[00:00:06]
I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND FORTUNATE TO BE CHAIRING THE BALCONY'S KENYAN LAND CONSERVATION, UH, PLAN COMMITTEE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIGID, SHEA FROM TRAVIS COUNTY HERE TODAY.
AND WE ARE HERE IN CITY HALL CHAMBERS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE HAVE, UM, A NEW FACE ON THE DAYAS WITH US TODAY AND I'D LIKE OUR SECRETARY KIMBERLY HARVEY TO TAKE IT FROM HERE AND INTRODUCE HER.
AND THEN WE WILL PROCEED WITH OUR AGENDA.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CHRISTINA WILLIAMS. UH, SHE IS IN A TEMPORARY POSITION WILL BE JOINING US, UH, FOR A BIT UNTIL THE SERVICE HIRES, A POINT OF CONTRACT OR POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE BCCP.
UM, SHE'S THE DIVISION SUPERVISOR FOR THE CONSULTATIONS AND HCP BRANCH OF THE AUSTIN ECOLOGICAL SERVICES OFFICE, THE U S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
SHE'S BEEN WITH THE OFFICE SINCE 1997, UH, SERVING IN BOTH THE LISTING AND RECOVERY, UM, BRANCHES OF, AND THE CONSULTATION BRANCH.
SHE WILL LIKELY BE A TEMPORARY STAND-IN UNTIL A REPLACEMENT IS HIRED AND WHO WE'RE MISSING TODAY IS ADAMS MARRINER.
HE WILL NO LONGER BE ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS AS THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, AFTER SERVING AS THE FIELD SUPERVISOR IN THE AUSTIN ECOLOGICAL SERVICES FIELD OFFICE FOR 15 YEARS, HE DECIDED TO LEAVE TEXAS TO TAKE THE POSITION OF THE FIELD SUPERVISOR FOR THE SERVICES, MONTANA, ECOLOGICAL SERVICES, STATE OFFICE.
UH, SO ON BEHALF OF BCP STAFF AND ALL OF US HERE, I'D LIKE TO THANK HIM FOR BEING A STRONG SUPPORTER OF OUR BCCP PERMIT AND FOR GIVING OUR PROGRAM VISIBILITY BY HELPING COORDINATE BCP PRESENTATIONS AND FIELD TRIPS TO OTHER SURFACE STAFF IN OUR REGION WILL MISS WORKING WITH HIM.
AND WE WISH HIM AND HIS FAMILY WELL AND MONTANA, A WOMAN NAMED KATHERINE JUERGEN IS ACTING FOR ADAM THROUGH OCTOBER.
AND IF HIS POSITION ISN'T FILLED BY THEN THEY WILL LIKELY BRING SOMEONE ELSE IN TO SERVE FOR ANOTHER 90 TO 120 DAY DETAIL.
HE REALLY TOOK EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT HE HAD TO BRAG ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO ADAM, YOU'RE OUT THERE GOING TO SEE THIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I WILL, UH, BE EMAILING YOU THE CERTIFICATE YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
SO ALL THE SPECIES, THANK YOU, ALL THE STAFF.
AND WE WISH YOU WELL, THANK YOU, KIMBERLY ADAM REALLY WAS A HUGE, IMPORTANT, UH, SUPPORTER AND, UM, ADVOCATE FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT FROM ADAM WHEN I FIRST JOINED THIS COMMITTEE BACK IN.
IT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO, 2015 COMMISSIONER SHAY.
I BET YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU WANTED TO SAY.
IT REALLY JUST ECHOING THAT THE COMMENTS THAT YOU AND KIMBERLY HAVE MADE ADAM WAS, UM, WAS A TERRIFIC TEACHER AND A STEADY HAND AT FISH AND WILDLIFE DURING, UM, A TURBULENT TIME, UH, UH, IN WASHINGTON.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATED ALL OF HIS, HIS WISDOM AND HIS EXPERIENCE.
AND WE WISH HIM WELL IN MONTANA SMART GUY FOR MOVING NORTH.
YEAH, HE'S FOLLOWING THE CLIMATE MIGRATION.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE.
BIG SHOES, UM, LIKE LITERALLY A TO FILL FROM, FROM THAT, UM, WITH HIS PROBABLY SIZE PORT TEENS.
UM, BUT WE'RE REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UM, I DID TELL HER SHE HAD TO SING HER HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG.
THAT'LL BE AFTER, AFTER THE MEETING RIGHT AFTER WE ALL DISPLAYED, UM, MOVING TO OUR AGENDA.
UM, I SEE THAT FOR OUR, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SEGMENT, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY WHO HAS SIGNED UP.
HAVE I MISSED SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T SIGN UP, BUT WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US HERE TODAY? ALL RIGHT.
I DON'T SEE ANY ANYBODY COMING FORWARD AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[1. Approve Record of Decisions for October 8, 2021 Regular Meeting]
ONE, APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISIONS FOR OCTOBER 8TH, 2021 REGULAR MEETING.DO I HAVE A MOTION AND I WILL.
SECOND COMMISSIONER SHOWS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISIONS, AND THAT IS A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
[2. Update on BCCP Permit Extension and Habitat Conservation Plan Administrative Changes – Melinda Mallia & Kimberlee Harvey]
UPDATE ON BCCP PERMIT, EXTENSION AND HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES.THIS WILL BE KIMBERLY HARVEY AND MELINDA
[00:05:01]
MALIA.WELL, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PRESENT.
SO IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MELINDA OR IF MIGHT HAPPEN TO TRIP UP ON ANYTHING OR FORGET SOMETHING STILL THAT'S TOWARDS EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE BCCP PERMIT AND CLARIFYING ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES TO THE BCCP HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN ALSO KNOWN AS HCP.
MELINDA IS ALSO WITH US, LIKE I SAID, TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS NEXT, PLEASE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE BCP IS THE PRESERVE PROPERTY, BUT THE BCCP ABOUT CONNIE'S CANYON LANDS.
CONSERVATION PLAN IS A HUGE STACK OF REGULATORY DOCUMENTS NEXT, PLEASE.
WHEN WE REFER TO THE REGULATORY DOCUMENTS OF THE BCCP PERMIT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ILA SHARED VISION, THE HCP, THE TAKE PERMIT ISSUED BY THE SERVICE AND THE BCP LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
WE WILL MOSTLY BE TALKING ABOUT THE ILA SHARED VISION.
THE ILA SHARED VISION WAS EXECUTED IN 1995 BEFORE THE HCP AND THE PERMIT BECAUSE THE ILA WAS CREATED TO BE A DOCUMENT THAT STARTED US ON THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING A MECHANISM FOR ESA COMPLIANCE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THAT'S THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
IT WAS A STARTUP DOCUMENT THAT TOOK A STAB AT DESCRIBING HOW THE CITY AND COUNTY WOULD SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF IMPLEMENTING OUR PERMIT.
WE ARE, EXCUSE ME, CURRENTLY, 26 YEARS INTO OUR 30 YEAR PERMITS.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN CITY AND COUNTY BCP STAFF HAVE WORKED CLOSELY TO SHARE AND STREAMLINE THE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES OF THE PERMIT.
WE'VE ALSO HIRED MANY PASSIONATE EXPERT STAFF MEMBERS AND CREATED VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BCCP STORY IS AN IMPRESSIVE ONE.
AND IT'S NOT OVER AS YOU MAY REMEMBER.
BCCP MANAGEMENT STAFF FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WORKED CLOSELY WITH CONSULTANTS FROM ICF TO LOOK AT END OF PERMIT OPTIONS RANGING FROM LETTING THE PERMIT EXPIRE TO CREATING A WHOLE NEW HCP.
WE REVIEWED THE OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE EXTEND THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE BCCP PERMIT, AND THAT WE MAKE CLARIFYING ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES TO THE HCP DOCUMENT FROM THE NINETIES, A BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE VOTED TO APPROVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THESE TASKS.
SO CLARIFYING ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES TO THE HCP ARE ALSO REFERRED TO AS MINOR AMENDMENTS IN OUR PLAN.
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES CAN BE SURGICAL CHANGES TO THE PLAN AND TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, BUT THEY CANNOT ALTER THE TERMS OR THE COMMITMENTS OF THE BCCP HCP OR THE PERMIT EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE PERMIT IS ALSO CALLED PERMIT RENEWAL.
IT'S THE SIMPLEST FORM OF HTP AMENDMENT, AND IT IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A LETTER EXCHANGE WITH THE SERVICE PERMIT.
IF WE HAVE TAKE AUTHORIZATION LEFT, MEANING AVAILABLE MITIGATION CREDITS TO GIVE OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS, MEANING ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT TAKE FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
WE DID SOME BASIC GIS ANALYSIS AT THAT TIME DID DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD VERY LIKELY HAVE, UH, DEFINITELY ENOUGH MITIGATION CREDITS AVAILABLE TO KEEP THE MITIGATION PROGRAM GOING.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED SOME ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES, INCLUDING THE CAPE SUBSTITUTION POLICY AND THE ILA BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY FOR JOINT FUNDING OF THE BCCP SECRETARY POSITION.
SO THE TASK WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IS UPDATING THE 1995 BCCP ILA AND SHARED VISION DOCUMENT.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE UPDATED ILA IS THAT IT SHOULD HELP TO EXPEDITE AND SIMPLIFY COST SHARING BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ON RESEARCH PROJECTS AND CONSULTANTS, MELINDA AND I HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS WITH THESE DOCUMENTS, IDENTIFYING SECTIONS IN THE ILA AND SHARED VISION THAT WERE OUTDATED.
FOR EXAMPLE, REFERRING TO PERMIT START-UP TASKS OR ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED THE WAY THEY ENVISIONED IN THE BEGINNING.
FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH THE SERVICE, FOR THEM TO ADMINISTER THE ISSUANCE OF OUR TAKE PERMITS THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
AND SO, UM, MELINDA AND I WORKED ON THIS, CAME UP WITH A FIRST DRAFT AND WE PRESENTED
[00:10:01]
THIS FIRST DRAFT OF THE UPDATED ILA, SHARED VISION TO CITY AND COUNTY LAW GROUPS IN THE FALL OF 2020.WE RECEIVED SOME COMMENTS BACK.
WE INCORPORATED THE FIRST ROUND OF COMMENTS AND PROVIDED THE LAW GROUPS WITH A SECOND DRAFT LAST SUMMER.
UH, BUT THE LEGAL REVIEW HAS STALLED A LITTLE BIT.
SO COMPLETING AND EXECUTING THE UPDATED BCCP ILA AND SHARED VISION IS REALLY THE FIRST STEP WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE TO HELP WITH FUNDING FOR THE TASKS NEEDED TO UPDATE AND MODERNIZE THE HCP.
IT'S ALSO THE FIRST STEP TO HAVE IN PLACE TO HELP WITH FUNDING FOR THE TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH DETERMINING THE LENGTH OF TIME WE WANT TO EXTEND THE PERMIT.
20, 26 MAY SEEM FAR OFF, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, TO MODERNIZE AND EXTEND THE PERMIT.
AND AS WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THESE TASKS CAN TAKE QUITE A BIT OF TIME.
WE STARTED EARLY, BUT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE'LL BE SURE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON OUR PROGRESS.
AND THAT'S IT FOR ME TODAY, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I DID WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE STALLING OUT IS THAT SORT OF, UH, ANOTHER ONE OF THE KNOCK ONS FROM THE PANDEMIC AND STUFF, UM, AND STAFF RESOURCES IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK PART OF IT COULD BE THAT IT'S JUST COMPLICATED.
IT'S COMPLICATED TO TRY TO COME UP WITH AN UMBRELLA ILA FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO COST SHARE HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST IS EXECUTE A NEW ILA EVERY TIME WE WANTED TO DO A PROJECT.
AND WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY STILL HAVE THEIR PURCHASING PROCESSES, THAT THEY WILL STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH, IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANY OF THAT.
IT JUST, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO PERHAPS IN LAWYER LANGUAGE, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK.
AND MELINDA, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INSIGHT, UH, MAYBE ON THE COUNTY SIDE, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE CITY SIDE, THAT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH INTERNALLY.
I GUESS FIRST I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW OUR LAWYERS ARE BACKED UP AND THEY HAVE TO PRIORITIZE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PLAY ALONG AND STAND IN LINE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE REALLY COULD USE SOME HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ELEVATING THE PRIORITY SO WE CAN GET, GET THIS MOVING.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT SO MUCH WORK INTO IT THAT WE HOPE THAT WHEN IT FINALLY GETS THE FULL ATTENTION, UM, PEOPLE WILL BE FINE WITH THE WORK WE DID THAT MIGHT BE ASKING A LOT, UM, TO GO BACK TO WHAT KIMBERLY WAS SAYING ABOUT COST SHARING.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
UM, UH, WE EACH GO THROUGH A NORMAL BUDGET PROCESS AND GET APPROVAL FROM OUR GOVERNING BODIES.
AND THEN, UM, QUITE OFTEN WE'LL FIND OURSELVES, WE EACH HAVE A BUDGET FOR THE SAME KIND OF EFFORT.
SOMETIMES WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE, JOIN FORCES AND DO THAT.
BUT IN ORDER TO COLLABORATE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO GO GET A BRAND NEW ILA, WHICH CAN TAKE A YEAR, TWO YEARS, UM, GO THROUGH, IT'S JUST A LENGTHY PROCESS TO DO SOMETHING.
WE ALREADY HAVE APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONERS COURT TO DO.
SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING THE LAWYERS TO DO IS COME UP WITH A MECHANISM.
SO IF WE DO EACH HAVE MONEY FOR, FOR PROJECT, CAN WE JUST HAVE THE MANAGERS WHO ARE DELEGATED THE AUTHORITY TO RUN THESE PROGRAMS, UM, GO AHEAD AND WORK OUT, UH, IN AGREEMENT WE'LL USE CITY PURCHASING OR COUNTING, PURCHASING WE'LL WE'LL JOIN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL MANAGE IT THIS WAY.
AND WE JUST GET ON DOWN THE ROAD WITH A JOINT PROJECT, UH, WITHOUT GOING BACK THROUGH THE LENGTHY SERIES OF APPROVALS.
SO IS THAT, IS THAT ONE OF THE, UM, UH, DRAFT, UM, MECHANISMS THAT'S IN THE, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEYS? I'M HAPPY TO ELEVATE IT AT THE COUNTY? UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO THE COURT TO TAKE SPECIFIC ACTION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, UM, REACH OUT TO, UM, UH, PRESUMABLY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WERE, OH, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I, IF, UH, I'LL REACH OUT TO YOUR STAFF AND SET UP A MEETING SO I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT WE HAVE AND IT WOULD BE GREAT, CAUSE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE UNITED NATIONS PROCESS TO SPEND MONEY FOR SOMETHING WE'RE ALREADY APPROVED TO DO.
UM, SO CLEARLY WE CAN FIGURE OUT A SMARTER BETTER WAY TO DESIGN THAT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE PROPOSALS TO DO THAT.
IT'S JUST GETTING PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, THE OTHER, I GUESS THE OTHER CATEGORY THAT KIMBERLY COVERED, WHAT THE ILA DOES, WE WE'VE JUST GOTTEN RID OF ALL THE STARTUP LANGUAGE.
[00:15:01]
NEED YEAR 26, WE DON'T NEED IT.UM, BUT THERE WAS A COUPLE CHANGES THAT HAVE EVOLVED.
AND ONE OF THEM IS, UM, YOU GUYS WENT THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS REALIZING HOW MANY MEETINGS WE NEED, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING THIS MANDATED NUMBER OF MEETINGS, WE JUST MADE UPDATES THAT REFLECT CURRENT PRACTICES.
UM, SO WE THINK WE'RE RESPONDING TO, UM, THE DECISIONS YOU GUYS HAVE MADE AND THE PREFERENCES YOU'VE SHOWN US.
I WILL SAY THAT SOME OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, AND THE, THE SMALL NUMBER OF LOW NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, OCTOBER OF 2021, AND HERE WE ARE IN AUGUST, 2022 WAS RELATED TO, UM, SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES AFTER THE MAJOR PART OF THE CAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC WAS AFFECTING THINGS.
BUT THEN WHEN WE ALL STARTED COMING BACK, I MEAN, MY CALENDAR JUST GOT SWAMPED AND FINDING DATES THAT I COULD HOLD, YOU KNOW, WAS EVEN DIFFICULT.
AND IT MAY BE THAT THAT WAS EXPERIENCED THAT YOU HAD AS WELL.
UM, I THINK WE NEED MORE THAN ONE OR TWO MEETINGS IN HERE, BUT, BUT, UM, I'D BE INTERESTED TO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST LET US KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE COMING UP WITH ON THAT CALL A SPECIAL SESSION.
SO WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING? SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT TWO GENERAL MEETING SCHEDULED AND THEN WE CAN CALL A SPECIAL SESSION MEETING AT ANY TIME.
SO LIKE SPRING AND FALL OR LATE.
SO THIS WOULD BE THIS ONE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, THERE WAS SOME CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THE SERVICE WAS NOT ABLE TO MEET IN PERSON FOR A WHILE AS WELL.
THAT RESTRICTION WAS RECENTLY LIFTED ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT MASKS CAME OUT FROM THE AIRPORT OR RIGHT AROUND THEN.
SO, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH SUPPORT FOR A HYBRID MEETING.
SO WE REALLY DID HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO GET TOGETHER IN PERSON.
GENERALLY, WE TRY TO SCHEDULE THESE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BUT WITH EVERYBODY COMING OUT OF WORKING VIRTUALLY TO COMING TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT, IT WAS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT AT THIS TIME.
SO THE, THE CHANGE WE MADE THAT CERTAINLY SUBJECT TO YOUR REVIEW, INSTEAD OF HAVING FOUR REQUIRED MEETINGS A YEAR, WE DROPPED DOWN TO TWO MEETINGS, BUT WE WANT TO LEAVE YOU TO THE FLEXIBILITY, TO, UM, SCHEDULE THEM WHEN THEY MAKE SENSE TO YOU.
AND THE LANGUAGE FOR THAT IS IT'S IN THERE.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THE DRAFT DOES.
IT, IT ALSO, ANYTIME THERE YOU DO FEEL LIKE YOU NEED MORE MEETINGS, YOU CAN CALL THEM, BUT WE, WE LEAVE IT UP TO YOUR DISCRETION INSTEAD OF, UH, BEING DRIVEN BY MEETING TO ME.
COMMISSIONER, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD? YEAH.
I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT APPROACH AND, UM, WHERE THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL MEETING WE'RE ABLE TO CALL IT.
SO I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE IF I COULD GO BACK TO THE, UH, CONVERSATION, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN AT THE STAFF LEVEL, BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
I'M ALSO WONDERING, BECAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF THAT MODEL AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
FOR EXAMPLE, WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF, AS WE KNOW REALLY AMPLY WELL THAT, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE PARTNERED REALLY, UH, TIGHTLY, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO THERE'S GOOD MODELS OUT THERE THAT I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT.
I THINK ALSO, UM, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO TOUCH BASE WITH THE FINANCIAL FOLKS ON BOTH SIDES, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
AND SO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THE SPENDING AUTHORITIES THAT THOSE WOULD NOT CHANGE IN ANY WAY FROM WHAT THE SPENDING AUTHORITIES THAT YOU WOULD ALREADY HAVE IN HAND, JUST TO THOUGHT WE WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD MEETINGS WITH OUR PLANNING AND BUDGET OFFICE AND THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THE LANGUAGE.
SO, SO YES, WE'RE RUNNING OUR TRIPS GREATLY NOTED AND WE SHOULD DO THAT WITH OUR CFO AND OUR BUDGET OFFICE HERE AT THE CITY.
IF WE HA IF WE HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, WHICH YOU PROBABLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TOPIC.
IS THAT IT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO? YES.
MOVING ONTO NUMBER THREE, REHYDRATION
[3. Rehydration, Water Quality Enhancement, and Reforestation Projects on the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve – Jim O’Donnell]
WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT AND REFORESTATION PROJECTS IN THE BALCONY CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.AND WE'VE GOT JIM O'DONNELL HERE WITH US TODAY AFTERNOON, JEN.
UM, YES, MY NAME TIM O'DONNELL, I'M A FOREST ECOSYSTEM BIOLOGIST WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN BCP.
AND, UH, I SERVED ON THE BIOLOGICAL ADVISORY TEAM IN THE LATE EIGHTIES.
SO IT WAS KIND OF FUN TO SEE THE TIMELINE OF THAT TIME PERIOD AND HOW FAST TIME HAS GONE BY.
IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT LONG AGO, BUT, UM, SHOULD I PARDON ME? IT WASN'T THAT LONG.
LET'S SEE IF I COULD HAVE BEEN DANCING AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, LUCY SEE PERMIT REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 30,428 ACRES IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY TO BE PROTECTED, MANAGED FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
[00:20:01]
TWO, UH, 2000 ACRES MUST BE MANAGED FOR PROTECTING EXISTING AND CREATING ADDITIONAL BLACK LIBERIA HABITAT, FOCUSING ON AREAS THAT ARE HABITAT FOR NEITHER ONE, UH, THE REMAINING 28,000 ACRES OR SO IS, UH, DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE GOLDEN SHEET FOR THERE.AREN'T PRESERVED SYSTEM, UH, GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS AND BLACK CAP AREAS, AND THE TIER TWO LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
IT STATES THAT MANAGEMENT FOR WARBLERS, INCLUDING PROMOTING A REGENERATION OF OAK JUNIPER WOODLANDS AND AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLEARED THEN ARE BURNED.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
MANAGEMENT FOR BOTH SPECIES INCLUDES REVEGETATION EFFORTS, IMPROVING HABITAT AND REDUCE HABITAT FRAGMENTATION.
UH, WE ON THE BUCK HUNTERS, CANE LAND PRESERVE AS ALL OF YOU HAS SOME WONDERFUL HABITAT.
THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE AND PROTECTED, BUT ANYTIME IT'S YOU BUY LARGE TRACKS OF LAND, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A PIECES OF THAT THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE HABITAT FOR EITHER ONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
SO IN LOOKING ACROSS ON THE 30,000 ACRES AND SPECIFICALLY THE 13,000 OR SO THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, CONTROLS, WE LOOK AT AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT THE PRIME HABITAT.
SO PRIME HABITAT IS PROTECTION.
WE CONTROL, UM, INVASIVE SPECIES THERE.
UH, WE ALSO GO IN AND COLLECT SEED IN THAT AREA AND USE THAT SEED IN THIS NEXT STEP HERE, WHERE WE ENHANCE, UM, AREA.
SO THOSE ARE SYSTEMS THAT ARE RECOVERING.
UH, USUALLY THERE'S STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, 60 YEARS AFTER LAND CLEARING OR SO WE'RE JUST STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE GOLDEN SHAPED BARBERS COMING BACK INTO THOSE AREAS.
SO WE STILL KIND OF WORK WITH THOSE AREAS, UH, TO, UH, REVEGETATE AND TO PLANT AND TO, UH, RECEDE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THESE REAL DEGRADED AREAS, AREAS THAT ARE JUST NOT COMING BACK ON THEIR OWN.
SO IN IDENTIFYING THOSE ECOSYSTEMS AND CONDITIONS AND HOW DO WE HELP THAT? WELL, PRIME HABITAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DOING PRETTY WELL ON ITS OWN.
AND SO IT, LIKE I SAY, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF DEALING WITH INVASIVE SPECIES ISSUES, RECOVERING HABITAT, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CENTER SLIDE THERE, YOU SEE A LOT MORE LIGHT COMING IN THERE.
UH, THAT PARTICULAR PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN 60 YEARS AFTER A FIRE THAT WENT THROUGH AND TOOK EVERYTHING OUT OF THAT HABITAT.
IT'S RECOVERING NICELY AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LET IT RECOVER.
WE, AGAIN, WE ADD SEED AND PLANT AND DEAL WITH INVASIVE SPECIES.
AND THEN ON THE FAR RIGHT THERE, WE HAVE LAND THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, THAT IS DEGRADING AND IS NOT RECOVERING ON ITSELF.
UH, SOME OF THESE, WE HAVE EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS FROM 1940 WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE THAT AND IT JUST CONTINUES TO DEGRADE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS THE DEGRADED LANDSCAPES THAT WE HAVE AND, UH, BECAUSE THEIR HABITAT FOR NEITHER SPECIES THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE CHEEK WORLD, THERE'S OUR BLACK VIREOS.
SO HOW TO ADDRESS THAT AND GET THAT, UH, THAT THOSE SYSTEMS STARTED SO THAT THERE ARE REGENERATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS THAT'S COLLEGIAL.
SO WHEN I REFER TO COLLEGIAL, IT'S JUST A MINERAL MATTER.
WHAT'S LEFT AFTER THE ORGANIC MATTER HAS BEEN WASHED OFF THE LANDSCAPE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CONCRETE WHEN IT RAINS, IT JUST RUNS RIGHT OFF OF THAT AND, UH, CAUSES, UH, ISSUES, EROSION ISSUES DOWN FROM IT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ANYTHING TO GROW THERE.
UH, LAST SUMMER WAS 104 DEGREES.
I TOOK THE SOIL TEMPERATURE IN ONE OF THOSE PLACES.
IT RANGES ANYWHERE BETWEEN 120 AND 130 DEGREES ON THAT COLLEGIATE.
SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S ALMOST COMPOSTING, YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY A SEA THAT ENDS UP IN ONE OF THOSE LITTLE CRACKS IT'S NOT GOING TO DO WELL, BUT IN THE FOREST CANOPY, JUST IN THIS CASE, IT WAS JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY.
IT RANGES IN THE EIGHTIES ALL DAY LONG.
SO EVEN TODAY OR YESTERDAY, WHEN WE WERE OUT, WHEN IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, 106, 105 DEGREES, IT'S ALWAYS IN THE EIGHTIES AND THE CANOPY, THE SOIL TEMPERATURE AND THE CANOPY.
SO THE GOAL IN WORKING WITH THE GRADED ECOSYSTEMS IS TO IDENTIFY AND STABILIZE THE ERODING SITES THAT ARE NOT IMPROVING OVER TIME.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT STUFF LIKE THE PICTURE THERE, AND THAT CLEARLY IS NOT GOING TO RECOVER ON ITS OWN.
UH, THESE CAN BE SMALL OR LARGE PATCHES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY HABITAT FOR THE PERMITTED SPECIES.
RESTORATION IS DESIGNED TO BEGIN THE ROAD TO, UH, REGENERATIVE RESILIENT SYSTEMS. YOU KNOW, I MAY NOT SEE IT.
I MAY NOT SEE A FOREST IN THAT AREA, BUT AT LEAST I CAN START THE PROCESS GOING, UH, IN THESE PATCHES, WE CONTROL FOR EROSION BUILD, UH, SOIL BIOLOGY, WE PLANT SEEDS AND WE PROVIDE SPECIES SPRITZ, DIVERSE CONNECTIONS TO MATURE HABITAT BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, AND WE'LL SEE IN THIS NEXT SLIDE WHILE A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE, UM, SO WHEN WE GO INTO THESE AREAS,
[00:25:01]
THERE'S A PLAN.SO IF YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THIS IS ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT I WORK ON CALLED THE DOUBLE J AND T WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IT, WHERE IT IS IN A SECOND, BUT THE FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS ASSESS THE SOIL CONDITIONS, HOW MUCH COMPACTION, UH, WHAT'S THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOIL.
WHAT'S THE DEPTH, THE DRAINAGE, THE EROSION ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THERE IS THERE AREN'T ANY ORGANIC MATTER LEFT IN THIS SYSTEM.
UH, WE LOOK AT THE SPECIES DIVERSITY, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? USUALLY TO SPECIES DIVERSITY IS REALLY LOW.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THIS PARTICULAR TRACK, YOU CAN SIT OUT THERE ALL DAY LONG AS I HAVE IN WORKING ON THIS.
AND I SAW ONE RAVEN FLY OVER DURING THE DAY AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
SO THERE, THE SPECIES DIVERSITY FOR BIRDS AND INSECTS, YOU PICK UP ROCKS THERE, YOU DON'T FIND THINGS UNDERNEATH THE ROCKS.
AND ANOTHER TRACK I WORKED AT VERIO JUST ABOUT EVERY ROCK HAS THAT SCORPION OR SOMETHING UNDERNEATH IT.
UH, THE SPECIES DIVERSITY HERE IS VERY LOW.
UH, WE ASSESSED THE AMOUNT AND THE ACCUMULATION OF BIOMASS IN THE SYSTEM HERE.
UH, WE LOOK AT SLOPE AND ASPECT, SLOPE AND ASPECT ARE REAL IMPORTANT.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT PUT A BERM AND SWALE OR A TERRORIST THING THAT'S ABOVE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 18 DEGREES SLOPE FOR A BERMAN SWALE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A SECOND.
UH, WE RESEARCHED THE LAND LAND, USE HISTORY.
IN THIS CASE HERE, WE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK AND VISIT WITH SOME OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO OWN THIS LAND, UH, BACK IN THE DAY.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN WE DESIGNED A RESTORATION PLAN, UH, DOUBLE J AND T THE QUESTION.
SO YOU VISIT WITH THE FAMILY MEMBERS IN ORDER TO GET SOME OF THE HISTORY OF PRIOR VEGETATION.
THERE IS ON THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
THERE IS A, THERE IS A GRAVEYARD, A CEMETERY, AND THEY OCCASIONALLY COME OUT TO VISIT.
AND I WAS OUT THERE ONE DAY WHEN THEY CAME TO VISIT AND THEY INTRODUCED WHO THEY WERE, AND I THOUGHT, OH, I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND THEY WERE VERY NICE ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THAT LANDSCAPE, OR AS MUCH AS I COULD REMEMBER, THE GENTLEMEN, DOUG JOHNSON, HE'S IN HIS LATE EIGHTIES NOW.
AND HE HAD ALL SORTS OF STORIES ABOUT WHEN HE WAS A KID ON THIS PROPERTY.
DO THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT TRACK? THAT'S IN THE PHOTO? IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A ROAD OR LIKE, YEAH, THEY DID A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, ORIGINALLY THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THAT PROPERTY IN THE, IN THE 1860S, UH, WAS A RAILROAD GUY AND HE CLEAR CUT THE AREA FOR RAILROAD TIES.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CUT, IT WHAT'S LEADS TO EROSION, AND THEN THEY, THEY TURNED GOATS LOOSE ON IT AND, AND THEY ALSO DID A LOT OF CORING AND, UM, UH, BORROW PITS FOR ROADS.
UM, THEY HAVE A DUMP OUT THERE WHERE THEY DUMP THEIR STUFF BACK IN THE DAY.
UH, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT, IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT IN THE CENTER, PART OF THE UPPER PART OF THIS PICTURE, THAT'S A PICTURE, AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH IN 1940 OF WHAT THE LAND LOOKED LIKE.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S JUST CRISSCROSS WITH ROADWAYS, YOU KNOW, CUT UP QUITE A BIT.
UH, THERE WAS A PECAN ORCHARD, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR TRACK IT'S NOT IN THE LAKEWAY AREA.
UH, IT'S JUST BEYOND RIKER RANCH OFF OF SIX 20, UH, IT FRONTS LIKE AUSTIN, UH, UH, RIVER THERE.
UM, SO, UH, ALONG THE RIVER, HE HAD A PECAN ORCHARD, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID IT GOT WIPED OUT IN THE FLOOD OF 25.
SO YEAH, SO IT IT'S, IT'S JUST GREAT TO TALK TO HIM.
AND HE WAS JUST DELIGHTFUL WITH BEING ABLE TO SHARE STORIES AND SEEM TO WANT TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP SOME MORE WITH THEM AS WELL.
UH, SO DOUBLE J JUST SAID IT'S OUT THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, AND M LAKEWAY AREA, 1700 ACRES.
UH, IT'S ONE OF OUR TRACKS THAT HAS A LOT OF, UH, DEGRADED ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN THE UPLAND AREAS ALONG THE CREEK.
THERE WE HAVE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT.
IT'S ALONG THE RIVER, BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF EROSION ISSUES THERE.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT AND CONNECT, UH, HABITAT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S HARD TO SEE THIS WITHOUT NOT A POINTER, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S, IT'S ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE THERE BETWEEN THE TWO OPEN COLLEGIAL AREAS.
THERE'S A WOODED AREA THERE THAT'S, THERE'S GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS IN THERE, AND THERE'S GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS ON TOP OF THE HILL, BUT ALL IN BETWEEN THAT IS, IS THERE'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH, THERE'S NOT MUCH GOING ON THERE.
UM, AND SO BETH RICHTER, WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE BACK HERE, SHE'S ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SHE'S TAKING A CLASS AT HCC AND, AND SHE, AS PART OF HER CLASS ASKED IF SHE COULD, YOU KNOW, HELP US OUT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, GIS ANALYSIS OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND, UH, IT'S TITLED REHYDRATION, BERMS SU A SUITABILITY ANALYSIS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR PLACES ON HERE WHERE WE CAN CATCH WATER AND REHYDRATE THE LANDSCAPE.
AND BETH JUST DID THIS WONDERFUL JOB, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, I GAVE HER THE PARAMETERS FOR IT, BUT SHE KIND OF TOOK IT AND RAN OR WERE DOING SLOPE AND ASPECT AND VEGETATION COVERAGE AND ALL OF THAT.
[00:30:01]
SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND NOT EVERY PLACE THERE, UM, IS GOING TO BE SUITABLE.AND I'LL TALK ABOUT BERMS AND SWALES HERE IN A MINUTE.
NOT EVERY PLACE THERE IS SUITABLE FOR THAT FOR, FOR CATCHMENT, BUT IT KIND OF GIVES US SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND THEN GO IN AND GROUND-TRUTH IT.
LIKE I SAID, SHE DID A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THIS THING.
SO THIS IS A MORE UP CLOSE PICTURE OF IT, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE DRAINAGE IS COMING DOWN OFF OF THIS.
UH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT WE ARE, WE HAVE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER A HALF A MILE NOW, A BERMS AND SWALES, UH, IN THE SYSTEM.
I WAS TALKING TO OUR CONTRACTOR THE OTHER DAY.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED OTHER SITES TO COLLECT WATER AND, UH, BUT WE DO MORE THAN BERMS AND SWALES.
UH, WE ALSO DO, YOU KNOW, ROCK AND BRUSH BERMS AND, UH, UH, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CAPTURE AND SLOW DOWN WATER.
AND I'LL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF CULICHI BEAR SLOPE STUFF.
AND THAT'S LIKE A LITTLE HEAT ISLAND THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S THAT STUFF IT'S 120, 130 DEGREES AND ALL THAT YELLOW BEAR STUFF THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND THIS IS A AERIAL PHOTO OR A SATELLITE OF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T IN SOME AREAS BECAUSE OF ACCESS ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO IN THERE WITH EQUIPMENT AND DIG A BERM AND SWALE AND, AND GROW TREES, OR EVEN BE ABLE TO PLANT TREES, BECAUSE IF YOU PLANT TREES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WATER THEM AND CARE FOR THEM.
SO, AND THE AREAS THAT WE CAN'T GET TO, UH, WE SEED, WE SEED HEAVILY IN THESE AREAS AND YOU CAN SEE THE AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THERE THAT ARE ON THE HILLTOPS THAT ARE FLATTER.
AND, UH, LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERGREEN SUMAC, WE'VE SEEDED 60,000 SEEDS, UH, THAT, UH, IN THIS AREA THAT WERE TREATED AND READY TO GO.
AND THEY, THEY WERE COMING UP.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM RECENTLY, AND I'M HOPING THEY MAKE IT THROUGH THIS DROUGHT, BUT, UH, WE DO A LOT OF FEEDING.
UM, SO, SO WHEN I USE THE TERM BERM AND SWALE, I ALSO INTERCHANGE THAT WITH BIO SWALES.
UM, THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS IS YOU, UH, YOU DIG A SWALE ON CONTOUR AND WE HAVE A LASER LEVELER THAT MAKES SURE THAT WE'RE ON CONTOUR.
AND AS WATER COMES DOWN, THE SLOPE, IT GOES INTO THE SWALE AND THEN INTO THE BERM.
AND IT'S PROBABLY THE FASTEST WAY TO REGENERATE TREES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE'VE EXPERIMENTED A LOT WITH TREE GROWING, UH, IN THESE SYSTEMS. AND REMEMBER, WE'RE DEALING IN A HARSH ENVIRONMENT HERE.
THIS IS STUFF, I MEAN, THIS IS HARD, HARD STUFF.
AND SO TO MAKE SOMETHING WORK AND THE INVESTMENT OF, YOU KNOW, PLANTING THESE TREES AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO GROW THEM, AND SOMETIMES WE'RE BUYING THESE TREES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING GOOD SURVIVAL, RIGHT? WE HAVE ABOUT 90% SURVIVAL RATE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL WITH THIS STUFF.
UM, BUT THE BURN, THE TREES ARE PLANTED ON THE BERMS SIDE AND THEN THE WATER PLUMES DOWN INTO THE BERM, OUT OF THE SWALE, IN THE TREES.
SO THE TREES HAVE THE ADVANTAGE HERE OF HAVING SOIL AND THEN ALSO HAVING WATER.
AND THEN IF YOU'LL NOTICE DOWN BELOW THE SWALE THERE, THE SWALE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ARROWS ARE GOING DOWN.
THE WATER GOES DOWN IN THE SWALES AND IT NEVER STAYS IN THE SWALES MUCH MORE THAN A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER A RAIN.
AND, UH, SO IT, IT GOES DOWN AND THEN IT HITS HARD PAN OR LIMESTONE, AND THEN IT PLUMES FORWARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR GATE'S DOWN SLOPE OF THIS.
AND AS THE SOIL IMPROVES, AND AS WE GET MORE SOIL LIFE IN HERE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS IMPROVING SOIL CONSTANTLY.
UH, THE WATER GETS THROUGH THERE AND, UH, GETS FARTHER DOWN HILL.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
SO THIS IS AT THE VERY OLD PRESERVE, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO WILD BASE AND ON LOOP 360, JUST NORTH OF WILD BASIN, IT'S A SMALLER PROPERTY, 214 ACRES.
AND IT'S KIND OF OUR EXPERIMENTAL PILOT AREA.
WE DO A LOT OF TRAINING THERE.
WE HAVE A BIG VOLUNTEER BASE THERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THIS AREA.
THIS IS RIGHT ABOVE OLD-GROWTH ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
AND THIS SLIGHT SITE WAS SELECTED BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT WATER RUNNING DOWN OFF OF THIS SLOPE INTO THE OLD GROWTH ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WE'LL CAPTURE THAT WATER UP ABOVE AND START REFORESTING THIS AREA.
SO THIS IS A BIOSWALE CONSTRUCTION.
THIS IS DONE IN OCTOBER, 2019.
IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GRASS AND FALL IS GRASS TIME, RIGHT? IT SHOULD ALL BE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GREEN AND GROWING AND STUFF.
IT'S PRETTY DEAD IN THAT AREA.
THIS IS A HIGHLY DEGRADED SPOT.
AND SO WE USE A LAYER LASER LEVELER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR BERMS AND SWALES ARE ON CONTOUR.
WE, THEY NEED TO BE ON CONTOUR CAUSE WE DON'T, WHEN IT DOES RAIN, WE DON'T WANT THAT WATER RUNNING DOWN THE SWALE.
UH, SO IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF, IT NEEDS TO SINK IN AND SPREAD OUT.
AND, UH, THIS WAS AT OUR CONTRACTOR.
[00:35:01]
UH, HE'S VERY SKILLED AT THIS.AND, UH, SO WE DECIDED TO PUT A BIO SWALE IN HERE.
WE HAVE THREE OF THEM THAT GO DOWNHILL THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SELECTION OF BIO SWALES.
WE PUT THESE IN THE DEGRADED AREAS.
WE WOULD NEVER DO THIS THROUGH A FOREST OR EVEN A RECOVERING WOODLAND.
UH, BUT THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE OPEN THE COLLEGIAL BASED AREAS, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING TREES GOING.
AND ONCE HE FINISHED HIS DIGGING, WE'D HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS AND THEY CAME OUT AND HELPED US PLANT TREES.
AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE PLANTING TREES AND MOLTING UP THE SIDE AND ADDING ORGANIC MATTER INTO THE SITE AND SO FORTH.
NOW, REMEMBER WE PUT THESE IN AND OCTOBER OF 2019 IN THE SPRING OF 2020 ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE SPRING.
AND THAT WATER THAT'S IN THERE.
THIS WAS JUST AFTER A RAIN, A SOAK STAND WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS INTO THAT BERM AND THEN BEGINS PLUMING DOWN FROM THAT.
AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER, JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER, YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD FROM THAT BERMAN SWALE.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, AND THE REALLY COOL THING IS, IS THE ANIMAL INSECTS, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY EXPLODES IN THESE SYSTEMS CAUSE YOU GO IN THERE AND THERE'S FINCHES EVERYWHERE AND THERE THERE'S LIZARDS AND, UH, LOTS OF INSECTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE'RE ADDING A LOT OF BIODIVERSITY OTHER THAN JUST PLANTS.
SO SHOULD WE GO BACK A COUPLE OF SLIDES FOR CONTRAST? UH, DID YOU SAY YOU DID A BIO SWALES LOOK LIKE, AND UH, YOU CAN SEE THE TREES BACK THERE, THE OAK TREES BACK THERE AND THEN, AND THEN WE CAN SEE THE TREES BACK THERE AGAIN.
YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT RECOVERY.
IT'S, IT'S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY THAT WE HAVE OF GETTING TREES WITH THE HIGHEST SURVIVAL RATE.
AND, UH, AND THIS WAS LAST SUMMER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE THERE'S NO WATER IN THE SOIL, BUT, UH, IT'S STILL A RICH AND DIVERSE THERE.
SO I TOOK THIS JUST THE OTHER DAY.
AND, UH, IF YOU LOOK ON THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE SWALES AT BERIO AND THE TREES THAT YOU CAN SEE, AND THIS IS NOT A GREAT PICTURE, BUT THE TREE THAT YOU SEE THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THAT'S THE BERM, BUT YOU SEE ALL THE BIOMASS THAT'S DOWN BELOW THE BERM THERE THAT WAS RICH AND FLOWERS AND BUSHES AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND IF YOU GO IN THERE, IT'S PRETTY DENSE.
AND THEN IF I TURN THE CAMERA TO OFF THE BERM AND SWALE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING WHERE IT, WHERE IT'S, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A BARMAN SWALE, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW DEGRADED THAT IS.
AND WE EVEN WORKED AT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE REAL RING OF ROCKS OR SOMEBODY PLANTED A TREE AND IT DIDN'T MAKE IT.
AND SO THE ISSUE THERE WAS SOIL AND WATER.
SO THE BERMAN SWALE ADDRESSES THOSE ISSUES AND ALLOWS US TO, UH, GO INTO THESE REALLY DEGRADED AREAS AND, UH, AND MAKE A CHANGE QUICKLY.
UH, THIS IS GOING, GOING BACK TO DOUBLE J AND T OUT IN THE LAKEWAY AREA.
UH, WE HAVE A HALF MILE PROJECT OUT THERE AND, UH, PETE, AGAIN, DUG THIS FOR US AND HE DOES IT ON CONTOUR.
YOU CAN SEE THE SWALE AND THEN THE BERM.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S JANUARY OF 2020.
AND BY JUNE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD STUFF GROWING AND WATER IN THE SWALES AND, UH, UH, JUST DOING FINE.
SO, BUT AGAIN, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE, YOU KNOW, WALKING IN THESE AREAS WHEN, WHEN THERE'S JUST NO LIFE AT ALL HALL, BASICALLY, AND THEN YOU CHANGE IT INTO, YOU KNOW, GROWING PLANTS AND, UH, HOW IT IS.
IT JUST, IT'S JUST AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION.
AND THIS IS KIND OF WALKING DOWN ONE OF THE SWALES AT DEVIL J AND T WHEN THERE'S WATER IN IT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAXIMILIAN SUNFLOWERS THERE, UH, THE TRACK, ALL SORTS OF BIRDS PAINTED BUNTINGS AND TENSIONS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE YOUNG BERM, YOU KNOW, HE'S A LITTLE GUY AND, UH, AND, AND EVENTUALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN HERE IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS CULICHI, YOU KNOW, WE CALL IT COTTAGE CHEESE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THIS KIND OF MOUNTED UP.
UH, WE KEEP THROWING ORGANIC MATTER OR ANYTHING THAT WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON IN THERE.
AND WE'RE STARTING NOW STARTING TO GET EARTHWORMS IN THERE, WHICH IS REALLY COOL THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE OUR LITTLE NITROGEN SOURCE AND, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO DIG TUNNELS IN THERE AND OPENING THAT UP.
AND ALL THE PLANT ROOTS ARE OPENING THAT UP.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT SOIL.
THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WATER WILL MOVE THROUGH EASILY.
AND, AND WE START HERE, WE START WITH REALLY TOUGH PIONEER PLANTS.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT PLANTING OUT TREES AND THAT I'M NOT PLANTING CHERRY TREES AND THAT THAT'S MIMOSA BOREALIS LAGOON TYPE THINGS
[00:40:01]
THAT ARE HARD, TOUGH PLANTS.A LOT OF THE SUMACS ARE TEFF, PERSIMMONS, A TOUGH LITTLE PLANT.
YOU PUT THOSE IN THERE, THEY CAN KIND OF DEAL WITH THE INITIAL CORE SOIL AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
THEY START TO PROVIDE ORGANIC MATTER AND SHADE.
AND ONCE THEY PROVIDE THAT ORGANIC MATTER AND SHADE AND GET THAT SOIL BIOLOGY GOING, AND I GOT SOME SHADE, THEN I CAN PLANT OTHER THINGS.
SO THERE'LL BE QUITE A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THESE AREAS.
UH, THIS IS A REAL RECENT PROJECT.
WE DID THIS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS AND STUFF.
WE WERE A LITTLE LIMITED AND WE KIND OF PUSHED THIS A LITTLE BIT INTO, I THINK WE DUG IT IN FEBRUARY, BUT DIDN'T GET IT PLANTED UNTIL MARCH.
AND THIS IS JUST AN OLD ROAD ON DOUBLE J.
REMEMBER, I WAS SHOWING YOU THE MAP THAT HAD ALL THOSE CRISS-CROSS ROADS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WELL, THIS WAS AN OLD ROAD THAT, UH, DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING GO ON.
POVERTY DROPS SEED WAS THE ONLY GRASS THAT WOULD GROW IN THERE.
AND, UH, SO WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE LITTLE CRESCENT BERM.
IT JUST KINDA GOES AROUND AND COMES OUT ON THE OTHER ROAD.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY A PRETTY BERM, UH, AND SWELL.
IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT NOW, BUT, UH, IT'S GOT A LOT MORE GROWTH ON IT NOW, BUT, UM, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE BARE BONES ON THAT.
AND THIS WAS PLANTED BY VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAVE BCP VOLUNTEERS AND AUSTIN CCC, WHICH WE WORK WITH A LOT, UH, AND THEY LOVE PLANTING TREES.
SO THIS IS A, BEFORE WE STARTED DOING, HIRING A CONTRACTOR TO HELP US DIG THOSE FARMS AND SWALES, UH, WERE DOING IT BY HAND.
AND, UH, SO FEBRUARY OF 2016, WE'VE BEEN MESSING WITH THIS AREA FOR A WHILE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRIED, WE WOULD, YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE OF THE COLLEGIATE.
WE HAD TO THROW SEED AND MALTS DOWN ON IT.
AND, UH, SO WE AREN'T HAVING ANY LUCK WITH THAT.
SO WE JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CAPTURE SOME WATER AND INFILTRATE THAT WATER INTO THE, INTO THE SUBSOIL COLLEGIATE.
AND SO WE DUG THAT IN AUGUST, UH, UH, JOHNNY SCULLY'S AND OUR AUDIENCE REMEMBERS THAT.
AND DOUG, ONE OF THOSE LITTLE, UH, POCKET PONDS, WE HAD A GOOD TIME JOHNNY, AND IT WAS, IT WAS HARD WORK AND, UH, MOVING ALL THOSE ROCKS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT IT, NOW, IF YOU LOOK THERE AND I DIDN'T GET A PICTURE OF THIS, YOU CAN'T SEE IT.
SO THAT WORK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE WAS SEEDING IT AND THROWING MOLTS DOWN.
AND AT THAT WASN'T WORKING AND YOU CAN SEE THE GRASS THAT WAS GROWING ON THAT CULICHI, YOU KNOW, AND THE COLLEGIATE PART, IT JUST BARELY SURVIVED, BARELY HANGS IN THERE ON DOUBLE J AND T.
WE ALSO HAVE A RAINWATER COLLECTION BARN, AND WE ALSO HAVE A NURSERY BEHIND IT HERE.
WE CAN STORE 26,000 GALLONS OF WATER.
AND FOR EACH INCH OF RAIN, WE GET, WE GET 1500 GALLONS IN THOSE TANKS.
UH, WE ARE, AND THEN WE HAVE A POLYURIA THING, FLEXIBLE PIPE THAT GOES DOWN ALONG THE ROAD, A HALF A MILE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE USED AT EURO GATE, OUR PLANTS THAT ARE ON THOSE BERMS AND SWALES WHEN IT'S NOT RAINING, UH, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE JUST KIND OF STARTING OUT.
THERE'S NO PUMPS INVOLVED WITH THAT AND YOU TURN IT ON, CAUSE IT'S GOING DOWN HILL FOR HALF A MILE.
UH, IT'S LIKE A GARDEN HOSE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
UH, WE, WE WERE GOING TO GET FANCY AND WE HAD IRRIGATION LINES.
THEY WERE ORIGINALLY HAD OUT THERE CONNECTING TO EACH OF THESE PLANTS.
AND THE IDEA WAS, IS IT TURNED ON THE WATER UP HERE.
AND THEN THE IRRIGATION WOULD COME ON AT TWO IN THE MORNING FOR 30 MINUTES, WE HAVE A LITTLE TIMER IN THE BOX AND ALL, ALL MADE SENSE ON PAPER UNTIL WE DISCOVERED THAT COYOTES OUT THERE LOVED PLAYING WITH OUR IRRIGATION LINES AND THEY WERE PULLING THEM UP AND PLAYING TUG OF WAR WITH THEM.
AND IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS JUST REPAIRING THOSE THINGS ALL THE TIME.
WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAND WATER THIS STUFF.
SO, SO WE, WE ENDED UP DOING A LOT OF WATERING, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO CHECK ON THE TREES AND THE CONDITIONS AND DO A LOT OF TREE CARE.
SO, UH, WE DO OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN BERMS AND SWALES AS WELL.
AND SO THIS WAS A SITE ON VARIA THAT WE DID NOT TOO LONG AGO.
UM, THE IDEA HERE IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SLOPE HERE.
AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAD A ROSEN OF TOP FALLING CLEAR CUTTING AND FIRE ON THIS PROPERTY YEARS AGO.
UH, IT'S A WEST FACING SLOPES ARE ALWAYS LOOKING ASPECT.
WEST FACING SLOPES ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE OF THE HEAT AND THE SUN WEST FACING, UH, WE PUT ROCKS ON CONTOUR ABOUT THREE FEET WIDE AND ONE ROCK HIGH.
THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED ONE ROCK BERM.
AS IT COMES DOWN OFF OF THIS HILL, WE SHEET MOLTS THE AREA AND SHEET MULCHING WAS JUST PUTTING BAGS OF LEAVES OR WHAT NEW ORGANIC MATTER WE CAN FIND COMPOST AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO KIND OF GET THE COVER THE GROUND A LITTLE BIT.
THE BIG SIN REALLY IS BARE GROUND.
YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYTHING BARE.
UH, THEN WE'D PLANT LAGOON, TOUGH PLANTS ON THE GUMS AND SUMAC TYPE PLANTINGS.
AND THEN WE HEAVILY SEEDED THE AREA WITH GRASS FORBES, WOODY PLANTS TO HELP STABILIZE THAT SOIL SO THAT ONE'S COMING ALONG
[00:45:01]
NICELY.THIS WAS AN AREA WE CALL JOE'S GROVE.
NOW, UH, JOE WAS A VOLUNTEER OF OURS WHO PASSED AWAY NOT LONG AGO AND THIS AREA BELIEVE IT OR NOT BACK IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES USED TO BE A FOREST.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO RECAPTURE THAT.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER PROJECT WHERE WE'RE USING ROCK, YOU KNOW, BERMS, UH, TO CAPTURE AND SLOW WATER.
IT'S JUST FULL OF GRASS AND FORBES NOW, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT.
AND, UH, AND IF ANYTHING, REALLY, TO CAPTURE AND SLOW WATER AND GET IT IN THE GROUND.
SO WE DIDN'T INVENT THIS, OF COURSE IT'S TERRACES AND BIOSWELLS ARE ANCIENT AND GLOBAL METS.
IT'S USED TO PROMOTE REFORESTATION.
UH, THE LOWEST PLATEAU IN CHINA, UH, IS THEIR RESTORATION PROJECT WAS THE SIZE OF BELGIUM.
AND IT WAS THE CRADLE OF CHINESE CIVILIZATION.
AND OVER THE THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THEY, THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE IT.
LIKE IT IS ON THE LEFT THERE, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY TERRORIST IT.
UH, AND, UH, AND THEN JUST A FEW YEARS LATER BECAUSE OF THE TERRORISTS AND STUFF, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THINGS GROWING AGAIN AND INDIA, THEY HAVE, WHAT'S CALLED A PAWNEE WATER CUP, AND IT'S A REAL INTERESTING THING.
UH, NORTHEAST, UH, INDIA, UM, NORTHWEST INDIA, IT'S REAL DRY THERE.
AND, UH, FARMERS ARE, COULDN'T BE ABLE TO FARM AND STUFF.
SO THEY CAME UP WITH THIS COMPETITION BETWEEN VILLAGES AND YOU GOT 45 DAYS TO DESIGN SOMETHING TO CAPTURE AND INFILTRATE WATER.
AND THE ONE IN THE VILLAGE THAT COLLECTS THE MOST WATER GETS THE WATER CUP.
AND, UH, SO THEY, THEY'VE GOT THIS BIG COMPETITION EVERY YEAR DOING THIS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THEIR PROJECTS HERE CAPTURING WATER AND KIND OF GREENING UP THE LANDSCAPE TO BE INTERESTING TO DO THAT HERE, IF WE COULD TAKE GEORGETOWN ON OR SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
AND, UH, AND IN AFRICA DOING THE SAME THING WITH BERMS AND SWALES ON, ON, UH, HILLSIDES.
SO THE WAY IN WHICH WE BUILD SOIL BIOLOGY, THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING IS PROTECTING EXISTING WOODLANDS AND FORESTS BECAUSE ONCE YOU TAKE IT DOWN, IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET IT BACK.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE CAPTURING, SPREADING AND SINKING WATER, UH, RAMIEL WOOD, UH, AND FUNGUS, ONE OF THE PLANTS THAT I USE OUT THERE, UH, A PLANT THAT MOST, UH, LAND MANAGERS DON'T LIKE MUCH, WHICH IS, UH, IS NEGLECTED, WHICH IS ROOSEVELT WEED.
IT CAN BE AGGRESSIVE, UH, BUT WE HAVE PATCHES OF THAT OUT THERE.
THEN I PLANT AND THE PLANT OUT TREES IN AND THE BACKER IS PROVIDE SHADE ALL SUMMER LONG FOR THESE OAK TREES AND THEN IN THE FALL AND WENT, OH, AND THEN IN THE FALL, A MONARCH BUTTERFLIES LOVE THE FLOWERS, BACKERS, THEY'RE ALL OVER IT.
AND THEN AFTER THE MONARCHS ARE DONE WITH IT, I'LL GO IN THERE AND COMPENSATE OR CUT IT DOWN AND THEN USE IT FOR MALT.
SOMETIMES THROW SOME COMPOST ON TOP OF IT.
AND IT RE SPROUTS THE NEXT YEAR IN TIME FOR, TO PROTECT THE OAKS THAT WE HAVE PLANTED IN THERE.
SO WE'RE USING THAT TREE TO HELP US.
AND IT ALSO GETS A NICE FUNGAL COMMUNITY THERE BECAUSE IT'S ALSO IN WITH SOME HAND DUG BERMS AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE FUNGUS GROWING ON THE BACKREST THAT WE CUT.
UM, SHOOT MILITARY AND COMPOSTING.
WE HAVE HIGH DIVERSITY AS, AS YOUR SYSTEMS IMPROVE, WE START PICKING UP MORE WILDLIFE, ANYTHING FROM INSECTS TO MAMMALS, TO AMPHIBIANS AND SO FORTH.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT WILDLIFE PLAYS A REAL IMPORTANT ROLE IN SPREADING NITROGEN THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOT OF CARBON AND THE, UH, UH, AND THE PLANT MATTER, AND YOU HAVE TO BREAK THAT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT COMPOSTING, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO PUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NITROGEN IN THERE, BREAK YOUR COMPOST DOWN, WHAT ANIMALS SUPPLY THAT.
AND, UH, SO AS THE ANIMAL DIVERSITY INCREASES, SO DOES THE ABILITY TO BREAK THINGS DOWN.
WE PLANT A LOT, I'LL BE PROTECT YOUNG VEGETATION.
THAT'S THE CARDINAL RULE IS IF IT'S EXPOSED, YOU'VE GOT TO COVER IT WITH SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, WELL SOMETIMES DISTURB AREAS LIKE THE BERM AND SWALE TYPE THING INITIALLY, UH, JUST TO BREAK THAT HARD CONCRETE STUFF, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET THINGS TO GROW THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE WERE REAL CAREFUL ABOUT COMPACTION ISSUES, AND THEN WE PROTECT SOIL FROM EROSION.
SO THE CARBON SPONGE IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE SOILS THAT, THAT WHEN IT RAINS, WATER HITS THOSE SOILS AND GOES IN AND SORT OF RUNNING OFF THE HILLSIDES AND THE USDA CAME OUT WITH A STUDY THAT STATES THAT FOR EVERY 1% OF ORGANIC MATTER, THAT YOUR ADD TO THE TOP SIX INCHES OF SOIL ON AN ACRE CAN COLLECT AS MUCH OR HOLD AS MUCH AS 27,000 GALLONS OF ADDITIONAL WATER STORAGE.
NOW THERE'S BEEN SOME ARGUMENT ABOUT THAT SOMETIME.
AH, THEY GOT THEIR MATH WRONG.
I DON'T CARE IF IT'S 10, IT'S BETTER THAN WHAT WE GOT.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO THE IDEA IS JUST TO GET A LOT OF ORGANIC MATTER
[00:50:01]
IN THERE.AND WHAT HAPPENS IN A SYSTEM LIKE THIS IS THE ORGANIC MATTER, BEGINS BREAKING DOWN, FEEDING MICROORGANISMS AND MICROORGANISMS, SPYING, THE LITTLE, UH, PARTICLE THE SOIL PARTICLES TOGETHER.
GLOBULIN IS THE GLUE THAT THEY USE.
AND THAT WAY WATER CAN GET IN THERE BECAUSE HEALTHY SOIL IS 60% AIR.
SO IF YOU HAVE 60% AIR, YOU GOT MORE NUTRIENTS, MORE WATER, THEY CAN GET INTO THAT.
AS OPPOSED TO THAT COLLEGIUM THAT I WAS SHOWING YOU BEFORE, THAT JUST RUNS OFF.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS OF DEALING WITH FLOODING AND FLOOD MITIGATION IN OUR FOREST IS MAKING SURE THAT THESE SOILS ARE HEALTHY.
SO, UM, SO A CARBON SPONGE IS GOING TO CAPTURE MORE RAINWATER.
IT'S LESS VULNERABLE TO EROSION AND STORES AND NUTRIENTS FOR US.
ONE OF THE FUN PROJECTS WE DO IS, UH, WITH INVASIVE SPECIES LOGS, JUST ESPECIALLY LIKE GASTRONOME, AS I'LL GO OUT AND COLLECT LUSTRUM OFF OF OUR PRESERVE, BRINGING IT BACK TO THE AREA WHERE WE COLLECTED TURKEY, TAIL TURKEY, TAIL AS THE MUSHROOM THERE ON THE LEFT.
UM, AND, UH, IT'S SACRIFICIAL, WHICH MEANS IT BREAKS DOWN, UH, DEAD MATERIAL.
UH, AND THIS TURKEY TAIL, WE COLLECTED OFF A VERIO, UH, WE SEND IT TO A GUY WHO NOW LIVES IN BOULDER.
HE USED TO LIVE IN AUSTIN AND HE CULTURES IT OUT FOR US AND THEN SELLS IT BACK TO US IN A BLOCK.
BUT IT'S ONLY LIKE 20 BUCKS, SO IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT IT'S HYPER-LOCAL AND IT WAS COLLECTED ON SITE AT OUT.
AND WE INOCULATE THESE LOGS AND I'LL SHOW YOU THIS IN A SECOND, UH, WITH TURKEY TAIL.
AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, 24 MONTHS LATER, IT BECOMES MULCH.
SO THAT LOG THERE ON THE RIGHT IS ONE THAT HAD BEEN INOCULATED.
NOW YOU CAN JUST PICK IT UP AND BREAK IT UP AND IT BECOMES MULCH.
THEY'RE ALSO REAL SPONGY LIGHT BECAUSE THEY CAN HOLD THE MOISTURE IN THESE THINGS AFTER A RAIN.
SO, UM, IT'S A FUN PROJECT TO DO WITH VOLUNTEERS AND TURKEY TAILS ARE ALL MEDICINAL, UH, IT'S ANTITUMOR ANTIFUNGAL, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND YOU CAN BUY SOME, THE WHOLE FOODS OR WEEKS AGO OR SOMETHING.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS THIS THE OTHER DAY, UH, AUSTIN CCC WITHOUT, UH, ON A TRAINING AT BARRIO.
AND THERE ARE NAKIA LIGHTING LOGS THERE.
AND THE INOCULATION IS BASICALLY YOU GET A DRILL AND DRILL INTO THE LOG, YOU'D GET THE MYCELIUM AND YOU STUFF IT IN THERE, AND THEN PUT A LITTLE LAX ON TOP AND IT'S A KNOCK RELATED.
UH, SO WHEN WE'RE, ONCE WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TREE COVER AND STUFF, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT LAYERS.
WE LOOK AT DIVERSITY IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT'S COMPOSITIONAL, STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL COMPOSITIONAL JUST MEANS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SPECIES YOU HAVE STRUCTURAL IS HAVING THINGS LIKE CANOPY, LOW TREE SHRUB, HERBACIOUS LEVEL, GROUND COVER, VERTICAL LAYER, AND A FUNGAL LAYER, STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY AND FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY IS WHERE YOU HAVE PARTICULAR PLANTS THAT ARE DOING PARTICULAR FUNCTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, POLLINATORS YOU WANT TO PLANT IN THIS SYSTEM, UH, TREES AND TRUCKS THAT ARE GOOD HOST PLANTS FOR, UH, FOR, UH, FOR, UH, BUTTERFLIES AND LOSS.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, UM, WAFER ASH IS ONE OF THE ONES WE USE IN FOREST CANOPIES OR IN FOREST SITUATIONS BECAUSE IT'S A HOST PLANT FOR TIGER SWALLOWTAILS AND GIANT SWALLOWTAIL.
SO IF YOU WANT GIANT SWALLOWTAILS AND TIGER SWALLOW TAILS IN YOUR SYSTEM, THAT'S A TREE TO PUT IN THERE.
SO A LOT OF FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY THERE, SOME OF THEM ARE COLLECTING NITROGEN AND PUTTING THEM INTO THE SOIL ONCE THEY, THEY DIE OFF, UH, THERE'S A, IT'S A WHOLE EDUCATION AND A WHOLE DIFFERENT PRESSURE, UH, UH, PRESENTATION ON FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY OF DIFFERENT PLACEMENT AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES THAT THESE, UH, THE SPECULATION DOES IN THERE.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS REAL INTERESTING AT UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE STUDY FOUND THAT IT TOOK BETWEEN 5,000 AND 9,000 INSECTS TO RAISE ONE BROOD OF CHICKADEES.
SO YOU START THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND SO DO WE HAVE A SYSTEM OR A HABITAT THAT CAN SUPPORT VERY MANY BIRDS IN THAT SYSTEM? IF THEY EACH NEED NINE UP TO 9,000, YOU KNOW, CATERPILLARS AND INSECTS TO GET ONE BREWED OUT THE LAST IS CHICKADEES.
WHAT ABOUT CARDINALS AND TITMICE AND GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS.
UH, SO YOU NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IT'S DIVERSE AND ABUNDANT IF YOU WANT BIRDS IN THERE.
SO THIS GUY HERE, UM, THIS IS MELLOW YELLOW.
I BANDAGED HIM AND APRIL AND HE WAS DIFFICULT TO CATCH.
HE DIDN'T SEEM TO RESPOND TO MY TAPES.
THAT'S WHY I CALLED THEM MELLOW YELLOW.
AND, UH, HE WAS SUCCESSFUL OUT THERE AT DARIO.
HE WAS SEEN TWO WEEKS AGO WITH THREE, VERY MATURE FLEDGLINGS.
UH, HE DOESN'T HAVE FLEDGLINGS.
AND IN THIS PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE HE'S DOING A COMPLETE MOLT HE'S MOLTING BEFORE HE MAKES THIS TRIP.
HE'LL BE LEAVING SHORTLY FOR CENTRAL AMERICA.
HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR, BUT WE GOTTA HAVE A LOT OF INSECTS FOR THEM.
[00:55:01]
SO WE DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.WE WORK A LOT WITH, UH, AUSTIN CCC.
UH, LISA, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT HERE IN A MINUTE ABOUT OUR NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY MICRORISAL PROJECT.
UM, WE WORK WITH TREE FOLKS, OUR BIG PLANTING THING COMING UP WITH THEM IN THE FALL.
UH, WE WORK WITH MASTER NATURALIST CHAPTERS, BOY SCOUT EAGLE PROJECTS.
UH, WE JUST HAD A CONTACT WITH DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE WHO NOW HAVE SOMEBODY IN THEIR OFFICE IN AUSTIN AGAIN.
AND, UH, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN US COMING DOWN TO VISIT.
CAUSE THEY'RE DOING SOME SIMILAR STUFF ON AN EXPERIMENTAL PLOT THAT THEY'D HAVE ON, ON CAPTURING WATER AND GETTING WATER INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT FIELD TRIP.
SO, BUT HABITAT RESTORATION TAKES A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS.
IT'S EXPENSIVE TO HIRE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND HELP US.
SO WE DEPEND A LOT ON, ON VOLUNTEERS AND I'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL WITH A VOLUNTEER BASE.
SO THE GOAL OF OUR RESTORATION WORKS IS TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND BUILD A COMMUNITY OF TRAINED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US ENHANCE AND RESTORE FUNCTIONAL ECOSYSTEMS FROM THE GROUND UP AND HERE.
THEY'RE KIND OF DEALING WITH SOME, SOME MUSHROOM STUFF HERE.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TODAY.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT THERE'S A TON OF THINGS YOU GO THROUGH ON THIS, AND I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO COME OUT AND SEE THIS STUFF SOMETIMES, MAYBE AFTER IT RAINS OR SOMETHING.
UH IT'S UH, IT'S REALLY KIND OF COOL TO SEE MISSIONARY.
I'D LOVE TO COME SEE IT SOMETIME IN THE FALL.
ARE YOU DOING THESE KINDS OF, UM, SWALE, UH, AND WATER RETENTION PROJECTS ON, ON VERY MANY PARCELS OF LAND OR IS IT REALLY RIGHT NOW? IT'S ON TOO.
IT'S A VERY PRESERVE AND A DOUBLE J AND T UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND IT ON, UH, OTHER OTHER AREAS, BUT, UH, JUST RESOURCES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, WELL, IT LOOKS PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL.
IT WAS GOOD TO, GOOD TO GET THAT UPDATE AND GOOD TO SEE YOU.
[4. Potential ESA Listings in the BCCP Permit Area – BCP Staff]
POTENTIAL ESA LISTINGS IN THE BCCP PERMIT AREA, AND THIS IS OUR STAFF AND IT'S MS. LISA O'DONNELL.UM, I AM LISA O'DONALD SENIOR BIOLOGIST, UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PORTION OF THE BELK COUNTIES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE BRAC, THE TWIST FLOWER, AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
SO THIS SPECIES HAS BEEN, UM, A CANDIDATE FOR LISTING IS THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SINCE 2011.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, 2021, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PUBLISHED A PROPOSED RULE TO LIST THE PRACTICE TWIST FLOWER IS THREATENED WITH CRITICAL HABITAT AND THE PROPOSED CRITICAL HABITAT INCLUDES FOUR SITES ON THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
ALL OF THOSE ARE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN TRACKS.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE, UM, TOOK A PRETTY CLOSE LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL AND SUBMITTED COMMENTS TO THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN JANUARY OF THIS LAST YEAR.
AND JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF OUR COMMENTS.
UH, WE AGREED WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE THAT MOST OF THE THREATS IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED RULE, UH, ARE WELL-SUPPORTED.
SO THESE INCLUDE URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RECREATION ACTIVITIES, BROWSE FROM OVERPOPULATION OF WHITE TAIL DEER AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE ALSO CONCUR THAT ALL GROWTH ASKED JUNIPER AND WOODLANDS AND STRUGGLINGS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE CONSERVATION OF THE BRAXTON TWIST FLOWER, UM, WHERE WE DISAGREED.
UM, THE PROPOSED ALSO, UH, IDENTIFIES AS JUNIPER, ENCROACHMENT AND COMPETITION AS THREATS.
SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMEWHAT CONTRADICTORY.
AND ALSO WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS WELL-SUPPORTED.
UH, WE ALSO DISAGREED WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMOVE JUNIPER TREES AND PROMOTE, UH, PRESCRIBED BURNS AND CRITICAL HABITAT.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE BELIEVE THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO PRACTICE WITH FLOWERS, UH, THEY ALSO COULD CONFLICT WITH HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF OTHER ENDANGERED AND RARE SPECIES THAT DEPEND ON AST JUNIPER, OAK, UH, ECOSYSTEMS. SO WE FOCUS MOST OF OUR COMMENTS ON WHY WE BELIEVE THESE CLAIMS ARE NOT SUPPORTED AND WHERE OUR PERSPECTIVES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES DIFFER.
WE RECOMMENDED CONTINUED COLLABORATION WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND OTHER PARTNERS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH.
AND THROUGH THAT, UM, PROMOTING A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF CONSERVATION MEASURES NEEDED TO PROTECT BACK THE TWIST FLOWER POPULATIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO REITERATED OUR COMMITMENT, UM, TO PROTECT THIS VERY RARE PLANTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE FROM SINCE JANUARY SEVEN TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH REGARD TO THE RULE MAKING? NO, THEY HAVE A YEAR FROM THE DATE OF THE PROPOSAL TO PUBLISH A
[01:00:01]
FINAL RULE.I KNOW THAT FISH AND WILDLIFE IS WORKING ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF MS. WILLIAMS, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THAT, BUT YEAH.
AND THAT'S, THEY ALWAYS HAVE THEM TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S USUALLY A MINIMUM OF A YEAR FROM THAT DATE.
SO I WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING BEFORE NOVEMBER OF THIS.
BUT WHEN YOU DO GET ANY KIND OF A RULING OR OUR FINAL STATUS, BUT BE SURE TO LET US KNOW.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A BRACKET TWIST FLOWER IN THE WILD.
HE SHOULD COME OUT WITH THIS SYSTEM.
SO THEY BLOOM IN APRIL AND MAY AND JOHNNY SCULLY'S, UH, IS OUR BIOLOGIST WHO, UM, IS LEAD FOR THIS PLANT AND COORDINATES ALL THE SURVEYS.
SO YEAH, THEY'RE AT MOUNT BONNELL AND BARTON CREEK AND THE ALRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK, LIKE ALL THOSE.
WELL, IF I HAVE SEEN IT, I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT.
THAT PURPLE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
THE PLANTS THEMSELVES ARE UNIQUE.
THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT, MR. SHEA, ANYTHING YOU'RE WELCOME WHEN WE DO HAVE A SECOND PART OF THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ANOTHER SALAMANDER SPECIES BEING CONSIDERED.
SO WE'VE GOT BLAKE HERE TODAY FROM THE COUNTY.
HI, I'M BLAKE SISSEL FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, BCB.
AND THERE IS A PROPOSAL OR THERE'S A PETITION TO LIST THE PERITONITIS RIVERSAND MATTER.
Y'ALL MAY HAVE HEARD OF IT IN THE NEWS RECENTLY AS IT BEING A NEWLY DISCOVERED PSALM.
AND THAT'S, THEY GOT THAT A LITTLE BIT WRONG.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON YOUR CSR MANAGERS FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE IT'S BEEN DISCOVERED SINCE, BEFORE I STARTED WORKING ON IT.
BUT, UM, UH, DEBIT AT ALL CAME OUT AND DID A GENETIC STUDY ON ALL THE 14 USE OF CENTRAL TEXAS, YOUR SEI AND DEFINITIVELY CLAIMED IT WAS HIS OWN SPECIES.
AND THEN THE MERE ALL DEVELOPMENTS COMING IN, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE SOME OF THE PETITION IS COMING FROM.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT THE SPECIES.
UH, ONE OCCURS ON BCP ON THE MARTIN TRACT, UM, TWO OCCUR AT, UH, RHYMERS RANCH PARK AND THEN SOME OCCURRED IN THAT DOWNSTREAM AREA OF THEIR MARISOL DEVELOPMENT OR ON MARISOL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT, CAUSE THEY'RE PRETTY RARE AND PRETTY HARD TO FIND, BUT WE ASSUME THAT THEY'RE JUST LIKE MOST OF THE OTHER SISTERS VCS THAT ARE WELL-STUDIED LIKE THEIR CLOSEST RELATIVES ARE BARTON SPRINGS, SALAMANDER AND, UM, SAN MARCUS SALAMANDER.
UM, BUT I WAS GONNA JUST LEAVE IT AT MOSTLY UP THE QUESTIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL WANTED TO KNOW WHAT Y'ALL WANT IT DOWN, COMMISSIONER, I CAN TALK TO SARAH ABOUT SALAMANDERS ALL DAY.
UH, IS THE SITE JUST DOWNSTREAM FROM YOUR SOUL WHERE LOU ADAMS, UM, A COVE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, UM, SORT OF HIDDEN.
UH, YES, THEY HAVE BEEN, THERE IS A SITE DOWNSTREAM ON WHERE ADAMS, UM, WE HAVE DONE SOME STUDIES WITH JIBRIL PLATEAU, SALAMANDERS THAT SHOW THAT THIS, THESE TYPES OF SPECIES ARE USED MUCH MORE OF THE CREEK THAN JUST THESE SPRING SITES.
UM, THAT'S STILL NOT, WE PUBLISHED IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I AM NOT SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT YET.
SO THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST THESE EXACT SPRING SITES.
UM, AND I MISSED THE, THE, THE, UH, THE ACTION.
SO THIS WAS REGISTERED AS THREATENED OR NO, IT WASN'T, IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S JUST A PER UH, UM, SPECIES OF INTEREST OR WHAT, UH, WELL, NO, IT'S NOTHING NOW.
NOW THERE HAS BEEN A PETITION FOR LISTING.
SO SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE, HEADED TO THAT PETITION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM IT ON IT.
AND WHEN WAS THE PETITION SUBMITTED? YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS ONLY LIKE 2021 AND IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.
UM, SO LAST YEAR I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN RECENTLY THIS YEAR, UH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK IT WAS MAYBE TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR.
OH, ONE THING I FAILED TO MENTION IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT COME UP IN THERE AND THE SERVICES, UM, DECISION TO LIST IT OR NOT.
IS THIS VCS HASN'T BEEN OFFICIALLY DESCRIBED? THAT'S PART OF WHY.
UM, THE NEWS KINDA SAID IT WAS A NEW SPECIES, A NEWLY DISCOVERED SPECIES, BUT, UM, WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS, THE FIRST
[01:05:01]
VOUCHER SPECIMENS FROM 1989, I BELIEVE, BUT, UM, RESEARCHERS FROM UT AUSTIN AND UT ARLINGTON ARE WORKING ON DESCRIBING IT AND THEY SAID THIS SHOULD BE DESCRIBED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.SO WE'LL SEE HOW OVERLAPS WITH THE POTENTIAL LISTING.
WELL, I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN, IN BEING UPDATED ON THE STATUS ON THIS.
SO, UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE SORT OF ROUGH TIMEFRAME IS ONCE SOMETHING'S BEEN SUBMITTED IN THE FORM OF A PETITION FOR LISTING? UM, SO ON PETITIONS, WE, THE STATUTORY TIMELINE IS, IS IF WE ACCEPT THE PETITION AS COMPLETE THAT WE DO A 90 DAY FINDING, UM, I'M A BIT SURPRISED IF IT WAS EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT WE KNOCKED DONE A 90 DAY FIVE.
I MEAN, I WASN'T INVOLVED WITH THE PETITION.
AND SO THE ISSUE MAY BE THOUGH, SO THE SERVICE DOESN'T LIST NON DESCRIBED SPACES.
SO THAT MAY BE SO, YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY THE THING, BUT I'M SURE, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
IT'LL GET RESUBMITTED THE PETITION AFTER IT'S DESCRIBED.
UM, IF THE INFORMATION CHANGES FROM WHAT WAS IN THE PETITION, WE WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WAS IN THERE WAS INADEQUATE, SO THEY COULD JUMP THE GUN AND JUST GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT A REVISED PETITION MAYBE TO REESE, BUT IT WOULD RESTART THE CLOCK.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW WE'RE DOING AN SSA SPC STATUS ASSESSMENT ON SEVERAL OTHER SALAMANDERS THAT GO KIND OF SOUTH FROM HERE AND AROUND TOWARDS THE HILL COUNTRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I'M, I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THAT'S NOT MAYBE NOW INCLUDED IN IT IF WE WERE, YEAH.
IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I'M AT SEVEN OR ALREADY HAVE SOME SORT OF A FEDERAL PROTECTION, UH, WHETHER IT'S THREATENED OR ENDANGERED.
AND SO THAT WILL LEAVE LIKE PRETTY MUCH THE OTHER SEVEN THAT RIGHT.
AND I KNOW CASCADE CAVERNS SALAMANDER WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WERE ALSO REVIEWING.
WE WOULD JUST LOOK AT ALL THE UNIVERSITY AT ONE TIME.
I KNOW IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S SEVERAL, AT LEAST THREE
AND SO THAT MAY ALSO BE THE, I MEAN, WE CAN'T DELAY ON A PETITION.
IT HAS A 90 DAY PETITION FINDING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO, BUT MY GUESS IS IF THE SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT WASN'T DONE, THEN WE WOULD MAYBE SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WARRANTED, BUT WE NEED TO DO THE STATUS ASSESSMENT FOR US TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SPECIES AND THE DISTRIBUTION.
AND MAYBE EVEN MORE GENETIC WORK CONTINUES TO GET DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN THE DISTRIBUTION PART, WE HAVE A ESTABLISHED, ESTABLISHED METHODOLOGY YOU USE FOR DISTRIBUTION, UH, FRIGHTENING DISTRIBUTIONS, BUT A LOT OF THESE AREAS MIGHT BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHICH MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.
UH, BUT IT'S RANGE AS THE LOWER PART ANALYSIS.
MOST OF ITS SITES ARE RIGHT IN THE LOWER PART ANALYSIS, RIGHT.
AT LIKE HAMMONS CROSSING, UM, RIGHT AT HAMILTON POOL AREA.
BUT THERE'S ONE SITE THAT'S KNOWN THAT'S ALL THE WAY NEAR JOHNSON CITY.
SO, SO IF I UNDERSTAND IT, RIGHT, THE PETITION WAS SUBMITTED IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
SO YOU SAID LONDON, UM, SO THE 90 DAY CLOCK WOULD HAVE STARTED OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN, I PRESUME SOME KIND OF RESPONSE ABOUT A LACK OF SPECIFICITY OR WHATEVER THE TERMINOLOGY WAS FOR THE DEFINITION OF THE SPECIES, RIGHT? IT, IT MAY, I'M NOT SURE IF WE DID RESPOND.
UM, I I'M GUESSING WE DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER, BUT PERHAPS WE JUST RESPONDED TO THE PETITIONERS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT'S, IF IT'S NOT A DESCRIBED SPECIES, THAT'S WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
I'D LIKE TO REQUEST IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THIS, TO JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE, MAYBE THROUGH A KIMBERLY ABOUT WHERE THIS STANDS.
AND PART OF THE REASON IS THAT IT'S, UM, I BELIEVE RELATED, UH, OR WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE THAT IS, UM, UH, AT LEAST MOVING TOWARD OR THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
I'M LESS CLEAR ON EXACTLY WHERE THE MIRROR SAW, UH, PROPOSED PROJECT STANDS, MIRROR SOULS MOVING FAST.
WELL, I'M GUESSING THEY'RE TRYING TO BEAT THE CLOCK ON THE, ANY KIND OF LISTING.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAS SO FEW, UH, TOOLS FOR ANY KIND OF LAND USE, UM, UH, PERMITTING OR REGULATION, I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT THE, THAT THE, UH, THE SERVICE, UM, AT LEAST GIVE US A STATUS UPDATE ON WHERE THIS STANDS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT'LL HAVE AN IMPACT ON, ON US IF THE COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, BUT OF COURSE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MIGHT SLOW THE ALL PROCESS A LITTLE BIT IS, UM, THERE ARE, UM, THE TEXAS BAT MARKET, WHICH IS A MUSCLE SPECIES THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED PROPOSED, UM, IF THAT WERE TO GET LISTED, UM,
[01:10:01]
WHICH KIND OF SEEMS LIKE A LIKELY, UM, THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME EFFECTS CALLED AGAIN, THE TEXAS ONE FAT BUCKET, LIKE A MUSCLE, NO, THE MUSCLE SPECIES NAMES OR THE MUSCLE CC'S NAMES ARE CRAZY.AS HE SAID, WE COULD ASK FOR AN UPDATE ON THAT WELL OR FAT BUCKET.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED HIM TO SAY IT AGAIN.
I WASN'T SURE WAS THE DECISION ON MATT FROM 12 MONTHS WOULD PUT US AT THIS MONTH.
I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THEY WERE PROPOSED.
SOME IS ENDANGERED, AND THERE WERE FIVE OF THEM OR MAYBE SIX, BUT NOW ONE BECAME ANOTHER SPECIES OR ISN'T A SPECIES ANYMORE OR SOMETHING IN THE PROCESS WE FOUND OUT.
AND SO, UM, THE ONE YEAR TIMEFRAME WOULD BE AUGUST, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT HAS BEEN DELAYED BASED ON ONE, THE GENETICS WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE.
AND THEN ALSO, I THINK BASED ON COMMENTS RECEIVED SOME CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED CRITICAL HABITAT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT DECISION, I THINK WE EXPECT TO COME OUT BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SO IF YOU COULD ALSO INCLUDE THAT IN, IN AN UPDATE TO HELP US JUST UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE THINGS STAND, ANY, ANY FURTHER INFORMATION VOLUME WAS Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND IF I COULD ASK CHRISTINA, IF YOU COULD DO A MEMO UPDATE TO US, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE, AND I DON'T WANT TO WAIT THAT LONG INTO NEXT YEAR OR SO, BUT THEN WE MAY WANT TO GET A REPORT MAYBE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
MAYBE YOU COULD WALK US THROUGH WHAT THE STATUS IS, YOU KNOW, USING THE MEMO AS, AS THE BASIS AND ANY UPDATES THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT AT THAT POINT.
SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21ST THIS YEAR.
UM, I THINK WE'RE NOW TO THE BCP PARTNER REPORT
[5. BCP Partner Report Highlights – BCP Staff]
HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH IS ALSO OUR VCP STAFF.AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT 14 MINUTES LEFT, SO THEY, THEY WILL BE QUICK, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH.
IS THERE A DONAL? HELLO, AGAIN, I WILL, UH, DO A MORE ABBREVIATED VERSION, UH, AM MAINLY FOCUSED ON THIS ONE.
SO SIMILAR TO THE BRACK, THE TWIST FLOWER, JUST AN UPDATE ON THE GOLDEN TOOTH WARBLER.
AND I THOUGHT I WOULD START WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE LAWSUIT.
UM, THERE WAS AN APPEAL THAT WAS FILED THIS YEAR WITH THE TIME LIMIT.
I WON'T GO THROUGH THAT CHRONOLOGY, BUT, UM, YEAH, SO I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN APPEAL, SO IT IS MOVING STILL THROUGH THE COURTS.
AND I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY UPDATES SINCE THEN.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A STUDY THAT'S, UH, BEEN LED BY DR.
JIM MILLER WITH THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
SO HE HAS CONDUCTED ANOTHER OR LED ANOTHER RANGE WIDE ABUNDANCE STUDY FOR THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER.
IF YOU REMEMBER, A FEW YEARS AGO, TEXAS, A AND M RESEARCHERS, UH, CONDUCTED A SIMILAR STUDY.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE TWO STUDIES.
UM, BOTH OF THEM ACTUALLY PUBLISHED IN THE SAME JOURNAL, UH, THAT PREDICTED THE RANGE-WIDE ABUNDANCE OF THE GOLD CHIEF WARBLER AND THEIR FINDINGS ARE SIMILAR.
UH, YOU MAY ALSO REMEMBER THAT I COAUTHORED A PAPER COMPARING THE ABUNDANCE PREDICTED BY THESE TYPES OF STUDIES, WITH THE INTENSIVE MONITORING DATA THAT WE COLLECT ON THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE AND FOUND THAT THEY TEND TO OVERESTIMATE OUR OVERPREDICT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE LIVED DENSITIES OF BIRDS.
UM, AND SO THIS NEW STUDY IS NO DIFFERENT, BOTH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY PROVIDED COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT MANUSCRIPT BACK IN FEBRUARY, OUR COMMENTS FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE OVERESTIMATION ISSUE.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, TOLD DR.
MILLER THAT WE COULDN'T SUPPORT THE FINDINGS AS PRESENTED.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR COMMENTS WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED OR ADDRESSED IN THE PUBLICATION.
WHAT IS THE PUB? EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER.
WHAT IS THE PUBLICATION? I FIND IT ODD IF A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING SCIENTIFIC COMMENTS ON A PUBLISHED STUDY, WHAT IS THIS PUBLICATION? OH, WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE PUBLICATION OR THE JOURNAL? WELL, EITHER WHERE'S IT BEING CALLED? SO IT'S A JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND WHO PUBLISHES IT? UM, SO, UH, DR.
MILLER, SO IT'S A MILLER AT ALL.
I MEAN, WHO PUBLISHES THE JOURNAL OF, OH, WHOEVER SEES THAT, THAT I DON'T KNOW, LIKE WHO DECIDED NOT TO NOT TO INCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS OR INCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS? WELL, DR.
MILLER WOULD HAVE BEEN, I MEAN, WE GAVE OUR COMMENTS TO HIM, NOT TO THE JOURNAL.
WE DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME WHERE HE WAS PUBLISHING IT.
WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL, UH, MAY, WHEN IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT.
DO WE KNOW WHO FUNDED, WHO STOOD? I THINK THE U S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IS WHAT THE PUBLICATION SAYS.
SO I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO FISH AND WILDLIFE AND TO THE PUBLICATION AND ASK THEM TO PUBLISH IT AFTER THE FACT
[01:15:02]
WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO.SO THAT'S LIKE, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN MY NEXT TOPICS.
MILLER, UM, IS ALSO PART OF A TEAM AT FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT, UM, IS WORKING ON THE SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT FOR THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER.
UM, I WAS INVITED TO A MEETING ON JUNE 2ND.
THEY REFERRED TO IT AS AN EXPERT MEETING TO REVIEW SOME INFORMATION, UH, THAT HAD BEEN DRAFTED FOR THE SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT.
AND THEY JUST REFER TO IT AS AN SSA.
IT'S EASIER TO SAY I DID PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP COMMENTS ON THAT.
AND WITH THAT, I DID, UH, FORWARD THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAD PROVIDED TO DR.
SO FISH AND WILDLIFE DOES HAVE THOSE COMMENTS NOW.
UM, I ALSO UNDERSTAND FISH AND WILDLIFE IS NOT PLANNING ON HAVING ANOTHER MEETING LIKE THAT AND, UM, GETTING OUTSIDE EXPERTS TOGETHER.
UM, AND, BUT WE DID FIND, THEY DID TELL US WHAT THE SCHEDULE WAS.
SO THEY'RE PLANNING ON HAVING A DRAFT SSA BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UH, THEY'LL FINALIZE THAT IN 2023, THAT WILL THEN PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR AN UPDATED FIVE-YEAR STATUS REVIEW IN 2023.
AND THEN IN 2024 THEY'LL UPDATE, UM, OR THEY'LL REVISE THE RECOVERY PLAN AND THEN IN 2025 FINALIZE THAT RECOVERY PLAN.
UM, SO YEAH, WOULD THERE BE ANY UTILITY AND CHECKING WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PUBLICATION AND WHY THE COMMENTS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED PARTICULARLY FOR THE SCIENTISTS? SO THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THERE'S LIKE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SECTION IN THERE.
AND THEY SAY, BECAUSE THERE WERE, THERE WAS A BIOLOGIST WITH THE COUNTY AND THEN ME, AND THEN THEY NAMED BOTH OF US AND SAY THAT WE REVIEWED IT, BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T STATE THAT WE HAD ISSUES WITH IT.
AND THEN THEY ALSO, UM, SAID THAT THEY, UM, THEY LIST OUR PERMIT SO THAT, SO THEY HAD TO, UM, GET A BCP RESEARCH PERMIT FROM BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, UM, TO COLLECT THE DATA.
AND SO THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IN THE PAPER, BUT THEY DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE SOME COMPLIANCE ISSUES.
WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR.
SO THAT'S CONCERNED NOT TO MENTION THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT STAFF WOULD PUT IN TO THIS SUFFER.
UM, AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU JOINED THIS PANEL, MS. WILLIAMS? WELL, HERE'S ANOTHER ITEM COMING YOUR WAY.
WHAT WOULD IT MAKE SENSE FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER SOME KIND OF OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION TO EFFICIENT WILDLIFE TRANSMITTING YOUR, UH, SCIENTIFIC, UM, CONCERNS WITH THIS STUDY SO THAT IT BECOMES PART OF SOME KIND OF RECORD? I JUST, I THINK IF IT'S NOT ACKNOWLEDGED, UM, THERE, IT MIGHT BE OVERLOOKED.
AND I KNOW THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE PREVIOUS THAT'S CLEARLY BEING OVERLOOKED BECAUSE IT ISN'T IN THERE.
SO NOBODY KNOWS THAT YOU HAVE THAT, THAT THE WORK WAS DONE.
SO IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, I'D ASK THAT WE CONSIDER, UH, SOME KIND OF OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION THAT WE WOULD, UM, EITHER APPROVED BE SENT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, UH, OR BROUGHT TO THE NEXT MEETING, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE TIMING IS.
YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO ACT BEFORE OCTOBER, WHAT'S THE NEXT MEETING UNTIL OCTOBER 21ST? I CAN, I CAN DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
IF WE NEED TO SEND AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO ACT BEFORE OCTOBER 21ST, PLEASE DO THAT THROUGH KIMBERLY.
AND THEN I'LL JUST, I'M JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS OTHER SLIDE, BUT I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THIS IS A COOL STUDY THAT WE'RE JUST STARTING, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI.
UH, WE'VE GOT A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT.
TIM MENTIONED IT BRIEFLY IN HIS TALK WITH NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR, UH, FIRST, UM, MIKO BLITZ ON THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
AND I'M HOPING WE GET SOME REALLY COOL DATA AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND DO A DEEPER DIVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
WHY OR WHO CAME UP WITH THAT WOOD WIDE WEB? OH YEAH.
UM, SO YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE LONG NOTES, BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW ACTUALLY WHO COINED THE TERM, BUT THERE'S UM, UH, THAT'S WONDERFUL.
IT'S LIKE, I, I HATE TO, I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WANTED TO GET UP AND TALK, SO YEAH, IT'S THE SOCIAL NETWORK OF TREES AND FUNGI.
THE, SOME OF THE RECENT STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS ABOUT HOW TREES ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH THESE MECHANISMS. YEAH.
AND HOW SOME OF THE LARGE MOTS ARE REALLY JUST ONE TREE AND THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED WITH.
AND THAT THEY COMMUNICATE THAT SEXUALLY.
SO I HAD BORROWED, THIS IS, UH, DR.
SUZANNE SAMAR AND HE'S KIND OF PIONEERED A LOT OF THIS RESEARCH.
I BORROWED THAT ILLUSTRATION FROM HER A YOUTUBE VIDEO.
AND, BUT YES, THESE MICRORISAL NETWORKS ARE, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY EXTENSIONS OF THE, OF THE ROOT SYSTEM AND THEY SHUTTLE LIKE CARBON AND,
[01:20:01]
AND, UM, NUTRIENTS LIKE PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN, AND EVEN LIKE CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS.I CAN CHEMICAL SIGNALS BETWEEN NOT ONLY THE SAME SPECIES OF PLANTS, BUT DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PLANTS, WHICH YEAH.
IT'S SO SHE'S MAKING THE SCIENCE, UM, LIKE SHE'S DEFINITELY ADVANCING THE FIELD AS WELL, SCIENCE, BUT ALSO MAKING IT KIND OF COOL.
AND THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, UM, JULY 29TH.
SO VERY RECENT ARTICLE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE OF MICRORISAL FUNGI AND AMELIORATING, UH, MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE.
THEY SEQUESTER TONS OF CARBON.
SO THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THAT.
THEY ALSO HOLD WATER AND JIM TALKED ABOUT THE SOIL CARBON SPONGE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG PART OF YOUR SPONGE.
UM, SO YEAH, SO THE ARTICLE JUST CAME OUT IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT.
AND IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT, UM, INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE EXTEND OUR COLLABORATION, NOT JUST WITHIN THE BCP AND ALL OF OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF AND PARTNERS, BUT, BUT TO ACTUALLY START CONNECTING WITH THESE, UM, RESEARCHERS GLOBALLY, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A MICRORISAL NETWORK.
THE ARTICLE, IF YOU COULD SEND A LINK TO THAT ARTICLE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND DO WE NEED TO HEAR FROM, WE'VE GOT JUST A COUPLE QUICK OTHER ONES WE WILL WRAP UP.
LEAH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO JUST REFER TO OUR REPORT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
AND THERE WAS ONE THING THAT, UM, YOU HAD ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT AND THAT'S TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR VISITOR CENTER PLANS.
UM, IT'S, WE'RE IN THE FUN PART.
UH, WE JUST STARTED WORKING WITH A TEAM OF DESIGNERS.
WE HAVE, UH, ARCHITECTS, UH, JACKSON, MCELHANEY A STUDIO OUTSIDE AS THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM.
AND THEN DREW PATTERSON IS AN INTERPRETIVE EXHIBIT DESIGNER.
I HAD, UM, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN IN A SERIES OF VERY LONG MEETINGS WORKING ON THE DESIGN.
WE EXPECT TO BRING THE ORIGINAL CO THE CONCEPT PLANS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN, UH, EARLY DECEMBER.
AND THEN WE'LL EMBARK ON THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND MOVE ON TO CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THROUGH PERMITTING.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE AWARE, BUT IT WAS THE OLD SAS, UH, CORPORATE CAMPUS OFF OF, IS IT WILSON PARK BOULEVARD AND SIX 20.
AND THEY HAD, UM, I MEAN, THIS IS JUST SUCH WONDERFUL KISMET.
THEY HAD, UM, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 95 ACRES, I THINK OF REALLY SOME FABULOUS HABITAT.
AND THEY'D WORKED DIRECTLY WITH OUR TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, HABITAT STAFF TO DESIGN THE HIKING TRAILS, UH, THROUGH THE HABITAT SO THAT THEY PROTECTED THE SPECIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO HOW SENSITIVE THE HABITAT ITSELF IS.
SO WE'VE ACQUIRED THIS LAND WITH THESE 95 ACRES AND THE EXISTING TRAILS.
AND THE BUILDING ITSELF HAS A REALLY SPECTACULAR, UM, GLASS SIDE THAT LOOKS OUT OVER, UM, THIS EXPANSIVE LAND.
SO I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE, THE VISITOR CENTER TO BE READY AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT A PHENOMENAL TREASURE, UM, WE HAVE CREATED, UH, AS COMBINED SISTER GOVERNMENTS, UH, AND THE COMMUNITY TO PRESERVE, UM, THESE INCREDIBLE TREASURES.
WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING OUT THERE WHEN WE, UM, SMASHED THE CHAMPAGNE BY HIS SIDE.
I WANT YOU TO DO IT BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE.
I WANT TO BE SOONER THE BETTER.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE'RE OUR PLANS TO MOVE THE NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICES, UH, AT THE COUNTY TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE BUILDING ARE, UM, THE PLANS ARE DONE AND NOW WE'RE STARTING TO ORDER AND WE EXPECT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WITH SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY NOT BE TILL EARLY NEXT YEAR NOW, BUT, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING OVER THAT SECOND FLOOR.
ARE YOU GOING TO TALK TO US KIMBERLY,
[Additional Item]
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STUFF, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION ANNUAL CONFERENCE.IT'S GOING TO BE HERE IN AUSTIN? UH, YES, I CAN BRIEFLY MENTION IT.
UH, OCTOBER 25TH THROUGH 27TH, THE NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION ANNUAL MEETING IS COMING HERE.
TWO OF THOSE DAYS WILL BE IN YOUR TYPICAL CONFERENCE ROOM CENTER, BUT WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE IS THE MIDDLE DAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH.
THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE A CHOICE OF THREE DIFFERENT TOURS TO GO ON.
AND ONE OF THEM WILL HIGHLIGHT BCP ANOTHER ONE, HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE HCPS UP IN THE GEORGETOWN AREA AND IN SAN MARCOS, UH, UH, CITY AND COUNTY STAFF HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
[01:25:01]
WITH THIS GROUP FOR YEARS NOW.IT'S A GREAT GROUP IT'S GROWING.
UH, BOTH OF YOU HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING.
UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME STAFF THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.
WE'LL HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK TO SHARE THE BCP WITH THE GROUP WHEN THEY COME TO TOWN.
AND THEN EVERYBODY'S MEETING AT THE OASIS FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT OF THE TOURS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, OASIS ON THE LAKE IS ADJACENT TO SOME BCP PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE COUNTY.
SO WE'LL HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT BEAUTIFUL LONG VIEW OF THE PRESERVE AND TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE AND NEIGHBORS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A GREAT GROUP OF PASSIONATE, INTELLIGENT, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE THAT COME TOGETHER.
THIS'LL BE THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE IN PERSON IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME OUT TWO YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN PUSHED BACK AND PUSHED BACK, UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF COVID AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WE'RE EXCITED, WE'RE WORKING HARD.
AND AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON OCTOBER 21ST, HAVE A, A LONGER AGENDA ITEM TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE GROUP AND ABOUT OUR ROLE THINGS THAT THEY DO, BECAUSE THAT'LL BE RIGHT THE WEEK BEFORE THIS CONFERENCE.
SO IT'LL BE GREAT TO GET THAT REMINDER KIND OF THE DINNER IS THE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 AT THE OASIS.
PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR COMMISSIONER.
IS THE REGISTRATION OPEN YET FOR PEOPLE JUST OPENED ON FRIDAY AND HOW WOULD PEOPLE FIND IT? UH, THERE'S UH, A LINK OR YOU COULD DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION.
AND ON THAT WEBSITE, THEY HAVE THEIR 20, 22 ANNUAL MEETING AND THERE'S A LINK TO REGISTER.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, I WILL SAY SINCE WE RAN OUT OF TIME, WE DO HAVE SOME OUTREACH AND EDUCATION STAFF REPORTS THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY, BUT PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK AT THOSE IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
WE THROUGH COVID AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAVE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AND SOME REALLY COOL AND, AND FUN WAYS AND TO HAVE SOME PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S REALLY PRETTY PICTURES IN THOSE THOUGH THAT'S ENCOURAGING.
I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS OUT THERE, LITERALLY ON THE GROUND, HELPING WITH, UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO RECLINE, UM, TO RECLAIM THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I JUST CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE THE STAFF AND ALL THE PHENOMENAL WORK THAT YOU DO, UM, TO PROTECT THE SPECIES AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CREATE, UM, BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT WE ARE PRESERVING IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU ALL YOU GUYS DO SUCH WONDERFUL WORK ON OUR BEHALF.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR OUR MEETING AND WE WILL SEE YOU ALL BACK HERE, OCTOBER, UH, AT TRAVIS COUNTY ON OCTOBER 21ST FOR OUR SECOND AND FINAL MEETING FOR 2022.