F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 6 | o n e |

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 6

Luke Metzger Joan Susman Brandon Dugo | t w o |

Executive Summary Despite our state’s great size, the rapid development of Texas natural areas is having a deleterious effect on our natural resources and waterways, is jeopardizing Texas’ growing recreation and eco-tourism based industries, and is threatening the beauty, character and rural heritage of the Lone Star State.

As Texas continues its dramatic growth, the stress on our natural areas will only escalate. Every hour, 20 acres of open space are destroyed in Texas to make way for new strip malls and subdivisions.1 Chronic under-funding of parks protection and open space acquisition have opened the doors to developers to pave over even iconic Texas wild areas such as Big Bend and Caddo Lake. Clearly, Texas has been remiss in its stewardship of our natural heritage.

This report examines specific threats to some of the Texas natural areas at greatest risk and identifies immediate opportunities to help save Texas’ natural heritage.

Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer Called the “Soul of the City,” Austin’s Barton Springs is known across the state for great swimming and clean drinking water, but encroaching development threatens its future. With at least 7,500 acres of land in the Barton Springs watershed immediately threatened with development, the Austin City Council should include at least $75 million in the November 2006 bond election to acquire sensitive land that will protect this unique natural resource.

Texas State Parks Already ranked 49th in the nation in per-capita spending on state parks, the Texas Legislature cut $2 million from the budget of the state parks department in 2005. Far from growing to meet the needs of our natural resources and growing population, the parks system is barely surviving. The Legislature should establish sustainable and substantial funding to meet the basic operating and repair needs of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and to support new park acquisition.

Caddo Lake Home to beautiful Spanish moss-covered cypress trees and Texas’ only naturally formed lake, the Caddo Lake region has been designated a “Wetland of International Importance” due to its critical habitat for migratory species, such as neotropical songbirds and colonial waterbirds. The U.S. Army has long planned to turn over 2,600 acres of wild areas in the former Longhorn Army Ammunitions Plant to be protected in the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, but a group of developers is seeking instead to use the land to build an industrial park. The development would deeply encroach into the existing wildlife refuge, fragmenting the wildlife habitat. The Army should reject development plans for these critical lands and immediately transfer them to the Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion in the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Neches River Bottomland Forests The old-growth oaks and bald cypress trees along east Texas’ Neches river provide critical habitat to the endangered bald eagle and red cockaded woodpecker and the threatened American Alligator and river otter. However, the area faces significant development pressures and is ranked a “number one priority” for conservation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In March 2005, the agency proposed acquiring up to 25,000 acres of hardwood forests to establish the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, water developers are pressuring Fish and Wildlife to drop plans for the Refuge so they can instead build a reservoir, flooding and destroying the forest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should move forward immediately with establishing the refuge.

Padre Island The Padre Island National Seashore hosts the longest remaining stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world and protects dunes, lagoons and rare coastal prairie. However, BNP petroleum is pursuing a plan to drill up to 18 gas wells on Padre over the next 30 years. The federal government should buy out the mineral rights under Padre Island and stop the drilling in this fragile ecosystem. | t h r e e |

Swallowtail Butterfly Summer Tanager

Prairie Dog Swamp Mallow

Palo Duro Canyon Texas Dandelion Green Jay

Indian Blanket

White Tailed Deer Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Dinosaur Valley Upper Neches National Wildlife Refuge Colorado Bend Fort Boggy Barton Springs Inks Lake and the Edwards Aquifer Village Creek Enchanted Rock Bastrop Pedernales Falls Buescher Guadalupe River Brazos Bend Government Canyon

Monarch Butterfly Mountain Boomer Attawater Prairie Chicken

Padre Island National Seashore

Texas State Parks Proposed for Expansion Resaca de la Palma Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley Proposed Upper Neches National Wildlife Refuge

Barton Springs and Edwards Aquifer

Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Padre Island National Seashore Painted Bunting Wild Phlox Sand Verbena | f o u r | Introduction

From the piney woods of East Texas to the desert wilderness of the west, from the rolling hills and swimming holes of the central Texas hill country to the barrier islands of the Gulf of Mexico, the natural areas of Texas are a big part of what makes Texas special. These treasures provide us with clean, plentiful water and beautiful places to take our families for a swim or picnic, and they give us a glimpse into Texas’ disappearing wilderness.

When Texas first became a Republic, there was more than enough land to go around. Thus the sale of most of its public lands to fund the new government likely did not raise eyebrows. But Texas is a much different place that it was 170 years ago. Most Texans live in cities, and less than 1% of us own any sizeable amount of land or have our own well for drinking water. We rely on public parks and open spaces, and well-managed private lands, to give us access to nature, recreational opportunities and much of our water.

But our natural areas are increasingly at risk. Out of control development is replacing open spaces with subdivisions, bubbling creeks with paved culverts. Energy production and resource extraction is leveling many of our last forests and permanently scarring coastal vistas. Water developers threaten our rivers and lakes with dams and reservoirs, despite ready alternatives. Our once proud state parks system has been starved of funding, forcing parks to the auction block and leaving the rest dilapidated and with restricted public access.

But it does not have to be this way. Strong majorities of Texans want these areas protected and are willing to pay for it if need be. A recent poll found that fully 77 percent agree that “if state leaders don’t purchase and protect some of Texas’ natural areas today, they will be lost forever to development.”2

Policy makers are recognizing the considerable economic values of protecting our land – including tourism dollars, increased property values and natural purification for drinking water supplies. Better planning can meet our economic and growth needs without destroying our last natural areas.

It’s time for our elected officials to invest in Texas’ natural heritage and to provide the planning and resources we need to preserve Texas for future generations. If we continue to allow development in our last, best wild places, the beauty and character of our state will be lost forever. | f i v e | Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer

Barton Springs Best known for its swimming pool (the largest natural pool inside an urban area in the whole United and the Edwards Aquifer States), Barton Springs is an icon for the city of Austin, annually attracting some 300,000 visitors trying to beat the heat. Barton Springs, and the Edwards Aquifer that feeds it, also supplies a significant portion of the region’s drinking water and is home to endangered wildlife.

Both Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer are particularly vulnerable geologic structures. The ground above and upstream of them is thin, allowing pollution to easily enter the watershed. Further, the rapid movement of water in the Edwards Aquifer and the relatively large size of its spring outlets provide none of the filtration and absorption that protect many aquifers from contamination. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added the Barton Springs salamander to the list of endangered species, they noted “the primary threats to this species are degradation of the quality and quantity of water that feeds Barton Springs due to urban expansion over the Barton Springs watershed.”3

In 1992, in a near-record turnout, Austinites passed an ordinance (the “S.O.S. Ordinance”) that, among other things, established impervious cover limits for new surfaces built near threatened waters. Such restrictions are critically important because the less porous a surface material is, the less underlying soil can absorb rainfall and purify the water of pollutants.

Unfortunately, despite strong citizen support for the ordinance, end-runs around the water quality standards and repeated threats to end them in the Texas Legislature leave the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer at continued risk. For example, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), the world’s second largest maker of chips that run personal computers, is currently working to relocate its corporate headquarters to a site over the Edwards Aquifer. By claiming their development plans pre-date the passage of the ordinance, AMD and developer Stratus Properties plan to build an 860,000-square-foot office complex at substantially greater impervious cover levels than allowed by law. By attracting thousands of employees and their families to the area, the project may encourage even more development. Thousands of acres of ranch land could be converted to subdivisions, golf courses, shopping malls, new roads, sewer plants, and expanded highways.

Legislation passed by the Texas House of Representatives in April 2005 posed an even greater threat to Barton Springs and the Aquifer. HB 2833 by Representative Robby Cook (D- Eagle Lake) would have required local governments to pay developers to comply with land use and water quality standards. The expense this would have entailed would have forced Austin and other cities to roll back existing environmental protections, seriously jeopardizing the future of the Springs. While the legislation died in the Texas Senate, similar legislation is expected to return in the 2007 Legislature.

These threats to water quality ordinances make public and private land acquisition efforts even more critical. So far, approximately 20,000 acres in the Barton Springs watershed have been protected through a combination of directly purchasing land and making land preservation agreements with landowners, who retain land ownership but agree to give up development rights. But another 30,000 acres must be shielded from development to truly protect Barton Springs. Of those 30,000 acres, Austin city staff have warned that 7500 acres are in immediate danger of development.4

The Austin City Council is currently planning a bond election for November 2006 that will include funding for Barton Springs protection. The city should include at least $75 million to protect the immediately threatened areas. | s i x |

Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge Caddo Lake

Home to alligators, turtles, more than 200 species of songbirds and waterfowl, beautiful Spanish moss- covered cypress trees and Texas’ only naturally formed lake, the Caddo Lake region in Northeast Texas is truly one of Texas’ most special wild areas. Known for its haunting beauty and the diversity of its habitat, Caddo Lake has been recognized as a “Wetland of International Importance” by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty which provides for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.13 The lake has also contributed to a booming eco-tourism industry.

The U.S. Army currently holds the water rights of approximately 10,000 acre-feet per year of water that flows through Caddo Lake. In 2004, the Army turned over 5,800 acres of a World War II munitions plant on Caddo Lake to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to establish the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Army has long planned to transfer management of the remaining 2,200 acres of land and the water rights to the refuge.

For over a decade, development interests in the nearby city of Marshall have tried to divert waters from Caddo Lake for industrial purposes. Extensive scientific study has shown that such diversion would seriously affect the lake and the wildlife it supports. Development in the area could scare off wildlife and destroy the cypress trees that are unique in beauty and abundance in the area. Having failed to obtain water rights through the courts, it appears developers are now trying a backdoor maneuver to gain access.

In September 2005, the transfer was put on hold after a group of developers convinced Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Representative Louie Gohmert to ask the Army to delay the move. Instead, the developers are working to turn the 2,200 acres into an industrial park for private development, despite the fact that Marshall already has a scarcely used industrial park much closer to highways with sewers and power lines already in place.

The proposed industrial park is only a few thousand feet away from Goose Prairie, the western-most shore of Caddo Lake, and is close to Caddo Lake State Park. The industrial park would intrude deeply into the existing wildlife refuge, dramatically alter the character of the region, and reduce the level of protection for wildlife and opportunities for recreation and nature tourism.

The Army should reject development plans for these critical lands and immediately transfer them to USFWS for inclusion in the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. | s e v e n |

Texas State Parks Palo Duro Canyon

Dinosaur Valley

Colorado Bend Fort Boggy As development continues to eat up open space across Texas, our state parks have become even more Inks Lake Village Creek Enchanted Rock Bastrop Pedernales Falls Buescher Guadalupe River Brazos Bend important for their natural and recreational values. Government Canyon

Every year, Texas parks attract over 13.5 million people from around the world. Whether it is school Resaca de la Palma Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley children visiting the San Jacinto monument to learn about Texas history, a family teaching junior to fish at Lake Arrowhead or winter Texans reflecting on the trilling of the olive sparrow at the World Birding Center, the parks system plays a critical educational, recreational and spiritual role for our state. They also help protect water resources and provide habitat for wildlife.

Texas state parks are also a major economic engine for the state, spurring hotel and car rentals, sales of sporting goods, retail shopping and other tourism-related activity. According to a study by Texas A&M researchers for the Texas Coalition on Conservation, in 2004 the parks system generated $448 million in direct expenditures, $863 million in sales impact, $496 million in resident Texans’ income and 12,986 jobs. In addition to these direct impacts on the economy, other economic benefits include “air cleansing, groundwater storage and cleansing, flood control, enhancement of real estate values, alleviation of stress, pleasing vistas, and impact on business and retiree relocation decisions.”5

Regrettably, you don’t have to examine the parks system very closely to see that it is a system in crisis. Already ranked 49th in the nation in per capita spending on state parks, the Texas Legislature has consistently failed to fund the parks at a level to keep pace with inflation and rising utility costs. Indeed, in the 2005 session, the Legislature cut $2 million from the parks budget. They appropriated no money at all to establish new parks.

Texas’ population is expected to double over the next 30 years, primarily in the state’s largest cities including Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. If not properly planned, this growth could lead to sprawling developments eating up the few remaining open spaces available in metropolitan areas. At the same time, larger populations will demand access to more park lands.

Unfortunately, existing parks are already failing to serve the public’s needs. While the national average for state parks is 44 acres per1,000 people, the greater Houston area has only 40 acres, Austin17.5, Dallas 15.9, and San Antonio 9.9.6 Budget cuts have forced the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to take emergency steps just to keep afloat. So far 39 staff have been laid off, forcing the department to reduce hours at many parks – some parks are open only by appointment7. Critical maintenance projects, including repairs necessitated by the recent hurricanes, restoration of the Texas State Historic Railroad, and critical improvements to unseemly bathroom facilities, have all been put on hold. And last year, TPWD even considered selling 46,000 acres of Big Bend Ranch State Park to a developer.8 | e i g h t |

A 2001 study by Texas Tech University recommended that, in order to meet the needs of our growing population, an additional 860 square miles of natural areas should be protected as state parks by the year 2030.9 In the short-term, TPWD has identified a need to establish five new 5,000-acre parks and expand 14 existing parks within 90 minutes of the state’s largest cities. 10

In its review of TPWD in 2000, the Texas Sunset Commission (a state legislative body which reviews state agencies every twelve years and makes recommendations to improve efficiency) proposed several recommendations for additional funding, including raising or eliminating the cap on the so-called “sporting goods sales tax”11. Currently, the Legislature appropriates funds to TPWD based on the sales taxes collected on sporting goods - as measured by the Comptroller using data from the National Sporting Goods Association. However, the appropriation is capped at $32 million, despite the state’s collection of more than $100 million each year of such taxes. House Bill 1292, filed by Representative Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville) in the 2005 Legislature would have increased the cap from $32 million to $85 million, but died in committee.

The Legislature should establish sustainable and substantial funding to meet TPWD’s basic operating and repair needs and to support new park acquisition. The Department estimates that it needs an additional $27 million per year just to operate the existing parks system. 12 At least $25 million per year should be appropriated to fund new park acquisition. | n i n e | Neches River Bottomland Forests

Upper Neches National Wildlife Refuge The hardwood forests along the Neches River, known as ‘bottomland’ or ‘riparian’ forests, form the “largest contiguous wildlife corridor in East Texas”14 and are home to old-growth oaks and bald cypress trees, migratory songbirds, waterfowl and other wildlife including the endangered bald eagle and red cockaded woodpecker and the threatened American Alligator and river otter. The forests also play a critical role in safeguarding the river, and the downstream bays and estuaries, from contamination by naturally filtering organic matter and pollutants through the soil.

Centuries of logging, reservoir construction, and other development have destroyed more than 75 percent of the hardwood forests in Texas. Today the forests rank among the most threatened wetlands in the U.S. and are a “number one priority” for conservation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

As a result, the Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed acquiring up to 25,000 acres of hardwood forests along the upper Neches River in order to establish Neches River National Wildlife Refuge15. The refuge would protect this critical habitat and offer visitors opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, bird watching, and other recreational activities.

Unfortunately, water developers at the Upper Neches Municipal Water Authority are working to stop establishment of the Refuge so they can instead build yet another unneeded reservoir, flooding and destroying the forest. The proposed 32,000-acre reservoir, known as Fastrill, would be built to supply water for the city of Dallas, despite data from the Region C Water Planning Group (the government water planning agency serving Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas), that show that existing reservoirs will meet the projected increase in demand for the region through 2060. Even after 2060, the Fastrill reservoir would most likely serve only as a reserve water supply.

The Fastrill reservoir would devastate not just the proposed refuge but other natural areas and historic sites across east Texas. According to an analysis by Ducks Unlimited, “waterfowl habitat submerged under a reservoir would be enough to feed nearly 50,000 ducks for the 5-month ‘wintering season’ in northeastern Texas.”16 Downstream natural resources in the Big Thicket National Preserve and other areas depend upon the upstream flood flows of the Neches to maintain habitat diversity. The Neches is considered prime habitat for the possible reintroduction of the endangered black bear by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Finally, if the reservoir is built, the bridges of the Texas State Historic Railroad (part of the state park system) would need to be raised and lengthened to cross the reservoir at a cost of $107 million, money the Parks and Wildlife Department does not have.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should move forward immediately with establishing the refuge. | t e n | Padre Island

Perhaps known best as a great vacation spot for young and old alike, Padre Island is one Texas’ most unique natural areas. It is also one of the most fragile.

Padre Island National Seashore Established as a preserve in1962, the Padre Island National Seashore hosts the longest remaining stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world and protects dunes, lagoons and rare coastal prairie. Over 350 bird species, including the endangered Northern Aplomado Falcon, coyotes and alligators all call the seashore home for some or all of the year. Padre is perhaps best known, however, for its turtles – specifically the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle—the most endangered sea turtle species in the world.

Sadly, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has warned that coastal prairies like those found on Padre Island are “among the most threatened”17 natural areas in the state.

When Congress established the preserve, it provided for access to mineral rights below ground. In 2002, a Corpus Christi-based oil and gas company called BNP petroleum capitalized on this and drilled one gas well at the national seashore. Now, BNP is pursuing its plan to drill up to 18 wells on Padre over the next 30 years18.

To drill a well site, roads must be constructed so heavy trucks can haul in equipment and materials. The road construction alone is destroying some of the dunes, disrupting the unbroken barrier island. The well sites further threaten surrounding wetland habitats with contamination risks and noise and light pollution 24 hours a day during the drilling phase. The wells, and the heavy trucks, noise and pollution they bring with them, are damaging the wild area and the turtles’ habitat.

Drilling at Padre will not give America energy independence now or ever. In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that only one day’s worth of gas for the nation is economically recoverable.

Since the gas rights to Padre Island are owned by private individuals in the state of Texas, the National Park Service is powerless to stop the drilling. The federal government should buy out the mineral rights under Padre, as the Bush Administration did in 2002 with a $120 million buyout of privately held oil and gas rights below Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve.

Photo Credits: Special thanks to David Bezanson, Mark Bush, Gina Donovan of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and Tom Walker of the Greater Caddo Lake Association for the use of their beautiful photos of Texas natural areas. Additional images gathered from the following web sites: www.tpwd.state.tx.us, www.traveltexas.com, www.gorp.away.com, www.doi.gov, www.tx.usgs.gov, www.corpusfishing.com, www.nationalparksgallery.com and www.tconr.home.texas.net | e l e v e n |

Conclusion

The natural areas identified in this report are just a few of the many places in Texas that are threatened with development. In addition to acting to stop these immediate threats, state leaders need a clear and well-funded plan to guarantee clean water and open space for Texans well in to the future. Such a plan should:

Keep existing parks and wildlife refuges off-limits to new development.

Encourage local governments to approve bond money for open space acquisition.

Establish an additional 860 square miles of state parks by 2030.

Fund the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program to give incentives to private landowners to protect open space.

Channel development into existing urban areas through a combination of stronger land use planning requirements and urban growth boundaries. This will create vital communities and preserve our open spaces without sacrificing economic development.

End taxpayer giveaways for sprawling developments that strain the resources and infrastructure of our communities. More efficient growth will save taxpayer dollars in communities across the state. | t w e l v e | BUDGET CUTS REDUCE ACCESS to TEXAS Parks Cuts to the state parks budget by the Texas Legislature forced park officials to reduce access to many parks.

Abilene Fort McKavett Monument Hill Campground loop closures during periods of low visitation. Open Friday - Monday; Headquarters closed periodically based Open Thursday through Monday. on staffing availability. Atlanta Mother Neff Park Headquarters closed on Sunday. Fort Richardson Headquarters closed Sunday - Tuesday. Exhibits, buildings will close Tuesday and Wednesday during Big Spring Mustang Island non-peak periods. Open Wednesday through Sunday from December 1 Periodic fee booth closure on weekdays, self-pay station to February 28; Campsites with electricity closed until further notice. Goliad available. Close group camping area and tent pads during non-peak season Bright Leaf Palo Duro Canyon (May-October). Zaragosa House only open based on availability Transfer the park to Austin Community Foundation, effective HQ closed two days weekly; close all but one campground loop of volunteer staffing. January 1, 2006. during winter. Hill Country Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site Possum Kingdom Headquarters closed periodically based on staffing availability. Open Thursday through Sunday. No overnight camping until March 3; utility renovation may Beginning January 1 - Open Friday through Sunday. Kickapoo Cavern interrupt services. Open Friday through Monday by appointment. Caprock Canyons Purtis Creek No overnight camping until March 2; closed headquarters on Lake Arrowhead Office closed Monday and Tuesday. Monday through Thursday from July 1 through August 31. Park Headquarters closed Tuesday and Wednesday; campground Rusk loop closures during low visit times. Fishing pier lights turned on Choke Canyon Calliham Unit Headquarters closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Friday through Sunday nights. Close swimming pool (City of Three Rivers has a local pool). Sabine Pass State Historic Site Park currently has no potable water. No overnight camping Lake Brownwood Closed due to Hurricane Rita and will reopen after clean up and allowed until water system restored, possibly not until Group Recreation Hall closed pending roof repairs. repairs have been made on June 1, 2006 or possibly later. March, 31, 2006. Bring your own drinking water for day use Campground loop and select cabin closures during non-peak activities. No public restrooms. season. Sam Bell Maxey Open Friday through Sunday. Choke Canyon South Shore Unit Lake Colorado City Park is open to overnight camping and boat ramp/day use Day use only - no overnight camping December 1 - February 28. San Angelo activities. Equestrian use available at the North Shore Unit (day Close Burkett Trailhead to overnight primitive camping; will Lake Houston and overnight). Office closed on Monday, self-pay station available. operate as day use area; close all but one campground loop Proposed transfer to the City of Houston. during periods of low visitation. Colorado Bend Lake Somerville Headquarters closed periodically based on staffing availability. Sea Rim Day use only. Closed due to Hurricane Rita and will reopen after clean up and Cooper Lake Doctors Creek Unit Landmark Inn repairs have been made on March 1, 2006 or possibly later. Day use/boat ramp only Sunday - Thursday Close the park to day-use on Monday and Tuesday. Day use/boat ramp and overnight camping Friday and Saturday. Starr Family Home Lockhart Open Friday through Sunday; Cooper Breaks Swimming pool will be closed during the 2006 swim season. Bed and Breakfast closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Day use only - no overnight camping November 15 - March 3. Headquarters open Thursday through Monday during non-peak Magoffin Home State Historic Site Texas State Railroad months. Open Friday through Sunday. Open Monday and Tuesday by Eliminate all round trips originating in Palestine; regularly appointment. schedule trips for public all originate from Rusk; season reopens Devil’s River March 4. Open Friday through Monday. Martin Dies, Jr Closed due to Hurricane Rita and will reopen after clean up and Varner-Hogg Fort Boggy repairs have been made on March 1, 2006 or possibly later. Open Wednesday through Saturday. Open Friday through Sunday. Matagorda Village Creek Fort Griffin Transferred park to the Wildlife Division to be operated as a WMA. Closed due to Hurricane Rita and will reopen after clean up and Open Thursday through Monday for day use; no overnight repairs have been made on March 1, 2006 or possibly later. camping until March 1. Mission Tejas Park closed Tuesday and Wednesday beginning January 1. Fort Lancaster State Historic Site Open Friday through Monday. | t h i r t e e n |

Endnotes

1 U.S. Department of Agriculture report cited by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, www.texas.sierraclub.org/spaces/disappear.asp

2 Hill Research Consultants, Poll for the Texas Coalition for Conservation, the Trust for Public Land and the Nature Conservancy, http://texascoa.org/news/pr_030305.php

3 From City of Austin review of Barton Springs salamander listing http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/salamander.htm

4 Testimony of Junie Plummer, City of Austin Public Works Department to the Bond Election Advisory Committee, November 2005

5 Jamie Rae Walker, Sang Kwan Lee, John Crompton, The Economic Contributions of Texas State Parks, February 2005

6 David J. Schmidly, Nick C. Parker, Robert J. Baker, Texas Parks and Wildlife for the 21st Century: An Overview of the Texas Tech University Studies In Conservation and Recreation for the Coming Decades, November 2001

7 Robert L. Cook, At Issue, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, February 2006

8 Daniel Mottola, Big Bend Ranch State Park Not for Sale, Austin Chronicle, September 2, 2005

9 David J. Schmidly, Nick C. Parker, Robert J. Baker, Texas Parks and Wildlife for the 21st Century: An Overview of the Texas Tech University Studies In Conservation and Recreation for the Coming Decades, November 2001

10 According to Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioner John Parker as quoted in the Lufkin Daily News in November 2005

11 Texas Sunset Commission, Report on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, September, 2000. www.sunset.state.tx.us

12 Robert L. Cook, At Issue, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, February 2006

13 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, http://www.fws.gov/international/ramsar/factsheet.htm

14 Texas Committee on Natural Resources Neches River Protection Initiative http://tconr.home.texas.net/neches.html

15 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, North Neches River National Wildlife Refuge Establishment Proposal, Environmental Assessment, Conceptual Management Plan, & Land Protection Plan, March 2005 http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/plan/Neches%20EA%20March.pdf

16 February 2006 Ducks Unlimited analysis on file with author

17 TPWD Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan, January 2005

18 Sierra Club, Wildlands At Risk, Summer 2004 | f o u r t e e n |

AC KNOWLEDGEMEN T S

© 2006 Environment Texas

The authors would like to acknowledge Tony Dutzik and John Rumpler of the state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), Janice Bezanson of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources, Mike Blizzard of Grassroots Solutions, and Ruth Jordan of Texans for State Parks for their guidance, editorial assistance and review. Thanks also to Gina Donovan of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and Tom Walker of the Greater Caddo Lake Association for use of their beautiful photos of Texas natural areas. Finally, thanks to CaraLea Willoughby of Willoughby Design for the design and layout of this report.

The authors alone are responsible for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of Environment Texas. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders, those who provided editorial review, or their employers.

For additional copies of this report, send a check for $25 made payable to:

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