| In these times when states are suffering extreme | | | | monitoring and enforcement actions needed to ensure |
| downward pressure on budgets and spending, how is | | | | that our air, water, and land--and our bodies--are |
| our environment making out? Did it suffer cuts right | | | | protected from environmental toxins. Even more |
| along with the Program to Assist Millionaires Become | | | | troublesome are elected officials who have a weak |
| Billionaires? Are important environmental projects being | | | | commitment to the environment. The back-room deals |
| dropped from the budget along with luxury items like | | | | cut in your governor's mansion, your statehouse, and |
| the statehouse's new Gold-Plated Enforcement | | | | your county council chambers can have a great |
| Gavel?And why is the issue of environmental | | | | impact on the environment.STATE-BY-STATE |
| protection relevant at the state level? Doesn't the US | | | | ENVIRONMENTAL VOTING GUIDESWhat have |
| Environmental Protection Agency handle all that stuff? | | | | YOUR elected local officials been doing to (or for) |
| This article answers these questions and provides | | | | your state and county environmental agencies, and |
| smart-voting tools for you to help ensure your | | | | how have they voted on environmental issues in |
| surroundings remain green and | | | | general? Did your state legislators fund the widening of |
| healthful.ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AT THE | | | | the Porkbarrel Parkway while downsizing your state's |
| STATE LEVELWhile the US Environmental Protection | | | | Department of Natural Resources? Find out! Grinning |
| Agency garners much of the media attention when it | | | | Planet has compiled a list of the best available |
| comes to environmental enforcement, it is actually the | | | | environmental voting guides for all 50 US states. Find it |
| states that are carrying most of the load:75% of the | | | | at along with some other helpful voting tools.Also, don't |
| federal programs that can be delegated to states | | | | forget about your county elections. Many important |
| have been delegated;90% of environmental | | | | issues, such as land use and recycling programs, are |
| enforcement actions are taken by the states;94% of | | | | usually decided at the county level. The state-level |
| the data in EPA databases came from the states.In | | | | organizations we list sometimes feature links to related |
| 2003, states were only spending 1.4% of their budget | | | | county or regional groups. You can also check with |
| on environment and natural resources--an all-time low, | | | | your local chapter of the Sierra Club ( to see if they |
| according to Resources for the Future ( resources at | | | | have a county-level voting guide. |
| the state and local levels can cut the heart out of the | | | | |