Weekly News Roundup – July 13, 2012

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

House Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill that Will Lead to Destruction of Prairies and Wetlands

July 12 – The National Wildlife Federation today criticized the Farm Bill passed by the House Committee on Agriculture for its damaging implications for the nation’s declining prairies and wetlands. A strongly supported bipartisan amendment to limit federal subsidies for farming on native grasslands was withdrawn after committee Chairman Frank Lucas expressed his strong disapproval to allowing it to apply in his home state of Oklahoma.

“A national sodsaver measure to protect grasslands and minimum soil and wetland conservation requirements are common sense provisions that are broadly supported by hunters, anglers, budget hawks and farmers who are willing to meet some environmental standards in exchange for federal benefits like crop insurance,” said Julie Sibbing, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs at the National Wildlife Federation.

Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder™ Mobile App Supports National Wildlife Federation

July 11 – American Park Network, creator of Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder™, a mobile app that helps users find nearby parks based on location and activities, announced today that Ford Explorer will donate $1-per-download to National Wildlife Federation and three other non-profit organizations. The non-profit partners, which each have integral ties to public lands and the great outdoors, will receive a total of $150,000. The money will be distributed in proportion to the votes. The app is FREE and you can influence how much money NWF receives by downloading today (or updating if you already use the app) and voting for NWF. The campaign just launched and will continue through September.

“Not only is this an incredible tool for both Apple and Android smartphone users, but by downloading the app, people are able to support the mission of National Wildlife Federation,” said Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “This generous donation will help NWF expand our work to safeguard our nation’s natural heritage and expose more children to the wonders of nature.”

NTSB Blasts Enbridge Failures that Created Kalamazoo Tar Sands Spill

July 10 – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a hearing on its draft report on the investigation of the massive Kalamazoo River tar sands spill. NTSB panelists were critical of multiple failures by Enbridge, Inc., from inferior pipeline design, to poor training and management, and an inept spill response that worsened the disaster. The spill, which sent more than one million gallons into the Kalamazoo River watershed in July 2010, was the largest tar sands oil spill in history.

Beth Wallace, NWF Great Lakes community outreach advisor said:

“NTSB’s findings are a wake-up call for Enbridge, and should put communities on alert that the pipelines in their back yards may not be safe. The company behind the biggest tar sands spill in history can no longer hide behind rhetoric and needs to make serious changes to its business practices to protect communities from the dangers of another massive spill.

State of the Coast Conference Addresses Louisiana’s Deteriorating Coast

July 10 – More than 800 delegates met in New Orleans last month for the State of the Coast conference. Representatives from the science community, non-governmental organizations, universities, government agencies and private enterprises gathered to share ideas and solutions for restoring Louisiana’s deteriorating coast.

Organizers say the conference brought together critical industries and agencies to work toward comprehensive coastal restoration.  At a time when the RESTORE Act has brought about a heightened awareness of Louisiana’s ecological crisis and the potential for billions of dollars in funding restoration projects, innovative ideas may soon be put to work on the coast.

WATCH: State of the Coast Conference 2012

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News