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IO CON /11 ION GROUND VOL . 12 NO , 3 APRIL- ► UNE 2001
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<br /> ® Federally mandated cuts in acid rain Unearthing buried streams . In the past
<br /> emissions will not restore Northeast water- decade , daylighting activity has increased in Many thanks to these
<br /> sheds within the next 25 to 50 years , leading the U . S . , and is widespread in parts of Eu - recent donors to the
<br /> acid rain researchers have concluded . If elec- rope . What ' s daylighting ? The term refers to COMMON GROUND
<br /> tric utilities cut sulfur emissions an addi- stream restoration projects that expose the Research Fund :
<br /> tional 80 % , the region ' s ailing streams could flow of a previously covered river , creek or Lane Coulston
<br /> change from acidic to non- acidic within 25 stormwater drainage . The city of Zurich , Wallace Elton
<br /> years , according to " Acidic Deposition in the Switzerland , has daylighted nine miles of Richard Holloway
<br /> Northeastern U . S . : Sources and Inputs , Eco - brooks and storm drains since 1988 , accord - Mr . & Mrs . Henry Little
<br /> system Effects , and Management Strategies , " in to Richard Pinkham, who wrote a 64 - Ann Rappoport
<br /> Y g g g Peter Roemer
<br /> ( free , www . hbrook . sr . unh . edu, 603 / 653 - page report, " Daylighting : New Life for Bur- Betty van der Smissen
<br /> 0390 ) . Once acidification is corrected , it ied Streams , " ( free , www . rmi . org , $ 12 , 970 / Sarita Van Vleck
<br /> would take 3 to 10 years for stream macro- 927-3851 ) for the Rocky Mountain Institute
<br /> invertebrate and lake zooplankton to re - and the Environmental Protection Agency . Nine donors have given
<br /> cover, researcher said . The recovery of trees Pinkham documented 18 projects in the U . S . $545 to the COMMON
<br /> would take decades . Although sulfur diox- that have daylighted 14, 000 feet of water- GROUND Research Fund
<br /> ide emissions have dropped in recent years , way, from an unnamed tributary in McLean, this year . If you have not
<br /> only modest improvements in acid neutral- Va . , that drains a 17- made your gift, please
<br /> acre watershed to Omak don ' t delay ,
<br /> izin capacity , an im important measure of wa . Creek, which drains a 140 -s uare - mile wa -
<br /> gp q Send your check,
<br /> ter quality, have occurred in New England . tershed in Washington . Why do this ? c / o The Conservation
<br /> No significant improvement has been mea. Zurich ' s daylighting projects are removing Fund , 1800 N . Kent St . ,
<br /> sured in the Adirondack or Catskill Moun- water from combined sewer systems to free Suite 1120 , Arlington, VA
<br /> tains in New York . More than 40 % of lakes up wastewater treatment capacity . Projects 22209 -21566
<br /> in the Adirondacks and 15 % in New En- in Berkeley, Calif . , and Kalamazoo , Mich . ,
<br /> gland exhibit chronic and / or episodic acidi- have increased local property values . Other
<br /> fication, the report said . Acidification of projects have improved water quality, re -
<br /> waters decreases the survival, size and den- stored habitat and increased flood control
<br /> sity of fish , and loss of other aquatic biota capacity . Some projects have even saved
<br /> from lakes and streams . Red spruce and money in cases where rebuilding collapsed
<br /> sugar maples have been damaged as well . culverts would be costly .
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<br /> Bush Proposes Budget rently serve those functions would be cur-
<br /> tailed or zeroed out under the president ' s
<br /> proposal . The Natural Resources Conserva-
<br /> President Bush ' s fiscal 2002 budget pro - tion Service ' s wetlands reserve , wildlife
<br /> posal, released April 9 , includes $900 million habitat incentives and farmland protection
<br /> in Land and Water Conservation funding, to programs would receive no funding in 2002 ,
<br /> be split evenly between federal land acquisi- saving $ 192 million . In the Fish and Wildlife
<br /> tions and state grants . The proposal, if Service, $ 150 million would be saved by
<br /> adopted by Congress , would no longer re- eliminating funding for state wildlife grants
<br /> quire states to spend their grant money on and reducing spending on the Cooperative
<br /> the purchase and development of recreation Endangered Species Conservation and North
<br /> land . They also could devote grants to ben- American Wetlands Conservation programs .
<br /> efit wildlife and habitat, protect endangered In the National Park Service , the Urban Park
<br /> and threatened species , and enhance and re- and Recreation grants would be eliminated .
<br /> store wetland ecosystems and other habitat The table shows the president ' s requests
<br /> for fish, migratory birds and other wildlife , for land and water conservation spending in
<br /> Budgets for many programs that cur - the four land management agencies .
<br /> Land and Water Conservation Spending (in millions )
<br /> Agency FY ' 00 FY ' 01 FY ' 02 ( proposed ) Change from ' 01
<br /> Bur . of Land Management 47 . 8 56 . 5 4707 11, 809
<br /> Fish & Wildlife Service 6109 121 . 2 16404 +43 . 2
<br /> National Park Service 181 . 8 215 . 1 557 . 0 + 341 . 9 1
<br /> Forest Service 156 . 0 151 . 0 131 . 0 -20 . 0 ,
<br /> LWCF Total 44795 54399 90000 + 356 . 1
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