ECONOTES 2013-03-04: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

Featured

1. Group effort helps native habitat at Terry Hershey Park (Flori Meeks – Houston Chronicle, 2/26/2013)
   The Bayou Preservation Association has been working hard to remove invasive species at Terry Hershey Park. Common invasive species at Terry Hershey Park include Chinese tallow, Chinaberry, Chinese privet, tree and wax-leaf ligustrum, nandina, elephant ears and Japanese honeysuckle. Removing the invasive species only is part of the job. Teams also plant native plants that help provide animal cover and erosion control once the exotics are removed.
   http://www.chron.com/
2. H-GAC to update transportation plan, projects Houston population increase of 3.3 million by 2040 (Shawn Arrajj – Community Impact Newspaper, 2/22/2013)
   The initial demographic analysis performed by the Houston-Galveston area council as it considers future transportation projects indicated that the population in the eight county Houston region is likely to increase by 3.3 million by 2040. The analysis also found the number of registered vehicles in the state is likely to double within that time frame. The growth Houston is facing has made mobility planning a critical priority, said Roland Strobel, chief transportation planner with H-GAC.
   http://impactnews.com/
3. Galveston’s Oppe Elementary Writes a Resolution! (Guidry News, 2/27/2013)
   Texas has a state bird, flower, song, small and large mammals, fish, shell, tree, insect, plant, fruit, stone, shrub and many other symbols, but no official sea turtle! The Fourth Grade Green Team at Oppe Elementary in Galveston hopes to solve this problem! Carole Allen, Gulf Offices Director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, asked fourth grade teacher Katie Pistone of Oppe Elementary if her students would be interested in writing a resolution to make the Kemp’s ridley the official sea turtle of the state of Texas. The students were excited and got to work researching and writing.
   http://www.guidrynews.com/

EcoNotes

• 4 March
  • Solar Project Languishes in Deregulated Texas Electricity (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 1 March
  • Higher Penalties for Oil and Gas Industry Have Bipartisan Support in Legislature (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • New Research Says Gas Boom Still Has a Few Decades In It (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 28 February
  • Texas White Bass, Other Fisheries Threatened by Drought (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
    http://tpwd.state.tx.us/
  • Galveston Beach Parks to Open This Weekend (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/
  • With Gas Drilling on the Decline, Texas Shale Regions Diverge (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • No Soup For You! Lawmaker Wants to Take Shark Fin Off the Menu (David Barer – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • EPA Recognizes Individuals, Organizations for Climate Change Leadership (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/
  • Photography Takes Center Stage at Texas State Parks This March (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
    http://tpwd.state.tx.us/
• 27 February
  • Galveston’s Oppe Elementary Writes a Resolution! (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/
  • Allergy Season Arrives Early To Houston (Jack Williams and Edel Howlin – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • Lawmakers Propose Fixes For Roads Damaged By Drilling (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Selling Texas as Oil Boom States Vie for Business (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
  • Texas Senate Confirms Commissioner Toby Baker (TCEQ News)
    http://www.tceq.texas.gov/
• 26 February
  • Group effort helps native habitat at Terry Hershey Park (Flori Meeks – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/
  • Missouri City resident input needed on bicycle and pedestrian mobility plan (Sugar Land Sun)
    http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
  • With Water in the Spotlight, Texas Agriculture Stakes Its Claim (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 25 February
  • Drought has Texas farmers wary of cashing in on corn (Lynn Brezosky – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/
  • Round-up: water-related bills filed in the Texas Legislature (Conservation Matters)
    http://twri.tamu.edu/
  • Metro Reopens Main Street Bridge (Florian Martin – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/
  • Drought update: dry conditions continue around Texas (Conservation Matters)
    http://twri.tamu.edu/
  • Fresh Legislation Would Protect Community Gardens From Lawsuits (Olivia Gordon – StateImpact)
    http://stateimpact.npr.org/
• 24 February
  • The more the merrier as co-op pursues sustainability (Nancy Sarnoff – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
• 22 February
  • H-GAC to update transportation plan, projects Houston population increase of 3.3 million by 2040 (Shawn Arrajj – Community Impact Newspaper)
    http://impactnews.com/
  • Houston’s new bike delivery service will bring almost anything to your door 24/7 (culturemap Houston)
    http://houston.culturemap.com/
• 19 February
  • Study links smog to heart attacks (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
• 14 February
  • HGAC nixes flyover, adds overpass (Catherine Dominguez – The Courier of Montgomery County)
    http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/