Community Notes 07-09-2012

1. Satellite Telemetry Used To Study BP Oil Spill Effects on Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle. Impact on World’s Most Endangered Sea Turtle Studied on Land, at Sea, in Labs Padre Island National Seashore, Texas – The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees this week offered a glimpse into the world of scientists working to assess injuries caused by the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the world’s most endangered sea turtle, the Kemp’s ridley. Assessment work includes field and laboratory tests to determine oil-related turtle exposure and satellite tracking via transmitters attached to turtles that come ashore to nest and lay eggs. More info at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20120628a.
2. America Is Your Park. Coca-Cola is holding its 3rd annual America is your park campaign. Your vote can help your favorite park win the title of “America’s Favorite Park” and a $100,000 recreation grant from Coca-Cola. Many people have decided to vote to help Bastrop State Park, which is still recovering from the wildfires last fall. Visit https://apps.facebook.com/ to learn more and to vote. You can vote everyday until July 15th.
3. Texas LIP Opportunities. The Texas Landowner Incentive Program has a multitude of funding opportunities for landowners in select areas of the state. The following funding options are available: Statewide LIP Funding Series, The Llano River Watershed LIP Funding Series, James River Watershed Restoration – LIP Funding Series, and The Texas Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GPLCC) LIP Funding Series. Please go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us to learn more.
4. New TV Recycling Rules in Effect. If you buy a new TV after July 1, retailers are required to: 1) Provide you with information about the legal disposal and recycling options for your television; and 2) Make sure the television is labeled with the manufacturer’s brand. Find more information about television recycling by visiting TexasRecyclesTVs.org or calling 512-239-3143. Find information about the computer equipment recycling program at TexasRecyclesComputers.org.
   
5. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Seabrook, and on HCC. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). This week’s broadcast will include:
   • The Real Bears of East Texas
   • Kickapoo Cavern State Park
   • Lavaca Bay, the $130,000,000 Lesson
6. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html
   • July 10: Green–Good. Moderate winds, low incoming background levels, and/or heavy cloud cover with precipitation should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
   • July 11: Green–Good. Moderate winds, low incoming background levels, and/or heavy cloud cover with precipitation should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
   • July 12: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. Increasing background levels and decreasing cloud cover combined with sufficiently light winds could help ozone levels reach “Moderate” on the north and northeast sides of the Houston area.