Oct 08, 2021 Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee

[00:00:03]

HELLO EVERYBODY.

I'M LESLIE POOLE I'M COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND A MEMBER OF THE BALCONY'S CANDY LAND CONSERVATION PLAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

AND I AM CALLING I'M CHAIRING THE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY AND I'M CALLING OUR COMMITTEE TO ORDER.

TODAY IS OCTOBER 8TH, 2021.

OUR MEETING IS BEING HELD BY A VIDEO CONFERENCE AND IT IS OFFICIALLY 1:02 PM CALLING OUR MEETING TO ORDER.

WELCOME EVERYBODY.

WE HAVE A CORUM WITH COMMISSIONER BRIGID, SHEA, AND ME ALONG WITH ADAM ZENNER WHO REPRESENTS THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND ARE ABLE SECRETARY KIMBERLY HARVEY.

GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STAFF HERE TODAY TO GIVE US SOME GOOD REPORTS.

UH, KIMBERLY ANDERSON, WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION TODAY.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.

GREAT.

MOVING ON TO OUR AGENDA.

I'LL JUST NOTE A NOTE FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S LISTENING IN THAT WE ARE GOING TO AIM TO KEEP OUR MEETING TODAY TO UNDER AN HOUR DUE TO SOME OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE THIS AFTERNOON.

DOES THAT SOUND DOABLE TO EVERYBODY? OKAY.

GREAT.

THANKS SO MUCH.

SO ITEM NUMBER

[1. Approve Record of Decisions for the May 26, 2021 Regular Meeting]

ANY CHANGES NEEDED TO THIS RECORD APPROVAL COMMISSIONER SAY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE.

AND I WILL SECOND ALL IN FAVOR, AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS ITEM.

[2. National Habitat Conservation Plan Coalition 2021 Annual Meeting - Secretary]

AND, UH, MS. HARVEY, ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE US THE REPORT ON THIS? YES, I AM.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT.

IT HAPPENED THIS WEEK, THE NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION HOSTED THEIR 2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK.

AND DURING THESE MEETINGS, THE PARTICIPANTS SHARE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN OR HTP KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.

THEY REFINE THE COALITION POLICIES AND MAP OUT ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMING YEAR.

UM, GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN REALLY QUICKLY, THE SHOW, UH, THE WEBSITE THAT SHOWS SOME OF THE GOALS HERE.

UH, SO WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE COALITION.

WE SPONSORED THIS CONFERENCE AND SEVERAL BCP STAFF MEMBERS HAVE ATTENDED PAST MEETINGS.

I SERVE ON THEIR ANNUAL MEETING COMMITTEE AND I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THIS GROUP WILL HOLD THEIR 2022 ANNUAL MEETING HERE IN AUSTIN NEXT YEAR FROM OCTOBER 25TH THROUGH 27.

NOW, WHEN THE ANNUAL MEETINGS ARE IN PERSON, THERE'S OFTEN A FIELD TRIP COMPONENT TO LOCAL HCP AREAS.

SO THE BCP WILL BE ONE OF THE CENTRAL TEXAS HCPS HIGHLIGHTED AT THE CONFERENCE.

AND ONE OF THE FIELD TRIPS WE'LL TAKE PARTICIPANTS TO SEE GOING TO HABITAT ON THE BCP.

UH, THE COALITION JUST POSTED THEIR 20, 21 ANNUAL MEETING SESSIONS, UH, THIS MORNING.

SO I WASN'T ABLE TO INCLUDE IT IN THE, UH, MEETING MATERIALS, BUT I WILL EMAIL YOU THE LINK.

I'M ALSO SHOWING THE LINK ON SCREEN NOW.

AND SO TO ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN HCPS OR WORKING WITH HTPS, I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK THIS GROUP OUT THERE GROWING AND DOING IMPORTANT WORK.

THAT'S GREAT.

KIMBERLY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? VERY GOOD.

THAT'S GREAT.

JUST A BRIEF COMMENT.

UM, I I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, UH, KIMBERLY YOU AND THE CITY AND THE COUNTY STAFF BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THAT NATIONAL GATHERING HERE NEXT YEAR.

UM, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REALLY, UM, REALLY IMPRESSIVE, UM, PROJECTS TO SHOW OFF.

AND, UM, I'M SO I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING.

YEAH, THAT'S SUPER GREAT NEWS.

UM, UM, LET, UH, THE COMMISSIONER AND MAY KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN HELP YOU ALL WITH, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THOSE DATES ON MY CALENDAR.

IT'LL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

YES.

ITEM THREE,

[3. Lights Out Texas: Austin/Travis County go Lights Out for Migratory Birds– BCP Staff]

UH, TODAY WE HAVE JOHANNA WITH US TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UH, WHAT THIS IS.

HI EVERYBODY.

I'M JOHANNA RN, THE COMMUNITY LIAISON FOR TRAVIS COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES.

AND, UM,

[00:05:01]

UM, THE COMMITTED TO TURNING OFF NON-ESSENTIAL LIGHTS IN ALL CITY BUILDINGS AND ALL DOWNTOWN COUNTY BUILDINGS, 11:00 PM TO 6:00 AM DURING FALL AND SPRING MIGRATION SEASONS EACH YEAR GOING FORWARD WERE FEASIBLE.

UM, SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING AND A BIG STEP.

UM, AND THE RESOLUTIONS BOTH ALSO ENCOURAGED RESIDENTS TO DO THE SAME, TO HELP OUT WITH THE MIGRATORY BOARDS, KEEPING, UH, ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE THEIR JOURNEY SAFELY WITH AND PREVENT COLLISIONS WITH BUILDINGS.

SO THE, UM, COUNTY AND CITY BCP STAFF HAVE BEEN PROMOTING THE PROGRAM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA WITH POSTS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, UH, HERE AT THE COUNTY BCP.

WE'VE BEEN ALSO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY PIO OFFICE TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE TO A BROADER AUDIENCE, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL.

WE HAD POST ABOUT THE HIGH MIGRATION ALERT, SHOWING THE MAP WHERE ALL THE MIGRATION IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.

UM, AND THAT WAS SHARED ON THE COUNTY SOCIAL MEDIA AND ACTUALLY ENDED UP REACHING MORE THAN 37,000 PEOPLE, WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING FOR ME.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST REACH I'VE EVER GOTTEN WITH A POST.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE PROGRAM FOR THE SEPTEMBER EDITION OF THE STEINER RANCH NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO, YOU KNOW, THERE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 4,000 RESIDENTS AND WAS ALSO FEATURED IN THE BLOG OF THE BALCONIES CANYONS MASTER NATURALS CHAPTER.

UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO REACH HOUSEHOLDS DIRECTLY AROUND THE BCP.

UM, WHICH OF COURSE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE BIRDS THAT ARE, UM, STARTING FROM THE PRESERVE TO MIGRATE AND ALSO BIRDS THAT ARE STOPPING OFF ON THEIR MIGRATION ON THE PRESERVE.

SO IF WE HAVE AS MANY LIGHTS OFF AS POSSIBLE AROUND THE PRESERVE, THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP WITH THEIR SAFETY.

UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUBLICIZE THAT PROGRAM THROUGH THE END OF FALL MIGRATION, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 30TH, JOANNA.

THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

WOULD YOU, UM, SEND TO, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONER IN ME THAT THE PIECE THAT YOU WROTE FOR THE STEINER RANCH PUBLICATION? ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH, I HAD, I HAD PUBLISHED, UM, IN MY NEWSLETTER TO MY DISTRICT, UM, SOME INFORMATION WHEN WE PASSED THAT RESOLUTION AND I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW IT UP AND, AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GOT TO JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY SINCE NOW WE'RE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE MIGRATORY, UM, THE FALL MIGRATORY TIMEFRAME AND THE SPRING ONE IS FROM WINTER.

WHEN, YEAH, HOLD ON ONE SEC.

THE SPRING ONE, UM, LET'S SEE, OH, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I DIDN'T WRITE THAT DOWN.

AND THE EXACT DATES ARE NOT DETERMINED USUALLY UNTIL, UM, IT WORKED CLOSER, THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY DETERMINES THE EXACT DATES, BUT IT'S GENERALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, MARCH, APRIL IN THAT AN INTIMATE.

AND I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN THAT AS WELL.

UM, THAT'S A GREAT KIND OF PIZZA, HAPPY NEWS TO PUT OUT IT'S AS CLOSE TO DARK SKIES AS WE'RE GOING TO GET URBAN.

RIGHT.

AND I'VE SEEN YARD SIGNS, UM, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, TO SAVE THE BIRDS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

ARE THOSE, ARE THOSE SIGNS THAT, UM, WE CAN GET AHOLD OF WORK OR WE CAN TELL PEOPLE HOW TO FIND, OR WAS THAT SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT DID IT, I'M GUESSING THAT'S PROBABLY TRAVIS AUDUBON, BUT I CAN ASK THEM, I, UH, YOU KNOW, JAYA TORRES WITH CITY BCP AND I REGULARLY, UM, ATTENDED THE PLANNING MEETINGS FOR THE LIGHTS OUT TEXAS, UH, INITIATIVE HERE LOCALLY.

SO WE'LL FIND OUT WHO IS PRODUCING THOSE AND SEE THAT.

FABULOUS.

THANK YOU.

SURE.

THANKS MUCH.

DIANA ITEM, NUMBER FOUR,

[4. Engaging the Community to Reduce Wildfire Risk – BCP Staff]

KIMBERLY.

YEAH.

SO THE TRAVIS COUNTY IS WORKING ON SHADED FUEL BREAKS AS USUAL.

THIS SEASON.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET AS MUCH ACCOMPLISHED AS, UM, THEY HAD PLANNED, UH, BECAUSE THE TEXAS CONSERVATION CORPS IS HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE RECRUITING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK.

SO, UM, THEY'LL COMPLETE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES, UM, AND CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT MULTI-YEAR PLAN.

UM, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN BCP, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HIRE CREWS FROM THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, UM, TO CONDUCT, UH, CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN SHADED FUEL BREAKS.

UM, THESE CREWS ARE ALSO LEARNING HOW TO DO HOME IGNITION ASSESSMENTS.

UM, SO THAT'S A WAY OF ENGAGING HOMEOWNERS AND KIND OF PARTNERING TO, UM, DO WORK BOTH ON THE PRESERVE SIDE.

AND, UM, ON THE HOMEOWNER SIDE, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL.

UM, AND OF COURSE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, IT'S A, UM, JOB TRAINING AND READINESS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CONNECT TO POTENTIAL FUTURE JOBS, UM, IN HOME IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENTS

[00:10:01]

UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT, UM, GREAT PRESENTATIONS TO THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY WILDFIRE COALITION TO EVER SCOTT GAVE A REALLY WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.

RECENTLY, JOHANNA ORANGE IS TAKING ON A LARGER ROLE IN THE WILDFIRE COALITION.

AND SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING HER AND JAMES STUFF FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO THINK ABOUT, UM, OUR ROLE IN REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK AS A COMMUNITY AND PROTECTING THE PRESERVE AND COMMUNICATING THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE PRESERVES ARE NOT A RISK, UM, NOT A MAJOR RISK OF WILDFIRE, BUT, OR AT RISK IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY COULD BE BY, UM, A HUMAN CAUSED IGNITION.

THAT'S IT.

GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, KATE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I'LL JUST, UM, I'LL JUST MAKE A NOTE.

WE DID, UM, A WILDFIRE, UM, PREPAREDNESS TOWN HALL, UM, IN, UH, LATE AUGUST, UM, AND, UM, REALLY KIND OF FOCUSING ON WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA.

UM, ALL OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY IS VULNERABLE.

AND AS WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, MY PLAINS GRASSES CAN CATCH AND BURN FRANKLY, EVEN FASTER THAN TREES.

SO, UM, I THINK THIS KIND OF PREPAREDNESS FOCUSES IS GOING TO BE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AND, UM, AND SORT OF AN EVEN BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UM, TO INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO PREPARE PEOPLE.

AND SO MANY PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW, WE HAVE DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED OUR REACH WITH WARN CENTRAL TEXAS.

UH, AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO BE ALERTED, WHICH THEY SHOULD WANT, IF THERE ARE WILDFIRES COMING, THEY CAN ALSO GO ON MOURN CENTRAL TEXAS AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS, BUT WE'VE ALSO DESIGNED THE SYSTEM SO THAT IF THERE IS A NEED FOR LIFE-SAVING INFORMATION, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE PUSHED OUT TO THE CELL PHONES.

WE INCREASED OUR REACH FROM 7% TO ABOVE 70%.

AND THAT'S TRUE.

CONGRATULATIONS, TWO YEARS TO DO IT AT THE CAP CON, BUT WE FINALLY HAVE.

AND SO IT'S A, IT'S NOW A VERY USEFUL TOOL, BUT IMPORTANT WORK.

YEAH.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

COMMISSIONER ITEM.

NUMBER FIVE IS

[5. The International Year of Caves and Karst: Celebrating BCP Caves and Understanding BCCP Karst Compliance – BCP Staff]

AND THIS IS ANOTHER PRESENTATION FROM OUR TERRIFIC STAFF.

SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO SOME OF OUR BIOLOGISTS TO SHOW US SOME REALLY INTERESTING THINGS.

UM, SO THE DUCK PLENTY'S CANYON LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN IS A HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN THAT PROVIDES A STREAMLINED WAY FOR LANDOWNERS AND UTILITY PROVIDERS TO COMPLY WITH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT FOR HABITAT PAY WHILE PROTECTING HIGH QUALITY HABITAT AND ABOUT CONEYS CANYON LANDS PRESERVE.

SO ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS CAN MITIGATE FOR THE REMOVAL OF HABITAT FOR SEVEN ENDANGERED SPECIES THROUGH THE BCCP.

UH, SIX OF THE SEVEN ENDANGERED SPECIES ARE KARST VERTEBRATES THAT LIVE UNDERGROUND.

THEY ARE THE BEET CREEK CAVE.

HARVESTMAN THE BONE CAVE, HARVESTMAN THE CRASH, MARK CAVE MOLD BEETLE, THE TOOTH CAVE GROUND BEETLE, THE TOOTH CAVE, HARVESTMEN THE TOOTH CAVE, PSEUDO SCORPION AND THE TOOTH CAVE SPIDER.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THESE, THE BCCP ALSO HELPS PROTECT 25 KARST INVERTEBRATES OF CONCERN.

NOW, THE BCCP QUANTIFIES ALLOWABLE TAKE OF COVERED SPECIES IN TERMS OF LOSS OF HABITAT.

AND OUR PERMIT TAKE AUTHORIZATION ALLOWS FOR THE LOSS OF FOUR KNOWN ENDANGERED CARSTEN, VERTEBRAE CAVES, AND THE LOSS OF OVER 38,000 ACRES OF POTENTIAL CARS HABITAT, WHICH IS ABOUT 85% OF WHAT REMAINS IN OUR AREA.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT THE BCCP CAVES LISTED IN OUR HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN, OUR HCP PRESERVE ACQUISITION GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES.

DESCRIBE WHAT IT TAKES FOR A KARST FANTA AREA TO BE CONSIDERED PROTECTED IN THIS PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING KARSH PRESERVES.

NOW I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT ALL, BUT IN SHORT, THE CARS PRESERVES SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN SIZE AND CONFIGURATION TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM THAT THE KARST INVERTEBRATES MEAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

IN MOST INSTANCES, THIS ENTAILS PROTECTING THE ENTIRE SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE AREAS.

UM, AND WE HAVE SOME BCP BIOLOGISTS HERE TODAY.

UM, STOP SHARING REAL QUICK.

UM, THEY'RE GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BCP CAVES AND SHOW YOU SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE AND FASCINATING WORK THAT, UM, THAT THEY'RE DOING TO SUPPORT HEALTHY CAVE ECOSYSTEMS AND IN SUPPORT OF CLIMATE COMPLIANCE.

SO COLIN, TODAY WE HAVE COLIN STRICKLIN, MARK SANDERS, AND DREW THOMPSON, AND THEY'RE COMING AT YOU FROM

[00:15:01]

SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN NOW AND GET STARTED.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

SO CAN EVERYBODY SEE THE SCREEN? EXCELLENT.

SO MY NAME IS MARK SANDERS AND I'M A BIOLOGIST WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S BACKBONE IS CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.

I, ALONG WITH COWORKERS, COLIN STRICKLAND AND DREW THOMPSON ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF OUR ECCP KARST CAVES FROM AT CAVES.

THAT IS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO SOME MAJOR TASKS THAT STILL NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR PERMIT COMPLIANCE.

UH, THE PERMIT 1996 BCCP PERMIT, UH, REQUIRES IT FOR MAIN DATES THAT WE PROTECT 60 OR 61 CAVES IN ONE SPRING.

UM, AND SEVERAL OF THESE CAVES ARE PRIVATELY OWNED.

AND SO THEREFORE WE WOULD TRY TO ACQUIRE THOSE CASES, BUT MANY CASES WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.

SO THEREFORE REQUIRES THAT WE TRY TO ENTER INTO FORMAL AGREEMENTS WITH THESE LANDOWNERS.

AND TO THAT EXTENT, UH, AS A BAY OF THIS YEAR, WE ENTERED INTO A FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH TEXAS CAVE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION TO HELP MANAGE AND MONITOR WHIRLPOOL AND LOST OASIS.

K BOTH OF WHICH ARE ON OUR PERMIT.

THAT THIRD CAVE AVERY RANCH CAVE IS IN NORTH AUSTIN.

AND IT HAS, UH, IS UTILIZED FOR, UH, OUR EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TOURS.

UH, WE ALSO, AS OF LAST MONTH ENTERED INTO AN INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LADYBIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER.

UH, THAT'S THE WILDFLOWER CENTER.

WE HAVE TWO CAVES THAT ARE ALREADY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITH GUIDED TOURS.

UH, THEY PROVIDED MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO CHILDREN, UM, AND HIS HOPE WITH HIS NEW INTER-LOCAL THAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND MULTIPLE OTHER CADES THERE BECAUSE THERE'S GREAT DEMAND FOR PUBLIC ACCESS.

AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS ASIDE FROM BEING ABLE TO EDUCATE MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE, IT ALSO TAKES PRESSURE OFF OF OUR, SOME OF OUR PERMIT CAVES.

WE DO CURRENTLY ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS GUIDED TOURS.

THAT IS, UH, THEN, UH, FEBRUARY OF 2020 AUSTIN WATER PURCHASED A 4.7 ACRE LOT.

AND OVER WISE, A MAJORITY OF WHIRLPOOL K, WHICH IS ANOTHER PERMIT CAVE.

UM, ON THE LEFT SIDE HERE SHOWS A MAP SHOWING A LOT THAT TEXAS CADEN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OWNED, WHICH THEY OWN THE ENTRANCE TO WHIRLPOOL CAVE, NEW 4.7 ACRE ACQUISITION PROTECTS.

AS YOU CAN SEE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CAVE DIRECT SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE FOOTPRINT OR THE CAVE ITSELF IS DIRECTLY UNDER THIS NEW 4.7 ACRE TRACT.

AND, UH, ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS A PHOTO-SHOPPED, UH, CADE MURAL THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE COMMISSION WITH, UH, LOCAL ARTISTS, BARBARA AT-WILL, UH, AND THIS IS ADJACENT TO, UH, UNDER MOPAC JASON'S WHIRLPOOL CAVE, RIGHT ALONG THE VIOLET CROWN'S RAIL.

AND IF, IF SHE, YOU KNOW, IF TECH STOCK GIVES PERMISSION THAT, UH, ARTWORK WILL BE DONE, AND THAT WILL ALSO FURTHER OUR, UH, GOALS OF TRYING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KARST.

UH, SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF MAJOR CHALLENGES TO BE WORKED OUT, UM, MUCH AS AUSTIN'S RAPIDLY, CONTINUING TO RAPIDLY EXPAND.

IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO PROTECT CAVES, FIND PURCHASE, AND PROTECT CAVES, OR THE PAVED OVER, IN SOME CASES WHERE KS WERE KNOWN A, UH, UH, CURRENT WATERSHED CITY OF AUSTIN ORDINANCES DO NOT GIVE ADEQUATE PROTECTION AS FAR AS SETBACKS.

UH, SOME OF THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES HAVE MINIMAL SETBACKS.

SO THIS IS ULTIMATELY NOT GOING TO BE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT THE CAVE COMMUNITY OR THE KATY ECOSYSTEMS. UM, SO IN THE PAST AUSTIN AREA HAS HAD MANY, MANY CAVES FILLED IN, UH, MUCH SOME OF THEM DESPITE EROSION, BUT MANY WERE ON PURPOSE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD FILL IN FOR VARIOUS REASONS ON THE LEFT SLIDE HERE, PHOTO.

THAT IS A, I THINK THAT'S A NICO HOWARD'S FEET THERE, AND THIS IS A CAVE.

UH THAT'S YOU KNOW, IT LOOKED LIKE A PILE OF ROCKS, BUT IT'S SUSPICIOUS.

SO NICO DECIDED TO EXCAVATE FOUND THAT IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT CAVE, UM, ON THE RIGHT SLIDE PHOTO, IT SHOWS, UH, TRASH AND IT TURNED OUT EXCAVATING THE TRASH OPENED

[00:20:01]

SO WHEN WE GET EXCAVATE, THESE FEATURES, IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO DETERMINE HOW SENSITIVE THE SITE IS TO BEGIN WITH, TO KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF HOW, IF THIS PILE ROCK HAS A CABLE OR NOT.

AND THEN SECONDLY, WHEN WE DO OPEN THESE CAVES, WE ARE IMPROVING HABITAT BY ALLOWING VITAL NUTRIENTS TO, UH, GET INTO THE OTHERWISE SEALED OFF SYSTEMS IN ECOSYSTEMS. UM, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, ONE OF OUR PERMIT CADES IN SOUTH AUSTIN CALLED MIDNIGHT CAVE.

IT WAS PREVIOUS LANDOWNERS HAD USED IT AS A TRASH PIT.

UH, THEN, UH, OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, WE REMOVED OVER 200 CUBIC YARDS OF TRASH FROM THIS TAVE.

UH, SO ASIDE FROM THE AESTHETICS, IT LOOKS LIKE A REAL CAVE.

NOW, UH, IT, WE ALSO REMOVE, UH, TOXINS POTENTIAL TOXINS THAT WOULD HARM THE CAVE CAVE LIFE.

AND WE NOW KNOW A FULL EXTENT OF THE CAVE ITSELF.

PLUS WE ABANDONED TO ACCESS CAPLES AND RIPS FOR FUTURE AND CURRENT HYDROLOGICAL STUDIES.

UH, THE, UH, SO, UH, THE PERMIT, LIKE I SAID, CALLS FOR PROTECTING 61 CAVES AND ONE SPRING, UH, 52, THE 51 OF THE CAVES AND IN ONE SPRING HAS SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION.

BUT WHEN I SAY PROTECTION, WE GOT THAT IN QUOTES THERE.

UM, SOME OF THE CAVES DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE PROTECTION, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOME PROTECTION THAT COULD BE SOME, UH, VERY, VERY WELL PROTECTED OTHERS.

IT MIGHT JUST BE THE ENTRANCE ITSELF.

UH, BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, WE DO HAVE 10 0 9 CAVES THAT HAVE NO LEVEL OF PROTECTION.

THEY'RE ALL PRIVATELY OWNED.

AND A 10TH CAVE THAT RECENTLY FOUND THAT WE THOUGHT HAD LEVELS PROTECTIONS, OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD REQUIRED SETBACKS BECAUSE IT'S A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE THAT'S LAW SCHOOL CAVE.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE LANDOWNER AT SOME POINT, DECIDED TO BUILD WITHIN THAT BUFFER.

AND AS A RECENT, WE FOUND THAT, UH, BECAUSE THE WORK HAD THE DAMAGE I GUESS, WAS DONE, IT WAS DETERMINED BY A WATERSHED THAT, UH, THEY WERE GONNA BE GRANTED THIS INDIVIDUAL VARIANTS.

SO HE'S NOT GOING TO DO REMOVING ANY OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS BUILT AROUND THE CAVE ENTRANCE.

UH, SO, UH, WE DO, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THESE 10 CAVES, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP, I'M TRYING TO CONTACT LANDOWNERS.

HOWEVER, ULTIMATELY WE WILL LIKELY TRY TO, WE, AND WE CURRENTLY ARE TRYING TO FIND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SOME OF THESE KIDS.

UM, BUT IT THAT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, WHICH ARE REFERRED TO AS CARS, FUNNEL REGIONS, SUCH AS, UH, ROLLINGWOOD KFR AND THE MCNEIL KFR, THE AREAS ARE REALLY MUCH BUILT OUT.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE TO FIND CAVES AND AREAS THAT ARE, UH, WITH VERY LITTLE, UH, WILD SPACES.

LOVE TO LOOK, UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A CAVE IN NORTH AUSTIN ON A NORTH AUSTIN PARK OR SCHROEDER PARK, OR, UH, MANY FEATURES.

AND NOW IF YOU COULD SEE THE RED DOTS THAT ON THOSE, I GUESS THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THIS PROP, THIS PARK, UM, THEY'RE ALL FILLED WITH ROCKS, AND IT'S HOPED THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN WE COMPLETE OUR, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO IN THERE AND FIND THE, OUR PERMIT K, WHICH IS FOSSIL CAVE AND ADEQUATELY PROTECTED.

UH, HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

THIS IS A LOW INCENT CAVE AND OTHER PERMIT CAVE ON THE WILLIAM H. RUSSELL R PRESERVE, UH, PREVIOUS FLOODS HAVE, UH, OBSCURE OR BLOCK THE LOWER PASSAGEWAYS TO THIS CAVE.

AND SO THERE'S HOPE ONCE AGAIN, IF, ONCE WE COMPLETE THE, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE LOWER LEVELS OF THIS CAVE AND THUS BE ABLE TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR IT AND INCLUDING THE ENDANGERED ART AND SPRING SALAMANDER, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE, IN THE, UH, WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS EILEEN'S RIVER, WHICH IS JUST THE ART AND SPRING SEGMENT OF THE EDWARDS DOCTOR.

UM, SO THAT DOVETAILS INTO HYDROLOGICAL STUDIES, UH, HYDROLOGICAL STUDIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE TO KNOW TO WHAT LEVEL THE CAVES ARE, PERMIT CAVES ARE PROTECTED.

YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT THE SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE BASIN IS.

THAT IS THE AREA THAT FEEDS GRIPS AND WATER TO THAT CAVE.

AND TO DATE ONLY 37% OF OUR PERMIT CADES HAVE COMPLETED HYDROLOGICAL STUDIES.

SO, UM, THESE STUDIES CAN BE VERY TIME CONSUMING, EXPENSIVE AND LABOR INTENSIVE, FREQUENTLY REQUIRED DIGGING DOWN TO DEEPER LEVELS WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY MONITOR CAPE RIPS, UH, AND, UH, THROUGH AN A COLONY.

WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE, WHAT THAT ENTAILS.

AND HERE'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A HYDROLOGICAL STUDY, UH,

[00:25:01]

AND JUST KIND OF INTERESTING.

WE CAN SEE THE, THE BLUE ARROWS WERE DYE WAS INJECTED.

AND SO GENERALLY, YEAH, SO WE KNOW WHERE BARTON SPRINGS IS NORTH.

SO YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT WE WOULD INJECT INJECT DYE.

IT SHOULD BE FOUND IN CAVES TO THE NORTH HEADING TOWARDS BART SPRINGS, BUT THIS CAVE AT ALL, IN THIS CASE, IT WENT ALL, WENT TO DIRECTLY SOUTH.

WE BLOWING SINK CAVE, WHICH THEN, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE, THIS, UH, PHOTO HERE, UH, THEN IT HIT THE CAVE AND THEN WORKED ITS WAY DOWN INTO WATER TABLE, WHICH THEN QUICKLY EXITED AT BARTON SPRINGS.

SO FROM, WITH THAT, I HAD HAND ON OVER TO COLIN STRICKLAND, AUDI, COLIN STRICKLAND HERE, PCP, A BIOLOGIST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, OUR COLLEAGUE, TRAVIS CLARK, WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.

SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE UPDATES THAT HE, HE MADE FOR ME.

UM, SO THERE'S A BRIEF UPDATE OF THEIR MOST RECENT WORK.

UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE TO IT AND I'M SURE THAT HE WILL BE GIVING A MORE DETAILED, UM, VERSION OF THIS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO MOST OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY, HIS WORK HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON COMPLETING THE PERMIT AND FINDING SUBSTITUTION CAVES TO REPLACE LISTED GAMES.

THESE CAVES HAVE BEEN, UH, DESTROYED, IMPACTED, OR ARE IN THE HANDS OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND CANNOT BE ACQUIRED.

THE COACHELLA UNIT IS COMPRISED OF THREE TRACKS, AND IT'S LOCATED WEST OF CRYSTAL FALLS DEVELOPMENT THAT DESTROYED OR IMPACTED TO BCCP LISTED CAVE, MOSFET AND SEALING SPOT CAVE.

THE SCOTT AND WHITE TRACK IT'S 450 ACRES.

IT WAS ACQUIRED IN 2015, THE CULTURAL, UH, UH, IT'S 500 ACRES ACQUIRED IN 2015.

AND THE ENDLESS TRACK IS 4.4 ACRES FIRE IN 2017.

THE PROPERTY CONTAINS SPANISH WELLS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE 62 VCC.

HE PAVES THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR SUBSTITUTION CAVES FOR SEALING SLOT.

AND MOSFET WILL PROBABLY BE FOUND ON THIS UNIT.

THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION OF THE FEATURES, UH, ARE FOR AFFORDED WILL LEAD TO A HIGH QUALITY PRESERVE.

THESE ARE THE THIGHS, THIS PRESERVE.

SO ZAHRA ENVIRONMENTAL WAS CONTRACTED TO CONDUCT AN INITIAL ROUND OF WORK IN 2017 AND MORE IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN THIS FALL, INCLUDING A COMPREHENSIVE LIDAR ANALYSIS OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY THAT COULD REVEAL ADDITIONAL FEATURES.

THUS FAR, THERE ARE A FEW CAVES THAT COULD BE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR SUBSTITUTION, BUT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO GET A FINAL DETERMINATION OF THEIR SIGNIFICANCE.

AND THEN THEY ALSO CONTRACTED ZAHRA TO REPLACE THE OLDER CAVE GATES AT FRESH MAR AND GALA FOR CAVES.

THE OLD GATES MADE BY MIKE WHARTON ALTERED THE NATURAL CAVE OPENINGS, WHICH EXCLUDED MAMMALS AND DECREASED NUTRIENT INPUT.

THERE WERE ALSO STARTING TO DETERIORATE AND BREAST OUT.

SO THIS WAS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE THE CAVES TO THEIR NATURAL STATES.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY REMOVED THE OLD GATES AND MADE THESE INTRICATELY DESIGNED HAY GATES THAT FIT THE ENTRANCE AND WOULD ALSO ALLOW THE ENTRANCE OF MAMMALS, INCLUDING BATS INTO THE CAVE, WHICH INCREASES NUTRIENTS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT GALA.

SO ADDITIONALLY, UM, THEY DID SOME SURVEYS OVER AT WEST CAVE FOR THEIR, IT WAS LAST SURVEY BY JAMES RIDELL IN 1960S, AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE AT THE TIME, BUT TRAVIS COUNTY CONDUCTED SURVEYS IN 2019 AND 2021.

AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT OF SPECIES WERE OBSERVED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLECTION COLLECTED FOR IDENTIFICATION, INCLUDING TEXTILE OR ADELE.

I, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HARVESTMEN PASSION AS A SPECIES.

TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SPIDER THICKER ARENA SPECIES PROGAMMATIC SPIDER PSEUDO SCORPION, AS WELL AS MILLIPEDE.

THE TRAVIS COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO ASSIST WEST CAVE WITH FUTURE RESTORATION PROJECTS.

AND I'M SURE THAT'S PROBABLY ADDITIONAL FEATURE ON THAT PROPERTY AND THEY CONTINUE LOOKING AT IT.

NOW I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES THROUGH YOUR PIPELINE UPDATES.

HI, MY NAME IS DREW THOMPSON.

I'M A BIOLOGIST.

SO IF THE AUSTIN WILD ONES, UM, SO I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A PIPELINE.

CAVE IS ONE OF OUR 62 DAVE'S OR OUR 61 CAVE CENTER PYRAMID.

UH, IT IS OWNED BY WHITE STONE WHO OWNS THE,

[00:30:01]

AND SO IT HADN'T BEEN ACCESSED SINCE THEY GATED IT IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.

UM, AND THEN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED AS A TRASH DUMP BY THE LAND LANDOWNER AND IN 2019, NICO HOWARD CONTACTED THEM AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ACCESS THE CAVE OR A HYDROLOGIC STUDY AND THEY GRANTED ACCESS.

SO IN 2019, WE WENT AND OPENED, UH, CUT THE LOCKS OFF AND WERE ABLE TO GET INTO THE CAVE.

IT WAS FIRST EXPLORED IN 1966, WILLIAM RUSSELL, AND IT WAS MAPPED IN 1997.

YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL, UH, THE ORIGINAL 1997 MAP HERE.

THE CAVE WAS INDEED FULL OF TRASH.

UM, IT WAS TRASH, UH, AND THEN UNDERNEATH THAT WAS DIRT UNDERNEATH THAT DIRT IS ALSO TRASH.

SO WE THEN STARTED REMOVING ALL THAT TRASH WITH PERMISSION OF BLACKSTONE, THAT THEY GRANTED US THAT PERMISSION.

AND WE SEPARATED A TRASH FROM RECYCLING, RECYCLED TRASH, AND THEN WHEN IT WAS ABLE TO, UH, REMOVE ALL THAT FILL FROM IN THERE.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE FIRST PICTURE HERE, IT HAS A FRESH, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE, IT DOES NOT, THERE'S STILL LOTS OF TRASH THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAVE, BUT WE REMOVED A MAJORITY OF AND WE'RE, AND TO GET DOWN TO THE LOWER LEVEL, WE HAD THE MINOR WAY THROUGH THE TRASH AND REMOVE IT SO WELL WHEN WE GOT DOWN TO THE LOWER LEVEL, THERE WAS A 20 TO 15 FOOT EXTENSION GOING OFF TO THE SOUTH EAST THAT HAD STRONG AIRFLOW AND TRASH.

UH, WE ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO CONTINUE, UH, EXCAVATING AND REMOVING THE TRASH, AND THEY GRANTED US THAT MISSION.

AND SO WE MOVED THROUGH, UH, EXCAVATING THROUGH THIS, UH, BLACK SOLID BLACK SURFACE SOIL AND TRASH, AND WERE ABLE TO ACCESS, UH, A LARGER PART OF THE CAVE.

THIS IS, UH, ALL THE BASEMENT OF THE ALAMO DUE TO THE DIRECTION OF THE ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE AND THE CAVE.

UH, THIS ROOM RIGHT HERE, IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET LONG, MAYBE 30 FEET WIDE, AND WELL, TWO 15 FEET TALL, HEAVILY DECORATED HERE.

FOLLOWING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM, BACKWARDS, IT COLUMN STRICKLAND THEN WENT IN AND CREATED THIS DETAILED MAP YOU CAN SEE OVER HERE IS THE ORIGINAL MAP OR A PART OF THE CAVE THAT WE TRADITIONALLY KNEW.

THIS WAS WHAT WE HAD DUG OUT TO GET THE NEWER ROOM.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALL TRASH.

AND SO SOIL SEDIMENT, AND THERE'S STILL A DECENT AMOUNT OF TRASH DOWN HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.

AGAIN.

YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CAVE BEFORE WE DO THESE CONVICTIONS.

HERE'S THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CAVE.

SO YOU CAN SEE HOW CLOSE IT CAME TO THE ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE.

UM, AND I, I, IT MAKES ME ONLY WONDER IF THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND IT WHILE THEY WERE PUTTING IN THAILAND'S OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IF IT WAS JUST OVER ANOTHER FIVE TO 10 FEET, IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING CLOSER INTO THE FOOTPRINTS OF OUR CAVES, UH, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HITTING THOSE.

SO THERE'S, UH, OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE ALSO CURRENTLY DOING REGULARLY ON, UM, UH, TO SATISFY OUR PERMIT.

UH, ONE OF THEM ARE HIGH HYDROLOGIC STUDIES.

THIS IS ACTUALLY ON THE SIDE OVER HERE IS ACTUALLY A PART OF THE PIPELINE HYDROLOGIC STUDY, WHERE WE'RE LOADING UP A TIPPER GAUGE UNDERNEATH A GRIPS, COLLECT THOSE.

WE ALSO HAVE CHARCOAL PACKETS, A LOAD THAT, AND ALSO A BUCKET SO WE CAN COLLECT WATER.

AND IN ALSO THAT CHARCOAL PACKET WILL TELL US IF WE HAVE ANY TRACERS COMING THROUGH FROM OUR HYDROLOGIC STUDY AND THIS OTHER PHOTO OVER HERE, WE HAVE AN AIR AUTOMETER THAT ACTUALLY PUTS THAT PULSE EVERY 30 SECONDS AND, AND TELLS US WHICH WAY THE WIND IS BLOWING AND HOW HARD AND HOW HARD THIS IS.

WELL, UH, IN HERE, WE ALSO HAVE THE RAW WATER TEMPERATURE GAUGE, UH, TESTING AND TESTING CO2, AND ALSO HAVE EMITTED.

AND THAT TELLS US THE RISE AND FALLS OF THE AIR DUE TO BAROMETRIC PRESSURES.

HERE'S SOME MORE PHOTOS OF THE, UH, PIPELINE HYDRA STUDY.

WE HAVE A SINK RIGHT OVER HERE THAT HAD, WE HAD A CONTRACTORS EXCAVATE OPEN

[00:35:01]

WHAT KIND OF PUSH THAT TRACER THROUGH? AND THIS IS ALSO A HAND DUG WELL DOWN IN SOUTH AUSTIN, WE DO FIND, UM, BONES AND ARCHEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS INSIDE OF THE CAVES.

UH, WE DO COLLECT THOSE, WE MARK ON MAPS, WHERE WE FOUND THEM THROUGH THERE FOUND BY, AND, UH, WE DELIVER THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACES.

THIS IS ANYONE DALIEZ OR PICKLE RESEARCH CENTER.

AND THEN WE ALSO WORK WITH THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION TO, UM, MANAGE OUR POINTS AND ARTIFACTS AS WELL.

WE'RE ALSO, UH, CONDUCTING MANY SPRING, SPRING ASSESSMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS.

SO WE'RE TESTING SLOW HERE AND WE'RE, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY TEACHING PEOPLE AT WILD BASIN, HOW THEY CAN, UH, TEST THE FLOW THEMSELVES.

UH, WE'RE CONSTANTLY GOING OUT AND MONITORING OUR SPRINGS THROUGH, UH, OUR, OUR DCP WE'RE GETTING BACKGROUND DATA.

SO IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN, UH, DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY OPT-INS OR CONTAMINATES COMING THROUGH, OR IF THERE'S A RISE OR AWESOME.

UH, WE ARE ALSO DOING FIRE ANT MITIGATION.

SO INSTEAD OF USING CHEMICALS, WE ARE USING A BIG BOILING POWER WASHER THAT BOILS THE POWER WASHER, AND THAT BOILS THE WATER.

WE PUT THEM IN THESE CANS AND WE STIR THEM INTO ANT MOUNDS THAT ARE WITHIN THE, UH, RANGE OF MARKET, AND THAT WILL REDUCE, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THEN OTHER THAN SEATING OPTIONS ON THOSE KIDS, WE'RE ALSO ASSISTING A TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UH, WATERSHED ACTION WITH DOING SALAMANDER SURVEYS AND MUCH MORE.

I'M GOING TO HONOR RELINQUISH OVER TO CALVIN.

THANK YOU GUYS.

HEY, IT'S ALL IN STRICKLAND AGAIN.

SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL THIS COOL, A LITTLE PRESENTATION ABOUT SOME CAVE RESTORATION ON STOVE, PIPE FOR THEIR SO STILL 5K.

IF IT'S ONE OF OUR PCC, THE PERMIT CAVES, UM, IT'S NOT A VERY LARGE CAVES, BUT IT'S A VERY BIOLOGICALLY RICH CAVE.

SO IN THE 1997 REPORT THE CAVES ABOUT A TONY'S CANYON LAND CONSERVATION PLAN, MIKE WHARTON FOUND STOVE, PIPE CAVE TO BE ONE OF, IF NOT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BIOLOGICAL CAVES IN TRAVIS COUNTY, THE CAVE IS INHABITED BY MANY RARE TRUCK, LIMITED SPECIES, INCLUDING THREE ENDANGERED SPECIES AND THREE SPECIES OF CONCERN.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE KNEW.

THIS IS STILL FIVE PRESERVE.

SO 5K IS KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE THERE, AND WE KNEW OF A FEW OTHER FEATURES, BUT, UH, AFTER DOING SOME MORE SURVEYS OF THE PROPERTY, WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF FEATURES AND CAVES THAT ARE KNOWN ABOUT THE NOW IN ADDITION TO STOVEPIPE CAVE, WE'D HAVE MARCY ELM CAVE OR STEPHANIE CAVERNS AND GAPING MAR CAVES, AS WELL AS OTHER SIGNIFICANT SINKS THAT WILL PROBABLY BE RESTORED IN THE FUTURE.

PLUS WE HAVEN'T EVEN BARELY LOOKED AT THE, UH, EASTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF SOME RESTORATION WORK WE'VE DONE.

THIS WAS MASI ALLEN CAVE IN 2019, A SHALLOW COMPLETELY FILLED IN SINKHOLE.

SO WE BROUGHT OUR CAKE CONTRACTOR IN, WHICH IS ARIA.

HE STARTED EXCAVATING IT BY HAND AND AFTER MUCH LABORS, HE ENDED UP WITH THIS 19 FOOT DEEP SHAFT GOING INTO A ROOM THERE'S STILL SIGNIFICANT LEADS HEADED OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

SO IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL PROBABLY PUSH THOSE.

SEE IF THEY GO ANYWHERE.

THE PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND IN THIS PHOTO ARE THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, BECAUSE WHILE HE WAS EXCAVATING THIS, HE RAN INTO A GOOD NUMBER OF POINTS THAT HAD EITHER BEEN THROWN IN, OR PROBABLY JUST WASHED IN.

AND SO THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION CAME OUT AND SIFTED THE BERM AND DOCUMENTED ALL OF THESE.

UM, SO THEY HAD QUITE THE COLLECTION, BUT ANOTHER REALLY COOL THING IS SINCE HE OPENED IT UP, IT WENT FROM A SMALL DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND TO THIS SIGNIFICANT BIOLOGICAL FEATURE.

IT HAS TONS OF CAVE CRICKETS COMING AT THAT ROOST IN THE ROOM, DOWN IN THE BOTTOM.

AND SO THAT'S ATTRACTIVE RING TAILS.

AND SO YOU CAN VIDEO HERE.

THE, I PUT A GAME CAMERA UP IN THE RINGTAIL OF HUNTING CAVE, CRICKETS THAT COME OUT OF THE PAVE EVERY NIGHT.

UM, SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CAN, HEY, RESTORATION CAN TURN JUST A SHALLOW DEPRESSION INTO A FOOD SOURCE AND A HOME FOR ORGANISMS. SO VERY INTERESTING,

[00:40:02]

SO JUST ABOUT 40 FEET EAST OF THERE WAS THIS CRACK IN THE GROUND, EIGHT FEET LONG, TWO FEET DEEP, MAYBE A FOOT WIDE.

UM, WELL IT STARTED EXCAVATING IT.

AND EVEN WHEN IT NARROWED AND WAS TOO NARROW TO GO ON, THEY PERSEVERED AND USE THE HAMMER DRILL AND HAVE THINGS CALLED BULL PENS THAT YOU HAMMER IN TO BREAK THE ROCK.

AND THEY CONTINUED DOWN UNTIL THEY GOT 17 FEET DOWN INTO A ROOM BELOW.

SO THEY, THEY CALLED ME OUT.

I WENT DOWN 17 FOOT SHAFT AND THERE WAS A LOW ROOM GOING TO THE NORTH.

AND I COULD SEE IN THE MORE PASSAGE BEYOND THAT JUST NEEDED A LITTLE WIDENING.

HE COULD STAND IN THIS ROOM AND THEN I COULD SEE TO THE SOUTH ALSO THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ROOM.

THEN I DID A FINAL SURVEY.

AND ON THE FIRST FINAL SURVEY, WE ALREADY GOT A LITTLE BIT OF SPECIES SUCH AS SECURING A TRAVESTY AND I, AN ISLAND I'D MANILA, PROBABLY I'D MANILA.

ASTRADA, UH, NEVER CLUES, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR SPECIES OF CONCERN.

AND THEN TECH SELLER ASI, WHICH IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES ON OUR PERMIT, AS WELL AS PROGRAMMATIC MILLIPEDES VIA GUNSMITHS.

WELL, WE HAD THEM PUSH THOSE LEADS TO BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH.

AND SO FROM THE ENTRANCE ROOM, THAT'S RIGHT ABOUT HERE.

NOW WE HAVE 600 FEET OF PASSAGE WITH A BIG OLD ROOM, PROBABLY 40, 50 FEET LONG THAT YOU CAN HAVE LIKE A WHOLE TEA PARTY AND WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS.

AND, UM, THERE'S STILL LEAVES ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH.

UH, THEY'RE JUST LOGGED WITH SLAY AT THE MOMENT, BUT THERE'S VERY NICE FORMATIONS IN THE CAVE AS COOL PASSAGE WAVES FROM ANCIENT SCREENS.

THERE'S NICE DOMES THAT ARE FILLED UP WITH PICKETS.

NOW YOU CAN STAND IN, BUT THE REALLY COOL THING IS IT'S GOT THREE ENDANGERED SPECIES.

XLR, ASI, AND TEXT MRR FOR DELLA AND THREE SPECIES OF CONCERN TO CORRINA TRAVIS, THE AND THEIR DINING SUBTERRANEAN.

AND SO HERE'S SOME PICTURES I TOOK OF ALL THESE GUYS IN THERE.

SO IT'S GOT BASICALLY ALL THE SAME SPECIES WE HAVE AND SO 5K.

SO IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.

AND WHAT'S ALSO VERY COOL ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, THERE'S SOME OTHER COOL SPECIES SUCH AS ARTURO, CRAIG REZA 10, YOU OUGHTA, IT'S NOT ONE OF OUR SPECIES THAT CONCERN.

SO EVENTUALLY IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE IT'S RAINED IS EXTREMELY LIMITED AND OTHER PROGRAMMATIC MILLIPEDES LIKE SPEAR DEFINITES.

BUT THE REALLY COOL THING WAS THAT THE CAVE WAS COMPLETELY FILLED IN WITH SOIL FOR ABOUT ON, ON THAT 12 FEET OF SOIL.

SO THERE WAS BARELY ANY NUTRIENTS ENTERING THE CAVE WHEN IT WAS FIRST OPENED.

THEN I WENT IN, I ONLY FOUND LIKE HARDCORE TROGLODYTES AND NOT VERY MANY OF THEM BARELY ANY, SPRINGTAILS NOT REALLY ANY CRICKETS.

AND SO AFTER I'M PAST TONS OF CRICKETS AND FOUND IT AND HAVE MOVED IN AND PROLIFERATED, AND SO THEY BRING VITAL NUTRIENTS INTO THE CAVE ECOSYSTEM.

SO NOW IN THE ENTRANCE ROOM, AND IN ADDITION TO THE LEAF LITTER FALLING IN THERE'S PILES AND PILES OF CRICKET GUANO, WHICH THEN GROWS FUNGUS, WHICH FEEDS SPRINGTAILS AND THE ENTIRE FLOOR IS COVERED THE THOUSANDS OF SPRINGTAILS, WHICH THEN PROVIDES FOOD TO THE TOGGLE BITES, BUT ALSO OTHER SPECIES SUCH AS THESE WESTERN ME SALAMANDERS, WHEN I FIRST WENT IN, THERE WAS NO SALAMANDERS, NO CRICKET FROGS.

NOW, WHEN I GO IN THERE, THERE'S DOZENS OF BOTH OF THEM.

UM, WHEN I WENT THROUGH THAT BIG ROOM ON A RECENT, UH, SURVEY, THERE WAS ABOUT 20 LARGE ADULT PLETHODONTIDS ABOUT FIVE INCHES LONG, THE SCAMPERING AWAY FROM ME AND EVERY DIRECTION AS I WENT FORWARD THROUGH THE CAVES.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BY OPENING THE CAVE, TO GET NUTRIENTS BACK IN THERE, UH, IT REALLY BENEFITS THESE, UH, CAVE DWELLERS, AND HERE'S A LITTLE BABY CLIFF CHAIR FROG THAT WAS DONE THERE.

AND THEN ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE CAVE WAS OPENED, WE GOT THIS VIDEO OF A BAT THAT HAD ALREADY FOUND ITS WAY AND OPEN IT OUT.

AND SO I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM ACTUALLY ROOSTING IN THERE YET, BUT HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY END UP WITH MORE BATS LIVING IN THERE.

SO THAT'S ABOUT THAT, HEY RESTORATION, THIS IS ANOTHER FEATURE ON THE PROPERTY LOOKING OUTWARD AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO A LOT MORE RESTORATION.

SO WE'LL GIVE YOU UPDATES ON THAT IN THE FUTURE.

AND I'M GOING TO END WITH JUST GIVING YOU ALL A LITTLE UPDATE ON, UH, SOME OF OUR PAVE OUTREACH WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.

SO

[00:45:01]

SO LUCKILY WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE GIVING CAVES OR TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF CAVE, ECOLOGISTS AND CONSERVATION WATERSHED PROTECTION, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC AUSTIN SCIENCE CENTER, NATURE CENTER, AND THE UT GROTTO.

SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET THESE KIDS IN THE CAVES, THEY'RE JUST FASCINATED, AND THIS IS REALLY GOING TO HELP US IN THE FUTURE.

UM, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ADVOCATE TO PROTECT THESE PLACES, IF THEY ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S DOWN THERE AND HOW COOL IT IS.

BUT ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS WE HAD WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE GOING IN THERE, ALMOST NONE OF THEM KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT CARSTEN, BERTA, BRITS, WHICH WAS KIND OF A PROBLEM.

AND SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO CREATE THIS LITTLE INVERTEBRATE GUIDE.

AND SO I'VE GOT ALL THE LIKE COMMON SPECIES THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY RUN INTO.

WE'VE PRINTED OUT A HUNDRED COPIES AND GAVE IT TO ALL THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.

SO NOW ALL OF THEM, AND WHEN THE KID GOES, WHAT IS THIS? THEY CAN ACTUALLY TELL THEM SOME SORT OF RATIONAL ANSWER.

AND THEN IN ADDITION TO ALL MY PHOTOGRAPHY, I'VE ALSO BEEN MAKING ARSON VERTEBRATE VIDEOS THAT WE USE.

UM, OUR OUTREACH TEAM POSTS THEM ON THE VCP, FACEBOOK PAGE, INSTAGRAM, ALL THAT STUFF.

AND THEN THAT, AND THEN I HAVE MY OWN YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH ALL OF THEM ALL BIOCEPT TERRANEA IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT AND HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THEM, THEY HAVE REALLY COOL BACKGROUND MUSICS, BUT A WEBEX WON'T LET YOU HEAR IT.

SO YOU GET THE QUIET VERSION, BUT IT'S STILL THOUGHT SO, YEAH, THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY SPECIES WITH .

THEN AT SOME POINT Y'ALL GOT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE MAPS AND LIKE GORDON VINNY PLAYED, IT'S A REPORT THAT SHOWS THE RAIN DONE A LOT OF PCPS.

THEY'RE ALL DIVIDED UP ON THE TINY PARTS ISLAND, BASICALLY EACH ONE OF THEIR RANGE OF, AND BE LIKE A MILE OR TWO WIDE FOR THE ENTIRE SPEED ON THAT.

THE DRIVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AUSTIN WILL PROP LIKE FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT PATH, ENTIRE RAIN BOARD FOR PCP.

SO THIS SHOWS HOW, IF YOU LOSE THAT THIS YOU PAVE YOU COULD MOVE.

YEAH.

THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE DOWN A BUNCH MORE VIDEOS AND A LOT MORE TO COME WHENEVER I GET A RUSH TO EDITING TOGETHER, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH ARTWORK.

SO WE HIRED BARBARA ATTWELL TO PAINT THE SERIES OF PAVE LIFE PAINTINGS.

AND SHE HAS THE ORIGINALS, WHICH SHE TAKES AROUND AND HAS PUT IN DIFFERENT GALLERIES.

AND THEN SHE MADE GINORMOUS PRINTS, WHICH WE HAVE AT EVENTS AND ALSO TAKE OUT TO DIFFERENT PLACES.

AND WE RECENTLY INSTALLED THEM IN THE CAPITOL DURING THE LATEST LEGISLATIVE SESSION DOWN IN THE LOWER SECTION, BUT THERE WAS A TON OF PEOPLE GOING IN AND OUT OF THERE.

AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THEM STOPPED TO LOOK AT IT.

AND THEN I'VE BEEN WORKING ON MAKING ALSO THESE STICKER SERIES.

THIS IS THE FIRST IN THE SERIES, AND THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME, TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE THAN JUST BIRDS AROUND HERE THAT ARE IN DANGER.

THERE'S ALL SORTS OF OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES.

AND FINALLY, IT'S THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CAVE AND THIRST.

SO THE INTERNATIONAL UNION IS FEELING OLOGY IS HAVING EVENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD TO CELEBRATE AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT FIRES, KIND OF A BUMMER, THE PANDEMIC STILL GOING ON.

SO THERE WAS GOING TO BE A TON OF IN-PERSON EVENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT AREN'T REALLY HAPPENING THAT MUCH, BUT WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO HAVE THE NATIONAL CAVE AND CARS MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM AND SAN MARCOS I'M GOING RIGHT UP.