Houston Environmental News Update April 20, 2016
Normally, the introduction to today’s newsletter would highlight Earth Day and CEC’s involvement in Earth Day since 1970, and the amazing efforts of our member organizations. Instead, this week I’d like to talk about flooding.
In light of a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists on flooding in Miami, Houston’s flooding this week was particularly thought provoking. The report indicates that by 2045, as a result of sea-level rise, “flood-prone locations in Miami-Dade County’s coastal communities would face roughly 380 high-tide flood events per year, and the extent of tidal floods would expand to affect new low-lying locations, including many low-income communities with limited resources for preparedness measures.”Sound familiar? (If not, check out the facebook page for T.E.J.A.S. for local stories about injustice.)
The report concludes that local, state, and national actions are needed to increase “investments in preparedness so that impacts can be prevented and managed, and reducing global warming emissions so that the rate of sea level rise can be slowed over time.”
If you agree with these conclusions (or even if you dispute them), check out the announcements further down in the newsletter regarding the following:
- SSPEED Center conference on Avoiding Disaster How to Reduce Impacts from the Next Big Storm
- Request for input from the US Army Corps of Engineers on a Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study.
In the meantime, celebrate Earth Day!
Read on for this week’s news.
CEC NOTES
- Support CEC & EarthShare at HEB! Throughout the month of April and into the first week of May, look for the EarthShare of Texas display and tear-off coupons at the check-out stands in any Texas H-E-B and Central Market stores. As a member of EarthShare of Texas , CEC (and several of CEC member organizations, including Galveston Bay Foundation, HARC, Air Alliance Houston, Bayou Preservation Association, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Environmental Defense Fund, Katy Prairie Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Texas Sierra Club, SPARK School Park Program, and Texas Campaign for the Environment) will definitely benefit from these funds!
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The image here is a variation on NASA’s iconic Blue Marble. While we love the Blue Marble, and the picture of attendees at the Greater Houston Environmental Summit that usually graces the banner of our newsletter, we’re hoping to provide some more variety. Do you have a photo (or more) that you’d be willing to share? Please send it to photo@cechouston.org for consideration. All photographers will be recognized.
- New Subscribers Thank you to our new subscribers: Cameron, Will, Cassie, and Emily. We hope you enjoy our emails. Please consider liking us on facebook.
COALITION NOTES
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Earth Month at OKRA Charity Saloon. Good grief! OKRA Charity Saloon sure has made it difficult to vote for a charity this month. All four featured charities are CEC member groups: Katy Prairie Conservancy, Houston Parks Board, Â Keep Houston Beautiful, and Friends of Mandell Park. The good news? Any winner for Earth Month is a win for our environmental community, so eat, drink, and be merry.
- Houston Green Film Series: Racing Extinction, Vegetarian Dinner and Star-Studded Panel. Special Houston Green Films Series featuring Racing Extinction screening, vegetarian dinner and star-studded panel discussion for a $5 donation. In the film, Racing Extinction, Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos (THE COVE) assembles a team of artists and activists on an undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, RACING EXTINCTION reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world. The film will be shown on April 20, 2016, at 7pm. Dinner starts at 6:30. http://airalliancehouston.org
- Breaking Grounds on Hope Farms. In the heart of Houston’s historic Sunnyside neighborhood-in view of downtown skyscrapers, the new Hope Farms Showcase is a fully functional, vertically integrated farm, using organic methods to generate significant food crops in the midst of one of the city’s largest food deserts. Join Recipe for Success Founder Gracie Cavnar and Staff along with a number of VIPs that have been instrument in creating Hope Farms for a groundbreaking celebration on April 22, 2016, 10-11am at 10401 Scott Street. Hope Farms will become a destination for fresh and nutritious produce in Houston supplying locals, schools, restaurants and more with nutritious food and a touch point with the food we eat.
- Houston Solar Tour 2016. Are you curious about how solar systems work? Learn about solar system designs, the costs and how a solar energy system will reduce your electricity bill. Come to the ASES Houston Solar Tour for a first-hand experience showing a variety of solar solutions. From commercial installations and residential projects to solar thermal hot water, don’t miss out on this opportunity to see renewable energy solutions. Meet homeowners with solar systems, plus learn why solar energy systems are becoming more and more popular. This free, self-guided solar tour is open to the public and will showcase 5 residential and 1 commercial properties of their solar panel systems installed in the Bellaire area. The tour will be held on April 23, 2016, 9am-1pm. Learn more at www.houstonsolartour.com
- HANC Earth Day Celebration. Come enjoy the outdoors at HANC’s annual Earth Day Celebration! Enjoy Earth-conscious activities like guided nature hikes, crafts made from recycled materials, face painting, and Citizen Science projects that let you be a biologist for a day. Remember to bring all of you plastic flower pots and plant trays to the Arboretum for recycling. This celebration will be held on April 23, 2016, 10am-2pm. Free to attend! All ages welcome. http://houstonarboretum.org
- Pearland Earth Day. Keep Pearland Beautiful and the City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Department are partnering to host Keep Pearland Beautiful’s Twentieth Annual Earth Day Celebration. The fair is scheduled for April 23, 2016, from 10am-2pm behind the Pearland Recreation Center (4141 Bailey Rd., Pearland, Texas 77584). There is no admission charge to attend this event and all of the family friendly activities at this event are free to the attendees. This year’s event will include educational booths, games, food trucks, a petting zoo, and entertainment. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to target their environmental messaging towards children and their families. Each booth or activity must have an environmental theme that fits into KPB’s mission to empower Pearland Citizens to take responsibility for their environment or our vision to make Pearland the cleanest most beautiful city in Texas. (This is an outdoor event) If you are interested in hosting a BOOTH, or an ACTIVITY contact Lenora Tollefson at ltollefson@mykpb. http://pearlandconnection.net
- Earth Day Bash at the Children’s Museum. For 45 years, Earth Day has inspired awareness and appreciation for the environment. Spring into action and celebrate the wonders of the world during the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Earth Day Bash. Explore nature’s creations, discover ways to make a difference, and practice protecting the planet we call home! This celebration will be held on April 23, 2016, at 10am.
- Walk for The Woods Project 2016. Come out and walk on April 23, 2016, at Neighborhood Centers Inc.’s Ripley House. This scenic walking tour features Houston’s East End neighborhood and the beautiful Buffalo Bayou. This year features a new route with exciting new History Stops! The fun starts at 8 AM with breakfast tacos from El Tiempo Cantina and Zumba to get you warmed up. When you register to Walk, you are supporting TWP program and the students. With your help TWP can continue to offer transformative experiences to Houston high school students. This year, more than 175 students will participate in the intensive, two-week summer experience and over 600 students will participate in year-round programming. Learn more and register at https://secure.qgiv.com.
- Saving Wildlife Expo at the Houston Zoo. The Houston Zoo is partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Network to host an all-day conservation event at the Zoo on April 23, 2016, 9am-4pm. Five conservation leaders will speak about how they are working to save cotton-top tamarin monkeys, okapi, zebra, pygmy elephants and lemurs at this full-day event. The cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. www.houstonzoo.org
- Permablitz Saturday: Get Your Garden ON! Join Transition Houston for a Permablitz on Sunday, May 1, 2016, 8:30am-1pm! Come together with like minded people to learn how to live more sustainably and help build community! The projects for the recipient of this permablitz include installing a basic water reclamation system and compost bin, adding a garden bed, and more! Bring yourself and a friend! Morning refreshments will be provided and there will be a potluck lunch. RSVP to www.transitionhouston.org.
- 2016 Bayou Bash. Join Bayou Buddies for their biggest fundraiser of the year featuring crawfish and libations, live entertainment from Havoc Wagon, lawn games and pontoon boat rides. Guests will also have a chance to bid on great silent auction packages for culinary, cultural and recreational experiences! Items include Houston Dash tickets, class passes to Orangetheory, one-year membership to Houston Arboretum, tickets to concerts and so much more. The bash will be held on April 23, 2016, 12-4pm at The Water Works. Presale tickets (closes April 22 at 5pm) are $35 for current Bayou Buddies members (with promo code) / $40 for non-members. On the day of the event, the cost is $45 for current Bayou Buddies members / $50 for non-members. http://buffalobayou.org
- Willow Waterhole 2016 Music Fest.
Come out to Willow Waterhole Park from April 23-24, 2016, for the 2016 Music Fest! Enjoy two days of free live music in a relaxing setting. Learn more at www.facebook.com. - Woodland Park Volunteer Day. Friends of Woodland Park and Bridgestone Americas (parent company of Firestone Complete Auto Care) are teaming up for a major park clean up event on April 24, 2016, 7am-noon at Woodland Park. During the last cleanup event with Bridgestone in 2012 volunteers pulled 484 tires out of Little White Oak Bayou and filled over 150 bags with other trash and debris! Refreshments, snacks, lunch, equipment and gloves will be provided. This is a great opportunity to meet neighbors and improve this treasure of a park. Sign up at www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org.
- Cigna Sunday Streets Houston. Cigna Sunday Streets Houston is an initiative to promote and improve the health of Houstonians. Cigna Sunday Streets Houston opens a stretch of streets normally reserved for cars and other vehicles to allow cycling, walking, dancing, socializing and provides a family-friendly opportunity to be physically active. Come out and enjoy Houston! The next event will be held on April 24, 2016, noon-4pm on Binz from Caroline to Chenevert, and Caroline from Binz to Wentworth. More at www.houstontx.gov.
- Monarch Event – Saving Pollinators, One Backyard at a Time. Armand Bayou Nature Center would like to invite everyone to the “Saving Pollinators, One Backyard at a Time” event on Sunday, April 24, 2016, from 1-4pm. This special event is open to EVERYONE. The cost is general admission of only $4 for adults and $2 for children and seniors (kids under 4 are free) and our members are FREE. Nancy Greig, the Director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, will speak about declining butterfly populations and how we can help to protect them in our own backyards. www.abnc.org
- Environmental Enforcement Roundtable – Sampling 101: Strategies and Procedures for Environmental Enforcement Cases. Sampling is an important part of many environmental enforcement investigations and in certain situations can make or break a case. At the upcoming roundtable, hear from Gary Steinmetz with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He’ll cover topics such as basic sampling procedures, setting up the investigation, and preparing for court. The round table will be from 10am-noon at the H-GAC offices on April 28, 2016. RSVP by April 27, 2016, to Erin Livingston at 832-681-2525 or erin.livingston@h-gac.com.
- Gulf Coast Green 2016. Gulf Coast Green 2016 Symposium and Green Product Showcase continues to bring like-minded green building professionals together to experience next-generation sustainable building solutions. Held this year at the new MATCH Center in midtown Houston, this one-day forum is designed to share cutting edge ideas in a creative context to inspire your inner muse. This year’s conference will explore how art and the principles of sustainable design can enrich the classic architectural qualities as described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius: firmitas, utilitas, and venustas, which roughly translate to durability, utility, and beauty. The symposium will take place April 28, 2016, at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH). https://aiahouston.org
- GBF Marsh Mania. Join GBF for a wet and muddy good time at Marsh Mania on April 30, 2016, from 9am-1pm. Marsh Mania is the nationally-recognized, signature community-based wetlands restoration and education event of the Galveston Bay area. The goal of Marsh Mania is to involve local citizens in hands-on wetlands restoration activities while increasing their awareness and appreciation of wetland habitats and functions. In its 17 years, Marsh Mania has involved more than 7,650 community volunteers in the restoration of over 205 acres of vital salt marsh habitat at 84 sites around Galveston Bay. Volunteers are the heart and soul of Marsh Mania. Register as a volunteer at www.emailmeform.com.
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Save the Date: Bayou Preservation Association 50th Anniversary Luncheon. As Bayou Preservation Association turns 50, we will celebrate the accomplishments in our waterways and watersheds with a luncheon and look to the continuation of our mission to celebrate, protect and restore the natural richness of all our bayous and streams. The Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards and other special 50th Anniversary Awards will be presented. May 9, 2016, at the Junior League of Houston. Learn more at www.bayoupreservation.org.
- Bay Day Festival. Celebrate the Bay with GBF at Bay Day 2016 on May 14, 2016, 11am-4pm at Kemah Boardwalk! Bay Day is a one-day celebration presented by the Galveston Bay Foundation and numerous community partners. It is a fun event for families and adults that annually draws more than 5,000 attendees to experience and learn more about Galveston Bay, the largest bay in Texas and one of the most productive estuaries in the country! Festival highlights include bay-themed arts and crafts, live animal demonstrations and touch tanks, a scavenger hunt, science and marine exhibits, live music, and more. Children and adults will have fun learning about the importance of Galveston Bay in our everyday lives at exhibitor booths including Baytown Nature Center, Houston Zoo, Sea Center Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and much more. http://galvbay.org
- World Oceans Day Festival – Art Contest. Get ready for World Oceans Day by preparing your own creative masterpiece utilizing marine debris to be displayed at Galveston’s first World Oceans Day! This contest is open to ocean-lovers of all ages! The art pieces must be submitted between May 30 and June 3, 2016, from 8am-5pm at the Artist Boat Office. Then save the date for the World Oceans Day Festival on Stewart Beach on June 8, 2016, 4-7pm. The World Oceans Day Festival features something for ocean-lovers of all ages! Local, regional, and national organizations will host interactive activities to highlight how we are all connected to the ocean. Spend an evening on the beach and celebrate the Ocean with the rest of the world! Learn more at www.artistboat.org.
- Family Adventure to Yellowstone with the Houston Zoo. Join the Houston Zoo on the next adventure through Yellowstone to enjoy hiking, wildlife, and the opportunity to contribute to citizen science projects dedicated to saving animals. Don’t miss your chance to experience an adventure of a lifetime with your family. The trip will be from July 6-11, 2016. The cost is $1,995 for 1st family member, $1,349 for each subsequent family member (cost does not include airfare into Jackson Hole, Wyoming). Reserve your spot now at www.houstonzoo.org.
- The Ecosystem Services Primer: A Primer for Problem-solving Using Ecosystem Services. Based on a Policy Paper by Houston Wilderness Entitled: Looking Beyond Ecosystem Functions to the Value of Ecosystem Services, this Primer extends research on ecosystem services and details various structured valuation methods for the Greater Houston Region. It is useful to policymakers and stakeholders engaged in designing large-scale infrastructure, conservation, or land-use solutions. The Primer also offers a means of accounting by which business leaders and other private stakeholders may value their natural capital and its potential for improvement. This Primer assesses the importance of integrating the value and benefits of ecosystem services into mainstream policy decision-making, providing policy makers with more tools to make mutually beneficial decisions regarding the region’s most pressing economic and environmental issues and recommend ways to accomplish these goals. Learn more at http://houstonwilderness.org.
- Volunteer Stewardship Workdays at the Coastal Heritage Preserve. Artist Boat has many volunteer opportunities in the upcoming months. In each volunteer workday, Artist Boat staff train volunteers in a specific land management task, like identifying and removing invasive fire ants from the Preserve, cutting and spraying invasive McCartney rose bushes, growing native prairie grasses in our outdoor nursery, or just how to identify native plants and animals at the Preserve. Each day is about four hours long, which includes a private, hour-long guided tour of the Preserve and free breakfast or lunch. Also, the first 50 volunteers who attend these workdays will receive a free four hour guided kayak adventure at the Preserve in April! Learn more and sign up at www.artistboat.org.
- Bucket Brigade Interpretive Beach Tours. The Bucket Brigade is out on Galveston beaches providing FREE interpretive tours of the coastal and marine ecosystems! Tours last approximately 45 minutes and include hands-on exploration of questions such as “what is in out water”, “how is seaweed a good thing” and “how do I connect to the ocean” that is fun and educational for ocean-lovers of all ages! Tours are available at multiple Galveston beach locations, including Stewart and East Beaches, during the weekends in April and May and daily in the summer. Sign up for tours is on location. For more information on tour times and locations, please visit www.artistboat.org or call 409-770-0722. The Bucket Brigade is a program of Artist Boat and the Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees.
- Catching the Sun Film Screening. Come out to Studio Movie Grill City Centre on April 20, 2016, at 7pm for a screening of Catching the Sun. Through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China, Catching the Sun is a feature length documentary that explores the global race to a clean energy future. Catching the Sun follows the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry and sheds light on the path to an economically and environmentally sustainable future. Through personal stories that illuminate the universal theme of hope for a better life, and set against the struggle to build a ‘green economy’, Catching the Sun will engage new audiences in solutions to climate change and income inequality. Purchase tickets at https://tugg.com.
- Champion Lake Earth Day Event. In commemoration of Earth Day 2016, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge along with the Friends of Trinity River Refuge, will host an afternoon of outdoor activities at the Champion Lake Public Use Area. The fun-filled afternoon is on April 23, 2016 from 11am-2pm. Activities will include refuge boat tours, canoeing, kayaking, bird and butterfly viewing, walking the levee trail, dip netting and fishing lessons in the lake for the kids, and a “Wildlife Experience.†Champion Lake is located at the end of CR 417, two miles east of FM 1409 in southern Liberty County. This is approximately 10 miles south of Dayton, TX from Hwy 90 or about six miles north of I-10 at the Cove exit (FM 565). Admission is free. Call the refuge office at 936/336-9786 for more information. You may want to bring a lawn chair as seating is limited.
- Spring Outdoor Celebration in Mont Belvieu. Spring Outdoor Celebration provides a great learning opportunity for the members of the community, especially the youth, to learn how to better understand and enjoy the outdoors. This event is focused on free, fun, outdoor entertainment. There will be door prizes, kayaking, archery, rock climbing, fishing, airgun shooting, raptor shows and many educational exhibits(including live animals). The celebration will be held on April 23, 2016, 12-5pm. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
- Geology Lessons on the Bayou. Want to learn about the geology and natural history of Buffalo Bayou? Save Buffalo Bayou is partnering with professional geologist Tom Helm, who also happens to be an outstanding naturalist and river guide, to offer floating classes on the geology of our 18,000-year-old mother bayou. Paddle with Tom on a two-hour canoe trip down Buffalo Bayou and see some of our Pleistocene natural history right here in the middle of Houston. Learn all about the formation of the bluffs and sandstone rocks during the last ice age. See examples of depositional environments and fluvial processes. Find out why the banks are sandy and how sand moves downstream, why the river looks the way it does, and much more. The classes start at the Woodway boat launch in Memorial Park and float past the park and the Hogg Bird Sanctuary, through the historic natural area targeted for destruction by the Harris County Flood Control District. Multiple stops will be made along the way to examine features of interest. The schedule depends on class size. One to four persons can be scheduled any day of the week, usually with no more than 48 hours’ notice. Groups larger than four persons (up to 30 persons maximum) are accepted only on weekends. These larger weekend groups need to schedule at least one month in advance. Cost is $50 per person, which includes canoe and equipment, and light refreshments at the end. Discounts are available for academic faculty and students. Read more at www.savebuffalobayou.org.
- SSPEED Center Conference. Save the date for the upcoming SSPEED Center Conference which will be held April 26-27, 2016, at Rice University. The topic is Avoiding Disaster Conference: How to Reduce Impacts from the Next Big Storm. The first day will be devoted to hurricane modeling, damage assessment and various proposed protection structures, and the second day will be about buying and selling ecological services and primarily about carbon transactions, something we have not talked about very much here in Houston. Registration for both days is $125, whereas registration for a single day is $75. Find out more at http://sspeed.rice.edu.
- 11th National Prescription Drug Take Back Event. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will host its 11th National Prescription Drug Take Back event in communities across the country this month. As part of this nationwide program, from 10am-2pm on April 30, 2016, residents are invited to bring their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs to various sites around the region. Find a site near you: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.
- ÂBayou City Art Festival. This year, Art Colony Association, Inc. will celebrate 45 years of fine art as it spotlights more than 350 artists during its annual Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park from April 29 – May 1, 2016. With an adoration of animals and spunky, colorful paintings, April Murphy, a local Houstonian, will serve as the featured artist. Festival patrons will enjoy a vibrant walk through Memorial Park as they take in the sights of artwork from 19 different disciplines and enjoy an array of delicious, local foods. Eco-friendly artwork will have a presence at the Bayou City Art Festival through the artwork of various artists across the nation. These artists practice under different disciplines but make their pieces using sustainable material. The artists that use sustainable material include Ana Huberman Lazovsky, Charlie Hardwick, and Anne London. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children, ages 3Â12. Shuttle buses return this year at Northwest Mall for easy access to festival grounds in front of the admission gates. Shuttle tickets are on sale now for $3. Learn more at www.artcolonyassociation.org.
- Grant to Restore & Enhance the Monarch Butterfly Habitat. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) is working in cooperation with 143 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) located in Texas to enhance and restore the Monarch Butterfly habitat. It is estimated that over the past 20 years the Monarch population has declined from 1 billion to less than 60 million due to a number of factors. One of the most prominent factors that has contributed to this steep population decline is the loss of habitat and food sources. As a result of this decline of the Monarch Butterfly population, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) as well as the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have provided funds to enhance and restore the Monarch Butterfly habitat. The project provides funding to develop conservation plans and plant pollinator friendly plant species on 1,600 Texas rural lands along the Monarch’s migratory pattern. The funding will be made available to farmers, ranchers or private landowners with tracts of land between 1 and 30 acres. The funds will pay $375 per acre to cover seed cost, planting and maintenance of the land. Entities such as schools or municipalities qualify for funding to develop a Monarch Butterfly garden between 100 and 300 square feet. Applications will be available on May 2, 2016 on the project website at www.tsswcb.texas.gov.
- Mining The HMNS: An Investigation by The Natural History Museum. Is the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences a museum, or a PR front for the fossil fuel industry? This is the central question of “Mining the HMNSâ€, an exhibition by The Natural History Museum that interrogates the symbiotic relationship between the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences and its corporate sponsors. The exhibition excavates key narratives and displays in the Houston museum, and highlights the voices and stories that are excluded–those of the low-income predominantly Latino and African-American fence-line communities along the Houston Ship Channel. In partnership with T.E.J.A.S. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services), The Natural History Museum will co-host monthly “Toxic Tours†of East Houston’s petrochemical plants and refineries, and conduct extensive air quality monitoring tests in collaboration with scientists from Texas State University. Situated at the confluence of scientific research, environmental justice, and critical museum practice, the exhibition aims to model the museum of the future–one that works to mobilize a collective response to the challenges of the Anthropocene. This exhibit at the Project Row Houses (2521 Holman Street) will be on display from March 26, 2016 until June 19, 2016. There will also be Toxic Tours that will be held on the first Saturday of the month (May 7 and June 4) from 10am-12:30pm. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
- Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study – Public Comment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study. A notice of intent was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 81, No. 62, on Thursday, March 31, 2016. This study will identify and evaluate the feasibility of a developing a comprehensive plan for flood damage reduction, hurricane and storm risk reduction, and ecosystem restoration for the coastal areas of the state of Texas. The study will focus on providing for the protection, conservation, and restoration of wetlands, barrier islands, shorelines, and related lands and features that protect critical resources, habitat, and infrastructure from the impacts of coastal storms, hurricanes, erosion, and subsidence. Interested parties are encouraged to provide their input and recommendations for all significant issues of the study, via CoastalTexas@usace.army.mil . Learn more at www.swg.usace.army.mil. The USACE invites your comments by May 9, 2016, on the scope of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement:
- Question #1: What are the critical natural and human environmental problems and needs that should be addressed in the Draft EIS?
- Question #2: What are the significant resources that should be considered in the Draft EIS?
- Question #3: What are the reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the Draft EIS?
- Texas Community Forestry Awards Nominations. Celebrate the accomplishments of those who have dedicated their talents to spreading a leafy green canopy over Texas by nominating them for the 2016 Texas Community Forestry Awards Program. This program is open to anyone who has a role in building stronger communities by planting, maintaining or protecting trees. There are five categories: Arborist of the Year, The Gold Leaf Award – Landscape Improvement, Arboricultural Project of the Year, Outstanding Arbor Day Activities, and ISAT Volunteer of the Year. Nominations are due by June 2, 2016. Learn more at http://isatexas.com.
- TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
- Big Bend, Life on the Edge