160-Square-Mile Oil Spill Fouls Mississippi Delta Wildlife Refuge

* Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Lloyd

From http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/crude_oil_spill_fouls_about_a.html

A crude oil spill covered about one-fifth of a remote national wildlife refuge near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Wednesday, and another 120 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said.

No affected birds or animals had been reported, and more than 50 people and 16 vessels were working Wednesday to clean up the spill from a pipeline through the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Lt. Stephen Nutting said.

Nutting said the slick covered 16 square miles of the refuge, which comprises about 76 square miles of marshland between the Mississippi River and Breton Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. A 12-mile-wide slick stretched 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, he said.

Crews put 5,000 feet of containment boom around the slick and were putting out another 2,000 feet of boom around the environmentally sensitive area near Breton Island, Nutting said. He said skimmer boats had sucked up 600 gallons of oil.

A Berry Brothers General Contractors barge dredging for ExxonMobil U.S. Production Co. in the area notified the Coast Guard Tuesday about 1 a.m. that oil was spilling into a canal about 10 miles southeast of Venice, according to a news release.
About 18,000 gallons of oil spilled before Cypress could close the broken section.

The news release was distributed jointly by the Coast Guard, the state of Louisiana and the pipeline operator, Cypress Pipe Line Co. -- a joint venture between BP PLC and Chevron Pipe Line Co.

Nutting would not comment on the cause.

ExxonMobil has offered to help deal with the spill, company spokesman David Eglinton said in an e-mail.

Car Camping in Style

For some it’s the smell of a campfire. For others, it’s sleeping under the stars. And, for others it’s simply being outside for a night. In 2007, more than 60 million people went car camping in the U.S. These people stayed at state parks, private campgrounds, national parks, US Forest Service campgrounds and everywhere in between. For many, car camping is the preferred way to enjoy the out-of-doors.

There are many reasons that car camping is so popular in the U.S. For starters, it’s relatively easy when compared to backpacking–you can take fresh food, coolers, large camp stoves, barbeque grills, hammocks, sun shelters, games, pets, folding camp chairs, etc. Additionally, developed campgrounds generally offer trashcans or dumpsters, bathrooms, washing facilities, picnic tables, flat tent pads and even electricity in some locations. Another reason is that many car camping areas are close to home and easily accessible. Finally, car camping is something that the whole family can enjoy together.

Fortunately, car camping makes it easy to camp in style while minimizing impact. Here are a few things to keep in mind on your next car camping trip for Leaving No Trace:

Know Before You Go – Decide where you want to go–trips close to home are usually easiest. The US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service and most state parks offer many car camping opportunities. Some designated campgrounds are very developed (showers, laundry, hot tubs, etc.) and other areas quite primitive (pit toilets, no running water, very few if any amenities, etc.) Visit http://www.reserveamerica.com/ or http://www.recreation.gov to find and reserve a site that meets your needs. Borrow or purchase some basic gear if you don’t already have it: tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove, lantern, etc. Be sure to bring all other items you’ll need to ensure a comfortable stay. Also find out if there are any special regulations for the area or campground you’ll be visiting.

Overnight Right – Many designated campsites offer tent pads or other areas that are well suited for tents. Use these areas. If no designated tent sites exist, put your tent site and kitchen site on the most durable surface available: gravel, bare ground, rock, etc. Consider putting a tarp down in your kitchen area to catch food and trash which can then be easily put into the trash. When traveling around campgrounds, to and from the bathhouse for example, use established paths.

Trash Your Trash – If trashcans are provided, use them. If not, take your trash back home with you so you can dispose of it properly. Burning trash is highly discouraged and burying trash is never in style.

Where’s the Bathroom? – Should your chosen campground have toilet facilities, use them. If not, bury human waste in a small hole 6-8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water sources. Be sure to pick up after your pet too. Use a plastic grocery bag or newspaper bag and toss pet waste in the trash or pack it out.

Leave It As You Find it – Remember that other campers will likely visit your site in the future. Leave the site in a condition that others can enjoy.

Be Careful with Fire – Camp stoves are generally much easier to cook on than fires, and they are safer and create less impact. If you do want to have a fire, make sure it’s permitted and safe. Use existing fire rings and keep your fire small. Remember, a campfire isn’t a trashcan so pack out or throw away your trash. Before gathering any firewood in a campground, make sure it’s allowed.

Keep Wildlife Wild – Securely store all your food when car camping. In many locations this means in your car. Check with rangers or campground host about proper food storage. Remember, feeding wildlife is unhealthy for them and starts bad habits.

Share Our Campgrounds – Be considerate of other campers by adhering to campground rules, keeping your pet under control and by being a good neighbor.

These simple tips will make easy to Leave No Trace of your next car camping adventure.

Department of Interior Considers Lifting Firearm Ban

The Department of Interior, under which both the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reside, is considering lifting a ban on concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. Proposed new regulations that would allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed firearms in national parks if the state where a national park unit is located permits people to carry concealed firearms in their state parks. This would be a first and has caused concern for many ardent park supporters while other groups are very much in favor of the proposed rules.

Gun rights advocates, notably the National Rifle Assn., have said the ban infringes on their 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms and their ability to defend themselves from predators, both human and animal. "If you're hiking in the backcountry and there is a problem with a criminal or an aggressive animal, there's no 911 box where you can call police and have a 60-second response time," said Gary S. Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Assn.

Some in the National Park Service feel that parks have long been safe havens for both wildlife and people. Charles R. Farabee, a former acting superintendent at Montana's Glacier National Park said, "there need to be places in this country where people can feel secure without guns and know that the guy in the campground across the way does not have one."

For more information, visit: http://www.npca.org/keep_parks_safe/ and ttp://federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-09606_PI.pdf