The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia faces the prospect of a titanium dioxide mine near its border. Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals aims to mine titanium and zirconium near Trail Ridge, sparking environmental concerns about potential ecological harm to the area. Christian Hunt, senior federal lands policy analyst for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, warned mining could threaten the ecosystem and its diverse species. .
Ohio s Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments - and will answer questions in virtual sessions today and tomorrow, on a draft environmental assessment about the impacts of opening up 40,000 acres of Wayne National Forest to oil and gas leasing. The lands are located primarily in Monroe, Noble and Washington counties. Environmental advocates - like Roxanne Groff, a member of the Athens County s Future Action Network - said they don t believe the assessment fully captures the widespread loss of habitat or recreational opportunities fracking on public lands would unleash. .
Tribal communities, including those in New Mexico, can now apply for grant funding and direct assistance to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells across Indian Country. The U.S. Department of Interior is accepting applications for $55 million meant to address plugging, remediation and reclamation of these abandoned wells, along with soil and habitat restoration. .
A conservation easement nine years in the making will benefit a local Texas community by preserving almost 1,000 acres. The Bayou Land Conservancy easement with Tranquility Ranch, within the Houston metro area, protects land along Lake Creek in Montgomery County. Jill Boullion, executive director of the Bayou Land Conservancy, said helping communities with issues such as flood control, improved water quality and wildlife habitat preservation are among the organization s long-term goals. .
On Monday, Arkansans will have the opportunity to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event, a total solar eclipse. It will be visible along a narrow track and will briefly put parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada in complete darkness. Uta Meyer, center manager for the Little Rock Audubon Center and Audubon Delta, said her group is providing Little Rock residents with an observation form to track birds and other creatures activity throughout the eclipse. .