Our offices were closed last Friday, so this week we have a double edition of the National Wildlife Federation news roundup:

Congress Moves Flood Insurance Reform Forward as Americans Face Effects of Hurricane Season

September 8 – The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs took a step towards protecting people, property and the environment by reporting the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2011. The bill reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program and removes subsidies that encourage over-development of environmentally sensitive floodplains. Additionally, the legislation creates a new mapping council to ensure flood maps accurately reflect changing flood risk from increased weather events intensified by climate change, sea level rise, fill and other impacts.

Roadkill: Lawmakers Throw Wildlife Under the Bus

September 8 – The Senate Appropriations committee approved a 2012 funding bill that slashes over $725 million in conservation funding from programs that help farmers, ranchers, and foresters across the country to protect soil, conserve water and enhance wildlife habitat. The conservation programs that were cut directly benefit sportsmen and rural economies through the creation of hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Kids Sleep Better with Outdoor Time

September 7 – National Wildlife Federation’s new report and parent guide “Green Time for Sleep Time” highlights the connection between the time kids spend playing outdoors and sleep deprivation. According to the National Wildlife Federation guide, young children and teens are losing anywhere from 10-14 hours of sleep a week. To foster awareness and healthier amounts of pillow time, the NWF guide offers parents helpful advice about improving sleeping habits by exposing children to more outdoor play time every day.

Groups Ask Judge to Halt Mine Blasting

September 1 – A coalition of groups has asked a judge to halt imminent mining activity that would desecrate a sacred Native American site and jeopardize water quality for the Great Lakes and one of the region’s last spawning grounds for the coaster brook trout. The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve filed the motion to stay Rio Tinto’s permits  with the Ingham County Circuit Court. If granted, the stay would prohibit Rio Tinto from blasting Eagle Rock—a sacred site that sits over a proposed nickel mine.

Attorneys General Enlist National Support to Combat Invasive Species by Separating Great Lakes from Mississippi River Basin

August 31 – NWF today supported the efforts of six Great Lakes attorneys general who are urging their counterparts in 27 other states to help combat the spread of invasive species like the Asian carp throughout U.S. waters by supporting the separation of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News