Big Thicket Reporter - 2007/05/14

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NPS CENTENNIAL 2016

The Centennial of the NPS Organic Act triggered a Bush Administration plan to increase NPS funding by $100 million per year for the next ten years, hopefully to be matched by philanthropy and Congressional funding. The intent is to have all our parks up to standard by 2016.

New NPS Director Mary Bomar held "Listening Sessions" throughout the US for public input, and in Texas the session was held on March 20 in San Antonio. Attending the session for Big Thicket were Supt. Todd Brindle, Matt Fagan, Mark Peapenburg, and Maxine Johnston.

Mary Bomar, NPS Director, with Maxine Johnston and Chief Ranger Mark Peapenburg

The Preserve weighed in with four Challenge Projects, including expansion of the Preserve, restoration and interpretation of Neches River habitat, restoration of the Staley Cabin, and an ATBI project in cooperation with other parks. BTA has endorsed the proposals.

Bomar became the 17th Director of the National Park Service October 17, 2006. Previous service includes the Oklahoma City National Memorial, NPS Oklahoma State Coordinator, Rocky Mountain National Park and the San Antonio Missions.

SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2007

The Big Thicket Science Conference convened Mar.22-25 at the Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza. Registration reached 150 participants on Saturday. The program included two keynoters, Paul Trianosky of TNC and Keith Langdon of the Great Smokies.

Paul Trianosky and Paul Harcombe, BTSC 2007

Four plenary sessions offered a wide spectrum of topics from impacts of Hurricane Rita to black bears and ivory-billed woodpeckers to land use and public policy. Presenters included Greg Smith (NWRC), J.H. Speer and Christ Gentry (Indiana SU), Paul Harcombe and Evan Siemann (Rice), Daniel Saenz and Craig Rudolph (USFS), Paul Davidson (BBCC), Cliff Shackelford and Jason Singhurst (TPWD), John Arvin (GCBO) Michael Monticino (UNTx), and Tom Smith (USGS). Four concurrent sessions offered 39 papers, on Animal Ecology, Plant Ecology, Invertebrates, and Botany / Vertebrates.

Free public lectures were offered Saturday evening. Dr. Jerry Cook, President of the Thicket of Diversity Executive Council, discussed the all taxa biodiversity inventory, and John Arvin of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory talked about efforts to locate the ivory-billed woodpecker. Pete Gunter gave a banquet presentation.

Wendy Ledbetter introduces Pete Gunter at the banquet

The Conference honored Dr. Paul Harcombe for his 30+ years of productive research. Harcombe served as program chair for science conferences in 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

Underwriters for the Big Thicket Science Conference were Entergy, Magnolia Charitable Trust and the Temple-Inland Foundation. Sponsors included Beaumont Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Big Thicket Association, Big Thicket National Preserve-National Park Service, Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit- NPS at Texas A&M, Lamar Center for the Study of the Big Thicket, the Nature Conservancy, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, William Marsh Rice University, and the Western National Parks Association.

Field trips included visits to Woodpecker Hill, Rush Creek, and the "Canyonlands" area of the Neches River.

Field Trip to Woodpecker Hill

PRESERVE OVERVIEW

By Ann Roberts (a.k.a., Big Thicket Butterfly)

Administration: Big changes and big planning are underway in the BTNP. Supt. Todd Brindle moved his office with ExecAssistant Chris Peapenburg into the Maintenance Complex, and the staff has adjusted to new offices constructed in a Maintenance Bay. With limited space, employees are choc-a-bloc with no room to wiggle. [Note to Cong. Brady: We need that headquarter building!]

Brindle reports that funding has been requested for a new beginning on the General Management Plan. With all the personnel changes, as well as some problems with the first product, it was agreed that a new start would be the best way to proceed. In addition seismic surveys are underway in Turkey Creek and Rosier units. A Core Operations team from the Intermountain Region began studies Mar. 13-15. The project will be ongoing for a year.

The Law Enforcement crew was in San Antonio from Feb. 27-March 2 for law refresher training, and Mike Hughes attended Firearms Instructor Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco GA the first week in February. On March 16, an eight-hour class was conducted for Introduction to Search and Rescue.

The Fire Management Office in Woodville is on track with plans approved by the NPS Development Advisory Board. The building should be contracted this summer.

Environmental Education / Interpretation: Intermountain Region sent consultants to Big Thicket Feb. 6-8 to work with the Resource Education's Matt Fagan and Leslie DuBey on a Comprehensive Interpretation Plan (CIP) The group reassembled April 2-4 to continue the planning process.

Resource Management: St. Michaels College volunteers returned to Big Thicket again this year from March 10-17th. This Vermont college sends volunteer groups for service projects during spring breaks, and Big Thicket has benefited from their work for about 10 years. While in the Preserve they worked on a number of projects including surveys for Texas trailing phlox, girdling exotic slash pines, and picking up trash and debris. As always the students were a great group of young adults.

Clint Herriman, a Student Conservation Association intern, is on duty from January-July.

Maintenance Division: Ray Martinez submitted a grant proposal for the "2007 Unilever Recycling a Work Sustainable Grants Programs" and BTNP was awarded $35,000. The project is to reconstruct 285 linear feet of boardwalk and an 18' x 18' viewing platform at the Pitcher Plant Trail with recycled lumber.

Field Research Station FRS users can now reach the Big Thicket Consortium Office online at fieldresearchstation@bigthicketresearch.org or at 936-274-1181. Contact the Executive Director at 936-274-5898 (director@bigthicket.org). The fax number is 936-274-5854.

Flo Johnson Retires: The staff honored Flo Johnson at a retirement luncheon at Wildwoods' Country Club at "Mulligans" on March 2, 2007. Flo was a veteran, who kept the Maintenance Department on its collective toes for 16 years.

Flo Johnson and Friends

MAGNOLIA CHARITABLE TRUST

The Wray and Todd Trusts (MCT) have generously awarded $5,000 to support Taxa Working Groups in the "Thicket of Diversity" (all taxa biodiversity inventory).

This foundation focuses on the environment. Their support for Big Thicket is evident in their earlier awards for purchase of land by the Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust as well as sponsorship of the Science Conference.

CONSERVATION OUTLOOK

APROPRIATIONS - GOOD NEWS!

Note from BTA President Bruce Drury: Because Congress did not complete the FY2007 budget last year, the government has been operating on “continuing resolutions” (spending authorization based on the FY2006 budget), and now Congress has turned agency budget allocations over to the departments.

The Department of Interior and the NPS gave BTNP $2,000,000 for land acquisition and $2,045,000 for the USDA Forest Legacy Program. This will leave the Preserve only about $2,000,000 short of completing the 1993 expansion and the Forest legacy money will handle some of the conservation easement east of the Turkey Creek Unit.

Congressman Brady has asked for $6,000,000 for land acquisition and $2,500,000 for Forest Legacy in the 2008 budget.

THICKET OF DIVERSITY

The Executive Council met March 5 at the Field Research Station in Saratoga with Vice-President Gillian Bowser presiding.

The Bio-Blitz was set for June 9-19 with scientists and students in the field collecting species. The "Kickoff" event begins June 16, at 9:00-4:00 at the Visitor Center. Taxa Working Groups will present findings and photographs from their bio-blitz. Other events will include demonstrations by Eastfield College of a scanning electron microscope, showing of the park film, and TWIG reports on their findings.

A conference call on March 26 dealt with Bowser's 2016 NPS Centennial project proposal to support an ATBI Alliance. The next meeting is scheduled April 9 in College Station.

Texas Mussel Watch Workshop

Volunteers are needed for a Thicket of Diversity project. The Preserve is hosting a Texas Mussel Watch workshop at the Field Research Station on May 19th from 9AM-5PM. WNPA has agreed to sponsor the tuition so it is free. Please contact Curtis Hoagland 409-951-6820 to register for the class.

Hancock Tour of Sensitive Lands

John Hancock Forest Management offered a tour of its "Sensitive Lands" on March 28 to a group of conservationists and resource managers. The tour covered Myrtle Prairie, Cow Creek Sandylands and Bog, Clearfork Baygall, the Dogwood Trail, Rush Creek Ravines, and Neches Bluffs. An exciting highlight of the trip was a visit to a bald eagle's nest. Because of time constraints Woodpecker Hill was not included, but Hancock offered trips to that area during the Science Conference.

Many thanks to Bob Cassell and other Hancock folks who made the trip a huge success.

Hardin County Drainage District - - AGAIN!

BTA has fought to protect the watersheds of Big Thicket since 1966, and once again, there is a proposal for a Hardin County Drainage District to address flooding by cleaning out ditches and removing debris from streams. Furthermore the federal floodplain maps need to be updated.

Petitions are circulating to vote on a Drainage District (with taxes) in November.

• Never mind that heavy rainfall on flat floodplains will ALWAYS produce flooding.
• Never mind that when you move water downstream, it just becomes someone else's problem.
• Never mind that a 1985 Corps of Engineers feasibility study DID NOT RECOMMEND measures to "control" flooding as cost effective.
• Never mind that a 1998 election to create a Stormwater Control District FAILED because 74 percent of voters opposed the proposed district.
• Never mind that OTHER counties adjoin these streams.
• And never mind that SUBDIVISION PLATS IN FLOODPLAINS should not be approved.

EVENTS

April 14, BTA Board Meeting, Field Research Station, Saratoga

April 21, Rush Creek Ravines, GT Sierra Field Trip, Contact Bruce Drury 409-892-9108

April 21, Champion Lake Earth Day Event, 11:00-2:00, canoeing, kayaking, boat tours, dip netting, hiking, etc. at Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge. For more details call Refuge Manage Stuart Marcus (936-336-9786)

April 28-29, Wilderness Pow Wow, Sam Houston National Forest

May 5, Beef Creek Waterfalls, and other sites, led by Robert Wilson, T-I Conservation Forester (Call 936-262-8522)

May 17, Leadership Southeast Texas, Big Thicket Program and Graduation

May 19, Mussel Watch Workshop, 9:00-5:00, Field Research Station. Call Curtis Hoagland 409-951-6820

May 26-28, Sabine River canoe Trip, Memorial Day weekend, 3 days / 2 nights.

June 9-19, Thicket of Diversity, Bio-Blitz (see article)

June 16, Thicket of Diversity Kickoff Event, 9:00-4:00, Visitor Center, Reports from TWIGS, family activities and programs.