POLLUTER COCA-COLA

Sydney, June 1, 2000 -- Greenpeace today unveiled a global internet
campaign challenging Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola for undermining the
Environmental Guidelines of the Sydney 2000 Games and for its worldwide use
of global warming HFC gases. The campaign features polar bears, the icon
Coca-Cola uses to sell billions of drinks. Ironically, scientific studies
show Arctic polar bears are under threat of starvation due to climate
change.(1)

The CokeSpotlight website, produced in conjunction with Canadian-based
internet activist organization Adbusters, enables people around the world
to campaign with Greenpeace to change Coca-Cola's policy on HFC
refrigeration. www.cokespotlight.org provides a comprehensive campaign
kit including downloadable stickers, posters, postcards and email images to
lobby Coca-Cola directly.

"Coca-Cola has had seven years to take the initiative and place
environmentally friendly refrigeration at the Olympic site in line with the
Environmental Guidelines," said Greenpeace Olympics campaigner, Corin
Millais.

"Instead Coca-Cola will continue its polluting practice of using HFC and
undermining the Green Games. Coca-Cola's global refrigerant policy is
intensifying the global climate crisis."

At the Olympic site Coca-Cola will have 1700 refrigerators that run on
global warming HFC gases and only 100 Greenfreeze coolers that comply with
Sydney's Environmental Guidelines. This means that HFC greenhouse gases
will cool over 10 million Coca-Cola drinks during the Sydney Olympics - the
world's first "Green Games".

HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) are one of the most potent greenhouse gases ever
invented. On average over 20 years, one ton of HFCs causes 3300 times more
climate change destruction than one ton of carbon dioxide, the main
greenhouse gas. In 1997 the United Nations Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
was extended to include HFCs.

Natural refrigeration systems, known as Greenfreeze, are commercially
available and can be used instead of HFCs. There is a wide range of
commercially available, cost-effective Greenfreeze systems available for
supermarkets, pubs, restaurants, offices, ice-cream and drinks chillers,
freezer cabinets and air conditioning.

Internationally Greenpeace offices will be calling on supporters and the
public to join it in its campaign to pressure Coca-Cola for a worldwide HFC
phaseout.

"Sydney's Green Games are the perfect opportunity for Coca-Cola to show its
commitment to protecting the environment," said Millais. "Coke sells more
than 700,000 drinks every minute around the world so it has real potential
to clean up the refrigeration market worldwide.

"Coca-Cola is a dirty Olympic sponsor while it persists in using HFCs. The
CokeSpotlight website enables the public to join with Greenpeace in calling
for Coca-Cola to show true leadership. If Coke changes its global policy
and practice of HFC use then the environment and all of us, including polar
bears, will be the real gold medal winners."

The Greenpeace report - Green Olympics, Dirty Sponsors: How McDonald's and
Coca-Cola's global HFC pollution is undermining the world's first Green
Games at the Sydney Olympics is available at www.greenpeace.org.au

(1) A Canadian Wildlife Service study, by polar bear scientists Ian
Stirling, Nicholas J. Lunn and John Iacozza, found that the bears' main
food source, ringed seals which live on the ice of Hudson Bay, are becoming
less accessible because of a shorter ice season.

Building on a past NASA study which found a 2.9 percent decline per decade
in total Arctic sea ice extent over the last 20 years, the new Canadian
study further concludes that the sea ice season in western Hudson Bay has
been reduced by about three weeks over the same period.

The study says that, as a result of the reduction in sea ice, polar bears
have less time to hunt and are returning to land in poorer condition.
Weight for both male and female polar bears is declining and female bears
are having fewer cubs. Although significant population decline has not yet
begun, this is inevitable if the trends continue.

For further information contact:
Lynne Minion 011-61292630314, Greenpeace media officer, or
Corin Millais 011-6102 9263 0324, Greenpeace Olympics campaigner, or
Gary Cook (202) 319-2419, Greenpeace Climate campaigner, and
Kalle Lasn from Adbusters in Canada on (604) 736 9401 or
kalle@adbusters.org

Log on to the CokeSpotlight website at www.cokespotlight.org for more
information.

from Alaska Rainforest June 1, 2000

PUBLIC COMMENTS DEMONSTRATE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR ROADLESS AREAS PROTECTION:

The final count on public comments received by the US Forest service during the scoping phase (the initial comment period which ended on Dec 20, 1999) of the roadless policy review is in:

471,830 comments in support of protecting our wild forests.
69,293 comments against the proposal.

This is over half a million comments and over 87% in our favor! Thanks to Susan Ash of the Wild Utah Forest Campaign for counting all the comments and to all of you who submitted comments.

NY TIMES PROFILES TONGASS CONTROVERSY:

On May 27, the New York Times ran a feature on Alaska's Tongass National Forest and the Forest Service's controversial decision to exclude it from the draft roadless area protection policy. The article notes the growing political and economic support in Alaska for protecting the Tongass. View the article at http://www.akrain.org/news.asp?news_id=60

WASHINGTON POST, LA TIMES AND NY TIMES WRITE OF GORE'S SUPPORT FOR TONGASS PROTECTION.

In an announcement on May 30, Vice President Al Gore said he supports strong protection for national forest roadless areas, including the Tongass.

From the New York Times, May 31, 2000
"If I am entrusted with the presidency, it will be a national priority to preserve these roadless areas as they are, no ifs, ands or buts about it," Mr. Gore said. "No more destructive development and exploitation. And just so I'm crystal clear about it, no new road building and no timber sales in the roadless areas of our national forests. Period."

On the Tongass, Mr. Gore added, "I will ensure total and permanent
protection for the roadless areas in the Tongass, America's great temperate rain forest."

From the Washington Post, May 31, 2000

In a small break with White House policy, the vice president said he would immediately oppose timber sales in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, rather than awaiting the results in 2004 of a five-year review of the ban as the administration prefers. "I will assure full and permanent protection for the roadless areas in the Tongass, America's great and temperate rain forest," Gore said to cheers.

ROADLESS COMMENT DRIVE UNDERWAY:

The public comment period is now underway on the Forest Service Draft Environmental Impact Statement on roadless area protection. The proposal has two huge loopholes: it excludes Alaska's Tongass and fails to prohibit logging in roadless areas. This is a critical time for your voice to be heard. A flood of comments and testimony supporting the Tongass could help persuade President Clinton to improve the Forest Service proposal and end logging in roadless areas of the Tongass.

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

*Send an official comment demanding that the new Forest Service policy protect all remote wildlands of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. You can send a free fax directly to the Forest Service from www.akrain.org or send a personalized letter to USFS Roadless DEIS Review Team, c/o Alaska Rainforest Campaign, 406 G Street, #209, Anchorage, AK 99501 or by e-mail to roadlessdeis@fs.fed.us

**Call the President, toll-free, and tell him to protect the Tongass from roadless area logging: 1-800-663-9566. ***Check the schedule of public hearings www.roadless.fs.fed.us to find the one nearest you. Or call Alaska Rainforest Campaign toll-free at 1-877-873-3725. Be sure to attend and insist that the President's policy protect the Tongass - immediately - from logging in roadless areas!

Talking Points:

The proposed alternative in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for protecting national forest roadless areas must be improved in two ways:

1. It must provide IMMEDIATE AND COMPLETE protection for Alaska's Tongass National Forest and
2. It must protect ALL national forest roadless areas, including Alaska's Tongass and Chugach, from logging and other exploitation, as well as new roads.

from Defenders of Wildlife June 2, 2000

DENlines Issue #16

Defenders Electronic Network (DEN)

Friday June 2, 2000

1. OCEANS: White House Moves to Protect Ocean Areas

2. SHARKS: Legislation to Save Sharks Advances

3. DOLPHINS: Administration Seeks Weaker "Dolphin-Safe" Label

4. WOLVES: Wolf Recovery at Yellowstone "Doing Great"

5. WILDLIFE CALENDAR: Wolf Pups Emerge from their Dens

6. TRIVIA: National Wildlife Refuges & Endangered Species

=================================================================

1. OCEANS: White House Moves to Protect Ocean Areas

President Clinton announced efforts to protect our coasts and

territorial ocean waters. The initiative will include establishing

an integrated network of marine-protected areas that are off limits

to offshore fishing and drilling and providing permanent protection

for coral reefs along the northwestern Hawaiian islands.

For more on this story, click here:

http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00016.html#oceans

2. SHARKS: Legislation to Save Sharks Advances

The House Resources Committee unanimously approved the Shark Finning

Prohibition Act (H.R. 3535) which would prohibit in all U.S. waters

the inhumane and wasteful practice of shark finning, where fishermen

cut off the fins of a shark and throw it back in the water to bleed

to death or drown. The bill makes fishermen use the whole shark or

nothing at all. Current law does not prohibit shark finning in the

U.S. Pacific. The bill now goes to the entire House for a floor

vote this summer.

For more on this story, click here:

http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00016.html#sharks

3. DOLPHINS: Administration Seeks Weaker "Dolphin-Safe" Label

A federal court recently ruled that the "dolphin-safe" label could

not be applied to tuna caught by intentionally chasing, harassing,

or netting dolphins - a practice which has resulted in the death

of more than seven million dolphins. However, the Administration is

still determined to weaken this standard by appealing the judge's

ruling. Defenders of Wildlife will continue to fight any efforts

to weaken the "dolphin-safe" label.

For more on this story, click here:

http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00016.html#dolphins

4. WOLVES: Wolf Recovery at Yellowstone "Doing Great"

The wolf reintroduction program in Yellowstone National Park and

central Idaho has just marked its fifth anniversary. The return of

the wolf has restored ecological processes and dramatically enriched

the web of life in the area. According to Ed Bangs, northern Rockies

gray wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, the program "has exceeded all our hopes. They are doing

great."

For the exclusive interview, click here:

http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00016.html#wolves

5. WILDLIFE CALENDAR: Wolf Pups Emerge From Their Dens

At this time of year, wolf pups in Canada and parts of the United

States start to venture out of their dens. Under the watchful eye

of older wolves, these pups play and learn survival skills. In

just a few short months, these pups must be ready to travel up to

15 miles a day in search of food to sustain the pack.

For the full story, click here:

http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00016.html#calendar

6. ECO TRIVIA:

Which national wildlife refuge is home to the largest number of

federally endangered and threatened species?

A. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (AK)

B. Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge (CA)

C. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (FL)

D. Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (TX)

(Scroll down to the end of this e-mail for the answer)

As a thank you for taking action and staying informed on important

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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading national conservation organization

recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for

wildlife and its habitat and known for its effective leadership on

saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves, Defenders

advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species

before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit

501(c)(3)organization with nearly 400,000 members and supporters.

Defenders of Wildlife

1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400

Washington, DC 20005

http://www.defenders.org

http://www.kidsplanet.org

TRIVIA ANSWER (C): Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located

on the east coast of Florida near Orlando, is home to 16 threatened

or endangered plants and animals. The refuge is an oasis for such

threatened and endangered species as the West Indian manatee, piping

plover, green sea turtle, and wood stork. Visitors to Merritt Island

NWR can observe loggerhead sea turtles burying their eggs on its

sandy beaches, nesting ospreys and bald eagles and sea otters in

the refuge's 140,000 acres of brackish estuaries and marshes.

Adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island NWR is a unique

place where nature and the modern world's technology exist harmoniously.

For more information on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge,

visit: http://merrittisland.fws.gov/ .

The national wildlife refuge system is the only national network of

public lands in the world set aside specifically for the conservation

of fish, wildlife, and plants. Comprising more than 500 refuges in

50 states and five U.S. territories, the system encompasses more than

93 million acres. Most refuges are concentrated along major bird

migration corridors (flyways) and serve as vital sanctuaries for

millions of migratory birds. The system is extremely important for

imperiled wildlife, providing habitat for nearly 250 threatened and

endangered species.

from Environment News Service June 1, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)
http://ens-news.com

                                         "We Cover the Earth For You"
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BUSH LAYS PLANKS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PLATFORM
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-01-07.html

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BABBITT PROPOSES FOUR NEW NATIONAL MONUMENTS OVER REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-01-02.html

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NORTH AMERICAN POLLUTION ON THE RISE
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-01-02.html

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PETA'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST CRUELTY TO INDIAN CATTLE GETS RESULTS
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-01-03.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 1, 2000

EPA Knew About Asbestos in Libby For Years

Extinction Looms for Leatherback Turtles

Lawyer Fined for "Frivolous" Anti-Environmental Lawsuit

Vieques to be Tested for Depleted Uranium Shells

Agencies Update Habitat Conservation Plan Guidelines

Los Angeles Utility Buys Fuel Cell Power Plant

New Jersey Governor Pushes for Clean Dredge

Fort James Ordered to Remove PCBs in Lower Fox River

Geothermal Energy Projects: Win One, Lose One

Innovative e.com Toyota Cars Shared at UC Irvine

http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-01-09.html
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND MEDICAL EDITORS:

Dow AgroSciences Response to Recent News Coverage On Chlorpyrifos (Dursban)
Products
/Web site:  http://www.dowagro.com/
/Web site:  http://www.chlorpyrifos.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/01June0001.html

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TO NATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND BUSINESS EDITORS:

EPA Says Clean Water Important to the Economy
/Web site:  http://www.epa.gov/water
/Web site: http://www.epa.gov/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/01June0003.html

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-- NEWS ADVISORY -- TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATIONAL EDITORS:

         Latest EPA Developments
The following are Environmental Protection Agency developments.
For further information, call the contacts listed below.
/Web site:  http://www.epa.gov
/Web site:  http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST
/Web site:  http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/01June0002.html

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from Environment News Service June 2, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)
http://ens-news.com

                                         "We Cover the Earth For You"
******************************************************************

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES MEETING TRIGGERS PROTESTER-POLICE FACE-OFF

WINDSOR, Ontario, Canada, June 2, 2000 (ENS) - The Organization of American
States (OAS) is opening its 30th General Assembly here on Sunday, a meeting
that will further plans for a free trade agreement to encompass the entire
Western hemisphere. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the OAS represents 34
nations from Canada in the north to Chile in the south.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-02-01.html

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BIKES vs. BIRDS AT JAMAICA BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
By Pat Hemminger

QUEENS, New York, June 2, 2000 (ENS) - A proposed strip of asphalt, just 16
feet wide and 1.5 miles long, has sparked a heated land use battle in the
New York borough of Queens that has lasted three years.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-02-06.html

******************************************************************

AMERICAN WATERS CLEANER, BUT PROBLEMS REMAIN

WASHINGTON, DC, June 2, 2000 (ENS) - America has made tremendous progress in
cleaning up its polluted rivers, lakes and streams, a new report from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows. But challenges still lie ahead,
the agency notes, before all Americans can count on being able to fish and
swim in their neighborhood waterways.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-02-07.html

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UK TACKLES ITS WASTE MOUNTAIN

LONDON, UK, June 2, 2000 (ENS) - The UK government will be setting tough
statutory targets for recycling and also greening public sector purchasing
as part of a new push to turn the country's growing mountain of waste into
valuable products.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-02-02.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 2, 2000

GAS STATION OWNER FINED $4.74 M FOR GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

SMUGGLERS OF OZONE DEPLETING CFCS FINED $1 M

COCA-COLA BRINGS GLOBAL WARMING TO SYDNEY OLYMPICS

EPA CUTS METHYL PARATHION LIMITS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

TEXAS CHOOSES LESS STRINGENT FEDERAL AUTO EMISSIONS STANDARDS

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION OKs PLAN FOR CALIFORNIA COAST

SIERRA CLUB BOARD MEMBER COUNTERS ANTI-GORE MESSAGE

NATURAL GAS VEHICLE TIES ELECTRIC CAR IN GREEN RATINGS

DISTILLING DRINKING WATER FROM SEAWATER WITH GREEN POWER

TAKE A HIKE SATURDAY ON NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-02-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

       IFAW Welcomes Kashmir Ban on Shahtoosh Production - Endangered
Tibetan Antelope now Protected Worldwide

      LONDON, June 2 -/E-Wire/-- International efforts to protect the highly
endangered Tibetan antelope moved a step forward this week when the Indian
province of Kashmir announced a ban on the production of shahtoosh shawls --
woven from the fine wool of illegally hunted and highly endangered Tibetan
antelopes. The ban is supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare
(IFAW -- www.ifaw.org) which has been campaigning worldwide for greater
protection of Tibetan antelopes and an end to the illegal shahtoosh trade.
     /Web site:  http://www.ifaw.org/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/02June0002.html

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TO NEWS/ASSIGNMENT/ENVIRONMENT EDITOR:

Media advisory - Canada's Environment Minister, David Anderson kicks off
Environment Week in Victoria

    OTTAWA, June 2 -/E-Wire/-- Environment Minister David Anderson kicks off
Environment Week at the Annual Oak Bay Tea Party in Victoria, British
Columbia, this Saturday. The Minister will be joined by Ida Chong, MLA for
Oak Bay/ Gordon Head and His Worship Christopher Causton, Mayor of Oak Bay
and Chair of the Capital Regional District for the Oak Bay Tea Party opening
day ceremony.
    /CONTACT: David Gatzke, Communications Advisor, Environment Canada,
604-263-4529; Velma McColl, Office of the Minister of Environment Canada,
819-953-2101. To Weekend Editors: Messages will be checked over the
weekend./
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/02June0004.html

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TO BUSINESS AND NATIONAL EDITORS:

Dow AgroSciences Responds to Activist Distortions About the Safety of
Dursban Products

      INDIANAPOLIS, June 1 -/E-Wire/-- Recently, several major print and
broadcast news vehicles have seriously mischaracterized the safety of our
product, Dursban insecticides, by claiming that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency intends to "ban" Dursban products because a recent study
allegedly found that the product caused "brain damage" in fetal rats.
     /CONTACT:  Garry Hamlin of Dow AgroScience, 317-337-4799/
     /Web site:  http://www.dowagro.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/02June0001.html

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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

       Update - Dow AgroSciences Response to Recent News Coverage On
Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) Products

     INDIANAPOLIS, June 2 -/E-Wire/-- The following is an update providing
new information and integrating the texts of two public statements made by
Dow AgroSciences in response to news coverage at different times yesterday.
     /CONTACT:  Garry Hamlin of Dow AgroSciences, 317-337-4799/
     /Web site:  http://www.chlorpyrifos.com/
     /Web site:  http://www.dowagro.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/02June0003.html

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from Global Response June 5, 2000

Dear Members of Global Response's "Quick Response Network:"

(If there's an ad at the top of this message, please know that we have
asked Topica to remove it)

TAKE ACTION TODAY TO SUPPORT THAI VILLAGERS AT RISK OF DROWNING!

Please take action to support the villagers at Pak Mun and Rasi Salai dams
in
Thailand. At the World Bank-funded Pak Mun dam, more than 1,000 villagers
occupied the dam crest and fish ladder on May 15 and intend to stay until
their
demand is met. At Rasi Salai, more than 200 people remain perched in
make-shift
huts as the waters of Rasi Salai reservoir rise around them. They have
vowed
not to move until their demands are met. Others have occupied the crest of
the
Rasi Salai dam.

Both groups are demanding that the dam gates be permanently opened to allow
the
fish to migrate up the Mun river from the Mekong. Villagers are fearful of
the
violence that might ensue if they are forcibly removed, and are asking for
letters of support to Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.

We are trying to bombard Chuan's office with faxes, to let him know that
the
international community is closely monitoring the situation, and to
pressure
him to respect the villager's demands. YOUR LETTER IS IMPORTANT. Please
take
the time to copy the letter below and fax it to Chuan's office, or even
better,
write your own letter.

For more information about Pak Mun dam and Rasi Salai dams, see
www.irn.org/programs/mekong.

Please fax Chuan now and show your support for the villagers out there on
the
dam and in the reservoir! If you cannot fax overseas, please send a letter
to
the Thai Ambassador in your country. The Thai Ambassador to the US is
Ambassador Nitya Pibulsonggram, Fax: 202 9443611. You can also send a
letter to
Chuan Leekpai regular mail using the address below.

Thanks for your support.

Aviva Imhof
South-East Asia Campaigner
International Rivers Network

___________________________________

SAMPLE LETTER TO MR. CHUAN LEEKPAI

INSERT DATE

The Honorable Mr. Chuan Leekpai
Prime Minister of Thailand
Government House,
Dusit, Bangkok
Thailand
Fax: 662-2475417 or 662-2801443

Dear Mr. Chuan

I write to express my support for the villagers who are currently occupying the
Pak Mun and Rasi Salai dams and those facing inundation by the Rasi Salai
reservoir. These villagers are demanding that the Thai Government permanently
open the gates of both dams to allow the fish to migrate up the Mun River from
the Mekong to breed as they did in former times. I wholeheartedly support the
villager's efforts to recover their lost livelihood and restore the ecology of the Mun
River.

The villagers' demand to open the gates of the dam are reasonable and should be
seriously considered by your government. There is no good reason for the Rasi
Salai Dam's gates to remain closed. Built in 1993 as part of a grand irrigation
plan, the project is currently useless and likely to remain so. The reservoir
sits on top of a huge salt dome and its water is too salty for irrigation. The
dam's gates should be opened immediately.

Removal of the Pak Mun dam would also result in immediate benefits, and no
great loss to Thailand's power-generation capacity.  The cost of opening the
gates and allowing the river to flow unimpeded is marginal compared to the cost
of lost fisheries that communities living along the Mun River have borne over
the past nine years. Furthermore, the current oversupply of power in Thailand
makes it technically feasible for EGAT to forfeit the generating capacity at
Pak Mun without causing any interruptions to power supply.

The villagers have vowed to remain non-violent. I am concerned about reports
that villagers may be forced to move. In the past, this has lead to the use of
violence to disperse the protesters. I urge you to direct the police to respect
the rights of the protesters and to remain non-violent. There is absolutely no
justification for use of force against the protesters.

Respectfully yours,

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Aviva Imhof
South-East Asia Campaigner
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94703 USA
Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 (ext. 312), Fax: + 1 510 848 1008
Email: aviva@irn.org, Web: http://www.irn.org

--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young
Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

ATT00000.html (Text attachment)

from League of Conservation Voters June 5, 2000

===================================
LCV. s Weekly Congressional Update
Week of June 5th, 2000
===================================

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) continues to monitor Congressional
activity and hold members of Congress accountable for their actions on
important environmental issues. See the information below for a concise
look at what happened in Congress last week and what we anticipate for the
coming week.

===================================
SUMMARY
===================================

After the Memorial Day break, Congress is back in session taking up several
appropriations bills.  Appropriations bills have become a popular vehicle
to attach anti-environment riders that can weaken existing environmental
laws and regulations.  LCV is watching several riders develop during the
summer-long appropriations process.  We are currently monitoring riders on
both the House and Senate Agriculture appropriations bills.

To let Congress know how you feel about anti-environment riders and to
learn more about these particular bills, see the Featured Action on LCV. s
Web site at: http://www.lcv.org/actioncenter/

===================================
ACTIONS AND VOTES LAST WEEK
===================================

**SENATE**

CROP INSURANCE REFORM PASSES HOUSE
On May 25 the Senate passed a House/Senate conference report, S. 2559. Crop
Insurance, by a vote of 91 to 4 that would increase the federal subsidy of
crop insurance from its current range of between 13 percent and 57 percent
of the total cost, to a higher level of between 45 percent and 60 percent.
Environmentalists fear that this increased subsidy may encourage farmers to
plant crops on marginal lands that are prone to disasters such as flood or
drought.  Although the 1995 Farm Bill was to decrease subsidies to
America. s farmers, funding for the federally-subsidized crop insurance
program has increased substantially in recent years, in some respects
replacing farm subsidies.  The House passed the conference report by voice
vote that same day.  The bill now goes to the President.

**HOUSE**

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES INTERIOR FUNDING BILL
On May 25 the full House Interior Appropriations Committee voted along
party lines to approve a bill to fund the Interior Department for fiscal
year 2001.  The bill includes restrictions on funding for the Interior
Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Plan in the Pacific Northwest, on
funding for new national monuments designated after 1999, on funding for
projects under the American Heritage Rivers program, and on the use of
funds to establish a wildlife refuge at Yolo Bypass in California.

===================================
ON THE FLOOR THIS WEEK
===================================

**SENATE**

ANTI-ENVIRONMENT RIDERS ON SENATE AGRICULTURE FUNDING BILL
The Senate may vote this week on its version of a bill to fund the
Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2001.  The bill includes three
anti-environment . riders..   One will prevent any efforts to reform the Army
Corps of Engineers, which has been the topic of investigative articles in
The Washington Post in recent months for alleged financial and regulatory
mismanagement.  Another rider will prevent the administration from putting
new regulations on the environmental impact of hardrock mining into
effect. these regulations would protect groundwater from contamination,
ensure that mining companies have the money to pay for toxic cleanup when
mining is completed, and allow BLM to refuse mining permits when it would
harm the wildlife and resource values of the land.  A third rider would
remove land from Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Hatteras
National Seashore in North Carolina for the building of two massive,
environmentally unsound jetties.

**HOUSE**

CONTROVERSIAL UTAH LANDS BILL GOES TO HOUSE FLOOR
A bill to designate an area of BLM-managed lands in Utah. s canyon country
known as the San Rafael Swell as a National Conservation Area is scheduled
for floor consideration on Wednesday.  Several aspects of the bill are
controversial.  First, it puts off consideration of wilderness designations
within the area until a four-year planning process is completed, yet does
not give sufficient protections to the area to ensure that roads or other
developments will not preclude their future consideration as wilderness.
Next, it fails to include all of the San Rafael Swell in the proposed
National Conservation Area.  And finally, it will not adequately protect
fragile desert wilderness areas from destructive off-road vehicle use.

BILL TO BAN SHARK FINNING EXPECTED TO PASS EASILY
H.R. 3535, a bill sponsored by Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA) that would ban
the practice of cutting off shark fins for use in soup, is expected to be
voted on and passed this week.  This destructive practice kills thousands
of sharks each year and is contributing to worldwide declines in shark
populations.  The bill is scheduled to go to the House floor this week
under suspension of the rules, meaning that it will pass if two-thirds of
all members present vote for the legislation.

ANTI-ENVIRONMENT RIDERS ON HOUSE AGRICULTURE BILL
The House may vote this week on the $75 billion appropriations bill to fund
the Department of Agriculture (USDA).  About 80 percent of the money in
this bill goes to mandatory programs such as food stamps.  The other 20
percent, or $14.4 billion, is discretionary spending for various programs,
including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which runs the
conservation operations for the USDA.  The bill includes funding cuts for
farm conservation programs, including a cut that would restrict enrollment
in the Wetlands Reserve program in 2001 to 15,000 acres.

The bill also includes a rider that would bar funding for the Kyoto
protocol, including any actions to reduce greenhouse gases under the
protocol.  The administration has expressed its strong opposition to this
rider.  The bill also contains a provision that will prohibit the use of
USDA. s conservation funding, including funds in the Conservation Reserve
program and Wetlands Reserve program, in support of the administration. s
American Heritage Rivers program.  The administration is also fighting this
rider.

===================================
IN COMMITTEE THIS WEEK
===================================

**SENATE**

No significant markups or hearings planned.

**HOUSE**

NOAA FUNDING IN COMMITTEE
The House Appropriations Committee will consider the fiscal year 2001
budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA funds a variety of environmental offices and programs such as salmon
recovery, coastal zone management, coral reef conservation and other
coastal impact assistance initiatives.

EPA FUNDING UNDER REVIEW
The House Appropriations Committee will consider the fiscal year 2001
budget for the Environmental Protection Agency.  The House bill is $125
million below the administration's request, but does not include the
administration's proposed $545 million cut to the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund program.  The bill would bar the EPA from issuing any final
TMDL rule (to address non-point source pollution) and language barring the
implementation of the 1997 Kyoto climate change treaty.

LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO FIRES . IMPACT TO WILDLIFE
House Resources subcommittees will hold a hearing regarding wildfires,
including the catastrophic fire that recently blazed through Los Alamos,
New Mexico.  The subcommittees will hear testimony regarding the magnitude
of wildfire threats as well as proposals to address the situation.

===================================================================
LCV's Weekly Congressional Update is compiled using various sources,
including Congressional Quarterly and Congressional GreenSheets.
LCV-Update is brought to you by the League of Conservation Voters, the
nonprofit political voice for the national environmental and conservation
community. LCV is the only national organization dedicated full-time to
informing the public about the environmental records of federally elected
officials and candidates.

LCV publishes annually the National Environmental Scorecard, which rates
members of Congress on the most critical environmental votes cast during
that year.

If you ever want to remove yourself from this mailing list, send the
following command in email to: lyris@client-mail.com

unsubscribe lcv-update

If this update has been forwarded to you and you would like to sign up to
receive your own updates, send the following command in email to:
lyris@client-mail.com

subscribe lcv-update

If you have any questions or problems regarding lcv-update, send email to:
lcv@lcv.org

Check out LCV's web site, where you can find National Environmental
Scorecards, recent environmental votes, letters to Congress, and grassroots
and membership information. Look for us at: www.lcv.org

Join LCV online today!  Visit our secure Web site at:
https://secure3.nmpinc.com/lcvlink/forms/join.htm

League of Conservation Voters
1920 L Street, NW Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
(202)785-8683
fax: (202)835-0491
email: lcv@lcv.org
==================================================================

from Sierra club June 5, 2000

SC-ACTION Vol. II, #215
DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
June 2, 2000

-------------------------QUOTE OF THE DAY-----------------------------

"Nature never repeats herself, and the possibilities of one human soul will
never be found in another."
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

---------------------------- CONTENTS: FRIDAY ALL SC-ACTION------------

* SPECIAL TAKE ACTION: ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL RIDERS RIDE AGAIN!
* Dangerous Utah Bill Headed to House Floor
* Clean Car Vote Coming Up
* End Commercial Logging
* Human Rights and the Environment
* Population
* Protect our Wild Forests

TELL THE CONGRESS: NO ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL RIDERS!!

It's June in DC and that means appropriations season and the return of
another long hot summer fighting anti-environmental riders on the 13
Appropriations bills that fund our government's operations.  And as
predictably as the heat and humidity dawns on our nation's capitol, so too do
the antics of the Congressional Leadership heat up using must-pass funding
bills as a means to pass controversial riders that undermine environmental
protection and waste taxpayer dollars.  As we comb through the thousands of
pages of legislation we have unearthed dozens of riders that would:

- Delay critically needed environmental regulations for the hardrock mining
industry;
- Transfer public lands  in North Carolina to the Army Corps to build an
environmentally destructive and fiscally wasteful jetty project at Oregon
Inlet;
- Prohibit any US activity to address the pressing issue of global climate
change;
- Prohibit the expenditure of funds to plan, design or manage any National
Monuments designated by the President after 1999;
- Prevent the EPA from investigating Civil Rights Claims;
- Impede the adoption of new standards to reduce levels of Arsenic in our
drinking water;
- Prohibit funding for the protection of America's rivers through the
Heritage River Initiative;
- Ban the Department of Transportation from updating Corporate Average fuel
Economy standards for cars and light trucks;
- Prohibit environmental review of grazing permits that are due to be
renewed;
- Block the establishment of a new National Wildlife Refuge in California;
- Block much needed reform of  management and oversight of the Army Corps of
Engineers;

And this is just the beginning.  If we hope to rid these bills of
anti-environmental riders and try to put an end to this backdoor practice of
tacking on unrelated legislation to important spending bills, we must send a
strong signal to Congress to "Strike all anti-environmental Riders from
Appropriations bills."

Next week we expect the House and Senate to take up the Agriculture
Appropriations bills.
Below we feature S. 2536, the Senate bill.

Oregon Inlet Rider. The bill includes a rider by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) that
would advance the harmful Oregon Inlet jetty project on North Carolina's
Outer Banks.

Sen. Helms' rider advances one of the Corps' oldest and most controversial
projects, the Oregon Inlet jetties, which has been stalled for three decades.
The rider would transfer public lands from Cape Hatteras Nat. Seashore and
the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to the Army Corps, to anchor the
mile-long jetties.  Dept. of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Services oppose
the jetties and cite concerns over massive erosion, harm to the fishery, and
loss of national public trust beaches on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Taxpayers for Common Sense listed the jetties as one of the nation's five
most wasteful water projects in a report issued last year.

Mining Rider.  It also contains language to further delay critically needed
environmental regulations for the hardrock mining industry.  As written, the
rider would prevent the BLM from improving taxpayer protection from bankrupt
mining companies, denying mine proposals in environmentally sensitive areas,
or establishing strong environmental performance standards to rein in the
nation's largest toxic polluter.

Army Corps Rider.  The bill contains restrictions that would prevent any
reforms to management and oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers.  This
rider is a reaction to recent efforts by Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera
to reform the Corps internally following reports that top level Corps
military leadership ordered personnel to manipulate a study to justify a $50
million seven-year project to expand barge facilities in the Upper
Mississippi River.

The House version of the  Agriculture bill contains a rider to prohibit funds
to carry out any activity related to the American Heritage Rivers Initiative
as well as the rider inserted by Rep. Emerson that blocks funding for Federal
efforts to combat global climate change.

Take Action:  Please contact your Representative and Senators and urge them
to reject the practice of tacking on anti-environmental riders to important
spending bills.  Urge them to vote for amendments to strike all
anti-environmental riders from these appropriations bills.

****************************FEATURED ACTIONS**************************

I) WILDLANDS: Dangerous UTAH Bill Headed to House Floor

The Utah Congressional delegation is planning to bring their anti-wilderness
bill, H.R 3605, to the House floor next week, perhaps as early as Wednesday
June 7. "The San Rafael Western Legacy District and National Conservation
Act" seeks to circumvent wilderness protection by establishing a so-called
"National Conservation Area" or NCA, with relatively weak protection for some
of the nation's wildest and most stunning scenery.  While the bill appears to
take modest steps toward protecting wilderness-quality lands in the San
Rafael Swell region of Utah, it falls far short of adequately addressing the
threats to this spectacular wilderness.

Damage from the use of off-road vehicles (ORV's) is the single most
significant threat to the wilderness qualities of the San Rafael Swell.
While H.R. 3605 appears to limit the use of motorized vehicles in the NCA
proposed by the bill, it does not require the Secretary of the Interior to
close wilderness-quality lands to the use of motorized vehicles as wilderness
designation would.  And an amendment adopted in Committee could actually have
the effect of opening even more wilderness-quality areas to ORV use.

In Utah, the second driest state in the Union, water is critical to plant
communities and wildlife, but H.R. 3605 fails to assert a much-needed water
right for the lands protected under the bill. Other problems with the
legislation include its piecemeal approach to land protection (it doesn't
include all of the wilderness-quality lands of the San Rafael Swell), as well
as an authorization of $10 million for tourist promotion and development with
minimal guidance for protecting the wildlands of the area.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: In its current form, H.R. 3605 would establish a bad
precedent for protecting our Nation's precious public wildlands, and would
fall far short of adequately protecting the wilderness of the San Rafael
Swell in Utah. Please urge your Member of Congress to support amendments to
fix H.R. 3605, and to oppose the bill unless amendments to address all the
concerns noted above are adopted.  Tell them that America's wild desert lands
in Utah deserve wilderness protection as proposed in the Sierra
Club-supported "America's Redrock Wilderness Act," H.R.1732, sponsored by
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY).

II) GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

Urge Your Senators to Vote for the Clean Car Resolution
The Auto Industry Has Told the Senate What They Think -- Have You?

The Senate will vote on the Gorton-Feinstein-Bryan Clean Car Resolution the
week of June 12.  This Resolution opposes the anti-environmental rider that
blocks even a study of miles per gallon standards.  Thanks to your efforts,
several letters-to-the-editor have already appeared in local papers as well
as coverage in editorials, national TV and a front page article in the NEW
YORK TIMES (June 2).

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY (Capitol Switchboard: 1-202-224-3121) and
urge them to oppose the CAFE-freeze rider in the Transportation funding bill
and to support increased miles per gallon standards.  Raising these standards
will save consumers money at the pump, reduce air pollution, and is the
biggest single step we can take to curb global warming.

The auto industry has already begun their phone banking and have been running
newspaper ads opposing improved miles per gallon standards.  Now your
Senators need to hear from you!

III) END COMMERCIAL LOGGING CAMPAIGN:
  Help Stop the "Clearcuts For Kids" Bill

Almost a century ago, Congress passed a law requiring the U.S. Forest Service
to turn over 25 percent of its logging revenues to rural counties to fund
schools and roads. That outdated law creates a perverse incentive for
affected communities to support high levels of logging.  Although education
funding is the excuse for supporting this program, many counties spend 75% of
their payment on roads, not schools.

Unfortunately, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has teamed up with Sen. Larry Craig
(R-ID) to introduce a bill known as S. 1608, the so-called "Secure Rural
Counties and Community Self-Determination Act," that would force an increase
in logging incentives.  This bill is not based on education needs but on past
logging levels and actually takes funds away from many states in the country.
  The bill also forces counties to give as much as 20% of their "education
funds" to logging projects.

The bill ignores the contributions of National Forests to recreation,
wildlife, fishing and water quality. Nationally, recreation generates nearly
$40 to the economy for every dollar generated by logging, and creates more
than 30 times as many jobs. And increased logging destroys recreation
opportunities. In addition, rural communities rely on National Forests for
clean drinking water and logging can clog streams with silt and run-off.
Communities should not have to sacrifice clean drinking water, jobs and
wildlife habitat to fund their children's education.

**  TAKE ACTION  **  CALL YOUR SENATORS through the Capitol Hill switchboard
at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to vote against S.1608. Tell them that
schoolchildren should not be held hostage to an unsustainable logging
program!  Our children need good schools and a healthy environment. This bill
could be voted on in the next few weeks.

IV) WILD FOREST CAMPAIGN:

Hand-written letters to the U.S. Forest Service are needed -- Attend your
local Forest Service hearing

We have heard from the U.S. Forest Service that hand-written letters will be
weighted more heavily than pre-printed postcards when they are tallying
comments on their recently released roadless area draft plan.  Please
localize your comment with a story of why your nearby roadless area is
important to you, request that the Forest Service protect all roadless areas
of 1,000 acres and greater -- including the Tongass NF in Alaska -- from ALL
destructive activities, and send it to:

Chief Mike Dombeck, U.S. Forest Service c/o Sierra Club
408 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

We will collect these and deliver them to the U.S. Forest Service.

Please attend your local Forest Service hearing to comment on the Forest
Service roadless area policy.  To find the closest hearing to your home,
please visit our Sierra Club web site.
http://www.sierraclub.org/wilderness/WildForest/Index.asp

V) POPULATION

Improve global health: Contact your Senators and Representative

The Sierra Club's Population Program is committed to environmental protection
and population stabilization and works for these goals by advocating for
increased U.S. funding for international family planning programs.  Progress
has been made.  More women are receiving family planning services around the
world.  But, it is estimated that more than 150 million married women in
developing nations request modern methods of contraception, but do not have
access to them.

According to the World Health Organization, as a result of lack of access to
proper prenatal care and safe motherhood programs nearly 600,000 women die
each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.  Annually, 18
million women suffer from pregnancy-related health problems that can be
permanently disabling.

The Global Health Act of 2000, introduced by Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY)
and Senator Leahy (D-VT), is legislation that addresses these critical
issues.  The Global Health Act increases assistance to developing nations
with high levels of premature death, by improving children's health and
nutrition and by reducing unintended pregnancies.  It calls for an additional
$1 billion dollars for health, child survival, and voluntary family planning
programs in the existing budget.

TAKE ACTION:  Contact your Representative and Senators and ask them to
endorse HR 3826 and S 2387, to help protect the lives of women around the
world.  Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.

VI) HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
TAKE ACTION TO SAVE AFRICAN RAINFOREST FROM EXXONMOBIL OIL PIPELINE!
URGE THE WORLD BANK TO OPPOSE THE CHAD-CAMEROON OIL AND PIPELINE PROJECT
UNTIL IT PRIORITIZES HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS!

Next Tuesday, June 6, the Board of Directors of the World Bank will vote on
whether to approve a $360 million dollar loan to the central African
countries of Chad and Cameroon to fund an oil extraction and pipeline
project.  However, many questions about the environmental impacts of this
project remain unanswered: First, there is no concrete response plan in case
of an oil spill which could result in the contamination of groundwater, soil,
and the Sanaga river watershed. What's worse, this plan is underfunded by
about $27 million! Second, the pipeline would cut through sensitive moist
rainforest habitats which will open the door for poachers and loggers further
endangering rhinos and forest elephants.  And third, indigenous peoples could
face eviction from their lands, which would pose a direct threat to their
culture and way of life.

The climate of repression and fear has worsened in the past few weeks
particularly in Chad, where a Chadian army official has said that the army
would kill anyone who opposed the project.  This has made the work of
environmentalists virtually impossible.

Fax or write World Bank President James Wolfensohn and tell him to oppose the
funding of the project until environmental impact assessments properly
address the concerns mentioned above and until environmental activists in
Chad and Cameroon can freely and safely voice their concerns.

James Wolfensohn
President
The World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433 U.S.A.
Fax: (202) 522-0355

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

from Sierra Club June 6, 2000

SC-ACTION Vol. II, #216
DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
June 5, 2000

-------------------------QUOTE OF THE DAY-----------------------------

     "Remember to vote early and often."

     --Anonymous Chicago Ward Leader

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

     ****************************FEATURED ACTION**************************

AMENDMENTS NEEDED TO FIX WEAK UTAH LANDS MANAGEMENT BILL

The Utah Congressional delegation is planning to bring an anti-wilderness
bill, H.R. 3605, to the House floor this week. "The San Rafael Western Legacy
District and National Conservation Act" seeks to circumvent wilderness
protection by establishing a so-called "National Conservation Area" or "NCA",
with relatively weak protection for some of the nation's most wild and
stunning scenery.  While the bill appears to take modest steps toward
protecting wilderness-quality lands in the San Rafael Swell region of Utah,
it falls far short of adequately addressing the threats to this spectacular
wilderness.

Specifically, the bill fails to protect valuable wilderness-quality lands in
Utah officially as Wilderness.  Areas encompassed within the proposed NCA
have been identified as wilderness quality by a citizen's inventory, and have
been proposed for wilderness designation in H.R. 1732, "America's Redrock
Wilderness Act." But H.R. 3605 rejects wilderness protection, offering
instead a weak NCA designation that fails to provide the protection needed
for this unique and threatened landscape.

In addition, H.R. 3605 would do nothing to curtail the most significant
threat to wilderness in the San Rafael Swell region -- damage from the use of
off-road vehicles ("ORVs).  Wilderness designation would protect pristine
areas from the abuse of ORVs, as could a legislative provision prohibiting
their use in Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs).  But H.R. 3605 offers neither of
these protections.

Other problems with the legislation include its piecemeal approach to land
protection (it doesn't include all of the wilderness-quality lands of the San
Rafael Swell), as well as an authorization of $10 million for tourist
promotion and development with minimal guidance for protecting the wildlands
of the area.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:  Amendments to address these concerns are expected on the
House floor.  Please contact your Member of Congress right away and urge him
or her to support amendments to H.R. 3605 that will protect the integrity of
wilderness in Utah.  Specifically, an amendment by Rep. Mark Udall is
expected that will provide strong protection for all the lands identified as
wilderness in H.R. 1732, "America's Redrock Wilderness Act."  Please urge
your Representative to support this and other strengthening amendments on the
floor.  Also, urge him or her to oppose the bill if the three concerns noted
above are not adequately addressed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

from Union of Concerned Scientists June 6, 2000

SENATE VOTE ON FUEL EFFICIENT CARS/TRUCKS

**********  Union of Concerned Scientists ACTION ALERT  **********

June 7, 2000

TO: UCS Members
FROM: Lloyd Ritter, UCS Transportation Program
RE: Request for action

ISSUE: Higher fuel economy standards for cleaner air and a more stable climate.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Ask your U.S. Senator to support the Gorton-Feinstein-Bryan
Clean Car Resolution which requests, contrary to an anti-environment rider in
the House of Representatives, that the Department of Transportation be allowed
to increase fuel economy standards.  The Resolution could be voted on as early
as next week when the Senate considers the fiscal year 2001 Transportation
Appropriations bill.  Your messages to the Senate made a big difference on the
vote last year, and will again this time around.

DEADLINE:  As soon as possible, preferably contacting offices by Tuesday, June
13th.

BACKGROUND:
Congress passed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards in 1975, in the
wake of the energy crisis of the early 1970's.  The standards require that the
auto industry produce more fuel-efficient vehicles - enough to meet an average
of 27.5 miles to the gallon for cars and 20.7 miles to the gallon for light
trucks.  While CAFE standards have been key to reducing oil consumption and
global warming gases, those gains are being overtaken by the increasing number
of miles driven and the explosion of sales of gas guzzling light trucks
including SUVs, minivans, and pickups.  Increases in fuel economy standards are
long overdue.

WHAT'S HAPPENING: Tight fuel economy for cars and trucks is key to decreasing
the amount of carbon dioxide polluting the air and fueling global warming.
Gas-guzzling cars and light trucks are responsible for 20 percent of the carbon
dioxide the United States pumps into the air each year. The more fuel vehicles
use, the more carbon dioxide is produced. In fact, each gallon of gasoline
burned results in 25 pounds of carbon dioxide.

SUVs and light trucks, which account for nearly half the passenger vehicles sold
each year, enjoy a loophole that allows them to meet an average of 20.7 miles
per gallon. Simply requiring them to meet the same standards as cars could, by
2010, cut carbon dioxide emissions 240 million tons each year.

The auto industry has the technology to make SUVs and light trucks more
fuel-efficient. (see UCS Greener SUVs Report at www.ucsusa.org) But for the last
five years, auto industry supporters in the House of Representatives have
succeeded in freezing funding for the Department of Transportation to study the
benefits of increased fuel economy standards (the first step toward raising the
standards.) Last year, with your help we reinvigorated the debate over fuel
economy, getting 40 Senators on record in opposition to the House fuel economy
freeze. Right now, UCS and other environmental organizations are making a push
to get 40+ Senators to vote for a Resolution to oppose the House freeze on fuel
economy standards as part of the annual Transportation Bill. A strong Senate
vote could help kill the fuel economy freeze this year - most importantly, it
lays the foundation for a strong push in a new Administration.

WHO TO CONTACT: Call your Senator today. The Capitol Switchboard number is
202-224-3121. You can find their office phone numbers, fax and e-mail addresses
at www.senate.gov You can also send a letter to your Senator, by writing to The
Honorable (full name), United States Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510.

WHAT YOU MIGHT SAY: Ask them to vote in favor of the Clean Car Resolution being
offered by Senators Gorton-Feinstein-Bryan to allow the Department of
Transportation (DOT) to take action on fuel economy standards.  If your
Senator(s)   voted for the Resolution last year ask them to do so again.  If
not, encourage them to support it when it comes up for a vote in the next week
or so. Tell your Senator that it's time Congress allowed the DOT to do its job
by studying and hopefully increasing fuel economy standards so that the public
has the opportunity to choose more efficient, climate-friendlier cars and
trucks.

QUESTIONS:  If you have questions about this action alert, please contact Lloyd
Ritter in UCS' Washington, DC office by responding to this email or by calling
202-332-0900.

Thank you for taking action on this critical issue.

**********
NOTE: If you send a letter, a fax, or an email, please send us a "blind copy."
(A blind copy simply means that you do not indicate anywhere on your letter that
you are sending a copy to us.)  By regular mail send to Lloyd Ritter - UCS, 1616
P Street, NW Washington, DC 20036.  By email, send to lritter@ucsusa.org, by fax
to 202-332-0905.

CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS: Help us keep you posted! If your email address will
soon change, or if you'd like us to use a different address, please let us know
by sending a message to ucs@ucsusa.org with your new address. Thanks!

**********
GUIDELINES FOR E-MAILING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:

If time permits, a well-written personal letter sent by US mail still carries
the most weight when communicating with Congress.  However, when speed is of the
essence, emailing can be a good way to get your message across.  Many offices
are now able to handle email letters. When sending email, follow these
guidelines:

-- Never forward our Action alerts to congressional offices. Use the information
in our alerts to write your own message.

-- Ask for a reply to your email message and check to make sure you receive a
response, since some offices do not yet have a system for handling constituent
email.  If you do not receive a reply within a reasonable time period, call the
office to see if they received your message.

-- Use the format of a letter for your email message, including your return
address to verify you are a constituent.  Without a return address, your message
could be severely discounted or simply be deleted.

**********

from Environment News Service June 5, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)
http://ens-news.com

                                         "We Cover the Earth For You"
******************************************************************

CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR PLATN TO CLOSE DECEMBER 15

KIEV, Ukraine, June 5, 2000 (ENS) - Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma
announced today that the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, site of a deadly
nuclear accident in 1986 will close permanently on December 15, 2000. The
plan would end years of pressure from the U.S. and other major
industrialized countries to close the damaged and unreliable plant.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-07.html

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U.S., RUSSIA PROMOTE NUCLEAR SAFETY, CLIMATE CHANGE COOPERATION

MOSCOW, Russia, June 5, 2000 (ENS) - The United States and Russia have
signed agreements to reduce their stockpiles of weapons grade plutonium and
establish a permanent joint early warning system to reduce the threat of
mistaken missile attack warnings.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-06.html

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OAS CLAIMS ENVIRONMENTAL, LABOR PROGRESS; POLICE HOLD BACK PROTESTERS

WINDSOR, Ontario, Canada, June 5, 2000 (ENS) - Canada. s Prime Minister Jean
Chr�tien inaugurated the 30th Organization of American States General
Assembly Sunday at Windsor's Cleary International Centre with the idea that
technology should be given "a human face."
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-03.html

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EARTHQUAKE IN INDONESIA CLAIMS 58 LIVES

JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 5, 2000 (ENS) - A series of strong earthquakes has
rocked the Indonesian island of Sumatra since Sunday night, killing 58
people and injuring hundreds more. Awakened by the shaking earth, panicked
residents of Bengkulu province fled their collapsing homes just before
midnight.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-02.html

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY MARKED WITH PROMISES, PROTESTS

ADELAIDE, Australia, June 5, 2000 (ENS) - The United Nations has chosen
Australia as the international host for World Environment Day today.
Activities are centred on Adelaide where Prime Minister John Howard
presented nine national awards and several United Nations prizes.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-01.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 5, 2000

Environmentalists Placed on Forest Products Trade Committees

Air Pollution May Trigger Heart Attacks

Energy Department Devotes $10 M to Biomass Research

Farmer Fined $100,000 for Railroad Tie Fire

Three Plants and a Shrew Proposed for Endangered List

Alaska Legislators Call Gore Biased on Forest Road Ban

Invasive Species Will Get Zapped in Illinois Canal

North Carolina Coal Gas Plants Pre-Pay for Cleanup Oversight

Los Angeles Encourages Religious Leaders to Buy Green Power

Half Million Tires Being Cleaned Up in Pennsylvania

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-05-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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                          SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

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-- NEWS ADVISORY -- TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND MEDICAL EDITORS:

New Web Site Offers Comprehensive Information on West Nile Virus And
Encephalitis

      RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) has launched a web
site -- www.pestfacts.org/media -- which includes key information about the
mosquito-born West Nile Virus and encephalitis.  The 1999 summertime
outbreak of West Nile Virus resulted in more than 60 cases of severe disease
and seven deaths, and a similar or even worse outbreak in the summer of 2000
is possible, perhaps even likely.
     /Web site:  http://www.pestfacts.org/media /
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/05June0004.html

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TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR:

New Public Service Announcements Offer Humane Tips for Living With Coyotes

      SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 5 -/E-Wire/-- As suburbs grow, so do
encounters with coyotes and other wild animals. The Animal Protection
Institute (API) is offering Public Service Announcements and safety
brochures with tips on how people can avoid problems with coyotes, as a part
of its HUMANE WAYS TO LIVE WITH WILDLIFE campaign.
     /CONTACT:  Lawrence Carter-Long of Animal Protection Institute,
916-731-5521 ext. 201/
     /Web site:  http://www.api4animals.org/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/05June0005.html

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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

WaterBank.com Becomes World Industry Leader for On-line Water Resources

      ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 5 -/E-Wire/-- Dr. William M. Turner, President
of Westwater Resources of Albuquerque, New Mexico announced today that its
WaterBank.com website has become the industry leader in the listing of all
manner of water rights, bulk water, bottled water, spring water, geothermal
water and water investment opportunities.
     /CONTACT:  Jon Aronson of DW Turner Public Relations, 505-888-5877/
     /Web site:  http://www.dwturner.com/
     /Web site:  http://www.waterbank.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/05June0002.html

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TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

Blue292 Signs Three Major Consulting & Engineering Firms To Its
Early-Adopter Program

ENSR, Versar, and EnSafe Enhance Environmental Business-to-Business
e-Marketplace's Initial Customer Base

      DURHAM, N.C., June 5 -/E-Wire/-- Blue292, the world's leading
business-to-business e-marketplace for environmental, health and safety
(EHS) products and services, today announced that it has signed three top
consulting and engineering firms -- ENSR International Corporation, Versar,
Inc. (Amex: VSR), and EnSafe, Inc. -- to its Early-Adopter Pilot Program.
     /CONTACT:  Anita Bose, 212-484-7699, abose@rlmnet.com, for Blue292/
(VSR)
     /Web site:  http://www.blue292.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/05June0003.html

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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

CAPE Announces Acquisition of CET Business Unit

      ATLANTA, June 5 -/E-Wire/-- Cape Environmental Management Inc (CAPE)
announced today its acquisition of CET Environmental Services Inc.'s (CET's)
Department of Defense (DoD) business units and its Southern California
commercial operations.  CAPE, which is headquartered in Atlanta, is best
known for its work on DoD environmental remediation contracts, including
several projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Navy.
     /CONTACT:  Fernando Rios of Cape Environmental Management Inc,
770-908-7200, fax, 770-908-7219, frios@capeenv.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/05June0001.html

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    TRANSMIT YOUR PRESS RELEASE ON E-WIRE -- 1-888-764-NEWS
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from World Wildlife June 6, 2000

Protect Mountain Gorillas, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, And More

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

The highly intelligent and awe-inspiring mountain gorilla is one of the
most endangered gorilla subspecies, due to civil conflict and human
population growth in its Central African forest habitat.  Only a few
hundred survive in the wild.  Fortunately, significant efforts are under
way to save the mountain gorilla's habitat, funded in part by the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID).  Mountain gorillas
are only one of a host of endangered species around the world that are
protected by conservation programs supported by U.S. foreign aid to
developing nations.

Thanks in part to your messages to Congress last year, possible severe
cuts to USAID's budget were averted.  However, the level of funding
for its conservation programs has been inadequate for several years,
threatening the effectiveness of these programs in some regions of the
world.  For example, conservation programs in Madagascar are almost
certain to be cut by USAID in the coming year, with the result that
efforts to protect the dry forest habitat of the ring-tailed lemur, an
endangered primate found only in Madagascar, could be seriously
compromised.  Please go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send
a free message urging your congressional representative to support
adequate funding for USAID for fiscal year 2001 to ensure that the
agency meets its conservation goals.

Sonny Callahan, a Republican representing the first district of
Alabama, is chairman of the subcommittee that will make important
decisions about USAID's budget. If he is your representative, we
strongly encourage you to write your own letter, using our letter as a
guide, and email it to him at sonny.callahan@mail.house.gov.

from Environment News Service June 6, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)
http://ens-news.com

                                         "We Cover the Earth For You"
******************************************************************

CONTROVERSIAL CHAD-CAMEROON PIPELINE FUNDING APPROVED

WASHINGTON, DC, June 6, 2000 - The Board of the World Bank Group today
overwhelmingly agreed to support the controversial Chad-Cameroon Petroleum
Development and Pipeline Project through Central Africa, calling it "an
unprecedented framework to transform oil wealth into direct benefits for the
poor, the vulnerable and the environment."
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-06-03.html

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DROUGHT IN AFGHANISTAN THREATENS MILLIONS

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 6, 2000 (ENS) - Afghanistan. s worst drought in
almost 30 years is parching crops, draining wells and causing widespread
famine and economic hardships. The United Nations has appealed for
international aid to help millions of people facing water and food
shortages.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-06-06.html

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NEW YORK'S COMMUNITY GARDENS: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

By Cameron La Follette
NEW YORK, New York, June 6, 2000 (ENS) - Lettuces, radishes, trees and
flowers are flourishing in New York City's 700 community gardens this
spring, but they are endangered by the demands of developers for land and by
bureaucratic fences that may be tough to climb.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-06-02.html

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DANUBE RIVER GREEN CORRIDOR CREATED

BUCHAREST, Romania, June 6, 2000 (ENS) - Officials of four countries
bordering the Danube River decided Monday to coordinate their efforts to
conserve the river's wetlands. The governments of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova
and Ukraine have agreed to create Europe's largest cross border wetlands
protection and restoration area.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-06-01.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 6, 2000

Supreme Court: Three Mile Island Victims' Lawsuits Must be Tried

One Bt Corn Variety Appears Safe for Swallowtails

$44.5 M Studies Target Central Valley Air Pollution

EPA Rejects Las Vegas Valley Air Pollution Plan

California Rail System Plans Pick Up Speed

Army to Clean Up its Act at Fort Lewis

Habitat Restoration Could Protect Chandeleur Islands

Junkyard Owner Charged with Trashing the Environment

DOE Scientists Win "Discover" Awards

Rhode Island Senior Corps Will

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-06-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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                          SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

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TO NEWS/ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR:

Survey Released:  Importance of Nature to Canadians
    OTTAWA, June 6 /E-Wire/--  Environment Minister David Anderson today
released the second major report on the findings from the Survey on the
Importance of Nature to Canadians.  Statistics Canada conducted the survey
of 87,000 Canadians.
    /CONTACT:  Luis Leigh, Environment Canada, (819) 953-1170/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/06June0005.html

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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Postal Service Receives Three 2000 White House Closing the Circle Awards

    WASHINGTON, June 6 -/E-Wire/-- The U.S. Postal Service is being honored
today at the 2000 White House Closing the Circle Awards ceremony. Three
awards will be presented to the Postal Service:  in the category of "Sowing
the Seeds for Change," for its development of an environmentally benign
pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) and use of recycled materials in stamps;
in the "category of "Model Facility Demonstration," for its Corrales, New
Mexico Straw Bale Post Office; and in the category of "Outreach," for
"Action For A Cleaner Tomorrow," an Environmental Curriculum CD-ROM.
     /CONTACT:  Kristin Krathwohl 202-268-3964, or Dan De Miglio
415-536-6490, or pager, 888-341-2709, both of U.S. Postal Service/
     /Web site:  http://www.usps.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/June00/06June0004.html

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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

$250,000 Fisheries Conservation Partnership Launched

      WASHINGTON, June 6 -/E-Wire/-- The National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation announced today a partnership with the United Fishing Association
Conservation Foundation that will result in $250,0