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Focuses on the wildlife habitat program of Unimin Specialty Minerals which concentrates on the protection of endangered bats at the Unimin mine site in Illinois. Significance of the program to its community relations plan; Comments from Rick Fox, safety, health and quality supervisor at the Unimin site, on the habitation of the bats in the mining site; Partners of Unimin in the program; Reason for the attraction of the bats to the site. INSET: The Wildlife Habitat Council.

The article reports on the completion of the habitat conservation project of family-owned material supplier and engineering contractor Graniterock. The ten years of successful implementation of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) developed by Graniterock was examined by biological regulators in March 2007. The regulators found that the population of the red-legged frog is flourishing at the Graniterock site in the midst of a successful quarry operation.

The article reports that Lehigh Hanson Inc.'s Hanson Aggregates Marlboro Sand & Gravel site in Bennettsville, South Carolina, has donated 200 acres of reclaimed mining property to Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. Carolina Waterfowl Rescue provides care to more than 1,000 birds a year covering close to 40 different wild bird species. The donated property will be used to provide a natural and controlled habitat, called a rookery, to rehabilitate injured waterfowl.

The article informs that Vulcan Materials Co.'s Grandin Sand Plant located in Melrose, Florida, has received Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Conservation Certification for managing a 14.4-acre on-site rookery. Topics discussed include the views of Margaret O'Gorman, president at WHC, on Grandin Sand Plant, the views of Traci Johns, a Vulcan environmental specialist, on environmental stewards, and the views of Laura Berkelman, president at Santa Fe Audubon Society Inc., on the same.

The article offers information on the certification received by Vulcan Materials Co. from the U.S. Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)for its efforts to protect and monitor the wildlife and habitat restoration projects at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve in Alabama. Topics discussed include the WHC certification received by Vulcan at quarries in North Carolina, the views of Vulcan's Ruffner Project Manager Bill Ledbetter on it, and the efforts of Wildlife Habitat Council for wildlife conservation.

The article focuses on the effort of Unimin to protect the endangered species that have been living in the abandoned underground mines in Illinois. The last time the mines were surveyed, 43,000 bats were counted. Feldhamer says that the bat population on the Unimin property is increasing, even though the world bat population continues to decrease. Aside from the bats, the site also houses endangered timber rattle snakes, as well as the alligator snapping turtle.

The article focuses on the certifications earned by five sites of Cemex USA from the Wildlife Habitat Council for land conservation projects and superior management of wildlife enhancement. It mentions Cemex USA cement-manufacturing sites including the FEC Quarry, Brooksville Quarry and 474 Sand Mine. It also notes Cemex USA sites featuring Environmental Education Centers, wildlife management programs and native biodiversity protection.

The article focuses on the top 10 list released by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) which cites several places in southern U.S. that face immediate and potentially irreversible damage in 2011. The list shows the most urgent environmental issues in the region, with particular focus on the way people produce and use energy. Some of the places included in the list are Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, Santee River Basin in South Carolina, and Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.

The article focuses on the move by congressional Democrats and environmental groups to overturn the Endangered Species Act enacted under the past administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. It says that the regulation eliminates the requirement that federal wildlife agencies be consulted on development projects for an evaluation of their effects on the habitat of wildlife species. It is noted that congressional Democrats will invoke the Congressional Review Act which allows them to review and change a regulation that has been passed.

This article states that Vulcan Material's 115 Quarry in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina has received a Wildlife and Industry Togetgher site by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. The certification is a recognition of Vulcan Material's stewardship and its work toward creating a valuable wildlife habitat. The certification is a program designed to foster public awareness and participation in conservation and wildlife restoration.

The article presents news briefs on environmental issues in the mineral industry in the U.S. Environmental groups are pressing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to reform the Endangered Species Act. GAO was asked by U.S. Senator James Jeffords and his group to investigate the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to revive the Toxic Release Inventory reporting requirements. The EPA is studying the reusability of decontaminated river and harbor sediments in construction-grade cement, lightweight aggregate, composite bricks and structural fill.

Presents the results of a study on the recovery of endangered or threatened species in the U.S. Correlation between progress in species recovery and the amount of public expenditure on recovery; Criticism of House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) on the Endangered Species Act.

Reports on the issuance of a draft analysis of the economic impacts of designating critical-habitat units along the coast of California, Oregon and Washington to protect the western snowy plover by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cost imposed by the designation on gravel operations; Estimated mining company sales affected by plover conservation activities.