ESRI Conservation Program Resources:

Environmental Justice & Law

(ECP and CTSP members, sites of interest for mapping/GIS, scholarly papers and ESRI Conference Proceedings, and sites with public conservation and GIS data for downloading) (Under Construction)

(Legend: CTSP sites are coded "c" plus the year of the grant, (cs=software, cm=mac), ECP grantees are coded "e". Many groups, especially newer grantees, do not yet have their own sites and are colored green. Other new groups may be described or supported by other sites)

ABA Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law . (American Bar Association Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law, 750 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL. 60611 Phone: 312/988-5625 email: mailto:sonreel@abanet.org) .The mission of the Section of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law is to be the national forum for lawyers working in areas affecting natural resources, energy and the environment, committed to providing member and public services to enhance professional skills, development, and dialogue." Don't miss the Publications Catalog, covering Brownfields, NEPA, Resources Law, Environmental Crimes, and many others. Don't Miss: The Natural Resources Law Manual ed. by Richard Fink ."a first-stop research tool, presenting discussions of the most important issues in the major areas of resources law. Eight parts (33 chapters) cover key areas such as: Wetlands and coastal resources, Marine resources, Forest resources, Mineral and energy resources, Wildlife resources, Water resources, Federal public lands resources, Native American resources "

Alaska Conservation Foundation, Alaska Community Action on Toxics Ak c98 . (135 Christensen Drive, Suite 100, Anchorage Alaska 99501 Tel:(907) 222-7714 fax:(907) 222-7715 email:acat@akcf.org OR mailto:info@AKAction.net GIS contact: Pamela Miller) "Alaska Community Action on Toxics works with Alaskan communities to build effective networks to expose and eliminate the sources of toxic pollution that threaten environmental and human health. ACAT serves as a catalyst for affected communities by providing investigative research, advocacy, and training. ONLINE GIS INTERACTIVE MAPPING PROGRAM: "The goals of the project are to 1) conduct an investigative computer mapping project using GIS in partnership with Native and other affected communities throughout Alaska to determine the nature and extent of toxic sites from military, oil and gas, mining and other industrial activities; and 2) address toxic pollution problems through advocacy as well as technical and legal support. Alaska's poor and Native communities are suffering the brunt of radioactive and toxic waste disposal by the military and industrial activities. " Achievements: "Developed the only comprehensive GIS computer mapping program of toxic sites in Alaska. This database produces maps that identify and provide information on the nature and extent of environmental contamination. Information was integrated from the State of Alaska, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and local sources to map over 2,000 toxic sites. The GIS maps detail the sites with potential for toxic exposure to humans; chemical weapons, radioactive waste, and Superfund sites; priority toxic waste sites; military sites; and region-specific maps. Current maps show approximately 2,000 toxic waste sites in Alaska, including nearly 600 military toxics sites, 547 sites with potential exposure to humans through drinking water, 15 radioactive waste sites, at least 9 chemical weapons dumps, and 17 sites where there is documented evidence of death or stress to fish or wildlife from the presence of hazardous substances. "

American Resources Information Network (ARIN) (tel:1-800-846-2746) is a cooperative project of public interest groups at the national, state and local level -- including land use planning, health and safety, historic and cultural preservation, labor, civil rights, conservation, and good government organizations -- working for the planning and protection of America's valuable resources...ARIN was organized to allow its members to respond more effectively to the increasing backlash against health and safety planning and protection legislation, in the form of "takings" proposals. ARIN educates the public about the "takings" threat and organizes opposition to "takings" bills, amendments, and referenda on the federal and state levels.

Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Oakland CA c97 . (1221 Preservation Parkway, Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510/834-8920; fax: 510/834-8926; email: apen@igc.apc.org) . "APEN's mission is to unify and empower the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to achieve multicultural environmental justice. Our projects are regionally based, but staff serve on national environmental justice committees. Please contact APEN to learn more about our current projects." see . The Environmental Justice Issues of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States .

California Environmental Resources Evaluation System Environmental Law . (1416 Ninth St. Suite 1311, Sacramento, CA, 95814, tel:(916) 654-9990 Director: Gary Darling, Phone 916-653-4279 email mailto:gary@ceres.ca.gov) Resources on California & Federal Environmental Law and Policy and online environmental law resources . Dont miss: Environmental Impact Assessment Law , Land Use Law .

Californians for Pesticide Reform cm97 . (450 Geary Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94102 tel:(415) 292-1486 email: info@pesticidewatch.org . Contact: Martin Bourque, head of CPR Research Task Force) See their Pesticide Watch site: "Californians for Pesticide Reform is a coalition of more than 120 public health, consumer, environmental, sustainable agriculture, labor and rural assistance public interest organizations. Our goals are to expand the public's right to know about pesticide use and abuse, reduce that use and promote safer, ecologically sound agricultural and urban pest management...We provide the tools that individuals and community groups need to eliminate pesticide use in their own communities" Their California Pesticide Use Maps show patterns of pesticide use across California .

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) .(1367 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite #300, Washington, DC 20036, Phone: (202) 785-8700, Fax: (202) 785-8701, E-mail: cielus@igc.apc.org) "CIEL is a public interest not-for-profit environmental law firm that deals with the issues of global commons, biodiversity and wildlife, international financial institutions, trade and the environment, and policy analysis and capacity building...CIEL's program areas include Global Commons, Biodiversity and Wildlife, Trade and Environment, International Financial Insitutions, and Policy Analysis and Capacity Building. CIEL's work covers more than 60 countries on six continents, with emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States, and Asia."

Center for Neighborhood Technology Chicago IL C97 . (2125 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647, tel:(773) 278-4800 email: info@cnt.org . GIS Contact: Ignacio Correa-Ortiz Sustainable Calumet Project Manager (773)278-4800 ext. 120 email:ico@cnt.org) "To promote public policies, new resources and accountable authority which support sustainable, just and vital urban communities." Don't miss their interactive ESRI IMS server project: Sustainable Calumet Project : "The project builds on nearly a decade of involvement the Center has had in the region, including work with local groups on brownfield restoration, conservation of wetlands, opposition to large-scale public works projects and the development of cutting-edge strategies which can capitalize on the region's unique assets. " Location Efficient Mortgage (LEM) project: "In the spring of 1996, a research team formed by three non-profit organizations (Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) in Chicago, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in San Francisco, and the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) in Washington, DC) began work on an innovative new mortgage product called the Location Efficient Mortgage ® (LEM). The LEM would enable home buyers in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles (the three initial test markets) to shift a portion of the savings from increased transportation efficiency to housing... The LEM Partnership is also finalizing work on Geographical Information System (GIS) models for Los Angeles and San Francisco and plans for Fannie Mae sponsored market tests of the LEM in these major metro areas are moving forward as well."

The Center for Study of Responsive Law, Wash DC e92 . (P.O. Box 19367, Washington, D.C. 20009-1076 tel:202.387.8030 fax:202.234.5176 email:csrl@CSRL.org) "The Center for Study of Responsive Law is a nonprofit Ralph Nader organization that supports and conducts a wide variety of research and educational projects to encourage the political, economic and social institutions of this country to be more aware of the needs of the citizen-consumer." See Also Essential Information. Don't miss Consumer Project on Technology, and the Resource Conservation Alliance . "The mission of the Resource Conservation Alliance is to protect natural forests and other ecologically important systems through market- and commodity-based conservation strategies."

Citizens for a Better Environment c98 . (407 South Dearborn Suite 1775 Chicago, Illinois 60605 tel:312.939.1530 fax:312.939.2536 email:ilcbe@cbemw.org GIS contact: Scott Sederstrom email:cbes@igc.org and Patrick Hamblin, Staff Scientist ) "Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE) is a 26 year old midwest based not-for-profit group which focuses primarily on addressing urban industrial environmental issues. We serve approximately 25,000 members and have 200,000 contributors....CBE makes frequent use of publicly available databases, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and Atmospheric Information Retrieval System (AIRS), to develop community profiles to provide residents information about nearby facilities....CBE began to organize TRI data on releases and off-site shipments of toxic chemicals by the zip codes that comprise Chicago and contracted mapping services to prepare and print the maps. We found that these maps were a valuable educational tool in demonstrating the increased toxic burden on communities of color, and the maps have been updated as more recent TRI data has become available. "

The Clean Air Conservancy Oh c98 . ( 3130 Mayfield Road GE012 , Cleveland Heights, Ohio44118 Phone:216.932.8999 Fax: 216.932.8998 email:cleanair@EBNI.com ) "The Clean Air Conservancy has as its mission to find and develop market based tools to lead to swift and low-cost clean up of the air. We have been the only not-for-profit organization to maintain a continuing presence in the development and operation of air pollution markets. To date the Conservancy as prevented over $5,000,000 worth of habitat and health damage through individual pollution retirements. "

Commission for Environmental Cooperation . (393 rue St-Jacques Ouest, bureau 200, Montréal (Québec) H2Y 1N9 Canada . Tel: (514) 350-4300 Fax: (514) 350-4314 email: mailto:msilva@ccemtl.org ) "The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was created by the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to enhance regional cooperation, prevent potential environmental and trade disputes and promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement, signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States, complements the environmental provisions established in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)...Law Infobase : The summary is also designed to serve as a research tool for any person or organization interested in the environmental legislation of the three countries. Hotlinks : International , NAFTA , Borderlands & Transboundary."

The Community Builders, Inc. Ma e98 . (95 Berkeley Street Suite 500, Boston, MA 02116 tel:617-695-9595 fax:617-695-9805 GIS Contact: Peter Nicol email:petern@tcbinc.org) "The mission of The Community Builders is to build and sustain strong communities where people of all incomes can achieve their full potential. We do this by developing, financing, and operating high quality affordable housing, by coordinating access to support services, and by planning and implementing other community and economic development initiatives critical to the communities we serve." GIS PROGRAM: "DEMOGRAPHIC MAPPING As can be seen in the following map, the urban neighborhoods in which we work are often marked by extreme concentrations of poverty when we begin. We address the poverty of a neighborhood by providing job training and supportive services for existing residents to increase their incomes and by building high-quality housing to attract new households with a range of incomes. Typically, we seek an income mix of approximately 1/3 low-income, 1/3 moderate-income, and 1/3 market rate households for our neighborhood-scale projects. The following map shows the high rate of poverty in Cincinnati¢s West End before revitalization has begun....IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY AND CIVIC RESOURCES The Community Builders, Inc. uses a multi-faceted approach to redevelopment that simultaneously addresses the physical, social, and economic needs of a neighborhood. A comprehensive education, job training, and supportive service program for local residents is a critical part of this strategy. The first step in developing such a program is to identify the existing educational and civic resources of a neighborhood. Once we identify existing resources, we can work with local service providers to strengthen their programs, to develop networks of other non-profit agencies, and to develop new programs to fill unmet needs. The map that follows shows the community and civic resources in Cincinnati's West End neighborhood prior to the start of a redevelopment program.

Community University Consortium for Regional Environmental Justice (CUCREJ), Ny c98 . (360 Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., 7th Floor Newark, NJ 07102 973/353-5093 x33 fax 973/353-5907 kharod@rci.rutgers.edu ) "CUCREJ was formed in 1995. The region's EJ organizations and universities do a wide variety of work relevant to protecting the environment and to reducing environmental inequities. Although a few networks and alliances have arisen among and between them, CUCREJ is the first comprehensive effort to share information and to do research across the region. CUCREJ partners deal with a broad range of environmental concerns, work with local K-12 schools, and further serve as a resource to smaller community-based and EJ organizations within their communities " GIS STATUS: "Over the past year, CUCREJ established an EJ website (www.cucrej.rutgers.edu) with a pilot "Web-GIS". The Web-GIS's goal is to provide a simplified form of GIS for partners' organizing and community-based enforcement efforts. The pilot has focused on implementing a community-friendly mapping system for TRI, air pollution data, and race/class socioeconomic data in Newark's Ironbound community. This pilot has utilized ArcInfo and a variety of Web-based data management tools to provide our partners with a neighborhood view of environmental conditions in their community." See their Online Ironbound Maps . See also: "A Manual to Community Risk Assessment Mapping and GIS (Ironbound Group) (by Susan Lim (sl146@cornell.edu) Christine O’Connell (cao6@cornell.edu) Ernst Valery (ev19@cornell.edu) Wipas Wimonsate (ww40@cornell.edu) Sam Zimmerman-Bergman (sdz1@cornell.edu)): "...After completing the paper maps of the toxic tour and organizing the information from the community risk mapping session, the next step was to get the information into electronic form. In transferring the data, we limited ourselves to publicly available data. We also added demographic information to the community-based concerns from the risk mapping session. These conditions meant that we had to acquire data from a variety of sources. After searching the Internet for available information, we settled on the following sources...We found that the ESRI web site had the most comprehensive publicly available demographic and base mapping information. In order to download information, first-time users must register with a valid e-mail account (registration is free)...." The rest of the manual provides the specific techniqes they used to analyze the data and prepare the maps for web publication . See also New York City Environmental Justice Alliance entry

Democracy Resource Center ; (253 Regency Circle, Suite A, Lexington, Kentucky 40503 Phone numbers: (606) 278-8644, (606) 276-0563, 1-800-647-0060, Fax number: 606-276-0774 email: info@kydrc.org) The Democracy Resource Center helps citizens and grassroots groups participate meaningfully in public decision-making and makes government more democratic. Check out their handbook Citizen Power: "In nine true stories, Citizen Power tells the struggles, adventures, and life-changing experiences of ordinary citizens in rural Kentucky fighting to protect the health of their families and communities. " (affiliated with MACED, see below)

Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund, Denver CO c97 . (180 Montgomery Street, Suite 1400, San Francisco, CA 94104-4209 Info line 1-800-584-6460, Phone: (415) 627-6700 Fax: (415) 627-6740 Email: eajus@earthjustice.org ) "Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, is the law firm for the environment. For more than a quarter century, the Legal Defense Fund has represented hundreds of environmental clients, large and small, without charge." Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Washington, D.C., Denver, Seattle, Honolulu, Juneau, Montana, Florida, New Orleans, and Tallahassee. Don't miss their extensive Docket List describing the multitude of cases they have undertaken.

Earthlaw . (University of Denver - Forbes House, 1714 Poplar Street, Denver, CO 80220 tel:1-303-871-6996 email: earthlaw@earthlaw.org ) "Earthlaw is a public interest, environmental law group founded in 1993 by a group of environmental lawyers committed to the West and to using the unique skills of the legal profession to address the West's environmental problems. Earthlaw was created to use the power of the law and of lawyers to protect the ecosystems and the people of the West. (And we do it for free). Don't miss: Earthlaw Students Protect Florida's Coast (and Help Sea Turtles and Manatees!) . There's One Less Species In Channel Islands National Park -- And It's A Darn Good Thing Too! . "I am pleased to report that we have helped preserve what may be the biologically richest spot in the country -- Channel Islands National Park....On the hardest hit island, Santa Rosa, cattle grazing has eliminated riparian areas, increased soil erosion six-fold, destroyed Chumash Indian burial sites, and trampled nests of the endangered snowy plover...When years of informally trying to convince the Park Service to protect the Park failed, Earthlaw attorney Neil Levine sued on behalf of the National Parks and Conservation Association. After four years of litigation, we finally reached agreement on a consent order that will protect the Park. The order requires the Park Service to remove all cattle from Santa Rosa Island by the end of 1998." . The Owl That Saved The Southwest's Forests . "For the last three years the Mexican Spotted Owl has been our best ally in the battle to save the Southwest's ancient forests...In 1989, Dr. Robin Silver first sought to have the Owl and its habitat protected under the Endangered Species Act." . The Earthlaw Training Clinic . "Each student in the Earthlaw Environmental Law Clinic has primary responsibility for at least one case. On this case, an Earthlaw staff attorney supervises the student's work, but the student plays the primary role in client contact, research, and preparing court documents. Each student also works on one or more complex matters, supporting the clinic's attorneys." . Dont Miss: Earthlaw Tools! Change things! Below are many resources to use -- including form letters, sample NAFTA petitions, and E-mail addresses for Congress, President, and many newspapers. Or go to Things to Do to get heard today!

The EcoJustice Network . (c/o Assn. for Progressive Communications, Presidio Building, 1012 Torney Avenue, P.O. Box 29904, San Francisco, CA 94129 USA Tel: +1 415 561 6100 Fax: +1 415 561 6101 E-mail:apcadmin@apc.org Training contact: Alair MacLean, (415) 561-6100, ext. 127. email: mailto:ntangri@econet.apc.org ) "The EcoJustice Network addresses environmental issues facing communities of color in the United States. Don't miss their Online Maps of Toxic Release Inventory data for 7 states: (Louisiana Michigan North Carolina New Jersey Ohio Tennesee Texas ) also the People of Color Environmental Groups Directory & Online Maps . "This map illustrates the location of groups working for environmental justice throughout the continent."

Empowerment, Marginalization And Public Participation GIS . (project of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), see under ECP academia)

Environmental Background Information Center, Pa e98 . (204 E. Calder Way, Suite #305 State College, PA 16801 tel:814-867-7341 E-Mail: ebic@envirolink.org Gis contact: Brian Lipsett, Dina El-Mogazi ) "EBIC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 for the purpose of conducting strategic background investigations into the environmental records of corporations. We conduct this research free of charge for grassroots community groups, individual activists, larger environmental organizations, journalists, local officials, and others. To help people put this information to work, we also assist with the development of strategies for the most effective use of information, and facilitate networking among grassroots groups. " GIS PROJECTS: 1. Geographic/demographic analysis of the neighborhoods surrounding a proposed medical waste disposal facility in Harrisburg, PA. 2. Geographic/demographic analysis of the communities surrounding Eastman Kodak Co., New York State's largest releaser of toxic chemicals. 3. Geographic/demographic analysis of the Acmar landfill, an illegally-operated waste dump located in the watershed of the water supply for Birmingham, Alabama. 4. Geographic/demographic analysis of the communities adjacent to several industrial facilities in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana. . The first four projects involved the compilation of maps showing physical features, political boundaries, census information, and other features such as churches, schools, hospitals, and industrial facilities regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The biggest challenges we faced were finding the appropriate data, learning to draw data from several different sources, and making the data work together in one project." Don't Miss: Online Activist Resources: "We're developing materials of interest to grassroots environmental activists for this web site. Includes: EBIC's Generic Strategy Guide - "Look here for basic tips on how to use information about corporations as part of your campaign to protect the health and safety of your community." EBIC's Court Research Guide, Proxies for People, EBIC's Guide to Understanding Corporate Research. Don't miss their Online GIS for Environmental Justice Tutorial: "EBIC's Guide to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)" by Dina El-Mogazi .

Environmental Health Coalition Ca e98 . (1717 Kettner Blvd, Suite 100 / San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: 619-235-0281 ~ FAX: 619-232 3670 e-mail: TraciG@environmentalhealth.org) "a grassroots, non-profit environmental justice organization, based in San Diego that is dedicated to the prevention and cleanup of toxic pollution threatening our health, our communities and our environment. We monitor government and industry actions that cause pollution, educate communities about toxics use reduction and empower the community to join our cause. " GIS NEWS: "Since 1987, EHC has been using mapping as a means to educate the community and elected officials about the disproportionate toxic burden borne by San Diego's low income communities of color, such as Barrio Logan. EHC has also been at the forefront of using community right-to-know data, having drafted and successfully advocated for San Diego County's right-to-know law in the early 1980s . The County's reporting requirements are much more extensive than those required under the federal TRI laws. The mapping started out crudely, simply marking the location of businesses using or storing large quantities of hazardous materials or showing impact-radii around a particularly hazardous business. The mapping became more complex with overlays of cancer isopleths resulting from toxic air emissions from various industries, of plumes of impact from various accident scenarios (created from Aloha, a program designed for emergency planning), and adding toxic hot spots in San Diego Bay. Other maps showed the 15 communities in San Diego County with the highest concentrations of toxic and hazardous materials. All of the maps have been successful--for example, there is some gut level acknowledgment of the unfairness of the situation when people compare the toxics map of Barrio Logan to what they know about their own community. For the residents of Barrio Logan, there is an awakening--they may have sensed that their community was polluted, but seeing the layer upon layer of pollution sources generally makes them mad--and willing to work for change. "

Environmental Justice Information Page .(email jrajzer@umich.edu) "This site has been developed as a project for the School of Natural Resources and Environment class "Ecological Issues" at the University of Michigan. The purpose is to supply information to students and the general public about Environmental Justice and about some of the current topics. This site has been put together by Julie Rajzer, Amelia Vanvoorthuysen, James Hefferan, Shanna Singh, and Jaime Feder."

Ecology Law Quarterly . (University of California Press Journals, 2120 Berkeley Way #5812, Berkeley, CA 94720-5812 tel:(510) 642-0457 FAX:510-642-9917) "One of the most respected and widely-read journals on environmental law and policy, Ecology Law Quarterly provides fresh insights and analysis from leading authors on critical environmental affairs. Synthesizing legal and technical matters, ELQ's articles are cited frequently in court opinions, by legal institutions, and by attorneys.

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW) . (Secretariat: 1877 Garden Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403, USA Phone: +1 541 687-8454 Fax: +1 541 687-0535 e-mail: elawus@elaw.org) "Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW) is an international network of public interest attorneys, scientists, and other advocates sharing expertise and legal and scientific information across borders in defense of the environment. see especially their: Environmental Law Around the World, page of hundreds of searchable links. also Elaw Update: searchable online newsletter ."

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI, 1616 P St., NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036 tel:(202) 939-3800 email:mailto:widholm@eli.org) "ELI has played a pivotal role in shaping environmental law, policy, and management, domestically and abroad for more than a quarter century. Today, ELI is an internationally recognized, independent research and education center. This site contains information about the Institute and its resources and programs. "

Environmental Working Group (1718 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20009 tel:(202) 667-6982 fax:(202) 232-2592 email:info@ewg.org) is a nonprofit environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. EWG's goal is to provide the public with new, locally relevant information on environmental issues in their own states, home towns and neighborhoods. EWG specializes in developing and analyzing large, computerized databases of environmental and economic information...Where You Live. is a national geographically based linker to environmental action resources down to the county level." . Above the Law: "A first-ever analysis of newly available government records shows that over a third of large industrial corporations have violated the Clean Air Act (CAA), the nation's cornerstone air pollution law, in the past two years." CLEAR, Environmental Working Group's Clearinghouse on Environmental Advocacy and Research," tracks the industry-supported backlash against the environmental movement."

Essential Information, Wash DC e93 . (PO Box 19405 Washington, DC 20036 USA 202-387-8030 email:mailto:EI@Essential.ORG) "Essential Information uses GIS as a tool for advocacy purposes. We use GIS to analyze a variety of databases highlighting patterns of discrimination. We believe that consumer and advocacy groups need to utilize technological tools to advance their purpose. ...Essential Information uses GIS as a tool for advocacy purposes. We use GIS to analyze a variety of databases highlighting patterns of discrimination. We believe that consumer and advocacy groups need to utilize technological tools to advance their purpose. Our GIS project is one component of this effort. This project would not be possible without the help of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), a leading GIS software maker. ESRI has been instrumental in encouraging the non-profit community to embrace this very useful technology. For a sample of our maps, click on one of the following: Banking/Fair Lending, Crime, Demographics, Congressional Districts , Environment.."see also The Center for Study of Responsive Law .

European Environmental Law, Universiteit Maastricht . (contact: Wybe Th. Douma E-mail: W.T.Douma@asser.nl - Fax Number: +31-70-3420359 - Phone Number: +31-70-3420368 Mail: T.M.C. Asser Institute, P.O. Box 30461, 2500 GL Den Haag, The Netherlands ) "The site contains full text documents (cases and legislation) on European Community Environmental Law."

Food First; Institute for Food & Development Policy, Oakland CA cm97 . (Food First, 398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618 USA Tel: 510-654-4400 or 800-274-7826, Fax: 510-654-4551 Email: foodfirst@foodfirst.org GIS contact: Martin Bourque) "Food First empowers citizens to address the root causes of hunger, poverty and environmental decline. Our research and educational materials reveal how anti-democratic institutions and belief systems promote hunger and environmental deterioration." Don't miss: Africa: "The alternatives exist to produce ample food without poisons; agroecology is the science that shows us the way. Food First and Board Member Miguel Altieri of the University of California at Berkeley co-sponsored a two-week international agroecology course in June 1997, attended by 39 practitioners from 11 countries, who gave it excellent reviews." Don't miss Pesticide Watch Program .

Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest, Ga, c98 . (264 North Jackson Street, Athens, Georgia 30601 U.S.A. tel:706 546 9008 fax:706 546 6481 email:gclpi@negia.net ) "The GCLPI for Law in the Public Interest (GCLPI) is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) public interest law center organized in 1992 for the purpose of advancing the public interest, including providing representation for members of the public on issues of common concern.... Led by the GCLPI, a coalition of national and Georgia environmental organizations and the United States Environmental Protection Agency settled a lawsuit filed by the environmental groups to force EPA to clean up Georgia's most heavily polluted waters. "

Greenpeace Alaska (see under Alaska Conservation Foundation, ECP Envir. Justice)

Indiana University School of Law Virtual Library Links : Environmental Law .(211 South Indiana Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, tel(812) 855-4765 . contact Juliet Casper Smith email: jcsmith@law.indiana.edu) "The World Wide Web Virtual Library is a project developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (aka W3). Information in the Virtual Libraries is categorized by subject. "

The Journal of Environmental Law, Contents and Abstracts of Current Issues: (c/o Journals Production, Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, United Kingdom. email: mailto:jnl.info@oup.co.uk) . "presents major articles, a Case Law section covering a selection of recent cases, and annual European Case Law section, plus major book review and material sections.

Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, Florida State University College of Law : (Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, FSU College of Law, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4027 tel:(850) 644-4240 editor: mailto:ewilliam@law.fsu.edu) Recent downloadable articles include: Owning the Land: Four Contemporary Narratives . Coastal Protection of Sea Turtles in Florida . Recent Developments in Land Use and Environmental Law .

Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853; fax:607-255-7193 Director tel:607-255-4619 General tel:607-255-1221 email:martin@lii.law.cornell.edu or trb2@cornell.edu )" LII is a research and electronic publishing activity of the Cornell Law School, founded in 1992 by co-directors Thomas R. Bruce and Peter W. Martin. see the Property, Natural Resources, the Environment Legal Materials Section .

Marine Law Institute, University of Maine School of Law .(University of Maine School of Law 246 Deering Avenue Portland, Maine 04102 (207) 780-4474 FAX (207) 780-4913 E-mail BBSMITH@payson.usmacs.maine.edu. ) "The Marine Law Institute is a center for law and policy studies on marine resources and publishes the Ocean and Coastal Law Journal. "

Metropolitan Area Council of Black Churches, Il c99 (10105 S. Wallace, Chicago, IL 60628 . or. 10056 South Parnell Avenue, Chicago, IL 60628 tel:(773) 298-1760 fax:(773) 298-1762 email:Macbc9341@aol.com GIS Contact: Johnny White ) "Our project focuses primarily upon the mapping and remediation of approximately 45 abandoned gasoline station properties in the 21 predominantly African American Wards encompassing our southeastern Chicago community. The U.S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks is working with the EPA's Brownfields Initiative to maintain an information database on abandoned gasoline stations (see Supplementary Materials 2). We will use EPA data and U.S. Census data, along with site street addresses obtained through our on-going meetings with various oil companies, in order to develop a GIS mapping strategy to be used as the basis for our community-level brownfields redevelopment mission. We are also in the process of establishing a strategy for using U.S. Census data to spatially analyze the socioeconomic impacts upon our neighborhoods posed by these many defunct properties."

Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Minneapolis MN c96 .(Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, 2414 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 . Phone: 612-627-4035 Fax: 612-627-4050 Email: mpirg@computerpro.com) "MPIRG is a nonprofit organization founded, funded and directed by college and university students from throughout Minnesota. It is also a leading advocacy group on issues of the environment, consumers and social and economic rights. "

The National Association of Environmental Law Societies, Indiana University . (Environmental Law Society, Indiana University School of Law, 211 South Indiana Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, tel(812) 855-4765 , els@indiana.edu. ...To "Promote the awareness of environmental issues among the general public, the law community, and particularly, the law school community, and to increase involvement in such issues....Foster the study of environmental law through expanded curricula and materials, and to encourage responsibility and activism in the public interest by its practitioners. " see Things you can do to save the environment .

New York City Environmental Justice Alliance Ny c98 . (115 West 30th Street, Room 709, New York, NY 10001 Tel:212 239-8882 Fax 212 239-2838 Email:nyceja@aol.com Gis contact: Leslie Lowe , Dr. Michel Gelobter ) "NYCEJA was organized in 1991 following the First National People of Color Summit. Its mission is to combat environmental racism through advocacy on behalf of low-income neighborhoods and communities of color that are disproportionately affected by adverse environmental and health impacts of public policy and actions. NYCEJA is a citywide network of 14 community-based organizations active in all five boroughs of the City. " They are part of: Community University Consortium for Regional Environmental Justice (CUCREJ) .

New York Public Interest Research Group, Community Mapping Assistance Project c98 . (c/o NYPIRG, 9 Murray St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10007-2272 Tel:212-349-6460 FAX:212-349-1366 email:cmap@nypirg.org . GIS contact: Marty DeBenedictis, mdebened@nypirg.org and Steven Romalewski , sr218@columbia.edu) . "The Community Mapping Assistance Project (CMAP) was established in 1997 by the New York Public Interest Research Group Fund, Inc. (NYPIRG) to provide customized computer mapping services to non-profit groups. CMAP’s goal is to enable non-profits to benefit from geographic information systems (GIS) technology without being burdened by its prohibitive cost....Now, through NYPIRG’s service, non-profits can access the power of GIS without having to spend the time and effort to obtain, understand, and use a GIS on their own. CMAP maps an organization’s data, consults with them about the geographic analysis they need, and then provides computer-generated results in the form of maps, graphs, and reports. Our fees are nominal, in order to be affordable to other non-profits while also covering our costs. In some cases, with foundation support, our services are free." GIS NEWS: Supporting Community Groups With Computer Mapping (By the Technology Project): "..Starting in 1994 with one Pentium computer, MapInfo GIS software, and compatible database and spreadsheet programs, organizer Steve Romalewski began to integrate mapping into NYPIRG's advocacy on toxics issues....Along with ongoing support from the Rockefeller Family Fund, a recent grant of GIS equipment and software--including ArcView GIS software and a new Hewlett-Packard computer and plotter--from the Conservation Technology Support Program should allow NYPIRG to conduct even more sophisticated analyses, and to produce larger, more detailed graphics." INTERACTIVE IMS MAP SITE : "One of CMAP's special services for non-profit organizations is to create interactive maps that can be accessed via the Internet. We can put your data on the Web, so your members and others can search by street address, ZIP Code, or other location information. The maps are created dynamically based on the user's input. (powered by ArcView Internet Map Server and MapObjects IMS)" See especially: New York City CouncilFinder :"locate your Council district based on your address, Council district number, or Council member's name. ". also: Playground safety in New York City :"Locate a playground near you, see how safe it is, and read our recommendations for improvement.". Also: . New York's 21 Dirtiest Power Plants :"NYPIRG prepared a report in April 1999, along with several environmental health groups, that highlighted the air pollution problems from New York State's dirtiest coal and oil burning power plants. This map shows the locations of each of these plants, as well as information about the sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from each one" . Don't miss their SAMPLE MAP GALLERY . see: Recent Maps, News and Links .

Pace Virtual Environmental Law Library . (by Robert Goldstein, Pace University School of Law, 78 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603 General tel:(914) 422-4128 email contact: Alta Levat - mailto:alevat@genesis.law.pace.edu ) "The Pace Virtual Environmental Law Links provides organized links to primary legal sources on the "information superhighway." Areas: International Law Index, General Agreements, Antarctica , Seas Fish and Fisheries, Air Pollution Control, Climate Change, Hazardous Substances, Nature and Biodiversity, Impact Assessment ."

People United for a Better Oakland (PUEBLO), Ca e97 . (132 East 12th Street Oakland CA 94606 tel:510.452.2010 fax:510.452.2017 email:peopleunited@igc.org ) "People United for a Better Oakland (PUEBLO) is a multi-ethnic, multi-issue community organization with more than six hundred low to middle income member families from across Oakland. Our mission is to build the capacity of our members to participate in the economic, social, and civic decisions which affect our lives. PUEBLO is affiliated with the Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO). " GIS PROGRESS: "In the spring of 1997, PUEBLO acquired ArcView GIS in order to create a set of GIS maps of East Oakland sites which store, emit, dispose of, or transport toxic or hazardous materials. PUEBLO has more than 400 member families in the area and we have worked on several environmental justice projects in this community. Though nearly 100 years of industrial activity has taken a heavy toll on the predominatly low-income residential communities of East Oakland, little systematic study of the problem of toxics in this area takes place today. With support from gradute students at UC Berkeley and a part-time consulatant, we created an initial set of maps by merging 14 public databases of existing regulatory agencies as well as sites identified through community surveys of more than 500 households. For the first time, residents, public health officials, and policy makers have a comprehensive picture of environmental toxins in the area. No other public, private, or non-profit agency has compiled such information. The system can produce detailed maps according to variables including emission type, potential health risk, and length of potential exposure. New information will be added continuously to the system. We plan to distribute these maps to neighborhood residents, community organizations and other stake holders in the area. The information will assist policy makers in decisions regarding zoning and development and in the allocation of public health resources. Direct service providers can use the information to create new health promotion strategies. Most importantly, residents themselves will have access to vital information about their community and environment. "

Public Interest Research Group .(PIRG) c98 . (218 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 Tel:202-546-9707 - fax:202-546-2461 email:uspirg@pirg.org) "PIRG is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog for the nation's citizens and environment. Our campaigns take us wherever necessary to safeguard the public interest: to Congress, to the courts, to corporate boardrooms, to government agencies and to the news media. With hundreds of thousands of members and a staff of policy specialists, U.S.PIRG combines the expertise of professionals with the power of citizens in defense of clean air and water, strong safeguards for consumers, a free and vigorous democracy, and a way of living today that ensures a better quality of life tomorrow. " Don't miss: Colorado Sprawl Action Center with results from GIS research into consequences of sprawl . also State Map of Dirty Air Days, from the PIRG Clean Air Campaign .

Rural Ulster Preservation Company, Inc. Ny e98 . (289 Fair St, Kingston, NY 12401 tel:(914) 331-2140 fax:(914)331-6217 email:rupco@ulster.net GIS contact: Christine M. Kelly ) "Rural Ulster Preservation Company, Inc. (RUPCO) was organized in 1981 for the purpose of creating housing opportunities for low and moderate income households in Ulster County....The purpose of our GIS program is to graphically document conditions in the Midtown East neighborhood of the City of Kingston. This is a neighborhood that was at one time a stable community, with close proximity to commercial and manufacturing jobs. Kingston, like so many northeastern cities, has seen a dramatic loss in decent-paying manufacturing jobs which once brought so much stability to a neighborhood of this type. The neighborhood exhibits the signs of disinvestment - deteriorated housing, absentee landlords, poor appearance of properties - which require a concerted, coordinated effort of bringing financial resources to the neighborhood in order to preserve it as a healthy and integral section of the city. "

Southern Environmental Law Center Inc.Va c98 . (201 W Main St Suite 14, Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA tel:804-977-4090 email:safc@safc.org GIS Contact: Hugh Irwin ) "The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) received a Basic GIS grant from CTSP in 1995. Through its Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (SAFC) Project, SELC has implemented a GIS-based conservation planning program in the Southern Appalachian region. SAFC is working with numerous grassroots conservation groups to develop conservation plans for core areas of natural habitat in the region and to push for protection and recovery of these areas. SELC/SAFC has built on its 1995 CTSP grant to develop the capabilities and expertise for a strong GIS-based conservation planning program....SELC/SAFC's long term mission includes the development of a network of core biological habitat in the Southern Appalachians. This network of core areas and corridors will support the preservation and recovery of the region's rich biological diversity. Nineteen potential landscape-level core areas centered around public lands have been identified with the aid of grassroots conservation groups throughout the region. Seventeen of these groups are closely allied with SELC/SAFC, sharing its mission and goals. A number of other groups are cooperating on specific conservation projects. The Southern Appalachian Assessment, completed by federal and state agencies in 1996, provided a wealth of GIS data on the region. However, because of its size and complexity, these data were not accessible for most groups. SAFC worked with Dr. Kerry Brooks at Clemson University to process "clipped" GIS coverages from this assessment to make them more usable for our conservation planning purposes and for our grassroots associates. SAFC has produced CD-ROMS containing data sets for each of our 19 conservation areas. We are using these data sets as the basis for development of conservation plans. New data has also been added from ongoing biological inventories, from expert convenings held by SAFC, from special areas identified by grassroots groups, and from our own GIS analysis. Most of our grassroots groups do not have GIS capability. To bring the GIS information to them SAFC has convened numerous individualized workshops with groups throughout the region. We use maps and GIS sessions on computer to get input from grassroots activists. These refinements are incorporated into our conservation planning projects and maps. "

South of Market Foundation, Ca e98 . (965 Mission St, Ste 705, San Francisco, CA 94103 tel:415-512-9676 fax:415-512-9677 email:SoMaFound@aol.com GIS contact: Cheryl Ann Parker ) "The South of Market Foundation (SOMF) is a not-for-profit economic development corporation serving San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. The Foundation's mission is to deliver services to San Francisco's small businesses and to South of Market residents by promoting economic development that creates wealth through long-term and stable employment. ....The South of Market Foundation has used Avenue to develop a GIS-based Affordable Space Locator Service for assisting small businesses to locate and re-locate within the neighborhood. The Foundation would also like to develop a "Neighborhood Buying Cooperative," and a "Neighborhood Job Link," also based on ArcView. These tools aim to strengthen local links within the neighborhood and help the local economy become self-sufficient. We would like to enhance the programs by putting them on the Internet, using the Internet Map Server. " see their Interactive Neighborhood Map .

Union for the Public Domain .(P.O. Box 19405, Washington, DC 20036. John Lederer, Chair mailto: 74020.210@compuserve.com) "Our mission is to protect and enhance the public domain in matters concerning intellectual property."

The Villanova Center for Information Law and Policy (VCILP), (Villanova University School of Law, 299 North Spring Mill Road Villanova, PA 19085 (610) 519-7000) "supported by grants from the National Center for Automated Information Research (NCAIR), is affiliated with Villanova University School of Law and actively cooperates with other interested law schools, and federal, state, and local governments to implement a cooperative distributed system of legal information through the Internet." see Federal Court Locator clickable map .

The West Coast Environmental Law Association (1001 - 207 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1H7 . Toll Free (BC): 1-800-330-WCEL, phone: (604) 684-7378 fax: (604) 684-1312 home page: http://vcn.bc.ca/wcel general email: admin@wcel.org ) "has been operating an environmental law centre in BC since 1974. We provide free legal advice to anyone in the province with environmental concerns. In addition, we advocate legislative reforms to protect the environment and to ensure public participation in environmental decision-making. The West Coast Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund Society (EDRF) is a charitable organization (donations to which are tax creditable). The purpose of the EDRF is to improve the rational resolution of environmental disputes in BC by providing financial assistance to concerned citizens.

Youth Warriors, A Project of the Tides Center, Md c98 (1100 Whitmore Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21216 USA tel:(410) 347-1440/233-0521 fax:(410) 545-7849 email:YOUTHWARRIORS@JUNO.COM GIS Contact: Ms. Lynn Pinder, or David Padgett, Department of Geology and Geography, Austin Peay State University, 601 College Street, Clarksville, Tennessee 37040 (931) 648-7454 or (931) 572-1009 PADGETTD@APSU01.APSU.EDU ) "YOUTH WARRIORS, a project of the Tides Center, is an environmental justice organization that works with local communities in Baltimore's inner-city to educate and mobilize young African Americans around urban environmental education, training, leadership development, and organizing skills. We encourage our young people to be stakeholders in their communities -- loving, respecting, and valuing the worth of themselves and their neighborhoods. We have two main campaigns: 1) the Urban Gardens Initiative, a collaborative with local neighborhood associations to identify vacant lots and convert them into flower gardens, and 2) PROJECT LEAD, a lead poisoning prevention education campaign. "

.

All text by the respective organizations/authors, January 2, 1997

Web layout & design: Charles Convis, ESRI, January 2, 1996