This is not an original quote and was applied to President Reagan’s
environmental track record but I will roll it out one more time.  "Even a
blind cow will find an acorn once in awhile"!

I just returned from two weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii.  While I was
there the Hilo City Council turned down a $100,000,000 project to incinerate
all garbage on the island.  They are instead going to improve their
recycling program and landfill operations.

I also attended an Earth Day program at a local beach park.  There were
dozens of projects done by a local charter school at Kailua-Kona as well as
booths talking about the invasive species threats to the islands, "Opihi"
[three endemic limpet species] restoration and reef keepers who dressed up
as trigger fish and told the kids not to walk on the coral. These were very
well though out projects of high quality.  For example one group has been
studying how the sea urchin populations have changed in a marine reserve
over time.  They have now studied the same location for ten years.

So my message is while the federal system in the USA may be severely
constrained right now states and local governments can still make a huge
difference. Don't loose hope and don't stop sticking up for our molluscan
neighbors.  Bert Bartleson Olympia, WA, USA

________________________________________
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
SCOTT JORDAN
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CONCH-L] Subway Car reefs

PRESIDENT SETS ASIDE LARGEST MARINE CONSERVATION AREA ON EARTH
On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush created the world's largest
marine conservation area off the coast of the northern Hawaiian Islands in
order to permanently protect the area's pristine coral reefs and unique
marine species. The President used his authority under the Antiquities Act
to designate the area a national monument.

-  U.S. Department of Commerce Press release

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------