NATIONAL FISH HABITAT INITIATIVE BECOMES PLAN
The National Fish Habitat Initiative is now the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. This Plan to protect, restore and enhance fisheries and aquatic habitat, recently got a green light from state fish and wildlife directors. The Plan began as an idea that gained momentum as fisheries experts around the country outlined a science-based foundation for documenting habitat and fish population trends, establishing habitat-improvement priorities and tracking and reporting results of partnership efforts. Mamie Parker, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a native of Lake Village, Arkansas, heralded the Plan as a model of cooperative conservation. She noted that, as support for this effort grows, the investment and work of its partnerships are expected to double the number of assessed habitat miles, eliminate hundreds of fish passage barriers and restore critical stream and shoreline miles and wetland acres to benefit fish populations and improve water resources. “One hundred years from now,” stated Parker, “we hope our great grandchildren will say that we got it right - that the National Fish Habitat Action Plan was an historic benchmark in fish and aquatic habitat conservation, and that we changed for the better the way conservation is done in this country.” Although there is no explicit date for completion of the objectives of the Plan, its partners recognize that time to address fish and fish habitat issues is dwindling, and aggressive implementation of the Plan is paramount to its success. This summer, the National Fish Habitat Board will be selected to oversee implementation of the Plan and during the next year, a major expansion of new regional fish habitat partnerships is anticipated. For more information about the Plan and partnership opportunities log on to http://www.fishhabitat.org/.

PRESIDENT’S EMERGENCY REQUEST FOR WILDLIFE REFUGES APPLAUDED
The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) recently called on Congress to follow President Bush's leadership in addressing 2005 hurricane damages to the Gulf Coast's national wildlife refuges. As part of the President's new $72.4 billion supplemental funding request, including funding for Iraq, terrorism and hurricane recovery, $132.4 million is requested for clean-up and facility repair needs at 61 Gulf Coast refuges. “Last year's hurricanes devastated wildlife refuges in the Gulf states,” said NWRA President Evan Hirsche. “We applaud President Bush for his comprehensive proposal to repair the damages and address a fundamental need for our national wildlife refuges.” In an earlier emergency supplemental request to Congress, the Administration asked Congress for $60 million for hurricane recovery on national wildlife refuges. This second supplemental brings the President's total request for refuges to over $190 million. “The President has sent a clear message to Congress that repairing hurricane ravaged refuges is a national priority,” said Hirsche. “For the sake of America's wildlife heritage and the millions of annual Gulf Coast refuge visitors, we urge Congress to approve the President's request.”

BARBOUR APPOINTS CAIN AS POLLUTION CONTROL DIRECTOR
Governor Haley Barbour has appointed Jerry Cain as Director of the Office of Pollution Control at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Cain has been employed by the MDEQ for 28 years and most recently served as Division Chief of the Environmental Permits Division. He replaces Phil Bass who retired at the end of March. “Jerry Cain has been an asset for the MDEQ for many years and I know he will excel in this new position. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge. His work ethic and innovative approach to problems will benefit both the public and the MDEQ employees,” said Charles Chisolm, MDEQ Executive Director. The Office of Pollution Control is by far the largest office within MDEQ and consists of several divisions: the Environmental Permits Division, the Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Division, the Air Division, the Surface Water Division, the Groundwater Assessment and Remediation Division and the Field Services Division which includes the MDEQ Laboratory and regional field offices in Oxford, Pearl and Biloxi. Cain received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Mississippi State University. He attained registration as a Professional Engineer in 1982 and became a Diplomate in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in 1994.

KEMPTHORNE NOMINATED AS INTERIOR SECRETARY
President George W. Bush has nominated Governor Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho to be the next Secretary of the Interior. The Department of Interior is responsible for managing our national parks and national wildlife refuges, conserving our natural resources and pursuing energy development on federal lands and waters. In doing so, Bush stated, “I've nominated Dirk to succeed an outstanding public servant, Gale Norton. As the Secretary of the Interior for the past 5 years, she was instrumental in establishing the Healthy Forests Initiative to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire and to improve habitat.

When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, she helped lead the efforts to restore offshore energy production so that Americans would not suffer further supply disruptions and price increases. Gale was one of the original members of my Cabinet, and the first woman in American history to hold the post of Secretary of the Interior. I appreciate her dedicated service.”

As Secretary of the Interior, Kempthorne will continue the Bush Administration's efforts to conserve land, water and air resources, reduce the maintenance backlog of the national parks, support historic and cultural sites through the Preserve America Initiative and develop the energy potential of federal lands and waters. Kempthorne has served as Mayor of Boise, as Governor of Idaho and as a United States Senator. While in the Senate, he chaired the Subcommittee on Drinking Water, Fisheries and Wildlife.

According to James L. Cummins, Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi, “He has a passion for helping people, finding solutions to complex problems and making our country a better place to live, work and raise a family. One of Kempthorne's strong points is his ability to bring people to the table and to work together to build consensus. I fully expect him to reach out to all constituent groups, seek bipartisan support, to find common ground and to build consensus. While in the U.S. Senate in 1996, he introduced legislation to provide numerous tax benefits, including tax credits, to private landowners who protect, restore and/or enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species. Senator Thad Cochran was a co-sponsor of this important bill.”

INTERNATIONAL PAPER SELLS 5.7 MILLION ACRES
In a move foreshadowed by global market changes in the forest products industry, International Paper Company (IP) recently announced sales of 5.675 million acres of timberland. The divestiture is part of a three-part strategy announced by IP in 2005 to improve returns, strengthen the balance sheet and return cash to shareowners. The strategy proposed to improve shareowner returns by improving and/or realigning IP mills and evaluating sale of IP forestlands in the United States. IP projected that divestitures would return $8 billion to $10 billion. If forestland sales proceed as expected, revenues likely will be $11 billion or higher. Forestland sales have been spread between the Southeast and Great Lakes states. Buyers include The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (173,000 acres in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, and 69,000 acres in Wisconsin). The Conservation Fund (1,000 acres in Florida and North Carolina and 39,000 acres in South Carolina), and timber investment-management organizations (275,000 acres in New York, 440,000 acres in Michigan and 4.67 million acres in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas). Impacts to wildlife and recreational access are not yet clear. Most of the lands purchased will be governed by a 5-, 10-, 30-or 50-year fiber supply agreement, so forests will continue to be harvested for forest products. Changes in the landscape are likely, however, as new owners advance towards different market products or focus on non-timber assets.