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East Africa's Largest Mangrove Forest Wins Protection

GLAND, Switzerland, January 28, 2005 (ENS) – The East African country of Tanzania has named its fourth Wetland of International Importance for expanded protection under the international Ramsar Convention, the Secretariat announced today. Known as the Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa Marine Ramsar site, it is a complex of coastal and marine habitats that as recently as four years ago was approved by the government for a giant prawn farm. The newly protected site covers the delta of the Rufiji River; the Mafia Island about 25 kilometers offshore and surrounding smaller islands, sandbars, and coral reefs; the Songo-Songo Archipelago to the south and adjacent waters, including the Mafia Channel and waters between Mafia and Songo-Songo. Located about 250 miles south of the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, the Rufiji River Delta is by far the largest delta in Eastern Africa and contains the largest estuarine mangrove forest on the eastern seaboard of the African continent. About a tenth of the area of the new Ramsar site is covered with these salt tolerant mangrove forests – extending an estimated 55,000 hectares. The Rufiji Delta mangroves shelter migratory wetland birds such as curlew sandpipers, crab plovers, roseate terns and Caspian terns. Nile crocodiles share the Rufiji […]

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Aggressive House Energy Strategy Takes Shape

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s accelerated energy bill schedule is beginning to take shape, with plans for a combination budget and policy hearing with Energy Secretary-designate Samuel Bodman on Feb. 9 and a markup of a bill based on last session’s H.R. 6 the following week, energy industry sources said yesterday. House and Senate energy committees traditionally bring in top Energy Department officials to discuss their budgets and plans for the year shortly after the budgets are announced. This year, the federal budget is expected to be announced Feb. 7. Bodman is expected to win Senate confirmation as Energy secretary on Monday. But under pressure from House leaders and the White House, Energy Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) also is working to get an energy bill to the House floor before Congress adjourns for the Presidents Day recess. Nevertheless, committee Democrats are trying to push the electricity issue with the announcement yesterday that the Government Accountability Office will investigate the Securities and Exchange Commission’s administration and enforcement of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA). Committee ranking member John Dingell (Mich.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) have been trying since last spring to get GAO to look […]

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