Reporter January/February 2010 Issue #103

LAMAR RETIREES SAVE FIRST ACRE Ten Acres Follow from Individual!

At their meeting on January 12, the the meeting two profs suggested immediately wrote a check for Retirees Associa- that the acre honor their colleague, $10,000 but prefers to remain tion members voted to “Save an the late Dr. Russell Long, who anonymous. That’s going to be Acre” of a 296-acre tract in New- served 17 years on the BTA board Harder than somewhat! But we are ton County with populations of of directors. We second the motion! not surprised. Among our conser- the threatened species Pyramid vation friends there are amazing Magnolia. This was the FIRST acre January 27 the Beaumont Coun- folks who CARE about protecting in a campaign to protect the mag- cil of Garden Clubs endured a our native treasures! nolias. Among the retirees were Powerpoint® presentation by former biology professors William your editor — interrupted with BTA is so profoundly honored by Fitzgerald and Jed Ramsey and numerous glitches. Nevertheless, these gifts. three BTA board members. After a wonderfully generous individual Walkathon For Pyramids

Dallas community college students under the leadership of Dr. Carl Knight are helping to raise funds to protect pyramid magnolias (MAPY). The students have held a benefi t Walkathon, and plan other events.

Aided by grants from the National Science Foundation, Knight en- courages students to become scientists and involves them in research projects. He has been bringing students to the Big Thicket since the 1960s, and the NSF grant has allowed him to enlarge and enhance his work using new technologies. Conversation Outlook

BLACK BEAR MEETINGS Tuesday evening, and Gilbert other area cities did an excellent The East Black Bear Task Adams sponsored the luncheon on job of developing water supply for Force met Dec. 15-16 at the Field Wednesday. the region so that we no longer Research Station in Saratoga. With need additional reservoirs. How- Chair Chris Comer (SFA) presiding, A Black Bear Educators Workshop ever, the potential fl ow of public the Task Force discussed the past will be held Feb. 27, 9:00-12:00 AM money to big public works projects 5-year accomplishments based on at theBTNP Visitor Center north of is leading those who would build objectives identifi ed in the man- Kountze on US69/287. The work- those projects to advocate more agement plan and priorities estab- shop will present a general over- reservoirs anyway. lished in 2005. view of biology and ecology as well as history and curent sta- There are compelling reasons not The two-day agenda included tus in Texas. Interpreters will off er to build a reservoir unless it is reports on habitat management / a nature walk in the Big Thicket absolutely essential for water sup- fragmentation, confl ict manage- National Preserve. Mary Kay Man- ply. Inundating tens of thousands ment, research, information and ning, Interpretive Ranger, is coordi- of acres of land devastates people’s education. There were updates on nating arrangements for the Work- lives, forcing them off their land bear sightings, Hardwood Habitat shop. The course off ers three hours and out of their livelihoods. The Cooperative Projects, Bear Aware- CE credit. For more information or agribusiness and timber industries ness Day, SFA research projects, RSVP: Rachel Rommel, 713-533- are heavily impacted. The people in and pros and cons of reintro- 6836 - [email protected]. the area of the reservoir pay a high duction. A professional facilita- environmental and social cost. tor guided discussion of future OF RESERVOIRS AND DALLAS plans and priorities. Nathan Gar- By Janice Bezanson SEA RIM STATE PARK ner (TP&W) organized a cookout Exec. Director, TCA Beginning March 1, 2010, Tracy Ferguson will join the TP&W Region The message needs to reach the 4’s team as Superintendent at Sea Black Bear people of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Rim SP. TP&W continues its mas- Educators Workshop surrounding cities, that there are ter plan and redevelopment phase much better alternatives for pro- following the approach used at (3 Hrs CE Credit) viding future water supply than Galveston Island State Park with an building a new reservoir! interim operation. When the fi scal BTNP Visitors Center controls are complete, the park will Saturday, February 27 Tapping existing underutilized res- begin allowing day-use and primi- 9:00 am –12:00 ervoirs for water supply can give tive beach camping with visitors the region way more than enough utilizing self-pay stations. Visitors water for future growth. Prime will also notice new and updated RSVP to candidates to tap are Lake Texoma, orientation panels, a dune cross- Rachel Rommel Lake Wright Patman, and Toledo over, and the reopening of the 713-533-6836 Bend Reservoir. Gambusia Nature Trail which is a ¾ [email protected] mile boardwalk through the marsh. After the intense drought of the 1950s, the leaders of Dallas and

2 January/February 2010 Big Thicket Reporter #103 Big Thicket/Sandylands pine ecosystem for the TNC Cen- trails, historic and cultural sites, as Report, Oct 2009–Jan 2010 tral Region Science and Steward- well as other public lands ... by Wendy J. Ledbetter ship meeting in Corpus Christi in SE Texas Project Director February. In the last decade, LWCF funidng for the National Park System has Science and Stewardship The Conservancy will be coordi- declined from $147 million in Following consultation with the nating with local partners and the FY1999 to only $45 million in Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Texas Parks & Wildlife Department FY2009. NPS has identifi ed 1.8 mil- eleven freshwater mussel species in Spring 2010 to dedicate a sec- lion acres of priority land protec- have been documented by surveys tion of the Texas Paddling Trail on tion needs with an estimated price conducted by The Nature Conser- Village Creek from north of the Roy of $2 billion. For more informa- vancy for the Roy E. Larsen Sandy- Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary to Vil- tion, contact Christina Kamrath at land Sanctuary in Hardin County. lage Creek State Park. Information 202-419-3719 In November 2009 TPWD listed 15 kiosks will be placed at entry and species as threatened for the state, exit points along the waterway. Note: The LWCF, established by including the Sandbank pocket- Congress in 1965, designates a book and Louisiana pigtoe. Both of Fund For National Parks portion of receipts from off shore these rare mussels occur in the 8.5 Excerpts from NPCA News Release oil and gas leases be placed into mile segment of Village Creek that a fund annually for state and local traverses the Preserve. The Land and Water Conservation conservation, as well as for the pro- Fund (LWCF) Act of 2009 (S.2747) tection of our national treasures TNC staff conducted a prescribed requires full authorization of $900 (parks, forest and wildlife areas). burn on 200 acres of the western million annually for the Land LWCF has a broad-based coalition portion of the Grass Pond Unit and Water Conservation Fund. If of support, including the National of the Sandyland Preserve. Con- enacted, this permanent source of Parks and Recreation Association, servancy staff Bob Boensch and funding would result in signifi cant The Wilderness Society, and the Shawn Benedict also assisted the investments in our national parks, Land Trust Alliance. National Park Service with a 180- acre prescribed burn on the Hick- ory Creek Unit of the Big Thicket Big Thicket Association NEWS National Preserve. This work is under the recently renewed Mem- BTA BOARD MEETING on BTNP; and President Bruce orandum of Understanding the The agenda for the January 9th BTA Drury, on Neches River, Thicket Conservancy has with NPS and the directors meeting was choc-a-bloc of Diversity, and other on-going U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. with reports and updates, break- concerns. outs for committee meetings, and On the Agenda new business. Financial reports BIG THICKET NATURAL Program staff will conduct pre- 2009 for the Operating and ATBI- HERITAGE TRUST scribed burns on several preserves Thicket of Diversity Funds were Directors convened at 2:00 PM in February and will provide a submitted, and budgets. for 2010 on January 9 at the FRS to hear fi eld tour of the Sandylands for were adopted. Among the updates updates on properties acquired, in TPWD staff . Ledbetter will be pre- were reports from Ellen Buchanan progress, and anticipated. senting an overview of longleaf on state parks; Supt. Todd Brindle,

Big Thicket Reporter #103 January/February 2010 3 Miscellany

G.T. SIERRA’S WEEKEND About 20 Intrepids showed up for the annual MLK weekend events scheduled by the group — slightly revised to accom- modate cold weather. As always the trip leaders were Gerald Lang- ham and Joe Murphy, and this year the site was Boykin Springs. The group shared stories around the campfi res and songs were pro- vided by Dylan Cole.

The group hiked to the Aldredge Sawmill on Sunday and canoed from US 69 near Rockland to R255 (15+ miles) on Monday. One boat capsized at a small rapid, and Golden Triangle Sierra Club canoers take a break along the Neches River everyone pitched in to rescue the during their MLK weekend fi eld trip in January. young folks and their canoe and gear. Langham (as always pre- pared) produced dry clothing for the victims.

GT Sierra joins a wide range of through TCA @ $17.95 list $15.35 to award recognizes “signifi cant con- groups who support the Texas Con- members. Published by the Texas tributions and leadership in the servation Alliance in its eff orts to A&MU Press, it is included in the development of quality science get a feasibility study for establish- Series “River Books, sponsored by education.” ing and Upper Neches Scenic River. the River Systems Institute” at Texas At TCA’s annual meetitng, Bruce State University. Gina is Executive Westgate is a Lamar University Walker, chair of the group, earned Director of Houston Audubon Soci- geology professor and board mem- the Conservation Hero Award for ety, and daughter of Richard Dono- ber of Texas Academy of Science, 2009! van (Paddling the Wild Neches) and BTA. A prolifi c researcher, his work spans MORE ... Dr. James W. Westgate was rec- paleontology, paleocology, bio- Gina Donovan’s book, Neches River ognized by the Science Teachers stratigraphy, and environmental User Guide, with Stephen D. Lange Association of Texas with its pres- science. At Lamar, his Texas Envi- and Adrian Van Dellen and a fore- tigious Skoog Cup award for 2009 ronmental Science workshop for word by Andrew Sansom, is now (named for Gerald Skoog of Texas K-12 teachers has been held for 14 in the bookstores and available Tech, the fi rst award winner). The years.

4 January/February 2010 Big Thicket Reporter #103 Big Thicket Expansion UPCOMING EVENTS

February 27 In 2008, Cong. Kevin Brady introduced a Big Thicket National Preserve Black Bear Educators expansion bill providing for CPR (Connect, Preserve, Revitalize) by adding Workshop (see story, page 2) UP TO 100,000 acres from WILLING SELLERS. The bill provided for new recre- ational initiatives for visitors. Unfortunately, the map that accompanied the March 20 legislation contained approximately 160,000 acres, and a public meeting in Dogwood Trail, Woodville Spurger generated an explosion of misinformation. [Deja vu the 1960s and Dogwood Festival, Western 70s! Those claims proved erroneous and overstated, too!] Weekend (for details, contact Maxine Johnston) Homes would be taken … ! April 17 never mind about WILLING SELLERS and UP TO language Nature Conservancy ! never mind that houses and grass lawns don’t have a great deal of bio- Preserve: Timberlake, Little diversity to conserve Rocky, Big Thicket Bogs and ! never mind that land proposed for acquisition would mostly be for- Pinelands, led by Wendy ested bottomlands that buff er and protect existing Preserve units Ledbetter or Bob Boensch (for details, contact Maxine Johnston) County and school districts would be decimated by tax losses … ! never mind that the land is mostly taxed at agricultural rates based on May l productivity over a 10-year period Wilderness Pow Wow, Tyler ! never mind that a government program reimburses taxing entities with State Park (more details later) a Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) program May 9 or 16? Indeed, a high percentage of the proposed expansion is FLOODPLAIN — Pyramid Magnolias: Schedule pending information of where homes should NOT be sited, avoiding human misery and taxpayer blooming costs while protecting superb wildlife habitat. May 22 Things have quieted somewhat but could erupt again. BTA has put Seminar on Frogs and Toads together a Powerpoint® presentation and brochures with collected data on of the Thicket, Dr. Paul Crump taxes, visitor spending, etc. We would welcome opportunities to visit with and Rachel Rommel groups, particularly in Tyler County. June 5-15 Eastfi eld College Summer Institute, Dr. Carl Knight and Big Thicket Expansion Bill Jessica Silva

PLEASE ask Cong. Kevin Brady to reintroduce a revised Big Thicket June 12 Expansion Bill early in this session of Congress. And ask your groups and Biodiversity Day (fi eld trips, friends to do the same. Contact Cong. Brady: displays, demonstrations (Details next issue) By letter: 301 Cannon Bldg. US House of Representatives, July 10-11 Washington, DC 20515 Village Creek State Park By phone: 202-225-4901 weekend; Board meeting in Nature Center (More details By fax: 404-225- 5524 later) By e-mail: [email protected]

Big Thicket Reporter #103 January/February 2010 5 Preserve Overview Ann Roberts | Preserve Volunteer

ST. MICHAEL’S VOLUNTEERS Volunteer students from St. Michael’s College in Vermont have made annual trips to Big Thicket to work in area preserves for over 15 years. The college volunteer program is entitled MOVE (Mobi- lization of Volunteer Eff ort). This year’s group of 11 students arrived Saturday, January 2nd, (staying at the BTNP Field Research Station) and departed January 9th. Deanna Boench, BTNP Fire Ecologist, arranged their schedule.

On Sunday the students were given an “introduction” to the Big Thicket that included a tour of the BTNP Visitor Center and a canoe Students from St. Michael’s College in Vermont spent a week in January at trip. On Monday the volunteers BTNP helping preserve staff with maintenance work. did maintenance work on the proposed Old Wagon Road Trail in Jack Gore Baygall with Maxine Johnston, who couldn’t resist shar- planting with Bob & Shawn tied for September 2009 to January 2010 ing stories; Tuesday and Wednes- fi rst place. for becoming a certifi ed Master day, “deconstructed” a boardwalk Naturalist. Leslie DuBey, Chief around the Staley Cabin, super- WATER CONFERENCE of Interpretation, presented one vised by Chief of Maintenance Ray Dave Roemer, Chief of Resource of the workshops. The Naturalists Moore and Lamar Funderburk; Management, and BTA President also visited the Larsen Sanctuary Thursday and Friday, planted long- Bruce Drury attended the Sierra (TNC) as part of its classroom fi eld leaf pines at the Nature Conservan- Club Water Conference in Houston, experience. cy’s Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanc- Saturday, January 16. The agenda tuary, supervised by Bob Boensch, topics included protecting envi- David Baker, retired BTNP Inter- Preserve Manager, and Shawn ronmental fl ows, protecting bays, preter Extraordinaire, presented a Benedict. On Wednesday night, the Sabine Lake and Rivers, and water program on “Skulls and Skulls,” on group searched for ghost lights on conservation. January 23 at Village Creek State Hardin County’s Ghost Road Scenic Park. Dave has also scheduled a Drive and County Park. When asked MASTER NATURALISTS series of Birding Classes for “Wild- what the group enjoyed most The Sabine-Neches Chapter of birds Unlimited” and has already about their trip, the night prowl on Texas Master Naturalists off ered hosted an Owl Prowl for VCSP. “Ghost Road” with Maxine and tree a series of workshops from

6 January/February 2010 Big Thicket Reporter #103 Diversity Dispatch Linda Brindle | Executive Director, BTA

NEW TO SCIENCE DISCOVERY! and she will be missed. Wendy Led- more use of taxonomists. Roemer Dr. Michael Barger announced pub- better (Southeast Project Direc- also noted that he is working with lication on two brand new species tor, Big Thicket/Sandylands Sanc- the Desert Southwest CESU on of aquatic ectothermic vertebrates: tuary, Nature Conservancy) was a funding proposal to assist the Barger, MA. 2010. A new species elected by the Council as the new application of ATBI data to resource of Lissorchis (Trematoda: Lissorchi- vice-president. management. idae) from creek chubsuckers (Eri- myzon oblongus) in the Big Thicket Dave Roemer reported that a NPS Carl Knight discussed his proposal National Preserve, Texas, U.S.A. group met at the Discover Life in for a Regional Science Center to be Comparative Parasitology 77:1-5. America meeting to work on a associated with, and located in, the “white paper” that would suggest Big Thicket area. Barger, MA. 2010. A new species of common defi nitions and policies Caecincola (Trematoda: Cryptogon- for ATBI, with emphasis on the uti- The next quarterly Thicket of Diver- imidae) from spotted bass (Microp- lization of ATBI data for resource sity Executive Council meeting is terus punctulatus) in the Big Thicket management. The group is also scheduled for March 25, 2010. National Preserve, Texas, U.S.A. working on a NPS plan to make BIODIVERSITY Comparative Parasitology 77:6-8. FIELD TRIPS and SEMINARS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (mark your calendar and check the website for further details and updates) The ToD Executive Council met Jan. 8th and approved a budget to sub-  April (exact date TBD): Slime Molds workshop and fi eldtrip will be mit to the BTA board. The budget conducted by TWiG co-leader, Katie Winsett. Details on this event will be included an increase in hours for sent later, as they are fi nalized. the database manager, Mona Hal-  April 24, 25, 26: Learn about lichens in the Big Thicket! Dr. Robert Egan verson, from 20 hours to 30 hours will present a seminar and workshop on lichens and will lead a fi eld trip for per week. Travel funds were recom- a select group of lichen enthusiasts. Details to follow. mended for the Discover Life in  May 22: Frog Calls… Paul Crump and Rachel Rommel, from Houston America Conference. Zoo, will present a seminar on frog calls followed with a workshop and a possible fi eld trip. Vice President Gillian Bowser  The Neches River Canoe Trip, led by Dr. Chad Hargrave, has been resigned from her offi ce on the rescheduled because of concerns about the current river fl ow conditions. Council. Her enthusiasm set this At this time, we have rescheduled the canoe trip in March or April. project on the path toward success,

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Big Thicket Reporter #103 January/February 2010 7 Big Thicket Association NONPROFIT ORG. P.O. Box 198 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Saratoga, TX 77585-0198 PERMIT NO. 1

Big Thicket Reporter is published bimonthly by the Big Thicket Association (www.bigthicket.org) Editors Maxine Johnston|Ann Roberts ([email protected]) Layout Connie Blakley ([email protected]) Send address changes to address noted above

WEB SITES The Condundrum of NPS Budgets! Big Thicket Association by Suzanne Dixon (NPCA) www.bigthicket.org ONPS in FY2011 is proposed at approx. $2.3 billion, a net increase of $35.3 Big Thicket National Preserve million over FY2010 levels. This top line number however includes $32.1 www.nps.gov/bith million in “absorbed costs” for parks, meaning that parks will not receive National Audubon Society compensation for fi xed cost increases in FY2011. In addition, the top line www.goldentriangleaudubon.org number includes a “fi xed cost adjustment” of $46 million to increase the www.houstonaudubon.org Departmental Working Capital Fund. It seems that parks will be “charged” National Parks Conserv. Assoc. in order to create or enhance this fund. Off setting the dip in park resources www.npca.org are targeted increases, as follows: Native Plant Society of Texas • $31.5m base increases for 127 parks (Big Thicket, specifi cally mentioned); www.npsot.org • $7.2m to strengthen the agency’s capacity to recruit, train and retain staff ; Nature Conservancy • $1.3m to expand integrated ocean and coastal stewardship at 74 parks; www.nature.org/texas • $210k to support the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom; • $1.0m to expand the educational component of NPS.gov; Outdoor Nature Club, Houston • $1.8m increase for US Park Police; www.outdoornatureclub.org • $700k for enhanced workplace risk recognition & management training; Sierra Club Golden • $2.0m to expand the land use planning program in support of the grow- Triangle Group ing capacity in LWCF funding (see page 3 for more on LWCF funding). www.texas.sierraclub.org/triangle Texas Conservation Alliance The take-away here is that, although there are some good and useful www.TCAtexas.org programmatic increases, parks across the System will be returning to Village Creek State Park the darker days of robbing Peter to pay PG&E. If this is left to stand, the wwww.tpwd.state.tx.us.park operations shortfall will surely swell again, and the backlog of needed repairs to the thousands of buildings, structures and systems will accelerate.

8 January/February 2010 Big Thicket Reporter #103