1. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender

2. Agenda  2016 Session Highlights  Budget  Water Policy  State Parks  BP  Upcoming Events  Opportunities and Resources

3. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Session information  Legislature Website: www.legislature.state.al.us www.legislature.state.al.us  Regular Session  Convened: Tuesday February 2 nd  Adjourned: May 4  Possible Special Session: Prisons and/or Medicaid  http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/southunionstreet/2016/05/06/alabama- legislature-2016-things-undone/83991484/  Rivers of Alabama Day  Rivers of Alabama Day: Tuesday April 12th

4. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Rivers of Alabama Day – Tuesday April 12

5. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Budget  “Live within their means”  Budget chairs: Sen Trip Pittman (R-Montrose), Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark)  Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)  $154 M budget comprised of Trust Funds, EPA grants, and Permit Fees (Budget hearing Feb. 3 rd )  2015 budget essentially eliminated General Fund contributions  2016 Maintained low contributions from General Fund  $400K allocated for CAFO (only industry being subsidized)  Going Forward: Advocate for restoration of General Fund $  State Parks  Constitutional Amendment for State Park Funding

6. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Water Policy  Water Committee: March 15, 2016  Water Resources Assessments  2016 budget: $750K (down from $1M)  Projected Completion: January 2017 – no real interface with AWAWG Focus Panels  SB367

7. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender State Parks – SB260  “calls for a vote on a constitutional amendment to protect state parks’ funding. If voters approve this constitutional amendment in November it will put an end to the practice of administrative transfers, which the legislature used in the past to take money earned by state parks and move it to the General Fund to be spent elsewhere.”  https://conservationalabama.wordpress.com/ Alaparks.com

8. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender BP  “Alabama lawmakers face a decision on how the state should use a $1 billion settlement with BP for economic damages from the 2010 oil spill.” http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/ billion_dollar_question_how_sh.html  Roads, Medicaid, ETF dept?  Environment? Al.com

9. Upcoming Events  Alabama Water Rally – Friday, May 19: Mobile  National River Rally – May 19 – 23  #DefendRivers Paddle – Saturday July 9: Montgomery presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Al.com visittheusa.com

10. presented by Mitch Reid | Program Director | Alabama Rivers Alliance | mreid@alabamarivers.org | @RiverDefender Opportunities and Resources  Connect:  Facebook: Alabama.Rivers  Twitter: @AlabamaRivers  Follow the issues:  Alabama Rivers Alliance (www.alabamarivers.org)www.alabamarivers.org  Conservation Alabama (www.conservationalabama.org)www.conservationalabama.org  Alabama Arise Citizens Policy Project Daily News Digest (http://arisecitizens.org/index.php/daily-news)http://arisecitizens.org/index.php/daily-news  Find Your Legislature:  http://capwiz.com/state-al/home/ http://capwiz.com/state-al/home/  Contact your legislator:  http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51113/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=13616 http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51113/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=13616