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News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from U.S. foundations.
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Conservation Law Foundation: Columbia Gas MA Assets Sold to Eversource
BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 4 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
Conservation Law Foundation and Groundwork Lawrence released the following statements after Columbia Gas finalized the sale of its Massachusetts assets to Eversource. The sale comes after the deadly September 2018 gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley.
"Almost two years later, Merrimack Valley residents and businesses are still recovering from the gas explosions. It is only appropriate that Columbia Gas cease operations in the state," said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF's Healthy Communities
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 4 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
Conservation Law Foundation and Groundwork Lawrence released the following statements after Columbia Gas finalized the sale of its Massachusetts assets to Eversource. The sale comes after the deadly September 2018 gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley.
"Almost two years later, Merrimack Valley residents and businesses are still recovering from the gas explosions. It is only appropriate that Columbia Gas cease operations in the state," said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF's Healthy Communitiesand Environmental Justice program. "With over a billion dollars changing hands in the sale of Columbia Gas to Eversource, a significant portion of those resources should go to providing energy savings to residents and making the communities who suffered most safer and more resilient."
The 2018 explosions left one person dead and damaged dozens of homes in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. The cause was found to be excessive pressure in Columbia's gas lines in the area.
"The scars from the 2018 gas disaster are still prevalent on our streets, in our homes, in our parks, and in our minds," said Heather McMann, Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence. "Despite the resiliency of our community, and the support our residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations have shown amidst the worst of circumstances, we cannot, nor should we, rebuild alone. With the sale of Columbia Gas and the ongoing challenges of recovery, it is only appropriate that funds from the sale go towards helping the community that is still dealing with the repercussions of this disaster."
Experts are available for further comment.
African Wildlife Foundation Statement on Elephant Mortality in Seronga, Botswana
NAIROBI, Kenya, July 4 -- The African Wildlife Foundation issued the following statement:
African Wildlife Foundation has received with concern the news of mass deaths of elephants in Seronga, Botswana. In a news release to media houses dated July 2, 2020, the Botswana government through the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation, and Tourism have verified 275 elephant carcasses against the 356 reported cases.
So far, the cause of the deaths has not been confirmed. In the release, the ministry has confirmed that three laboratories in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Canada have been
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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 4 -- The African Wildlife Foundation issued the following statement:
African Wildlife Foundation has received with concern the news of mass deaths of elephants in Seronga, Botswana. In a news release to media houses dated July 2, 2020, the Botswana government through the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation, and Tourism have verified 275 elephant carcasses against the 356 reported cases.
So far, the cause of the deaths has not been confirmed. In the release, the ministry has confirmed that three laboratories in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Canada have beenidentified to process the samples taken from the dead elephants which will be interpreted against field veterinary assessments of clinically ill or dead elephants.
AWF is in touch with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and is closely monitoring the situation. We have also reached out to conservation partners in Botswana and the region to offer our support in addressing this issue.
The good news is that the tusks of the fallen elephant have not been removed and the carcasses of the elephants that are in close proximity to human settlements continue to be destroyed to prevent any potential transfer of pathogens as a precautionary measure.
Botswana has the highest elephant population on the continent (130,000), a testament to the country's highly successful conservation interventions even in the face of modern challenges including loss of wildlife habitats and a fast-growing human population. We have full confidence that the government will move with speed and efficiency to isolate the cause of these deaths and find a solution before it kills more elephants or possibly spreads to other species.
AWF has closely worked with African governments to conserve wildlife and wildlands across the continent for the last 60 years and we take this opportunity to reiterate our support and commitment to African-led and African-owned conservation interventions.
Texas Public Policy Foundation: Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act Will Increase Competition and Affordability
AUSTIN, Texas, July 3 -- Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
This week, Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) released the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act to make permanent the rule established in the executive order by President Trump.
"People avoid needed care because of the secretive pricing of hospitals," said David Balat, policy director of Right on Healthcare at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. "This bill will afford them the peace of mind to know what the price is going to be
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AUSTIN, Texas, July 3 -- Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
This week, Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) released the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act to make permanent the rule established in the executive order by President Trump.
"People avoid needed care because of the secretive pricing of hospitals," said David Balat, policy director of Right on Healthcare at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. "This bill will afford them the peace of mind to know what the price is going to bein advance of the service/product they receive."
The bill codifies the executive order that has been the subject of litigation by both hospital and insurance organizations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services received a motion for summary judgment against the plaintiffs on June 23.
The plaintiffs filed for appeal the next day. This bill will put an end to the court battles and create an environment for increased competition and greater affordability in the provision of healthcare.
Nationwide Foundation: Income-linked Rents and More Social Housing: IPPR's New Report
SWINDON, England, July 3 -- The Nationwide Foundation issued the following news release:
A new report, released this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research, has revealed the true extent of the nation's sky-high rents, as well as proposing new ideas to provide truly affordable accommodation for tenants.
Renting Beyond Their Means? The Role of Living Rent in Addressing Housing Affordability, assesses the state of England's housing system, before diagnosing some of the reasons why such a lack of truly affordable homes exists. Among those reasons, the authors argue, are a decline in social
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SWINDON, England, July 3 -- The Nationwide Foundation issued the following news release:
A new report, released this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research, has revealed the true extent of the nation's sky-high rents, as well as proposing new ideas to provide truly affordable accommodation for tenants.
Renting Beyond Their Means? The Role of Living Rent in Addressing Housing Affordability, assesses the state of England's housing system, before diagnosing some of the reasons why such a lack of truly affordable homes exists. Among those reasons, the authors argue, are a decline in socialhousing, changes to the benefits system and the financialisation of housing - the increasing incidence of people looking upon homes as a financial investment.
The result of this confluence of factors is eye-watering rent levels; not just in London, but in pockets throughout the country. The report cites tenants in London spending an average of 62% of household income on rent and renters in Bath and North East Somerset paying 45%.
Having built an understanding of how the housing system works, IPPR proposes a series of systemic changes that could drastically improve the situation for people struggling with housing costs. These recommendations include:
* abolishing so called 'affordable rent', a government-mandated rental model where homes are leased at 80% of market value
* adopting the 'Living Rent' model, where rents are linked to household income so that no more than a third is spent on housing
* investing in zero-carbon homes for social rent, so that tenants benefit from both reduced rents and reduced utility bills
* and recommending that when allocating homes as part of the Living Rent scheme, preference should be given to applications from people designated as 'key workers' by the government during Covid-19.
The report was accompanied by polling which shines a light on the attitudes of the British public toward renting and the new Living Rent idea. Polling commissioned by IPPR and carried out by Savanta ComRes found that 21% of respondents were concerned that they would be unable to afford rent or mortgage payments in the future. In contrast, the same polling found that the adoption of Living Rent was supported by 61% of respondents.
Jonathan Lewis, the Nationwide Foundation's Programme Manager for Nurturing Ideas to Change the Housing System, said: "IPPR has truly engaged with our housing system, to understand its quirks and inequities and the researchers have put forward a raft of ideas which have the power to begin to transform and rebalance renting and home-ownership. As a charitable foundation, we have a decade-long commitment to housing, with a focus on ensuring that everyone has access to a decent home that they can afford. This report adds weight to the arguments of so many across the housing sector, that a new settlement is needed for renters and home-owners across the UK, so that unaffordable housing is eradicated for good."
National Forest Foundation: Partners Work Together to Restore and Protect Bill Williams Mountain
MISSOULA, Montana, July 3 -- The National Forest Foundation issued the following news:
Situated adjacent to the City of Williams is a mountain of great importance to local citizens, private entities, municipalities, jurisdictions and tribes that help steward its well-being. It is known as Bill Williams Mountain, and it is an iconic feature of the northern Arizona landscape.
The Kaibab National Forest, in partnership with Coconino County, the National Forest Foundation, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, began technical steep slope forest restoration and fuels reduction
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MISSOULA, Montana, July 3 -- The National Forest Foundation issued the following news:
Situated adjacent to the City of Williams is a mountain of great importance to local citizens, private entities, municipalities, jurisdictions and tribes that help steward its well-being. It is known as Bill Williams Mountain, and it is an iconic feature of the northern Arizona landscape.
The Kaibab National Forest, in partnership with Coconino County, the National Forest Foundation, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, began technical steep slope forest restoration and fuels reductionwork on the mountain in September 2019. This project is a top priority for all of the partners in order to reduce unnaturally dense timber stands and heavy accumulations of dead and down woody fuels on the highest portion of the mountain's north face in areas difficult to access.
The partners' mutual goal is to reduce risks to life and property and protect critical watershed drainages that deliver the vital water supply to the City of Williams as well as to many other communities to the south. This effort will also reduce the risk of a potentially destructive wildfire and the probability of post-wildfire flooding that would likely have devastating effects on the mountain's natural resources and on essential infrastructure and neighborhoods in the community below.
The collaboration between the dedicated partners was developed to implement the first stages of strategic planning and to secure resources to begin the complex steep slope restoration treatments on the mountain.
"The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is proud to partner with Coconino County, the National Forest Foundation, the Forest Service and the other partners in the Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project. This project is critical for the protection of natural resources, personal property, and economic values at risk in northern Arizona. This is exactly the type of partnership that we should all pursue as we work together to restore Arizona's forests."- John Richardson, the department's forestry programs administrator.
Bill Williams Mountain is located south and uphill from the City of Williams' cultural, tourist, residential, business and governmental core. It is heavily used for outdoor recreation, residential housing and summer camps as well as hosting a ski area. There have been no significant fire occurrences on the steepest slopes on the mountain for more than a century, which has led to overgrowth and an abundance of dead trees building up in the sensitive drainages above the city.
Severe wildfire and post-wildfire flooding in the area would threaten lives, property and important community and forest resources. It would also result in exorbitant costs to communities and local governments in both the short and longer terms. In addition to immediate expenses including fire suppression, evacuation, and post-fire rehabilitation and repair, long-term impacts could include damage to or complete loss of homes, businesses, and highway, railroad and utility infrastructure, as well as significantly reduced tourism and sales tax revenue.
"The benefit of this restoration work includes improved forest and watershed health, protected communities and water supplies, and broad-reaching habitat improvements," said Spencer Plumb, conservation finance program manager for the National Forest Foundation. "We see this project as delivering a lot of good for a lot people across multiple uses."
Steep slope material removal requires highly technical operations with specialty equipment that is not commonly used nor easily accessible in the Southwest. The contract for the first 300 acres of treatment was awarded to Markit! Forestry Management of Colorado Springs. Due to the difficulty of using traditional ground hauling methods on the steep terrain, a helicopter was used to remove material from the cut acres until winter weather temporarily postponed operations in December. The critical work will continue this fall.
"We are very excited to be implementing treatment in the first unit of the steep slope area. Our ongoing collaborative partnerships as well as the unwavering commitment of our employees and stakeholders have been the keys to our success in achieving meaningful results in the treatment of the mountain."- Debra Mollet, district ranger for the Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest.
To date, all 300 acres of the first phase of steep slope treatments have been cut, and material from about 100 acres has been transported off the mountain. Besides the recent steep slope work, the Kaibab National Forest has also been implementing other forest restoration and fuels reduction efforts in the area to include preparing 3,500 acres that are currently offered in timber sales; treating more than 700 acres using hand thinning operations on the steep slopes of the mountain's south side; and, treating 200 acres using mechanical thinning south of the mountain in an area critical to the success of any future wildfire suppression efforts. Steep slope fuels reduction work will be implemented in phases and will be ongoing over the next several years. More than 1,200 acres are already scheduled for treatments near the top of the mountain as part of this multi-year project.
Officials from Coconino County have identified wildfire and the potential for devastating post-wildfire flooding as a critical health and safety threat to the citizens of the county. A 2017 study conducted by J.E. Fuller Hydrology and Geomorphology at the direction of the Coconino County Flood Control District recommended the development of a pre-disaster plan to identify ways to reduce the impacts of these threats. The county funded the development of a pre-disaster plan and is working with the City of Williams to implement that plan and to seek opportunities to work together and with other partners to improve public safety for the entire community.
"The county and our partners are dedicated to keeping our communities safe," said Matt Ryan, Coconino County District 3 supervisor. "We know that healthy forests will be less susceptible to catastrophic wildfire and post-wildfire flooding, and are we are proud of the work we've started and will continue to do on Bill Williams Mountain."
A team of specialists for the Kaibab National Forest is working in collaboration with the partner organizations to identify and plan for the coming phases of steep slope treatments. Other restoration work including hand thinning, timber sale contracts and the piling of downed debris is also being planned and implemented on the lower, more accessible slopes of the mountain and around its base.
Despite successes, the partners' work is not without its challenges. Due to the need for specialized and hard-to-find equipment as well as extremely rugged and rocky terrain, cost per acre is extremely high for these steep slope treatments. The limited number of acres requiring this type of technical fuels reduction means that operators have little incentive to contract for the work unless it is combined with other nearby work.
To add to those complications, the fact that the treatments are focused on watershed restoration and hazardous fuels reduction rather than the sale of timber, which would provide more volume, results in very limited potential for commercial value to offset high costs. Coconino County, the National Forest Foundation and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management have been instrumental in securing additional funding to support the project, and all of the partners continue to work together to ensure the path forward for the restoration of Bill Williams Mountain.
"We have an opportunity to make a real difference for our neighbors, communities and local economies as well as for the long-term health and sustainability of our forests and watersheds. Even though there will always be new obstacles, the partners are committed to overcoming them together so that this important work can continue."- Heather Provencio, forest supervisor for the Kaibab National Forest
To tell the story of Bill Williams Mountain and share the importance of the restoration effort, the partners developed a series of videos that are available through Coconino County's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/coconinocnty. From the county channel, search "forest restoration initiative," and the three videos will display. To view photos of all stages of the Bill Williams Mountain Restoration Project, visit https://bit.ly/BWMProjectPhotos.
Updates will be provided as the project continues. Additional information can be found through the following sources:
* Kaibab National Forest website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
* Coconino County Flood Control District: coconino.az.gov/1450/Flood-Control-District
* National Forest Foundation: http://www.nationalforests.org
* Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management: dffm.az.gov
National Council of Nonprofits: Statement on Senate Passage of Protecting Nonprofits From Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The National Council of Nonprofits issued the following statement by President and CEO Tim Delaney in response to the Senate's unanimous consent passage of the Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act:
"We applaud the Senate for taking unanimous action to pass the aptly-titled Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act. With nonprofit resources plummeting and demand for services rising, the last thing needed by nonprofits that have already had to lay off employees is a huge new bill to pay.
"Once enacted, this measure will override
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The National Council of Nonprofits issued the following statement by President and CEO Tim Delaney in response to the Senate's unanimous consent passage of the Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act:
"We applaud the Senate for taking unanimous action to pass the aptly-titled Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act. With nonprofit resources plummeting and demand for services rising, the last thing needed by nonprofits that have already had to lay off employees is a huge new bill to pay.
"Once enacted, this measure will overridethe Department of Labor's misguided interpretation that was imposing economic burdens on charitable organizations that Congress never intended. We urge the House to also take swift action on this legislation to fix this problem before another batch of these unemployment bills becomes due and payable. This legislation is not a complete solution to the problem of unemployment benefits costs that nonprofits are facing, but it would repeal a major, job-killing policy and is a solid half-step toward the full solution needed.
"There is also still much work to do to ensure that our nation's third largest industry can keep its employees on the payroll and can continue serving communities across the country.
"There is broad bipartisan support in Congress for many policies that would enable nonprofit and faith-based organizations to continue doing their vital work when they are needed most. We look forward to working with members of Congress to ensure inclusion of those solutions in future relief legislation."
Electronic Frontier Foundation: Hundreds of Police Departments With Deadly Histories Partner With Amazon's Ring Surveillance Cameras
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation issued the following news release:
Research by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) shows that hundreds of U.S. police departments with deadly histories have official partnerships with Amazon's Ring--a home-surveillance company that makes it easy to send video footage to law enforcement.
Ring sells networked cameras, often bundled with doorbells or lighting, that record video when they register movement and then send notifications to owners' cell phones. Ring's partnerships allow police to seek access to private video footage directly
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation issued the following news release:
Research by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) shows that hundreds of U.S. police departments with deadly histories have official partnerships with Amazon's Ring--a home-surveillance company that makes it easy to send video footage to law enforcement.
Ring sells networked cameras, often bundled with doorbells or lighting, that record video when they register movement and then send notifications to owners' cell phones. Ring's partnerships allow police to seek access to private video footage directlyfrom residents through a special web portal. Ring now works with over 1400 agencies, adding 600 in the last six months alone. An analysis of data from Ring, Fatal Encounters, and Mapping Police Violence shows that roughly half of the agencies that Ring has partnered with had fatal encounters in the last five years. In fact, those departments have been responsible for over a third of fatal police encounters nationwide, including the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Alton Sterling, Botham Jean, Antonio Valenzuela, Michael Ramos, and Sean Monterrosa.
"At a time when communities are more concerned than ever before about their relationship with law enforcement, these partnerships encourage an atmosphere of mistrust and could allow for near-constant surveillance by local police," said EFF Digital Strategist Jason Kelley. "These partnerships make it all too easy for law enforcement to harass, arrest, or detain someone who is simply exercising their legal rights to free expression--for example, by walking through a neighborhood, protesting in their local community, or canvassing for a political campaign."
Recently, Nextdoor's Forward to Police feature, which allows users to share their posts or urgent alerts directly with law enforcement, was ended as part of the company's "anti-racism" work. EFF calls on Ring to do the same by ending their partnerships with law enforcement agencies.
"People across the nation are calling for policing reform," said Kelley. "Amazon has acknowledged this important movement, and stopped selling its face recognition tool called Rekognition to police for one year. But that concession means nothing to the public if the company continues to expedite police access to home surveillance footage through Ring."
