Big Thicket Reporter - 2005/05/21

ENVIROTHON, APRIL 10-11

This year Big Thicket National Preserve is collaborating with the University of Houston to host the 2005 Texas State Envirothon April 10-11. Preserve Environmental Education Specialist Leslie Dubey, Dr. Brenda Weiser, University of Houston, and the rest of the Texas Envirothon Board have worked to bring this event to East Texas. Wendy Reistle, U of H, is coordinating the project.

Envirothon is a TEAM competition. Through several months of study, teams of five students prepare themselves for testing in wildlife biology, forestry, aquatics, soil science, and a current environmental issue. Teams must work together to answer knowledge-based questions in outdoor field-testing stations and also apply that knowledge to solve real-life problems.

Field-testing will commence April 10 at 8:30 am on the Kirby Nature Trail and the oral presentation competition will follow on April 11 at the Holy Mission Church in Kountze. Many volunteers, resource specialists, and preserve staff and partners have been involved in making this the best Texas State Envirothon ever. Winning teams from each state earn an expenses-paid trip to the Canon National Envirothon to compete for scholarships totaling $25,000.

This year’s current issue is "Managing Cultural Landscapes." Check the web site for more details: www.texasenvirothon.org

FASTRILL RESERVOIR UPDATE

Seven conservation organizations have signed off on a letter to the Dallas Mayor and City Council stating that

• Landowners on the Fastrill site are not willing sellers
• The reservoir and the national wildlife refuge are not compatible
• DWU’s cost estimates of Fastrill are understated
• Fastrill is only included in DWU’s Long-Range Water Supply Plan to supply a theoretical excess capacity
• Fastrill would be a small source of water
• Fastrill would have devastating impacts and would encounter widespread opposition
• Funding Fastrill studies would at the very least be premature

On March 28 the Dallas city staff will brief the City Council and will ask the Council to fund feasibility studies.

"We are totally opposed to Fastrill Reservoir," said Janice Bezanson with Texas Committee on Natural Resources. "First, because it is not needed by anybody … and secondly, it would flood 27,000 acres of what is the very best bottomland hardwood left in Texas." The impact of damming the Neches River would be seen as far away as the Big Thicket National Preserve, Bezanson said.

For more than 20 years, the USF&WS has been working to create the Neches National Wildlife Refuge … Public meetings were held recently on the proposal. "In essence, if the dam went in, it would flood the entire refuge," said Jim Neal, a wildlife biologist with F&W in Nacogdoches…"It would result in the destruction of one of the highest quality bottomland forests we have remaining in the state."

For more detailed information, check the TCONR website: www.tconr.org

BTA NEWS

BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED APRIL 9 - SITE CHANGED

The Big Thicket Association will hold its second quarterly board of directors meeting on Saturday, April 9 at the former Saratoga Methodist Church - now the ICO Pantry, Student Center, First Baptist Church of Saratoga.. Meetings are open to members and to the public.

Dr. Jane Packard, Asso. Professor, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A & M University, will present a program at 1:00 PM entitled, "Tending God's Garden." The talk involves civic engagement and collaboration for conservation. Professor Packard is currently conducting her "Sabbatical in Parks" on a grant from the Winedot Fund in cooperation with Big Thicket National Preserve and the Big Thicket Association. Packard is a new Life Member of BTA.

The director's meeting at 10:00-12:00 includes a report by President Buchanan. Other items on the agenda include an update from the Big Thicket National Preserve and BTA committee reports.

Meetings Schedule

April 9, ICO Pantry, Student Center, First Baptist Church.Saratoga (change in site)

July 9-10, Village Creek State Park Weekend Workshop

Oct. 8, Big Thicket Day

Field Trips

On February 19, BTA held a workday on the Old Wagon Road, Jack Gore Baygall. Among the 14 participants were seven Houston Sierrans. Pete Hollyfield and his canine friend joined us and led us to Caney Canyon waterfall.

On February 26 Paul Stone, Temple-Inland conservation forester extraordinaire, hosted a group of ten for a special look at special plants on T-I lands. We began with the rare pyramid magnolias, then visited sites with Arkansas Oaks and Durand Oaks. Another special treat was an introduction to the weeping yucca (yucca cernua), a new species for Texas.

Dr. Jane Packard, Sarah Moore, Nedra Foster, Pat Westwood, Regina Levoy, Becky Bowman, Jamie Reid, Dottie Burge, Tom Maddux and Pete Hollyfield. Down in front: Brandt Mannchen.

Field trippers compare this Yucca louisianensis to the new species. Faces visible include Paul Culp, Paul Stone, Gene Ball, Lowell and Pat Wade. In the foreground are Rachel Emrick, and Dr. Jane Packard.

On March 19, six intrepids (Harrison and Rose Ann Jordan, Regina Levoy, Pat Westwood, Brandt Mannchen, and the "editor") replaced flagging on the proposed trail through Big Sandy Creek Unit. Among the rewards was a population of spring coral-root orchids. After the trail work, we paid our respects to the endangered trailing phlox now in bloom.

On March 20, Tom Maddux joined the group to explore the area between Teel Cemetery and the Lance Rosier birthplace on Cotton Road. Much excitement was generated by the discovery of a baby barn owl.

BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE

OVERVIEW

by Ann Roberts

Art Hutchinson in D.C. (WASO) - Helfrich Acting Supt.: Preserve Supt. Art Hutchinson is on assignment at NPS headquarters in DC (known as WASO by the park-types). While Art is inside the Beltway, the Intermountain Region assigned George Helfrich to oversee BTNP. Helfrich arrived in Big Thicket for duty on March 21.

Helfrich's career began with the National Park Service in 1994, as a concessions management specialist in Grand Teton National Park. He became the Park's management assistant in 1998. During his tenure at Grand Teton, Helfrich worked on a number of highly visible projects including the 1997 completion of the Triangle X Dude Ranch contract, the completion of the 2001 open space study, and the 2001 acquisition of some of the Craighead family and Snake River Ranch property within the park.

Prior to joining the National Park Service, Helfrich worked for concession companies in numerous national park units including Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Death Valley, Zion and Bryce Canyon. From 1985 - 1988 he worked for TW Services (now Amfac, Inc.) in Yellowstone National Park, managing the Old Faithful Inn and Old Faithful Snowlodge. From 1991 - 1993 Helfrich served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer, devoting time at the University College of Belize, where he taught writing and literature.

Helfrich holds a Master of Education in English from Montana State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Breaking and Entering: The BTNP headquarters building and the annex across the street were burglarized March 23. Items missing include two laptop computers, 2 digital cameras, a GPS unit, tools, etc. The Beaumont police, Federal Protective Service, and the BTNP ranger staff are investigating.

Research and the FRS:

• BTNP contracted with Dale Kruse and the Tracy Herbarium folks at Texas A & M to plant trailing phlox at several sites in the Preserve. The first round of planting on February 23-26 was accomplished by eight persons who bunked at the Field Research Station.
• Meanwhile Anita Tiller of the Mercer Herbarium is working on a cooperative grant for a Phlox nivalis ssp. texensis seed banking project scheduled for Spring 2005 at the Sandylands Preserve.
• Dr. John C Abbott, Professor, University of Texas at Austin, Section of Integrative Biology will bring an estimated 25 Field Biology students to the FRS April 8-10. Dr. Abbott led the FIRST university group to use the FRS back in 2001.
• Dr. Roel R. Lopez, Texas A&M Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, will bring students to Big Thicket and the FRS on April 15-17.

Volunteers: In November John and Kay Tiff began scanning the Preserve Land Records. Working four days a week, six and a half hours each day, they have currently scanned 140 gigabits. This equals approximately 45 linear feet of files. Their last work day at Big Thicket is April 14th. At that time 40% of this project will be complete. Volunteers are needed to continue this work in the near future.

CONSERVATION OUTLOOK

Texans for State Parks

Representatives from Texans For State Parks testified before the Senate Finance committee, the House of Representatives Appropriations committee, and the State Recreational Resources committee on behalf of Texas Parks and Wildlife during this past legislative session. Pleas were made to the committee members to support TPW's budget and a supplemental request of $35 million specifically for state park needs. A letter was drafted and signed by the Board of Directors and was faxed the day of the first hearing to each member of the three committees. The same day the faxes went out a Texans for State Parks brochure and a recent copy of our newsletter, the Voice, was personally delivered to each legislator's office to introduce us to them.

Texan members were present at all public hearings to show support of TPW. What did we accomplish? It really is hard to tell, but the budget passed and $17.5 million in additional funds did go specifically to meet State Park needs. There are 44 new staff members in State Parks this year.

"For the first time, there was an organized group specifically focused on state park issues with a presence at the legislature. That gets noticed, and it makes a difference." - Andy Sansom

• House Bill 1292 by Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, would remove the current cap of $32 million in general sales tax revenue authorized to be annually allocated to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for use in funding state and local parks. The bill would increase the annual general revenue allocation for parks to $85 million, with $58.5 million going to state parks and $25.5 million to local park funding.
• HB 2028, by Rep Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, would require the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to conduct a study of the use and maintenance of the the state parks account and the recreation and parks account. The purpose would be to identify ways to improve efficiency of use of the accounts, identify potential new revenue sources for both accounts and look for more innovative approaches to managing the accounts.

Conservation Partners: Wendy Ledbetter, Southeast Texas Project Director, Nature Conservancy, chaired a meeting of conservation partners on March 16, 2005 at the BTNP Field Research Station in Saratoga. In addition to the Nature Conservancy, the partners include representatives of the Conservation Fund, BTNP, TP&W, USF&WS, BTA, Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust, Texas Committee on Natural Resources, Natural Area Preservation Association and Temple-Inland. The goal is coordination of conservation efforts. The agenda included discussion of the Forest Legacy program and Landowner Incentive programs.

Clean Air & Water: President Richard Harrel convened the annual meeting of Clean Air & Water, Inc. for the 39th annual election meeting on March 28, Lone Star Steak House and Grill. Ten members were elected to serve for 2005-2006. The activities of the past year were reviewed. Jim Blackburn, Attorney and Adjunct Professor at Rice University, was the speaker.

EAST TEXAS MISCELLANY

CHARLIE RETURNS TO LUFKIN! The Diboll Free Press headlined the news March 3 that former Congressman Charles Wilson and his wife Barbara are returning to East Texas - "the right place for us to be" - maybe as early as April or May. According to the Press, he is eager to renew friendships and looks forward to playing dominoes.

LAMPSON IS "MR. EAST TEXAS": The Tyler County Booster reports that former Congressman Nick Lampson has been selected as Mr. East Texas for 2005 and will receive his official plaque at the April 2nd Tyler County Dogwood Festival. Lampson's citation recognizes his eight years in Congress and his 20 years as Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector. Lampson "brought millions of federal dollars to Southeast Texas, creating new jobs and expanding economic opportunities to Texas families. He also successfully fought for the rights of seniors and veterans, worked to improve schools, to make neighborhoods stronger and safer…"

TRIBAL ADMINISTRATOR: Tyler County Booster also reports the appointment of Juan Mancias as Tribal Administrator for the Alabama-Coushatta. Mancias is a member of a non-federally recognized Carrizo-Comecrudo Tribe and has worked for three other Native American tribes including Scott's Valley Band of Pomo Indians in California and the Kickapoo Indians of Texas. For 15 years he served as tribal councilman and chairman for his own tribe. He holds degrees in sociology and political science from Texas Tech University and is certified in pastoral studies by the Incarnate Word University.

Mancias is a strong advocate for economic development, and he is hopeful that the Tribe will gain approval needed to re-open their casinos.

EVENTS

• April 10-11: Canon’s Envirothon Competition. Call Leslie DuBey 409-246-2487
• Apr.15-17: Wilderness Pow-Wow, Boykin Springs Recreation Area
• April 23: Earth Day Observance, TRNWR -Rededication of Champion Lake, 936-336-9786
• April 23: Birding trip, GT Sierra / Audubon groups, Rose Ann Jordan 409-892-4102
• June 3-4: 37th Annual Alabama-Coushatta Pow Wow, Dance and Drum Competition
• June 10-11: Batson Oil Patch Festival

How the Big Thicket Got Smaller

By Jerry Bradley

    First, they got the panther, 
    then the bear.
    The pigeon flocks
    went with the wild timber
    and oil,
    plain crude
    drove out the dens of all sorts.
    Roads did in the plants.
    There are still some trees
    though now they stand
    in a laughter house of saws,
    and iron rigs
    black as poachers' kettles, 
    bob like chained birds
    drinking from the earth.
    A life ordered and lubed, 
    hard as blacktop,
    a tax-supported legacy
    for the mechanical world
    where the ivorybill 
    once tapped its confused code 
    and big cats screamed 
    like frightened women in the dark.

    -- From Falling from Grace, eds. Rick Bass and Paul Christensen. 
       San Antonio: Wings Press, 2004