Weekly News Roundup – September 7, 2012

Aislinn Maestas | Last Updated: January 8, 2016

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

Climate Threat to America’s Future Can’t be Laughed Off

September 7 – Last night, President Obama delivered his nomination acceptance speech, saying he will “continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They’re a threat to our children’s future.”

Jeremy Symons, senior vice president for conservation and education of the National Wildlife Federation, issued this reaction:

“All candidates for office at every level of government should have a plan of action to tackle the vital conservation issues facing America, particularly climate change.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Signed Today

September 7 – At today’s signing of the revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in Washington, D.C., representatives from Great Lakes United and the National Wildlife Federation applauded the completion of the Agreement but cautioned the U.S. and Canadian governments that the hard work of implementing the Agreement is just beginning.

“If fully implemented, the agreement will benefit millions of people by restoring the health of the largest fresh water resource in the world,” said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the Great Lakes office of the National Wildlife Federation.

National Wildlife Federation to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

September 6 – The National Wildlife Federation is celebrating the upcoming 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act (on October 18) by launching its first “Fish Tale” event. Anglers and fishing families are invited to share their fish photos and stories to highlight the importance of clean water. Throughout September and early October, NWF will post guest blogs and many of these pictures and stories, underscoring the importance of clean water to good fishing through a dedicated flickr site. These messages will be shared with decision makers.

“The National Wildlife Federation played a key role in the intial passage of the Clean Water Act,” said Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for sportsman leadership. “Today we continue mobilizing our members and affiliates to support and defend this bedrock conservation law. I could not be more proud of our efforts and countless other hunters and anglers from across the country that has made clean water a priority.”

NWF Says New Keystone XL Map Revisits Old Problems

September 5 – Today, TransCanada, the energy giant proposing to build the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline issued a new route map.

Joe Mendelson, National Wildlife Federation climate and energy policy director said,

“The reason TransCanada needs to keep rerouting the Keystone XL map is because it’s just a bad idea. Each new map amounts to a catalog of which property owners will suffer, and what habitat will be placed at risk. The best approach is to ditch Keystone XL entirely and embrace clean energy solutions that don’t spill or explode.”

Montanans Voice Overwhelming Support for Restoring Bison

September 5 – As wildlife managers continue work on a statewide bison-management plan, a new survey underscores overwhelming public support for restoring a herd of wild, wide-ranging bison on public land in Montana. Additionally, Montana voters specifically support restoration to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in central Montana.

Sixty-eight percent of Montanans support restoration of wild bison on federal or state land, while just 26 percent are opposed, according to the survey commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and Wildlife Conservation Society.

MRGO Must Go Coalition: Restore the Coast as Congress Mandated

September 5 – A coalition of community leaders, policy experts and coastal scientists released joint comments today on the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Report. The report, which is being release four years beyond Congressional deadline, contains the Army Corps’ plan to restore a portion of more than 600,000 acres of coastal wetlands and waterways impacted by the MRGO shipping channel. The MRGO has been directly linked to intensifying the destruction of Hurricane Katrina by destroying the wetlands that once buffered the greater New Orleans area from storm surge. The public comment period, ending September 6, is the last chance to comment on the Army Corps plan.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News: