Outreach: Resource Assistant

OUTREACH ANNOUNCEMENT
Resource Assistant
Series/Grade: GS-1101-6 *

NATIONAL FORESTS IN ALABAMA
TALLADEGA NATIONAL FOREST – OAKMULGEE DISTRICT

The Talladega National Forest – Oakmulgee District is looking for a dynamic, energetic individual with strong organization and accounting skills, plus a love of the outdoors. The incumbent will join a highly motivated team of employees providing essential financial tracking and accountability services.
The incumbent will be responsible for the District’s timber statement of accounts program providing service to timber purchasers as well as District and Forest sales staff. In addition the incumbent will be responsible for data entry, tracking, and management of several accounts stemming from receipts returned to the Forest Service for specific tasks. Other duties will include small purchases of transactions less than $2,500; various fiscal support operations; files and records management;
developing written documents including official correspondence; communication with the public regarding District policy and procedures; and report compilation. Knowledge of, or the demonstrated ability to quickly learn, the various Forest Service corporate databases and management systems is required.
In addition to the database and accounting work, the incumbent will need to have a working knowledge of the resource management programs implemented by the Oakmulgee District. The incumbent will be called on to assist field-going staff with project level work. This work will require abilities to work outdoors in various conditions, as well as driving on gravel roads. Knowledge of GIS, GPS and orienteering will be an asset. The incumbent must have a strong desire to adapt current technologies, explore new methods, and expand partnerships in response to these challenges. Ability to work in a team environment with a focus on the whole is required.

THE OAKMULGEE DISTRICT:
The Oakmulgee District lies in west-central Alabama with nearby population centers including Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. West Alabama contains some of the state’s poorest counties, yet it hosts a reservoir of private citizens and public servants that are dedicated to responsible economic growth focusing on the areas of natural resources and cultural history. This provides the Oakmulgee with an array of partnership opportunities to help market its many resources and values. Conversely
partnerships with adjacent landowners, industry, and other land management agencies remain an untapped resource. The incumbent will be expected to play a supportive role in positioning the District for successful relationships within this unique landscape.

DISTRICT LOCATION AND SURROUNDING AREA
The District encompasses approximately 157,000 acres in six west-central Alabama counties. Currently about 18 District permanent employees provide stewardship responsibilities for these lands, with support and guidance from the Supervisor’s Office in Montgomery, AL. The Supervisor’s Office is approximately 1 ½ hours away and can be easily visited in a day. The Oakmulgee District Office is located at 9901 Highway 5, Brent AL, near the 4-way stop at the intersection of Highway 5 and University Highway. This is lease property and a new office will need to be secured within the next five years. The District work-center is less than five miles away located on Bear Creek road, just off Highway 5.

Salary: http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/
Housing: No government quarters are available.
Links: Additional information may be researched through the following web links:
The Bibb County Chamber of Commerce - http://www.bibbchamber.org
The Bibb County Industrial Development Authority - http://www.bibbcountyida.com
The West Alabama Hunting & Fishing Trail -
http://www.westalabamahuntingandfishingtrail.com
Heritage and nature-based tourism - http://www.alabamacanebrake.org
West Alabama Chamber of Commerce - http://www.tuscaloosachamber.com
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - http://www.outdooralabama.com
For additional information on duties and responsibilities, contact:
Cynthia Ragland, District Ranger -- 205-926-9765 (ext 226); cragland@fs.fed.us

* This position description for this job has not yet been officially classified. The anticipated
series is 1101, however that could change.

Please respond to: Cynthia Ragland Phone: 205-926-9765 (ext 226)
9901 Highway 5 Fax: 205-926-9712
Brent, AL 35034
cragland@fs.fed.us
PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME:_________________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS:_______________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER:_________________________________________________
CURRENT SERIES AND GRADE:_________________________________________
ARE YOU CURRENTLY A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE? YES___ NO___
IF YES, CURRENT AGENCY AND LOCATION:____________________________
Please Respond By: November 23, 2007

Thank you for your interest!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or
marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination,
write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.

Heritage Day at Payne Lake- from USFS

Saturday, October 13, 2007
1:30 PM—3:00 PM

Spillway Pavilion

Please join us for a fall afternoon by the lake. Documenting our heritage will help each of us re-connect to the land,and provide a template for helping future generations appreciate the rich heritage and culture of this area.

Attention all front porch historians, folklorists, genealogists, and those interested in how the land and the people came together to shape this place we call home!! There is an ongoing effort to have the Alabama Black Belt and surrounding lands designated as a National Heritage Area. To be included in this effort we are challenged to identify and research our local heritage, especially as it relates to the forest and nearby communities. Judy Martin and students from Judson College will be on hand to facilitate the process and document your stories. In the coming months we will complete the research and provide the attendees with a summary of the stories collected. Over time the stories will be submitted for inclusion in the Black Belt Heritage Area designation and they may be developed as interpretive opportunities. The designation would give international attention to the region which is important for its history and impact on race relations, culture, recreation, and natural resources.

Caring for the Land, Serving People

For additional info:
Judy B. Martin
Telephone 334.683.8891
E-mail: jujolmart@bellsouth.net

Cindy Ragland
Telephone 205-926-9765 (ext 226)
E-mail: cragland@fs.fed.us

Matt Hartzell
Telephone: 205-926-3117
Email: mdh0007@auburn.edu

What is a National Heritage Area?
A "National Heritage Area" is a place designated by the United
States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational
resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape
arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography.
These patterns make National Heritage Areas representative of the
national experience through the physical features that remain and
the traditions that have evolved in the areas.

The Blocton Book is Back in Print!

The Blocton history is being reprinted! Tell family and friends--let me know if you need ordering instructions--names and addresses will be appreciated.
Chas.

Charles E. Adams
3331 Arcadia Drive
Tuscaloosa, Al. 35404
phone: 205 553 5926
E-mail cadams1101@aol.com

My Road to Making a Difference

For the last 10 months, AmeriCorps-Vista has been my life, and my road to making a difference...
I was working as a part time naturalist, barely making enough money to eat, but doing what I love, when I heard of a job opening with the Cahaba River Society. The Cahaba is one of my favorite places to paddle because of its sheer, blazing beauty and also because I know the water is clean. I’ve been paddling the Cahaba for the past three years in Lily Season [March-May] and year round above the 280 bridge. It’s become a tradition to go down to Bibb County and see these giant spider (Cahaba) lilies growing straight out of the river bedrock, through the water. It’s a fairy tale setting – so when I heard about an AmeriCorps job with the Cahaba River Society, I Jumped. And I called, setting up a meeting with the current VISTA, and then sending in my resume.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a program focused on helping impoverished communities and the people therein better themselves. It’s like Peace Corps, except you stay at home and get to help people. The specific arm of AmeriCorps in which I’ve been working, OSM VISTA, had the environmental tie-in I was looking for. So it began. I worked for two months to get the paperwork through the bureaucracy and get to know the community, and by the end of the summer; I was already a part of the community.
What I’ve realized in Bibb County, as a result — huge personal growth, ecotourism planning, reviving a committee for a Coke Ovens Community Park, helping put on new events for the river (cleanups, River Ramble: Year II,) promoting more educational field trips- taking kids to the river in their backyard through CRS's Shane Hulsey CLEAN Program, and especially aiding community members in making the changes they want to see – is making a difference.
It’s documented on the web, here in this blog.
Now, I’m ending my AmeriCorps journey. I'm handing the projects over to my friends and starting my new job!! Through this year's work, I've been able to get a full time job in the environmental protection field. I’m the new watershed organizer for the Alabama Rivers Alliance, so I’ll be going statewide. If you have a desire to help- your self, your communities, your state, your river, the environment > then get involved. Try looking up your local watershed group if you live in Alabama and go to a meeting, volunteer with organizations or events you think are cool. See what’s already going on in your town. Recycle, be conscious of your water and electricity use. And if you want some good experience and training, are willing to work for practically nothing, gaining as much as you put in it, try AmeriCorps.

Prayer Garden Dedicated at First Baptist, West Blocton

Sunday, July 29, marks the dedication of a prayer garden at the First Baptist Church of West Blocton. This event culminates the run of the Smithsonian Exhibit, Between Fences, in West Blocton and in Alabama. For more information on the prayer garden, contact the Reverend Bob Praytor at 205-938-7392.

Students from West Blocton Elementary School Place in International Web Design Contest

If you want to see a really neat, fact-filled, website designed by 4th graders from West Blocton, go to www.bibbed.org/wbes/CSI/index.html
The team has placed in the International Thinkquest Competition and will be traveling to Atlanta to present their work. The prizes for honorable mention are new laptops for each person on the team, a trip the the Aquarium in Atlanta, and a trip to a Braves game, provided by the Friends of the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge. This is a huge honor for our kids, our school, and Alabama. The site focuses on the Cahaba River and the wildlife on the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge.

Smithsonian Exhibit Opens- from the Tuscaloosa News--

Fence history exhibit opens
Published Saturday, June 23, 2007
By Lucinda Coulter

----Dorthy Grimes laughs as she talks with volunteers trained to be docents, people trained as guides and lecturers to conduct groups through a gallery, at the Smithsonian-sponsored exhibit “Between Fences” at the Cahaba Lily Center in West Blocton on Tuesday.
Staff Photo | Dusty Compton----

WEST BLOCTON | Barbed wire and picket fences are more than barriers of steel or wood. They are the saga of the nation’s settlement — of laborers who set posts, of farmers and ranchers who fought boundary disputes.

The Smithsonian Museum on Main Street’s exhibit “Between Fences” tells it that way in a display of five kiosks with text and photos at the Cahaba Lily Center downtown.

For West Blocton Town Council member Myrtle Jones, the exhibit is another step in an effort to encourage more visitors to come to the once prosperous coal-mining town. She helped organize the museum display and events.

“It really is an honor for a little small place like us,” Jones said. “I think the museum will help us with the local economy and civic pride.”

The exhibit is part of a touring Smithsonian program encouraging tourism in small towns. West Blocton, Decatur, Demopolis, Greenville, Centre and Headland hosted the “Fences” tour earlier this year.

Subjects range from how fences evolved from agrarian to urban cultures, the meaning of fences in slavery times and the impact of Canadian and Mexican borders.

Jones said $5,000 from state grants and private sources was used to install better air conditioning at the Cahaba Lily Center in time for the display.

Jones said she hopes visitors will enjoy both the national exhibit and West Blocton’s own offerings — its

history and natural beauty of the nearby Cahaba Wildlife Refuge.

Now retired, she has loved the town’s rich immigrant lore since she started teaching at West Blocton High School in 1955. Her students told her stories of their Polish and Italian grandparents.

And Jones listened to the stories as she and her students swept the wooden floor of the old school together.

“They were proud of their heritage,” Jones said. “On weekends, they’d show me the cemetery and coke ovens. They knew there was something special in the lives of their grandfathers.”

Italian settlers were some of the first to mine coal in the area, and Polish settlers built many of the 19th and early 20th century buildings still standing on Main Street.

Many of the stories of the Italian immigrants buried in the cemetery are tragic.

“One child died at sea and another whole family died of eating poisonous mushrooms,” Jones said. “Each grave carries a special story.”

In addition to the national exhibit, the exhibit includes student interviews with longtime residents about life 90 years ago in West Blocton and a 19-piece photo exhibit by Columbiana artist Rachel Fowler.

West Blocton Elementary School teacher Annette Harris assembled 11 interviews that third-graders recorded from their grandparents’ stories.

The story of the last circus that came to town, submitted by historian Charles Adams, is especially interesting, Harris said.

Museum tour guide Bill Hubbard said he is looking forward to volunteering during the month-long fences exhibit.

“This exhibit will fill up our town with people,” Hubbard said.

Reach Lucinda Coulter at lucinda.coulter@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0206.

FINAL Chance to comment on your COKE OVENS PARK PLAN!

Tuesday, July 10th is the final day to weigh in on what you want your Coke Ovens Park to be in the future. Our last meeting for the park master plan is at 6:00 at the Library/Municipal building in downtown West Blocton. This "master plan" is the outline for what will be built and how the park will be developed in the coming years. If you are interested in having zip lines at the park or in bulldozing the ovens or in restarting the coking operation, come to our meeting and tell us what you want to see!

National Wildlife Refuge Selected for Remediation!!

Good news for the Cahaba River~~
Old mining spoils and a high wall on the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge have been selected as a priority cleanup site for the 2008 Alabama Abandoned Mine Lands Program. This is something that we have been working toward for three years with our VISTA program, and a huge accomplishment for the Cahaba River Society, the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, our regional Office of Surface Mining, and our state AML office.

Stat's on the First Renew our Rivers Cleanup

The friends of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge held their first annual cleanup on the Cahaba River in Bibb County on Saturday, April 21st. This event was sponsored by Alabama Power as part of their Renew Our Rivers Program.

Sixty-four volunteers from Bibb, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties pulled 3.22 tons of trash from various part of the Refuge, including 200 pounds of recyclables and 68 tires – four still attached to a 1995 Lincoln.

A dump amnesty day was also held in conjunction with the cleanup, to encourage people to dispose of their trash correctly. The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge paid to have the dump opened and the dump received 75 tons of trash with 115 customers! This is reportedly the most people to ever use the dump in a single day.

Additional support for the cleanup was provided by the Cahaba River Society, AmServ, West Blocton Police Department, Bibb County Sheriff’s Department, Sun Beam, Little Debbie, R L Zeigler, and Sav-Mor Associated Foods.

The second annual clean up is scheduled for Saturday April 12th 2008.

If you are interested in joining the Friends of the Refuge to help protect, preserve, and restore the river, sign up at www.cahabafriends.freespaces.com.

Lily Day this weekend!!!

Saturday, come to our Lily Festival in downtown West Blocton!

4th Coke Ovens Meeting

Our 4th Coke Ovens Meeting was held last night, to choose the design elements to be included on the final Master Plan.
The draft plans and the revisions will be posted in City Hall for the next 3 weeks for revision and addition. Feel free to join in and help design the Blocton Coke Ovens Park!

Tourism- Where are we?

The idea has been introduced- TOURISM -as the economic savior for Bibb County.

Why?>
Approximately 1/4 of the county's land mass is held in public lands, The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge and The Talladega National Forest, Oakmulgee Division encompassing most of that.
Tourism is a Clean Industry
It does not require large amounts of capital
Attributes that attract tourists attract retirees who are economic contributors
Tourism is supported by numerous small businesses
Tourism attracts other industries
Tourism encourages entrepreneurial activity
Quality outdoor recreation amenities increase property values

What is the Plan?> ORGANIZE-- FOCUS --PLAN-- DO
Create a Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Plan with organizations in Bibb County- done! 25 organizations
Increase communication between existing organizations
Identify joint projects across the county
Get commitment and involvement of elected officials
Strengthen ties to org's outside Bibb County
Adopt projects and enhance and improve tourism amenities
Increase legibility with maps, brochures, signage, website

Where are we?> The DO phase
"These are critical years for small business/private business ownership." - Nisa Miranda, Director University of Alabama Center for Economic Development
Now is the time to look at small business opportunities
IT's time to go out and tell 10 people about tourism and what is going on in Bibb County
IT's time to take it to the next level and each of the 25 organizations to adopt and further an aspect of the plan
Get articles in the Paper on our progress: cleanups, plans, and major national events are being held in Bibb County
The Coke Ovens Park is one of the first low-hanging fruits to fix up and it is moving, see other blog entries!

Many thanks to Ms. Nisa Miranda, without whom, none of this would be possible- and the source of most of the verbage above. We love you Nisa! Thank you!

BIG Tourism Meeting - This Thursday Night!!!!

Woodstock City Hall- 7:00, 2nd Public Tourism Meeting for Bibb County

IMRivers Beta GIS Project

River Network is doing a pilot project in Alabama highlighting a new technology that combines online mapping with localized spatial information. The Cahaba River Society is currently one of three organizations chosen to have one of these beta sites, and we expect 10 or so organizations to be selected. We are using our site to display information such as Canoe put ins and take outs, amenities, water quality data, etc. Please take a look at the site -- still under construction at:
www.imrivers.com/cahaba
We are looking for suggestions and your input. Please comment if you check it out! Thanks, LIZ

Upcoming Events!

We are having our big Ecotourism meeting at Brent City Hall 7:00 Thursday night, with Nisa Miranda as speaker and mastermind of our plan. :)
The same meeting will also be held on the 19th at Woodstock City Hall at 7:00 pm

April 21st is our very first Renew Our Rivers Cleanup at the Refuge, 8:00 am, organized by Friends of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, a newly formed group whose mission is to support the Cahaba Refuge and build amenities there.

May 19th is the Cahaba River Ramble- a 5K and 10K trail race and fun day at the Refuge, put on by Cahaba River Society in honor of the late Shane Hulsey, our education director to benefit the CLEAN program, our educational program that gets kids out on the river.

May 26th is the Lily Festival- The West Blocton Improvement Committee's 19th year running, I believe! A morning of speakers and a great homemade lunch, then it's off to the Refuge to see the lilies!

June 29th is the opening of the Smithsonian exhibit, Between Fences, in West Blocton. This is being held in conjunction with the Fish Fry on Friday (attended by over 1,000 people!) and the Old Timers Ballgame with Lima bean lunch on Saturday.

Pictures from the Clean Up

View our Pictures from the Clean Up! Click the picture below!

Coke Ovens Cleanup

COKE OVENS CLEANUP a HUGE Success!!!!

Coke Ovens Cleanup, A Huge Success!

Truman Aldrich founded Blocton and West Blocton and organized the Cahaba Coal Mining Company on the promise of fortune from the coal and coke to be made from the Cahaba Coal Seams. These materials then fed the steel and iron industry in Birmingham, Tannehill, Brierfield, and the surrounding areas. West Blocton’s "Beehive Coke Ovens” were built in the 1880s and 90s as the rich seams of coal were discovered, turning out blocks of coal that weighed over a ton a piece. The Blocton Coke Ovens-were and remain as four batteries (banks) of 467 coke ovens that at one time produced over 600 tons of Coke a day.

On Saturday, March 10, 2007 a group of fifty plus people worked into the afternoon cleaning our Coke Ovens Park, opening up the walking trail and a large section of the ovens, and clearing brush off the hillsides, so that we can enjoy the park and spend time in it. A Big, Big Thanks to all our workers, including Mayor Jabo Reese,Water Superintendent Jerry Fondren, two city councilmen, Commissioner Al Green, two representatives from the Office of Surface Mining, a work crew from the Town of West Blocton, eight students with the Upward Bound Program at the University of Montevallo, the local Tombigbee RC&D director, the Archaeologist for Tannehill, Biologist from Cahaba River Society, Cahaba River Authority Chairman, Walter Sansing, Friends of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, the Coke Ovens Committee, two ministers, Centreville Historical Preservation Commission, Better Hometown Group, West Blocton Improvement Committee, Bibb County Citizens for Wildflowers, and the miners! Another Big, Big Thanks to our sponsors: Food Center, Food Outlet, The Country Store, Seaman’s Timber, The Cahaba River Authority and The Town of West Blocton!

The park is a heritage park, to reflect on our coal mining history. It is a community center for the Town of West Blocton and neighboring communities. It is an integral part of the Cahaba regional tourism plan, serving as the Northern gateway to the Lower Cahaba Basin and a place for tourists and sightseers to land. Starting in 2007, our Coke Ovens park will now be available for special events and will be opened for Lily Day, The Cahaba River Ramble, and the June Smithsonian exhibit’s opening- Between Fences.

Please join us for our next Coke Ovens Committee Planning Meeting, March 29th at 6:30, at the West Blocton Municipal Building/Library, as we plan what the future will hold for our park.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Salter, your OSM/Americorps/VISTA, at 205-566-2479

Coke Ovens Cleanup this Saturday!!

March 10th- 9:00



At the Ovens- Hwy 24 Just East of West Blocton

Bring your clippers/gloves/etc.

Refreshments Provided


West Blocton's "Beehive Coke Ovens" were built in the 1880's as rich seams of coal were found in the area. Truman Aldrich, the founder of Blocton and the Town of West Blocton, organized the Cahaba Coal Mining Company in 1883 and built the Blocton Coke Ovens- four batteries of 467 coke ovens that produced 600 tons of Coke a day!

On Saturday, March 10, 2007 we are cleaning up our Coke Ovens Park, to make it a place that we can enjoy, spend time in, and open up for the community and our guests.

The park will be a heritage park to reflect on our coal mining history, a cultural center for the Town of West Blocton, and a key component of the regional Cahaba tourism plan.

Please come join us on Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 9:00 as we fight privet, build signs, place signs, re-mark the walking trail, and generally clean up our Coke Ovens.

For more information, contact Elizabeth at 205-566-2479

NEMO Program Training~ an Excellent tool for educators

Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO)
April 26, 2007

Training for the Alabama NEMO Program will be held at ADEM’s offices at 1400 Coliseum Blvd, Montgomery. The training is open to anyone who would ike to receive continuing education credits for a land use/water quality workshop or training on how to put on the NEMO program in your home watershed.

Agenda items include:
· Nonpoint source pollution and the clean water act,
· How does NPS relate to other environmental programs?
· Certification programs for control of development impacts
· Water quality monitoring programs
· Economics and planning
· Low impact development
· Codes and ordinances

For more information, and to reserve your space, contact Patti Hurley at (334) 394-4350 Email: pah@adem.state.al.us

Volunteer Days- updated opportunities to help

-http://www.nps.gov/volunteer

Volunteer Days 2007:
Call or email Elizabeth to help, 566-2479 lizalt@gmail.com


What are Volunteer Days? Work days to get projects accomplished in Bibb County
Who is it for? These workdays are for anyone in Bibb County who is willing to help better our community and get things done!
Example of success: The Italian Catholic Cemetery… it took 30 people 3 days to get the cemetery looking great, again- go see it!

JANUARY: DONE! Clean up at Italian Catholic Cemetery, West Blocton- Jan. 20th, 9:30 -lunch provided

FEBRUARY: DONE! Acid Mine Drainage and Cool Spots in Bibb County Presentation, WB Library, Feb. 26th, 6:00, refreshments provided (work day because you’re learning)

MARCH: DONE! Coke Ovens Work Day, T.B.A and

MARCH: C the River Canoe Trip, Refuge, March 31st,, 9:00 RSVP!, bring lunch

APRIL: Earth Day! Clean up at the Refuge, April 21st, 8:00 register, lunch provided

MAY: Lily Day 26th and River Ramble 19th (Big Cross Country Run in honor of Shane Hulsey), Need help with both events! …call Elizabeth to help

JUNE: Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit, Between Fences opening last weekend in June with the Fish Fry 29th, and the Old Timers Game 30th, downtown West Blocton - runs through July- call Elizabeth to help, stay tuned for details

JULY: ?

AUGUST: ?

SEPTEMBER: Public Lands Day, Clean up with the Forest Service, Talladega National Forest, Oakmulgee Division

Bham News Article on CRS Annual Meeting

Developers honored for preservation
Projects include ways to capture, filter runoff

Thursday, January 25, 2007
DAWN KENT
News staff writer

Environmentalists and developers will come together tonight as the Cahaba River Society introduces an award for projects that have features designed to protect the river and its watershed.

At its annual meeting, the society will present the Blue-Green Design Innovation Award to businesses involved in two projects: The Shoppes at River Run in Mountain Brook and St. Vincent's One Nineteen Health and Wellness in Hoover.

"We want to show that these are practical and feasible measures," said Beth Stewart, the society's executive director. "We hope that more and more projects will begin to be built this way."

At St. Vincent's One Nineteen Health and Wellness, a technique called bioswales reduces stormwater pollution and flooding effects of parking lots. The bioswales use landscaped islands in parking lots to allow runoff to seep into the ground, filtering pollutants. The facility is near Lake Purdy.

St. Vincent's Health System and St. Vincent's One Nineteen Health and Wellness will receive the award, along with general contractors Brasfield and Gorrie and landscape architect Ross Land Design.

Bioswales also are in use at The Shoppes at River Run, on the banks of the Cahaba River. In addition, the development uses a Baysaver, a trademarked water filtration system, in the parking lot to catch and filter runoff.

Moss Properties, Stewart Perry Company Inc. and Ross Land Design will receive the award for the project.

Other awards presented at the meeting will recognize volunteer and public service efforts to protect the river and its watershed.

The meeting, which will be at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, is open to the public. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., there will be interactive displays of existing or upcoming developments with watershed-protective design. The 6:30 p.m. program will feature the awards and comments from Vestavia Hills Mayor Scotty McCallum and Trussville Mayor Gene Melton.

E-mail: dkent@bhamnews.com

Volunteer Corps~ Opportunities to serve in Bibb County

The Volunteer Corps is an idea born of the Bibb County Tourism Meetings held in Centreville at the Rock Building. Of the many different organizations that exist in Bibb County, communication and participation will be the key to making progress and cleaning up Bibb County. contact: Elizabeth Salter 205-566-2479

2007 Schedule (as it currently stands):

JANUARY- DONE This Saturday- 9:30 Italian Catholic Cemetery on Primitive Ridge Road Lunch provided

FEBRUARY- DONE Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)- Workshop on AMD, West Blocton, City Hall; field trip to ID Sites; Bibb County Canoe Trip

MARCH- DONE Coke Ovens Volunteer work- Help us ready the park for Lily Day and River Ramble!

APRIL- Earth Day! 8:00, April 21st Clean up at the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge with The Friends of the Refuge, the Cahaba River Society, Fox 6, and Alabama Power

MAY- Lily Day! (26th) and the ~Cahaba River Ramble~ more details to come...

JUNE- The Smithsonian comes to Bibb County! A Traveling Smithsonian Exhibit, Between Fences will be set up in West Blocton for the months of June and July~ Opening day: June 22nd in conjunction with Wild West Blocton Days the 29th and the 30th

JULY-

AUGUST-

SEPTEMBER- Public Lands Day~ Clean up with the US Forest Rangers from Centreville

Alabama State Council on the Arts funds Blocton Coke Ovens Restoration

------------------------------------Walter Sansing gives us a tour of the Ovens

For Immediate Release:

The Town of West Blocton Receives Grant for Blocton Coke Ovens Park

The Town of West Blocton is pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $4,500 from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA), the state arts agency. This grant will provide part of the money needed to design a conceptual plan for the Blocton Coke Ovens Park. The rest of the monies will be donated. This conceptual plan is necessary to show future grant sources (federal, state legislators, and similar agencies to ASCA) what is needed to make the park a showcase of our coal mining heritage, a cultural center for the town, as well as a key component of the regional Cahaba tourism plan with some of the most well preserved Coke Ovens in the region.

ASCA grants are awarded through a multi-faceted competitive review process. This grant signifies that The Town of West Blocton, the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, and the Americorps OSM/VISTA Program through the Cahaba River Society, Cahaba River Authority, and the Bibb County Citizens for Wildflowers are providing programs to serve the needs of the community.

This grant, awarded by the Alabama State Council on the Arts is made possible through funding from an annual appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. This public Support enables our project at the Blocton Coke Ovens Park to reach new audiences, foster community development, and demonstrate the importance of arts as a component for quality of life in Alabama.

New- Helena's Coke Oven Park!

The Birmingham News

History is foundation of new Helena park

Friday, December 29, 2006
MARIENNE THOMAS-OGLE
News staff writer
Though time has destroyed the roof, the massive stone retaining walls still stretch their original 175 feet in length and 20 feet in width, their 12 oven openings intact.

The Billy Gould coke ovens, used in the 1800s to transform coal into coke to fuel iron production, lie in the Helena woods at the fork of Buck Creek and the Cahaba River. They seem to be in the middle of nowhere, but Helena officials plan to make them the centerpiece of a public park linked to area neighborhoods by a greenway system.

The Gould site would be the latest in a series of properties from the Birmingham area's iron and steel history to be reclaimed for use as public attractions.

Developer Kendall Zettler is deeding the city about 60 acres near his Riverwoods subdivision off Shelby County 52. A six-acre section contains the ovens and an adjacent coal mine, with the balance of the land on the opposite side of Buck Creek.

"This is a beautiful, peaceful spot that many history buffs and Civil War re-enactors are very interested in," Mayor Charles "Sonny" Penhale said. "We want to clean up the area and add some picnic locations, but keep the area as natural-looking as possible."

The ovens, whose massive fieldstones were quarried near the site, lie parallel to the bed of an abandoned railway once used to transport coal and coke, Helena historian Kenny Penhale said.

"The abutments that held the railroad trestles over Buck Creek and the Cahaba still stand and will eventually be used for pedestrian bridges as part of the greenway being planned through Helena," he said.

The date of the ovens' origin is unclear, said Jack Bergstresser, an industrial archaeologist and historian who has long advocated the preservation of the Gould site.

According to Bergstresser, Billy Gould came to Alabama from England as a prospector, miner and engineer. An owner of the Helena mine, he is acknowledged to be the first person to make coke from Alabama coal, and old documents tell of him building early coke ovens.

"When the era of coke blast furnaces got started in the 1870s, ironmakers used the beehive or dome-shaped design, while this style (in Helena) was used prior to that, possibly the 1860s," Bergstresser said. "Either way you cut it, whether built during the Civil War or the 1870s, these are some of the earliest in the U.S. and, as far as I know, some of the rarest in design."

Kenny Penhale said that while the city plans to clean up and fence the coke oven site soon, the area won't be open to the public for at least two years.

"We're getting ready to apply for placement on the state and national historic registers and seek preservation grants from both the state and federal governments to help with the project," he said.

Zettler said the city's enhancement of the site means a great deal to him and his family.

"My father, Phil Zettler, owned the Vulcan Engineering Co. in Helena from 1969 to 1999, and we've been in the iron and steel industry for years," he said. "Our interest in this is doing what's best for the stewardship of the land and the history of Helena."

Bergstresser said he is "delighted that the city is taking over the ovens."

"This is an important historical and archaeological site," he said, "and it's exciting to think that Gould comes to Alabama when the old technology is still in use and builds one isolated pocket of history in Helena."

E-mail: mogle@bhamnews.com

CRS Annual Meeting - Thurs., Jan. 25, 2007- Birmingham and Upcoming Meetings

CRS Annual Meeting - Thurs., Jan. 25, 2007

BLUE GREEN GROWTH with Mayors Gene Melton & Scotty McCallum

5:30 PM interactive displays, 6:30 program

Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingam

More info: www.cahabariversociety.org

FREE - Come & bring a friend!

**3rd Bibb County Tourism Meeting- January 18th
**Cahaba River Authority meeting- January 18th
**Bibb County Citizens for Wildflowers meeting on the Presbyterie Camp- Next Tuesday, January 9th Brent Centreville Library
**Italian Catholic Cemetery Cleanup- West Blocton, January 20th

Contact me for details: lizalt@gmail.com

Really cool Web Newsletter... Creek Clips!

Creek Clips
Issues, Support, Celebration
(Click on the words above to sign up for Creek Clips at the Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable Website)
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Creek Clips Issues, Support, Celebration
In this edition: Watershed-based Brownfields resource; Interview with Friends of Rural Alabama; 50th anniversary of the Mountain Eagle Coal Creek provides model for watershed-based Brownfields projects The Roundtable's online resource collection now includes a Watershed Brownfields presentation prepared by ARCADIS. This presentation introduces the challenges, objectives, and approaches of a Mine-Scarred Lands Brownfields Assessment project in Anderson County, TN. ARCADIS explains the project's geodatabase construction process, sub-watershed prioritization, site identification process, etc. Access the power point presentation here. ForAla expands GIS program to other Roundtable states Friends of Rural Alabama worked with the EPA and Jacksonville State University to create the American Environmental GIS (or AEGIS). This website makes certain GIS information available over the internet. Currently, Friends of Rural Alabama is expanding this mapping project thanks to funding from the EPA. Soon, 14 more southeastern states will have similar systems. Creek Clips recently spoke with Dr. Bryan Burgess, Director of Friends of Rural Alabama to find out more about this project. First, please tell me a little about the history behind AEGIS. What needs did you see? First, we saw the need to be able to identify potential pollution sites along streams where public access points for water monitoring may be several miles apart and to get more active with scientific data in analyzing non-point pollution sources and prioritizing restoration of Alabama impaired steams. We saw the need for scientific data to show citizens and leaders the major causes of water pollution. How did you go about solving them? Friends of Rural Alabama, Inc. (ForAla) formed a consortium of several Alabama conservation groups, applied for and received an EPA grant that began with developing aerial photography techniques that would be cost effective for conservation groups. The focus of the photography was to capture visual documentation of potential pollution sites on Alabama impaired waterways, and we took some 4000 photos for a couple of years over 2700 miles of polluted streams. Then, we built a GIS to map the sites we photographed, and imported 10 years of Alabama Water Watch (AWW) monitoring data as a layer in the GIS so we could combine water quality data with photos of neighboring sites to begin to understand the sources of non-point pollution. more... How can this project be useful to groups working with mining-impacted waters? ...more. Cumulative impacts of mining, and other pollution sources, can be easily illustrated by showing their footprints of pollution and how footprints overlap to create levels beyond acceptability. We can work with the coal states to map the mining sites and dialogue how best to use the data. What makes the AEGIS model worth repeating in other states? Two of the more significant products resulting from the grant included a desktop GIS and the website GIS.We also developed a technique to map animal feeding operations, data heretofore not available for Alabama watershed planning. The creation of a website hosted at Jacksonville State University contains many of the GIS layers where anyone with internet access could view and download the data and use it for assisting with solving some of their own conservation issues. more... What have you done so far? What is left to do? Our new EPA grant provides the funds to develop these layers and provide them on a desktop GIS to conservation groups in 14 states. It also funds the hosting of the state website data for the duration of the two-year project. Thus far, we have delivered the Ohio system and trained them. That group has been active and asks lots of questions that help us identify areas of improvement. We are about finished with Illinois and plan on delivering to and training them in December. We have imported the satellite images into GIS format for seven states and created many of the data layers for the states GIS. Who are some of the groups working with this project? Rivers Unlimited and Sierra Sentinels in Ohio, Sierra Sentinels and World Wildlife Fund in Tennessee, Sierra Sentinels in Kentucky and llinois. We have lots of interest from other groups, and now with the project underway, we are actively talking with and seeking others to join this project. How have people reacted to this project? The Alabama Environmental Management Commission, for the first time, saw a big picture of the quality of Alabama waters... more... How can people learn more about this project? more... Publishers of Appalachian weekly look back WHITESBURG, Ky. (AP)...Their small staff of mostly volunteers filed scores of stories that attracted national attention to Appalachia, serving as an impetus for the proclaimed War on Poverty and the 1977 Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. They covered the lack of health care in the hills, the dilapidated schools, jobs lost to the mechanization of the coal industry and dangerous mining conditions. more... Get Netty... ...with a our Coal Country Watershed Directory and conversate away. This is a work in progress. You can help by making sure your group is listed correctly. Join a Growing Voice in Coal County Help us support your work: become a member of the Roundtable. Membership is our way of demonstrating the breadth of the growing watershed movement in Coal Country. Study Up How will AML Reauthorization impact your work? Learn how with a handy comparison chart created by Office of Surface Mining as well as articles and interviews. If Creek Clips is forwarded to you by friends or co-workers, we ask that you please consider subscribing. Subscription is FREE and it helps us keep a more accurate count of our readership. Thanks! View archived Creek Clips.
Visit our website: www.easterncoal.org ECRR provides a helping hand to grassroots environmental groups striving to solve water quality issues throughout Appalachia's Coal Country. Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable 119 S. Price Street, Suite 206, Kingwood, WV 26537 Phone: 304.329.8049 Fax: 304.329.3622 Email: info@easterncoal.org