Lenny: Hi, this is Lenny Librizzi along with Dominique Borel, Charlie Olson, Mark Latour, and Jim Scarcella. Also quietly joining our team today as one of our writers is Karen Lund. Welcome, Karen, and all of you listeners to Mostly Good Environmental News number 25. Wow, our 25th episode. Where we cover positive local and global environmental issues, milestones, and activities that you may not otherwise hear about. Yes, there are many good things happening in the environment, and we will share a few with you in this podcast. We hope you enjoy listening. For our first good news report, Dominique Borel will report on a ban on scallop dredging in Scotland. Dominique?
Dominique Borel: Yes, thank you, Lenny. A ban on dredging along the coast of Scotland. Fish and shellfish populations were falling rapidly in Scotland as scallop dredgers devastated the seabed, but local activists and small scale fishermen battled hard to protect their coastline. The coastline here is dotted with beds of one of Britain's most biodiverse and carbon rich habitats, a 9,000 year old. Pink seaweed called myrl, some of which are a mile long. This rare, fragile, and threatened seaweed produces hard, coral-like skeletons that provide nurseries for scallops and fish. Ten years ago, divers and local fishermen ran a successful campaign to have scallop dredging banned by law in a 230 square mile zone now designated as a marine protected area, MPA. And now they are witnessing a dramatic revival of marine life. The transformation of a seabed damaged by decades of dredging has allowed the recovery of scallop populations, and it has ended the territorial battles between huge industrial dredge fishing boats and smaller local boats. There are now increased sightings of minky whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Prawns and lobsters have also increased. And a large spawning ground for herring, once plentiful here, has been spotted nearby. The recovery of scallop stocks has been massive, and the seabed transformation like night today, and anglers are catching haddock and cod again. And low impact fishing methods and low impact fishing methods, such as hand diving for scallops, have been found to be more sustainable than dredging or troweling. In addition, more of the revenue generated by low impact methods stays in the local economy. Now that dredging has been banned, it's not just a catch that's improved. Now that dredging has been banned, it's not just the catch that it's not just the catch that's improved, but the general health of the seabed. And the length of the scalloping season has increased as well. The dredge ban in this marine protected area MPA set up to protect the slow growing myrl habitats and other marine features has protected the myrl a massive extent. If scallop dredgers had spent the last ten years going up and down this coast, the habitat would be obliterated. A single pass of a heavy towed gear used by scallop dredgers can crush or bury up to 70% of myrl. The seabed is now incredibly rich. Myrl is a very important habitat, chock full of bivalves, which provide food for skates and rays. In 2016, despite fierce opposition by the dredging lobby, scallop dredging was forbidden by law in the Scottish MPA, which is now the biggest protected area in the world for myle. But threats to the ecosystem remain. Surveys have highlighted damaged myral in some locations, from illegal dredgers and from invasive algal growth caused by nutrients from salmon farms. Most local residents now are delighted that the end to dredging has been such a success and that fishing is now more sustainable. As one local fisherman said, protection of the myral beds is beyond priceless. We've achieved recovery of the whole ecosystem and that is good news for the environment. And now we're going to hear from Charlie on Wyoming choosing public land at the ballot box.
charlie olson: Thank you, Dominique. The state of Wyoming, which was the first state to vote for the right to vote for women, and never changed its mind, is having a change of mind when it comes to the use of federal public lands. This past August, during Wyoming's primary season, voters decided to back candidates, regardless of political party, who would champion keeping the Federal lands closed to commercial use and continue their ownership for all Americans to use. This hasn't always been the case, which has been shown by President Trump's MAGA agenda of opening such lands for commercial use under various guises, such as the need for creating more homes and mining more resources to make nearly everything more affordable. But it seems that Wyoming's in their mainly Republican state, along with, and I quote, citizens of every political persuasion really, really feel strongly about public lands, end quote, as Gail Simmons, a longtime Wyoming policy wonk, who operates Civics three seven, a voter educational website, has asserted and noted, this vote is a good vote for the environment. But in order for it to continue, It will require more political power, and that is also what is happening in Wyoming. Freedom Caucus, a Republican political group which leans strongly MAGA, has also lost its majority in the state legislature, and now holds only ten of sixty-two House seats in Wyoming's House of Representatives, when they were expecting to win a super majority. That is quite a turnaround. As one voter said, and again I quote, the threat level to our access to the lands that we own as citizens of the United States and the state of Wyoming finally hit a tipping point. We had candidates locally and for statewide officers who stood up to and said they believed in public lands and wouldn't sell public lands. End quote. How long this pro public land political power will last Is hard to predict in this western area, based on its recent history and other local concerns. This time it was helped by the public's pushback against the Freedom Caucus's other stance, like its plan to defund part of the University of Wyoming, its role in a statewide campaign finance scandal, its attempt to defund and dismantle the beloved institution of the Wyoming Business Council. It's championing of the controversial wildlife bills allowing unlimited mountain lion hunting and granting elk hunters the right to kill federally protected grizzly bears and black bears. It also didn't help that John Bear, and that's his real name, the former chairman of the Federal Caucus, made the unbelievable statement that if, I quote here again, the We have 100% of the resource and revenue from those public lands, we would double our revenue. And he didn't, I quote again, think that Wyoming would sell them off. End quote. I ask you, how does Wyoming double its revenue unless they sell the land? John Bear lost his seat in the August primary. A 2016 study commissioned by the Wyoming legislature itself. Found that state management of public lands would not only be costly, but that it would come with a bureaucratic maze of congressional laws and directives. There are ways around all of these laws and voter sentiments, as the present day Trump MAGA administration's methods illustrate in real time. But for now, Wyoming's moderate Republicans and their minority Democrats and Independents. are voting for something very different, which includes keeping public lands from being destroyed and despoiled so that they can be kept for all Americans. Now that is good news for the environment, even if we're only riding on a swinging pendulum. And now a report from Jim Scarsella.
Jim Scarcella: Th hey, thank you, Charlie. Thank you for that good news from Wyoming. we have a we have some good news here from the Sioux Nation in South Dakota and this piece was written by Karen Lund. So the Pisha in the Sioux language means the heart of everything that that is, the sacred prairie that is the traditional origin of the peoples of the great Sioux Nation. On February 27th, the U.S. Forest Service approved exploratory drilling in search of graphite, which is the lead in your pencils. Despite opposition from local officials, tribal nations, and the general public, the NDN collective, Black Black Hills Clean Water Alliance a and Earthworks filed suit filed suit against the the Forest Service demanding they vacate the permit. The the plaintiffs argued that the Forest Service unlawfully relied on a NEPA National Environmental Policy Act categorial exclusion, but pointed to a 2014 memorandum of understanding that per protects PSHA and argues that the work would take longer than the one year required to complete. Most of the tribal nations in South Dakota also filed suit. Mining has a long and contentious history in the Black Hills. Pishla was part of the Fort Laramie Treaty of eighteen sixty eight, which established the Great Sioux Reservation and granted the li the right to live unhindered by white settlement. Gold was discovered six years later. As a result, in 1877, the government passed the Black Hills Act and confiscated territory where gold was found, another injustice. Over time the land was further chipped away as other valuable resources were discovered. The n the nine tribal nations of South Dakota have never stopped fighting in the courts to recover Black Hills land and prevent further encroachment with little success. The government has offered monetary compensation, which has been re repeatedly refused because the sacred land is beyond price. On April 30th, protest organizers discovered that a road had already been carved into the land and drilling had begun, despite the pending lawsuits. Protesters then blocked the access road. On May 4th, a federal judge in Rapid City granted a temporary restraining order against exploratory drilling near Pishlaw after a hearing that drew an overflow crowd opposed to the project. Making the order especially urgent were religious ceremonies that had begun on May 2nd. Then, in a letter dated May 7th, the mining company withdrew its request for a permit. The letter further stated that the company would restore the project area to a natural state upon approval by the judge. Who were granted the restraining order, the mining threat had effectively ended. But there is still much more to be done to protect land rights in in the the Black Hills and other native land, but the victory at Pishla marks a rare and significant win. Ending the mining project is good news for the Sioux Nation, good news for a beautiful and historically important part of the United States, and good news for the environment. thank you, thank you. And also now we have an update from from Lenny on on bird watching. Lenny?
Lenny: Thanks, Jim. The good news is birdwatchers. What do I mean by that? Well, most of my good news stories are about how a group of people have helped improve the environment in some way. Usually I highlight something, like sponge cities, farmers markets, or congestion pricing in my story. Today, people are the story. Birdwatchers can be someone who has an expensive pair of binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses, or someone who has a bird feeder in their yard and watches the birds from their kitchen window. In any case, bird watchers care about birds and at the same time care about the habitat or the environment where the birds live. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 91 million birdwatchers in the US, or about 37% of adults over the age of 16. This number includes mostly casual bird watchers, so the number of serious bird birders is much smaller. But thanks to social media and some phone apps, people who are not avid birders can see streaming nest cams. Or learn which birds live or visit close to their homes. Yes, along with binoculars, feeders, and cameras, many bird watchers also have apps on their phones. One called Merlin can help identify the species of bird by their song or call. Another app is called EBird. Not only do these apps help birders identify birds, but also turn birders into citizen scientists. Bird watchers are able to record their observations and help ornithologists with their research. Both eBird and Merlin were developed and are run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, affectionately known as the Lab of O. The National Audubon Society is also a very strong advocate for birds and the protection of their habitats. They also sponsor the Christmas Bird Count, which helps give an annual picture of bird populations. Some bird watchers travel long distances to see rare birds, maybe not so good for their carbon footprint. But many cities are located along migration flyways, and city birdwatching can be as close as a bus or subway ride away. Even if some bird watchers do nothing to help the environment, I would say the vast majority do more than just look at birds. They support bird and habitat protection organizations and help with avian research. Birdwatchers and bird watching are good news for the environment. And now Mark Latour will give us good news about some successful land conservation efforts in Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Maine. Mark?
Mark: Thanks, Lenny, and I'll add in a New York State to that. But to begin with, a multi-year effort to protect one of the Cumberland Trail's most distinctive landscapes reached a milestone with the acquisition of 350 acres at Devil's Race Track north of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The purchase secures the property for the Cumberland Trail and protects the Devil's Race Track geologic formation. The achievement reflects the importance of expanding and protecting. Backcountry trails. The Nature Conservancy contributed funds toward the project and covered the costs of property appraisal and the phase one environmental study and survey. Remaining costs were funded through the State Land Acquisitions Fund. Conservationists made multiple attempts across many years to protect the Devil's Racetrack. The landscape's rugged rock features and dramatic terrain are among the defining natural characteristics of the Of the Cumberland Plateau. Protection of this property will ensure future public access. Moving to the Berkshires, more than five hundred and eighty acres of land were recently conserved, creating opportunities for outdoor recreation while connecting thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and protected land. The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Nature Conservancy are protecting three hundred sixty acres in Blandford, Massachusetts, as well as a two hundred eighteen acre addition to the Chester Blandford State Forest. The Blandford property straddles the Massachusetts Turnpike and represents one of the few protected land connections across the heavily trafficked highway. The project will help wildlife move between their habitats and will minimize collisions between animals and vehicles. It will protect critical wildlife habitat and open up more land for people to hike, explore, and enjoy the great outdoors. The property was formerly a Christmas tree farm. It contains mature and young forests, agricultural grasslands, wetlands, and several brooks within the Westfield River watershed. Conserving the land will help protect water quality, nearby drinking water supplies, and cold water fish habitat used by species such as the eastern brook trout. The project will also improve habitat for the New England cottontail, the state's only native rapid, which is vulnerable to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. There's a good sized culvert on this land beneath the highway. Black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and river otters have been seen using the passage. This Berkshire conservation property strengthens an important connection within the Appalachian landscape, which is one of the most important landscapes in the world for biodiversity. On Long Island, New York State just purchased 750 acres surrounding the former Shoreham nuclear power plant in Suffolk County. The land includes undeveloped coastal wetlands, sand and gravel beaches, dunes, one hundred foot bluffs, tidal creeks, shrub swamps, and mixed hardwood forests. This conservation land spans the Wading River along Long Island Sound and become part of Shoram State Forest. The land purchase was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by the state's Clean Water and Clean Air Bond. And in the state of Maine, the Penobscot Nation and the Trust for Public Land are working to restore nearly 30,000 acres to the Penobscot Nation. Once complete, Will be one of the largest land returns between a U.S. nonprofit and a tribal nation. The Penobscot Nation is celebrating the return of the first 11,000 acres of its ancestral and cultural homeland around the Penobscot River. This is part of a larger project to protect 30,000 acres just south of the Katahdan Woods and Waters National Monument.
Lenny: Thanks, Mark. And thank you for listening to the Mostly Good Environmental News Report. We hope you enjoyed hearing some good news. If you liked our good news items, please share them with your friends and listen to more episodes of the Mostly Good Environmental News Report wherever you listen to podcasts. Special thank you to Fred Duca for the original music compositions we are using in this podcast. We sign off with a with a little bit of that music. Bye for now.
Dominique Borel: Yes, thank you, Lenny. A ban on dredging along the coast of Scotland. Fish and shellfish populations were falling rapidly in Scotland as scallop dredgers devastated the seabed, but local activists and small scale fishermen battled hard to protect their coastline. The coastline here is dotted with beds of one of Britain's most biodiverse and carbon rich habitats, a 9,000 year old. Pink seaweed called myrl, some of which are a mile long. This rare, fragile, and threatened seaweed produces hard, coral-like skeletons that provide nurseries for scallops and fish. Ten years ago, divers and local fishermen ran a successful campaign to have scallop dredging banned by law in a 230 square mile zone now designated as a marine protected area, MPA. And now they are witnessing a dramatic revival of marine life. The transformation of a seabed damaged by decades of dredging has allowed the recovery of scallop populations, and it has ended the territorial battles between huge industrial dredge fishing boats and smaller local boats. There are now increased sightings of minky whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Prawns and lobsters have also increased. And a large spawning ground for herring, once plentiful here, has been spotted nearby. The recovery of scallop stocks has been massive, and the seabed transformation like night today, and anglers are catching haddock and cod again. And low impact fishing methods and low impact fishing methods, such as hand diving for scallops, have been found to be more sustainable than dredging or troweling. In addition, more of the revenue generated by low impact methods stays in the local economy. Now that dredging has been banned, it's not just a catch that's improved. Now that dredging has been banned, it's not just the catch that it's not just the catch that's improved, but the general health of the seabed. And the length of the scalloping season has increased as well. The dredge ban in this marine protected area MPA set up to protect the slow growing myrl habitats and other marine features has protected the myrl a massive extent. If scallop dredgers had spent the last ten years going up and down this coast, the habitat would be obliterated. A single pass of a heavy towed gear used by scallop dredgers can crush or bury up to 70% of myrl. The seabed is now incredibly rich. Myrl is a very important habitat, chock full of bivalves, which provide food for skates and rays. In 2016, despite fierce opposition by the dredging lobby, scallop dredging was forbidden by law in the Scottish MPA, which is now the biggest protected area in the world for myle. But threats to the ecosystem remain. Surveys have highlighted damaged myral in some locations, from illegal dredgers and from invasive algal growth caused by nutrients from salmon farms. Most local residents now are delighted that the end to dredging has been such a success and that fishing is now more sustainable. As one local fisherman said, protection of the myral beds is beyond priceless. We've achieved recovery of the whole ecosystem and that is good news for the environment. And now we're going to hear from Charlie on Wyoming choosing public land at the ballot box.
charlie olson: Thank you, Dominique. The state of Wyoming, which was the first state to vote for the right to vote for women, and never changed its mind, is having a change of mind when it comes to the use of federal public lands. This past August, during Wyoming's primary season, voters decided to back candidates, regardless of political party, who would champion keeping the Federal lands closed to commercial use and continue their ownership for all Americans to use. This hasn't always been the case, which has been shown by President Trump's MAGA agenda of opening such lands for commercial use under various guises, such as the need for creating more homes and mining more resources to make nearly everything more affordable. But it seems that Wyoming's in their mainly Republican state, along with, and I quote, citizens of every political persuasion really, really feel strongly about public lands, end quote, as Gail Simmons, a longtime Wyoming policy wonk, who operates Civics three seven, a voter educational website, has asserted and noted, this vote is a good vote for the environment. But in order for it to continue, It will require more political power, and that is also what is happening in Wyoming. Freedom Caucus, a Republican political group which leans strongly MAGA, has also lost its majority in the state legislature, and now holds only ten of sixty-two House seats in Wyoming's House of Representatives, when they were expecting to win a super majority. That is quite a turnaround. As one voter said, and again I quote, the threat level to our access to the lands that we own as citizens of the United States and the state of Wyoming finally hit a tipping point. We had candidates locally and for statewide officers who stood up to and said they believed in public lands and wouldn't sell public lands. End quote. How long this pro public land political power will last Is hard to predict in this western area, based on its recent history and other local concerns. This time it was helped by the public's pushback against the Freedom Caucus's other stance, like its plan to defund part of the University of Wyoming, its role in a statewide campaign finance scandal, its attempt to defund and dismantle the beloved institution of the Wyoming Business Council. It's championing of the controversial wildlife bills allowing unlimited mountain lion hunting and granting elk hunters the right to kill federally protected grizzly bears and black bears. It also didn't help that John Bear, and that's his real name, the former chairman of the Federal Caucus, made the unbelievable statement that if, I quote here again, the We have 100% of the resource and revenue from those public lands, we would double our revenue. And he didn't, I quote again, think that Wyoming would sell them off. End quote. I ask you, how does Wyoming double its revenue unless they sell the land? John Bear lost his seat in the August primary. A 2016 study commissioned by the Wyoming legislature itself. Found that state management of public lands would not only be costly, but that it would come with a bureaucratic maze of congressional laws and directives. There are ways around all of these laws and voter sentiments, as the present day Trump MAGA administration's methods illustrate in real time. But for now, Wyoming's moderate Republicans and their minority Democrats and Independents. are voting for something very different, which includes keeping public lands from being destroyed and despoiled so that they can be kept for all Americans. Now that is good news for the environment, even if we're only riding on a swinging pendulum. And now a report from Jim Scarsella.
Jim Scarcella: Th hey, thank you, Charlie. Thank you for that good news from Wyoming. we have a we have some good news here from the Sioux Nation in South Dakota and this piece was written by Karen Lund. So the Pisha in the Sioux language means the heart of everything that that is, the sacred prairie that is the traditional origin of the peoples of the great Sioux Nation. On February 27th, the U.S. Forest Service approved exploratory drilling in search of graphite, which is the lead in your pencils. Despite opposition from local officials, tribal nations, and the general public, the NDN collective, Black Black Hills Clean Water Alliance a and Earthworks filed suit filed suit against the the Forest Service demanding they vacate the permit. The the plaintiffs argued that the Forest Service unlawfully relied on a NEPA National Environmental Policy Act categorial exclusion, but pointed to a 2014 memorandum of understanding that per protects PSHA and argues that the work would take longer than the one year required to complete. Most of the tribal nations in South Dakota also filed suit. Mining has a long and contentious history in the Black Hills. Pishla was part of the Fort Laramie Treaty of eighteen sixty eight, which established the Great Sioux Reservation and granted the li the right to live unhindered by white settlement. Gold was discovered six years later. As a result, in 1877, the government passed the Black Hills Act and confiscated territory where gold was found, another injustice. Over time the land was further chipped away as other valuable resources were discovered. The n the nine tribal nations of South Dakota have never stopped fighting in the courts to recover Black Hills land and prevent further encroachment with little success. The government has offered monetary compensation, which has been re repeatedly refused because the sacred land is beyond price. On April 30th, protest organizers discovered that a road had already been carved into the land and drilling had begun, despite the pending lawsuits. Protesters then blocked the access road. On May 4th, a federal judge in Rapid City granted a temporary restraining order against exploratory drilling near Pishlaw after a hearing that drew an overflow crowd opposed to the project. Making the order especially urgent were religious ceremonies that had begun on May 2nd. Then, in a letter dated May 7th, the mining company withdrew its request for a permit. The letter further stated that the company would restore the project area to a natural state upon approval by the judge. Who were granted the restraining order, the mining threat had effectively ended. But there is still much more to be done to protect land rights in in the the Black Hills and other native land, but the victory at Pishla marks a rare and significant win. Ending the mining project is good news for the Sioux Nation, good news for a beautiful and historically important part of the United States, and good news for the environment. thank you, thank you. And also now we have an update from from Lenny on on bird watching. Lenny?
Lenny: Thanks, Jim. The good news is birdwatchers. What do I mean by that? Well, most of my good news stories are about how a group of people have helped improve the environment in some way. Usually I highlight something, like sponge cities, farmers markets, or congestion pricing in my story. Today, people are the story. Birdwatchers can be someone who has an expensive pair of binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses, or someone who has a bird feeder in their yard and watches the birds from their kitchen window. In any case, bird watchers care about birds and at the same time care about the habitat or the environment where the birds live. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 91 million birdwatchers in the US, or about 37% of adults over the age of 16. This number includes mostly casual bird watchers, so the number of serious bird birders is much smaller. But thanks to social media and some phone apps, people who are not avid birders can see streaming nest cams. Or learn which birds live or visit close to their homes. Yes, along with binoculars, feeders, and cameras, many bird watchers also have apps on their phones. One called Merlin can help identify the species of bird by their song or call. Another app is called EBird. Not only do these apps help birders identify birds, but also turn birders into citizen scientists. Bird watchers are able to record their observations and help ornithologists with their research. Both eBird and Merlin were developed and are run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, affectionately known as the Lab of O. The National Audubon Society is also a very strong advocate for birds and the protection of their habitats. They also sponsor the Christmas Bird Count, which helps give an annual picture of bird populations. Some bird watchers travel long distances to see rare birds, maybe not so good for their carbon footprint. But many cities are located along migration flyways, and city birdwatching can be as close as a bus or subway ride away. Even if some bird watchers do nothing to help the environment, I would say the vast majority do more than just look at birds. They support bird and habitat protection organizations and help with avian research. Birdwatchers and bird watching are good news for the environment. And now Mark Latour will give us good news about some successful land conservation efforts in Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Maine. Mark?
Mark: Thanks, Lenny, and I'll add in a New York State to that. But to begin with, a multi-year effort to protect one of the Cumberland Trail's most distinctive landscapes reached a milestone with the acquisition of 350 acres at Devil's Race Track north of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The purchase secures the property for the Cumberland Trail and protects the Devil's Race Track geologic formation. The achievement reflects the importance of expanding and protecting. Backcountry trails. The Nature Conservancy contributed funds toward the project and covered the costs of property appraisal and the phase one environmental study and survey. Remaining costs were funded through the State Land Acquisitions Fund. Conservationists made multiple attempts across many years to protect the Devil's Racetrack. The landscape's rugged rock features and dramatic terrain are among the defining natural characteristics of the Of the Cumberland Plateau. Protection of this property will ensure future public access. Moving to the Berkshires, more than five hundred and eighty acres of land were recently conserved, creating opportunities for outdoor recreation while connecting thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and protected land. The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Nature Conservancy are protecting three hundred sixty acres in Blandford, Massachusetts, as well as a two hundred eighteen acre addition to the Chester Blandford State Forest. The Blandford property straddles the Massachusetts Turnpike and represents one of the few protected land connections across the heavily trafficked highway. The project will help wildlife move between their habitats and will minimize collisions between animals and vehicles. It will protect critical wildlife habitat and open up more land for people to hike, explore, and enjoy the great outdoors. The property was formerly a Christmas tree farm. It contains mature and young forests, agricultural grasslands, wetlands, and several brooks within the Westfield River watershed. Conserving the land will help protect water quality, nearby drinking water supplies, and cold water fish habitat used by species such as the eastern brook trout. The project will also improve habitat for the New England cottontail, the state's only native rapid, which is vulnerable to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. There's a good sized culvert on this land beneath the highway. Black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and river otters have been seen using the passage. This Berkshire conservation property strengthens an important connection within the Appalachian landscape, which is one of the most important landscapes in the world for biodiversity. On Long Island, New York State just purchased 750 acres surrounding the former Shoreham nuclear power plant in Suffolk County. The land includes undeveloped coastal wetlands, sand and gravel beaches, dunes, one hundred foot bluffs, tidal creeks, shrub swamps, and mixed hardwood forests. This conservation land spans the Wading River along Long Island Sound and become part of Shoram State Forest. The land purchase was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by the state's Clean Water and Clean Air Bond. And in the state of Maine, the Penobscot Nation and the Trust for Public Land are working to restore nearly 30,000 acres to the Penobscot Nation. Once complete, Will be one of the largest land returns between a U.S. nonprofit and a tribal nation. The Penobscot Nation is celebrating the return of the first 11,000 acres of its ancestral and cultural homeland around the Penobscot River. This is part of a larger project to protect 30,000 acres just south of the Katahdan Woods and Waters National Monument.
Lenny: Thanks, Mark. And thank you for listening to the Mostly Good Environmental News Report. We hope you enjoyed hearing some good news. If you liked our good news items, please share them with your friends and listen to more episodes of the Mostly Good Environmental News Report wherever you listen to podcasts. Special thank you to Fred Duca for the original music compositions we are using in this podcast. We sign off with a with a little bit of that music. Bye for now.
