Lagniappe (a little something extra)

Around the Gulf . . .

This summer, Federal and local officials in Alabama announced the creation of a first-of-its-kind gopher tortoise refuge, to be located in south Alabama. The refuge is designed to avoid some of the stand-offs that have occurred when development projects have threatened tortoise habitat areas. Protected under the Endangered Species Act, the gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species of the Southeast’s longleaf pine forests and is one of Alabama’s most threatened species. The refuge will be maintained as a conservation bank, selling “credits” to developers whose projects threaten tortoise habitat and providing habitat for relocation of tortoise colonies.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources announced that Dr. Vernon Asper has been selected as the new chairman of the Commission on Marine Resources. The Commission, composed of seven members appointed by the Governor, represents the interests of non-seafood industry, commercial seafood processors, environmental organizations, recreational and commercial fishermen, and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

Around the Nation . . .

In July, the steam engine from the shipwrecked Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor was recovered from the seabed where the wreck has been resting for nearly 140 years. The Monitor was designed by noted 19th-century engineer John Ericsson, whose innovative design is said to have changed the face of naval warfare. The Monitor took part in the most famous naval battle of the Civil War when it fought the Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia, in 1862. The site of recovery is 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. in the protected waters of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.

The tax bill signed into law in June brought relief to landowners seeking to permanently protect their farms, ranches, and forest lands for agricultural uses. A landowner who donates a conservation easement on his/her property can receive estate tax benefits, regardless of where the land is located. Previously, the tax exclusion was limited to land near a national park, forest or wilderness area, or located within 25 miles of a metropolitan area. The new law will benefit most those who inherit valuable land that would otherwise be subject to burdensome estate tax bills.
It is expected that the Galapagos Marine Reserve will be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wider ocean area surrounding the Galapagos Islands is inhabited by over 19 different species of sea birds, thousands of coastal birds, sea lions, sharks and other native species found nowhere else in the world. The islands were named a World Heritage Site in 1978 and the addition of the surrounding marine reserve area will give the islands a greater level of protection.