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COMMON GROUND VOL. 10 N0 . 4 MAY /JUNE 1999
<br /> TRACTS
<br /> D itch ' em and drain 'em: Last June, a federal Biologists have been surprised by how
<br /> appellate court overturned the "Tulloch quickly spiny lobster have rebounded in no-
<br /> rule governing wetlands and set off a take fishing zones in the Florida Keys . The
<br /> frenzy of wetland ditching and draining by 23 no -take zones were established in July
<br /> developers in southeast North Carolina . 1997 as part of the Florida Keys National
<br /> "Anybody who didn' t ditch like hell is Marine Sanctuary . In the 1998 "Zone Perfor-
<br /> crazy, " developer Dallas Harris told the mance Review, " (free, 305 / 743-2437, ext. 25 ) ,
<br /> Wilmington Morning Star in mid-March, days researchers reported that 1998 was " the first
<br /> after the state implemented a wetland drain- time that large numbers of spiny lobster
<br /> ing policy that halted the damage . State were observed on reefs during the day and
<br /> officials estimate 15, 000 acres were lost, during the spiny lobster fishing season . "
<br /> meaning the state lost more wetlands in nine Yellowtail snapper, grouper and hogfish
<br /> months than is permitted nationwide each also were more plentiful, said Benjamin Researchers are
<br /> year by the federal government. The drain- Haskell, the sanctuary' s science coordinator . monitoring the
<br /> ing continues elsewhere . Virginia has lost at Researchers are monitoring the no-take
<br /> least 1 , 700 acres . While federal officials zones to determine how effectively they n0 - take Zones t0 See
<br /> debate whether to rewrite the Tulloch rule, regenerate marine life in the coral reef eco - how effectively they
<br /> state officials could use existing powers un- system . The sanctuary and Dry Tortugas regenerate marine
<br /> der their water quality statutes to halt such National Park are considering the creation of
<br /> draining, said Derb Carter of the Southern a new no-take zone * in the Tortugas area life in the corm reef
<br /> Environmental Law Center . west of the keys . ecosystem .
<br /> Maine easement to be largest ever: The Farms scarcer, more expensive : The U. S . lost
<br /> New England Forestry Foundation (978 / 448- 13,441 farms and 13 . 7 million acres of farm-
<br /> 8380, wwwoneforestry . org) announced plans land between 1992 and 1997, according to
<br /> in March to pay $28 million to buy develop- Agriculture Department estimates . The value
<br /> ment rights and a conservation easement on of farmland (including buildings) jumped
<br /> 754, 673 acres of timber land in northern 28 % during the same period, to $933 per
<br /> Maine . The easement will allow the Pingree acre, according to the " 1997 Census of Agri-
<br /> family, which has owned the land since the culture " (800 / 999- 6779, www . usda . gov /
<br /> 1840s, to lengthen harvest rotation beyond nass ), which was released in February.
<br /> 100 years to produce mature hardwoods for Texas, which leads the states with 131 mil-
<br /> a new mill that will manufacture furniture lion acres of farmland, bucked the trend by
<br /> and other value- added products . All the gaining 421 , 678 acres . Nebraska gained 1 . 1
<br /> land has been certified as well managed un- million acres . The gains may be distorted by
<br /> der the Forest Stewardship Council program. changes in the accounting of acreage in the
<br /> It includes 2,000 miles of rivers and streams Conservation Reserve Program . Among the
<br /> and 85 lakes whose shorelines will be pro- losers : California ( 1 . 3 million acres) , New
<br /> tected . Habitat for more than 67 rare and Mexico ( 1 . 1 million acres) , and Montana (1
<br /> endangered plants, as well as bald eagle and million acres) . The congressionally man-
<br /> peregrine falcon nesting areas will be dated census, completed every five years, in-
<br /> preserved . Traditional recreation uses— cludes data for national, state and county
<br /> hunting, fishing, canoeing, cross-country levels . Land in farms includes acreage for
<br /> skiing and snowmobiling—will continue . crops, pasture or grazing.
<br /> �bt, ® ty ¢ ra.,i fi n a� . e'-,3{:. a➢�' 1464 &L+2 ,4G. . ix�'3 y �, ,;,5. f. . _ �.. . �• fv _ �•d;' �: .�.�lr
<br /> 'r
<br /> M A study by Boston University researchers ® International Paper (IP) will open the first
<br /> found no evidence that environmental private mitigation bank for endangered
<br /> in Los Angeles decreased labor secies i
<br /> regulation p n the Southeast at its Southlands
<br /> demand . The study, "Environmental Regu- Experiment Forest (912 / 246-3642, ext. 270 )
<br /> lation and Labor Demand : Evidence from in Bainbridge, Ga . The 5,300- acre bank will
<br /> the South Coast Air Basin, " (econ.bu . edu / become home for up to 30 clusters of red-
<br /> ell) concluded that the regulation actually cockaded woodpeckers . The Environmental
<br /> may have increased employment slightly Defense Fund helped IP create the bank as
<br /> because of the need for pollution abatement , part of a habitat conservation plan .
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