* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:05]
          ALL RIGHT. 
          HI. 
          GOOD. 
          UM, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. 
          I AM LESLIE POOLE. 
          I'M ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF THE ALCON'S CANYONLANDS CONSERVATION PLAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE, AND I'M JOINED BY COMMISSIONER BRIDGET, WHO IS, UM, THE OTHER MEMBER OF THIS AUGUST BODY. 
          AND MY APOLOGIES. 
          I HAD A MEALS ON WHEELS, UH, ROUTE TO DELIVER THAT WASN'T SCHEDULED WITH QUITE ENOUGH TIME, . 
          AND SO I WILL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER AT 1:09 PM AND IT IS MAY 10TH, 2024. 
          2024. 
          AND WE'RE HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. 
          WELCOME, EVERYONE. 
          UM, I THINK OUR FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          NOBODY SIGNED UP. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          SO 
          [1. Approve Record of Decisions for October 27, 2023 Regular Meeting]
OUR FIRST ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, AND WE HAVE SEVEN ITEMS, IS TO APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISIONS FOR OCTOBER 27TH, 2023, AND MOVE APPROVAL. 
          HAVE, UM, A MOTION TO APPROVE, AND I WILL SECOND THAT. 
          ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO THE RECORD OF DECISION? MM-HMM. 
          , ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADOPTING THE RECORD FOR MM-HMM, . 
          OKAY. 
          THAT IS ADOPTED. 
          ITEM 
          [2. FY2023 BCCP Annual Report Submitted to USFWS and Posted Online – BCCP Officer]
NUMBER TWO, FISCAL YEAR 23 BCCP ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND POSTED ONLINE. 
          AND MS. HARVEY, OUR BCCP OFFICER. 
          THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          YES. 
          JUST TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT IS POSTED, IT WAS SUBMITTED ON TIME. 
          IT IS DEFINITELY A GROUP EFFORT. 
          ALL OF OUR BCP PARTNERS AND THE FOLKS WHO WERE DOING RESEARCH FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR ALL TURN IN THE REPORTS. 
          WE COMPILE THEM AND SUBMIT THEM SO THEY WERE SUBMITTED ON TIME. 
          AND YOU CAN FIND THE FULL REPORT ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY BCCP REPORTS WEBSITE. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          AND I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT OUR US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, OUR EX OFFICIO MEMBER, CHRISTINA WILLIAMS, IS ALSO WITH US HERE TODAY. 
          HI, CHRISTINA. 
          DID YOU GET WATER? THANK YOU. 
          YOU GOT YOUR WATER? VERY GOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE 
          [3. Updated City of Austin, Travis County BCCP Interlocal Cooperation Agreements Executed – BCCP Officer]
UPDATED CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, BCCP INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENTS THAT WERE EXECUTED. 
          AGAIN, MS. HARVEY, JUST ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT AS WELL, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WORKED ON FOR A LONG TIME AND AT OUR LAST MEETING WE, UH, ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS GETTING READY TO GO TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. 
          IT WAS APPROVED, IT'S BEEN EXECUTED AND IT TOO CAN BE FOUND ONLINE, UM, FOR THE MEETING POSTING, UH, WHERE THE MEETING POSTING MATERIAL IS FOR LAST MEETING SINCE THAT'S WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT. 
          BUT IT WILL ALSO BE UP ON THE BCCP REPORTS PAGE ON TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, VERY SOON AS WELL. 
          AND THAT REALLY JUST UPDATED THAT 1995 INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT STARTED THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE PERMIT. 
          SO WE UPDATED THAT TO USE, UH, INDUSTRY STANDARD LANGUAGE AND TO BETTER DESCRIBE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ROLES AS WE'VE BEEN DOING IT OVER THE LAST 26 YEARS. 
          SO THAT WAS A, A MAJOR FIRST STEP IN MOVING TOWARDS, UH, THAT, UH, APPLICATION FOR A PERMANENT RENEWAL AND FOR MODERNIZING AND CLARIFYING THE HCP WITH NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES. 
          SO THAT WAS THE BIG FIRST STEP AND WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS SINCE THEN. 
          AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT PROGRESS IN THE NEXT AGENDA ITEMS. THAT'S GREAT. 
          WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. 
          UM, POSITIONING, UM, BCCP AND THE STAFF AND THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ACCOMPLISH, UM, FOR A GOOD RUN INTO THE NEXT 15 YEARS OR LONGER. 
          YES. 
          WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THOSE 15 YEARS, WHICH IS 17 YEARS AWAY 'CAUSE WE'RE CLOSE TO TWO YEARS AWAY FROM INTO THE PERMIT. 
          NI ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS 
          [4. BCCP Mitigation Obligations Analysis – BCCP Officer]
BCCP MITIGATION OBLIGATIONS ANALYSIS. 
          MS. HARVEY, ME AGAIN. 
          SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE POWERPOINT UP AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE NEED TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, BUT AS I MENTIONED, A, A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THE ANALYSIS NEEDED TO APPLY FOR THAT 15 YEAR BCCP PERMIT EXTENSION. 
          AND UH, WHAT THAT ENTAILS IS EVALUATING WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND ON OUR PERMIT COMMITMENTS AND WORKING ON A STRATEGY TO CONTINUE TO MEET OUR PERMIT OBLIGATIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THIS SUMMARIZES THE BCCP MITIGATION OBLIGATIONS OF THE PERMIT. 
          IT TALKS ABOUT ACQUIRING, PROTECTING IN PERPETUITY AND MANAGING A SYSTEM OF PRESERVES. 
          UH, 28,428 ACRES FOR THE GOLDEN CHEEK, 2000 FOR BLACK CAP. 
          AND THAT'S THE MINIMUM. 
          SO A MINIMUM OF 32,428 ACRES FOR BIRD HABITAT, AS WELL AS, UM, CONSERVING 62 CAVE AND KARST FEATURES THAT WERE NAMED ON THE PERMIT. 
          AND, UM, 
          [00:05:01]
IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT OUR ACREAGE AND OUR NUMBERS, THERE WERE ALSO SOME PRESERVE CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS AND WE, UH, PROTECT AND MANAGE SOME POPULATIONS OF, UH, RARE PLANTS ON THE PRESERVE AS WELL. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO HOW HAVE WE DONE? WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT IN JUST ACREAGE AMOUNTS, WE ARE ABOVE THAT MINIMUM PRESERVE ACREAGE TOTAL. 
          AND OVER TIME, THE MANY LAND MANAGERS CAME TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE BCP. 
          SO THIS MAP HIGHLIGHTS THOSE CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          WE HAVE 62 BCCP PERMIT CAVES. 
          HOW ARE WE DOING THERE? WELL, SOME SITES THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED FOR BCCP NAMED CAVES ON OUR PERMIT. 
          AND WHILE SOME OF THESE CAVES ARE IN THE PRESERVE, SOME ARE ON LANDS OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE, BUT ARE STILL A PRIORITY FOR US TO PROTECT. 
          PAST ACQUISITION OFFERS ON SOME PRIVATELY OWNED CAVES HAVE BEEN REJECTED AND SOME CAVES HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO DEVELOPMENT. 
          IF A NAMED CAVE CANNOT BE PROTECTED BY BCCP PERMIT HOLDERS, THE PERMIT DOES ALLOW FOR A SUBSTITUTION FOLLOWING THE BCCP CAVE SUBSTITUTION POLICY PROCEDURES, BCCP PERMIT HOLDERS CONTINUE TO DO WHAT'S REASONABLE TO PROTECT THESE FEATURES FROM PREEXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUE EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE AND PROTECT THE CAR FEATURES LISTED ON THE PERMIT AND TO FIND SUBSTITUTES FOR CAVES THAT ARE UNPROTECTED CAVES OR THAT HAVE BEEN LOST TO DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO OUT OF THOSE 62, 52 OF THEM HAVE BEEN AFFORDED SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION AND WE STILL HAVE 10 CAVES THAT ARE UNPROTECTED ON THAT LIST. 
          HOWEVER, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS TO FIND SUBSTITUTION CAVES. 
          THERE HAS BEEN SOME LIDAR DONE, UH, TO FIND CARS FEATURES AS PART OF A PROJECT TO FIND SUBSTITUTION CAVES. 
          WE'VE ALSO CONDUCTED CAR FUNNEL INVENTORIES AND MAPPED DRAINAGE BASINS AT SOME OF THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED CARS FEATURES ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY COTROL LAB UNIT. 
          AND SOME FINAL EXCAVATION WORK WAS COMPLETED IN MARCH ON A CAVE CALLED COLLABORATION CAVE ON THE REFUGE. 
          AND NOW EFFORTS WILL FOCUS ON BRINGING IN MORE ROCK TO IMPROVE HABITAT AND, UH, GET INTO SOME SPECIES MONITORING. 
          SINCE IT'S LIKELY WE WILL REQUEST THAT THAT CAVE BE UTILIZED AS A SUBSTITUTION FOR THE, THE NEARBY PRIVATE CAVES, WHICH WE CAN'T ACCESS SINCE THEY'RE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 
          SO WE CONTINUE TO MAKE, UH, GREAT STRIDES HERE AND A LOT OF WORK IS BEING DONE TO IDENTIFY WHICH OF THOSE 10 CAVES WE HAVE LEFT THAT WE STILL MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE OR THAT WE'LL NEED TO FIND SUBSTITUTES FOR. 
          SO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UM, KIMBERLY? YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ARE YOU SAYING THE 10, THE 10 CAVES ARE IDENTIFIED AS UNPROTECTED? WE JUST CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT, SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND 10 SUBSTITUTE CAVES TO MAKE UP FOR THAT. 
          THERE STILL MIGHT BE SOME 10 ON THAT LIST THAT COULD BE, UH, ACQUIRED AND PROTECTED. 
          SOME HAVE BEEN LOST TO TO DEVELOPMENT, SOME WE'VE TRIED TO ACQUIRE AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD NO. 
          SO IT'S REALLY JUST TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT'S LEFT AND THEN SEEING HOW MANY SUBSTITUTES WE DO HAVE TO FIND FOR IT FOLLOWING THAT CA SUBSTITUTION POLICY. 
          GREAT. 
          AND WE WERE SO THRILLED ABOUT THE KOALA ACQUISITION. 
          THAT WAS REALLY FABULOUS. 
          THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING UP THERE. 
          YEAH, RIGHT NOW. 
          THAT'S VERY EXCITING. 
          IT WAS A REMARKABLE, UH, ACT ON THE PART OF THE LANDOWNER ABSOLUTELY. 
          TO DO THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT. 
          I AGREE. 
          YEP. 
          SO BACK IN THE NINETIES, TO FACILITATE PLANNING OF THE BALCONES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE SYSTEM, THE WESTERN PORTION OF TRAVIS COUNTY WAS DIVIDED INTO 10 PRIMARY GEOGRAPHIC UNITS KNOWN AS MACRO SITES. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE MINIMUM ACREAGE REQUIREMENT. 
          PRESERVED DESIGN STANDARDS WERE ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR THE, THE MACRO SITES WITH IDENTIFIED HABITAT OF THE 10 MACRO SITES, SEVEN CONTAINED HABITAT APPROPRIATE FOR INCLUSION IN THE PRESERVE SYSTEM. 
          FOUR KEY MACROS SITES WERE IDENTIFIED AND CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE BCCP. 
          THEY ARE BULL CREEK, CYPRESS CREEK, NORTH LAKE, AUSTIN, AND SOUTH LAKE AUSTIN MACRO SITES. 
          THE BCCP DIRECTS THAT AS MUCH PRESERVE ACREAGE AS POSSIBLE, BE LOCATED IN THOSE FOUR KEY MACRO SITES. 
          SUITABLE HABITAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED IN THREE OTHER MACROS SITES, BARTON CREEK, PERTON, ALICE RIVER AND WEST AUSTIN. 
          BUT THEY WEREN'T CONSIDERED AS GREAT A PRIORITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF WARBLER AND RIO POPULATIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE MACRO SITES, PRESERVE ACQUISITION ZONES WERE ALSO DEFINED TO HELP GUIDE THE GROWTH OF THE BCP AND SYMBOLIZED ON THIS MAP WITH THE PURPLE CROSS HATCH. 
          THIS INCLUDED AREAS ALREADY ACQUIRED BY THE CITY AND COUNTY AND ACRES POSSIBLY AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE ACQUISITION AND INCORPORATION INTO THE BCP. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          [00:10:01]
MACRO SITES AND PRESERVE ACQUISITION ZONES HELPED TO ESTABLISH PRESERVE CONFIGURATION DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH INCLUDED THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF HABITAT FOR THE SPECIES AS POSSIBLE TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN HOLDINGS TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE GIVEN THE BIOLOGIC AND ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS. 
          SEVEN MACRO SITES HAD ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS AND OUT OF THOSE SEVEN FIVE ALSO INCLUDED ADDITIONAL CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS, SOME CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS DESCRIBED EXCLUDING EXISTING ROADWAY INTRUSIONS AND ONLY APPLIED TO THE CORE BLOCK OF PRESERVES IN THE MACRO SITE. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE GWEN MCDA, SHE'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US. 
          SHE IS THE BCCP INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATOR AND IS ONE OF OUR GIS EXPERTS WHO REALLY HELPED WITH A LOT OF THIS ANALYSIS. 
          SO I'M GONNA TALK HERE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EDGE TO AREA RATIO ANALYSIS THAT WE DID. 
          SO FOR MANY OF THE MACRO SITES, SEVERAL OF THEM, THERE WAS A, A STIPULATION THAT SAID NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL CORE PRESERVED BLOCK SHOULD OCCUR WITHIN 330 FEET OF THE PRESERVED BOUNDARY. 
          SO THAT'S THE EDGE WHAT'S SHOWING UP HERE IN ORANGE. 
          AND THEN THE CORE, WHAT'S SHOWING UP HERE AS GREEN. 
          AND WE LOOKED AT THE ANALYSIS TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          THE ONE ON THE LEFT ANALYSIS ONE SHOWED THE CORE PRESERVES, UM, BUT DID INCLUDE THE EXISTING ROADWAY INTRUSIONS AND ANALYSIS. 
          TWO, WE TOOK OUT THOSE EXISTING ROADWAY, UH, INTRUSIONS AND RERAN THE ANALYSIS TO SEE WHAT OUR, UH, EDGE TO AREA RATIO WOULD BE IN BOTH SITUATIONS. 
          SO THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WILL BE ME GOING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT MACRO SITES TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE, UH, AND ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THE BARTON CREEK MACRO SITE WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT SAID TO EXCLUDE EXISTING ROADWAY INTRUSIONS. 
          IT STATED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NO LESS THAN 4,000 ACRES. 
          IT HAD THAT LESS THAN 20% TOTAL AREA OCCURRING WITHIN 330 FEET OF THE PRESERVED BOUNDARY. 
          AND IT ALSO STIPULATED THAT THE PRESERVE AREA IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE MACROS SITE WAS NOT PART OF THAT 20% REQUIREMENT. 
          SO, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACREAGE MINIMUM, THEY WANTED 4,000 ACRES MINIMUM. 
          AND THEN THE TARGET WAS BASED ON THAT PRESERVE ACQUISITION BOUNDARY. 
          SO WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST THAT WE COULD GET FOR TARGET PRESERVE? SO OUR ACREAGE ACQUIRED IN THIS MACRO SITE IS 6,130 ACRES. 
          SO WE'RE 2,130 ACRES OVER THE REQUIREMENT. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE EDGE TO AREA RATIO ANALYSIS, UH, THE ANALYSIS NUMBER TWO WAS THE ONE THAT EXCLUDED THE ROADWAYS. 
          AND THIS PARTICULAR MACROS SITE DID SAY TO DO THAT. 
          SO WE ARE AT 18.9%, WHICH IS UNDER THAT 20%. 
          SO OUR BARTON CREEK MACRO SITE'S LOOKING REALLY GOOD. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE BULL CREEK MACRO SITE STATED NO LESS THAN 5,200 ACRES. 
          IT ALSO HAD THAT 20% MINIMUM, I MEAN MAXIMUM 20% TOTAL AREA OCCURRING ON THE BOUNDARY. 
          AND STATED THAT ISOLATED AREAS EAST OF LOOP 360 WEREN'T INCLUDED. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE HERE WE'RE 191 ACRES SHORT OF WHAT OUR ACREAGE MINIMUM WAS FOR THIS. 
          AND, UM, I'LL EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO, UM, TEXAS STATE LAW DOES PROHIBIT THE USE OF IMMINENT DOMAIN FOR PRESERVE ACQUISITION. 
          SO LANDOWNERS HAVE TO BE WILLING TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY AND BCP STAFF DID ATTEMPT TO BUY A 500 AND ACRE, 580 ACRE TRACT OF LAND IN THIS MACRO SITE, BUT THE OWNERS WEREN'T INTERESTED IN SELLING. 
          SO MOVING FORWARD, THE COMMITMENT STRATEGY TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE IS WE GONNA KEEP TRYING TO ACQUIRE THAT 580 ACRE TRACT IF THE OWNERS EVER BECOME INTERESTED IN SELLING. 
          HOWEVER, THIS ANALYSIS WAS RUN AFTER THE ANNUAL REPORT. 
          SO EVERYTHING YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS UP UNTIL OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, THE FISCAL YEAR. 
          SINCE THEN, WE HAVE THREE ACQUISITIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OR ARE OCCURRING IN THIS MACRO SITE TOTALING A LITTLE OVER 146 ACRES. 
          ONE IS A 52 ACRE SITE NEXT TO THE CONCORDIA PROPERTY. 
          THERE'S ANOTHER 61 ACRES THAT'S ALREADY PART OF THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION'S, UH, LAND HOLDINGS BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE BCP AND ALSO A 33.4 ACRE TRACK THAT'S AVAILABLE TO KENT BUTLER. 
          SO EVEN SINCE THIS, UH, ANALYSIS WAS RUN, WE STILL 
          [00:15:01]
ARE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS THESE GOALS. 
          SO KIMBERLY, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE ACREAGE ACQUIRED, WHICH IS THE NEGATIVE 1 91, IS REDUCED DOWN TO MORE LIKE NEGATIVE 50 51? YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT, OH, THAT'S GREAT. 
          WHERE'S THE KEN BUTLER SECTION? UH, WELL IT'S PART OF THE ORANGE, UM, AND IT'S RIGHT. 
          GOT THAT BIG CHUNK HERE AT THE, WELL, I CAN'T POINT TO IT, BUT I'LL COME TO YOU POINT, TURN ON THE SCREEN. 
          OH, IS YOUR SCREEN ON? MM-HMM. 
          IT'S THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, THIS BIG ONE. 
          OH, GREAT. 
          WE'VE GOT A LITTLE PIECE, UH, ADJACENT TO THAT. 
          I COULDN'T GET YOUR SCREEN TO TURN ON FOR SOME REASON. 
          YOU HAVE, I CAN POINT TO IT WITH MY MOUSE. 
          I JUST SHOWED, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE GOOD. 
          YEAH, WE SURE. 
          ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WELL, WHEN HE GETS BACK WE'LL HAVE, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THAT'S, THANK YOU. 
          SO THE CYPRESS CREEK MACRO SITE STATED NO LESS THAN 7,200 ACRES AND, UM, ALSO HAD THAT MAXIMUM 20% EDGE TO AREA REQUIREMENT. 
          SO WHEN YOU LOOK, WE HAVE ACTUALLY ACQUIRED 2,136 ACRES OVER THE MINIMUM. 
          AND THE EDGE TO AREA ANALYSIS IS RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, REALLY CLOSE ON ONE. 
          AND WHEN YOU TAKE OUT THE, UH, ROADWAY INTRUSIONS, WE GET UNDER 20%. 
          NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION HERE IS IN THE NINETIES WHEN THESE REQUIREMENTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DESIGN STANDARDS WERE BEING SET, THE MAPPING TECHNOLOGY WASN'T AS GREAT AS IT IS NOW. 
          SO WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GET SUPER CONCISE, UH, YOU KNOW, MEASUREMENTS AND DATA AT THIS POINT. 
          SO WHEN I LOOK AT 22%, 19%, I FEEL REALLY, REALLY GOOD ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THE SCIENCE TO FIGURE THAT OUT IS BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS. 
          UM, SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD. 
          UH, NEXT THANK YOU. 
          THE LAKE TRAVIS MACRO SITE ACTUALLY HAD NO MINIMUM PRESERVED DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS, BUT WE ACQUIRED, UH, 1,575 ACRES HERE. 
          IT'S THAT TRAVIS COUNTY, THE ULA UNIT. 
          UM, SO IT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE LOW PRESERVED POTENTIAL DUE TO RELATIVELY SMALL AERIAL EXTENT IN THE DISPERSED DISTRIBUTION OF SUITABLE HABITAT. 
          BUT LOW PRESERVE POTENTIAL IS NOT NO PRESERVE POTENTIAL THOUGH. 
          AND THE BCP ACQUISITIONS IN THIS MACROS SITE, UM, CONTAIN IMPORTANT CAVE AND CE FEATURES AND IS ALSO MANAGED FOR BLACK CAP VARI. 
          YES. 
          ARE THOSE TWO LOTS COMBINED? 'CAUSE I THOUGHT THE OLA TRACTOR WAS SHAPED MORE LIKE A DINOSAUR. 
          ANY OTHER MAPS THAT I'VE SEEN ON IT? YOU THINKING THE VALENTI TRACK? OH, THE VALENTI. 
          THE VALENTI TRACKS ARE DINOSAUR. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS THE OLA. 
          THANKS. 
          IT DID USED TO LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN IT WAS CLIPPED OUT, BUT NOW THAT IT'S INCLUDED, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, THE NORTHLAKE AUSTIN MACRO SITE. 
          SO FURTHER ANALYSIS AFTER THE ISSUANCE OF THE PERMIT DETERMINED THAT EVEN WITH COMPLETE ACQUISITION OF LANDS WITHIN THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA, THE ORIGINAL PRESERVE DESIGN STANDARD WAS NEVER ACHIEVABLE BECAUSE THE DESIGN FOR THIS MACRO SITE WAS TOO FRAGMENTED, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT TWO DISTINCT PRESERVE BLOCKS WITH IRREGULAR CONFIGURATIONS WERE TARGETED FOR ACQUISITION. 
          EVEN THOUGH THE DESIGN STANDARDS WERE NOT ACHIEVABLE, BCP STAFF WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PRESERVING 2,659 ACRES ABOVE THE MINIMUM ACREAGE REQUIREMENT IN THIS MACRO SITE. 
          AND THIS WASN'T EASY BECAUSE TRACKS OF LAND IN THIS MACRO SITE EXTEND TO THE LAKE, MAKING THEM VALUABLE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO ACQUIRE. 
          BCP STAFF DID ATTEMPT TO BUY TWO TRACKS OF LAND IN THIS MACROS SITE, TOTALING 160 ACRES, BUT THE OWNERS WERE NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING. 
          SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO AFTER THOSE 160 ACRES IF THE OWNERS EVER BECOME INTERESTED. 
          AND, UH, WHILE THOSE EDGE TO AREA RATIO REQUIREMENTS WE'RE NEVER ACHIEVABLE, WE STILL TRY TO FILL IN THE GAPS WHERE WE CAN. 
          [00:20:02]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE PERELLIS RIVER MACRO SITE REALLY, UH, JUST SAID NO LESS THAN 259 ACRES. 
          SO OTHER THAN HAMILTON POOL AND WEST CAVE PRESERVE, NO ACQUISITIONS OR DESIGN STANDARDS WERE RECOMMENDED. 
          BUT THERE WAS ALSO A FOUR ACRE TRACT ADDED TO THE BCP THAT'S ADJACENT TO HAMILTON POOL WITH SIGNIFICANT SPRINGS. 
          SO WE DID GO A LITTLE OVER THERE. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE SOUTH LAKE AUSTIN MACRO SITE WANTED NO LESS THAN 3000 ACRES AND DID HAVE THAT EDGE TO AREA REQUIREMENT. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE OVER, UH, 4,000, WELL, 4,132 ACRES, WHICH IS 1,132 OVER THAT MINIMUM. 
          AND EVEN BACK THEN, THEY KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT MAT MACRO SITE TO ACHIEVE. 
          SO IT, WE WERE DIRECTED BACK THEN THAT IF RECOMMENDED MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS WEREN'T ACHIEVED, THERE WAS EARLY DIRECTION TO CONSIDER ACQUISITION OF CANYONS AS BIOLOGICAL CORRIDORS. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THAT OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION ZONE. 
          SOME OF THOSE FINGERS OF YELLOW THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAVELING DOWN BY THE SOUTH LAKE AUSTIN LABEL. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE SOUTHWEST AUSTIN MACROS SITE HAD NO ENDANGERED SPECIES PRESERVES PROPOSED FOR THIS MACROS SITE, BUT THERE WERE CARS PRESERVES RECOMMENDED FOR UNLISTED CAR SPECIES. 
          AND SEVERAL PERMIT NAMED CAVES IN THIS MACROS SITE HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION. 
          SO ACREAGE ACQUIRED IN THIS MACROS SITE IS 18 ACRES. 
          THOSE ARE CARS PRESERVED SO THEY DON'T GO TOWARDS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BIRD HABITAT ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS, BUT STILL, UM, A LOT OF SUCCESS STORIES IN THIS MACROS SITE WITH OUR KARST FEATURES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE WEST AUSTIN MACROS SITE DIDN'T HAVE ANY EDGE TO AREA RATIO REQUIREMENTS, BUT DID WANT US TO CONSERVE NO LESS THAN 482 ACRES. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO CONSERVE 680 ACRES. 
          SO WE'RE 198 ACRES OVER IN THIS MACROS SITE AS WELL. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THE BCCP DIRECTED THAT AS MUCH PRESERVE ACREAGE AS POSSIBLE SHOULD BE LOCATED IN THESE HIGH PRIORITY MACROS SITES, WHICH WERE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE BCCP. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THERE WE'RE UNDER A LITTLE BIT IN BULL CREEK, BUT WE'RE OVER IN EACH OF THE OTHER MACRO SITES. 
          SO ON OUR FOUR HIGH PRIORITY KEY MACRO SITES COMBINED, WE'VE ACHIEVED CONSERVATION ON 5,736 ACRES OVER THE MINIMUM AND EVEN 1,280 ACRES OVER THE TARGET. 
          SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE FOUR KEY HIGH PRIORITY MACRO SITES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A, UH, BIG SUCCESS STORY AS WELL. 
          YES. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, SOME OF THE COMMITMENT CONSTRAINTS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE AND REALLY HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OVER ALL THESE YEARS, UM, THERE ARE SOME, THERE WERE SOME CONSTRAINTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HELPED OR DIDN'T HELP US GET THERE. 
          SO THE PRESERVE DESIGN DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SIGNIFICANT IN HOLDINGS. 
          AND THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN STATED THAT IF SUCH IN HOLDINGS OCCUR, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE PRESERVED DESIGN WOULD NEED TO BE ADJUSTED. 
          HOWEVER, WE, WE, WE NEVER DID THAT. 
          WE REALLY TRIED TO GET TO THOSE COMMITMENTS AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. 
          ANOTHER CHALLENGE WAS THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL AREAS WITHIN THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA THAT HAD PRE-EXISTING DEVELOPMENT PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF THE BCCP PERMIT. 
          SO WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, LANDOWNERS HAD TO BE WILLING SELLERS. 
          UM, THERE WAS SOME PRE-EXISTING HABITAT FRAGMENTATION. 
          LAND PRICES HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED SINCE THE NINETIES. 
          UH, THE BCCP PRESUMED ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH RATE OF 2.25%, BUT THE ACTUAL ANNUAL AVERAGE GROWTH RATE IN OUR AREA FROM 1996 TO 2024 WAS 4.05% GROWTH. 
          SO EVEN WITH ALMOST DOUBLE GROWTH PROJECTION, WE STILL WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A GREAT CONSERVATION, UH, PRESERVE. 
          THERE WERE ALSO SOME SITUATIONS WHERE THE SERVICE ISSUED INDIVIDUAL INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMITS WITHIN OUR PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA. 
          SO THAT, UH, TOOK THAT HABITAT OUTTA CONSIDERATION FOR INCLUSION. 
          AND NOT ALL CAVES REMAINING TO PROTECT HAVE ADEQUATE LAND AROUND THEM TO PROTECT THE FEATURES. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING SO HARD ON THE CAVE SUBSTITUTION SCIENCE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO FINISH GETTING THERE? 
          [00:25:01]
WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO BE FULLY SUCCESSFUL AND MEET OUR PERMIT OBLIGATIONS? THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CAVES AND PRESERVE LANDS THAT ARE LOST TO DEVELOPMENT OR FOR WHICH WE DON'T HAVE A WILLING SELLER. 
          SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THESE ARE THE ITEMS WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON WITH OUR PERMIT PARTNERS. 
          WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PURSUING THOSE HIGH PRIORITY SITES, EVEN IF WE'VE BEEN TOLD NO, WE'LL, WE'LL BE HERE FOR WHEN THEY'RE READY TO TALK TO US AGAIN. 
          WE WILL PURSUE REMAINING CAVE TRACKS, IDENTIFY SUITABLE CAR SUBSTITUTION FEATURES, AND ALSO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE SITES WITH HABITAT AND CAVES TO COMPENSATE FOR LOST LANDS. 
          SO WE'RE CONTINUING THE HARD WORK, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT UP TO NOW AND TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT 15 YEARS, WE'RE SO CLOSE, BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO HERE THAT IS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT REPORT AND SO MUCH OPTIMISM AND REALLY, UM, A SENSE OF SUCCESS FOR THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN, UM, BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. 
          CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY. 
          IT REALLY IS REMARKABLE, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN HOW, UH, DRAMATIC THE GROWTH HAS BEEN OUT IN THE AREA, HOW MUCH DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE THERE IS. 
          UM, I HOPE WE'LL GET TO HEAR, UM, SOME STORIES LATER WHEN WE HONOR MELINDA ABOUT SOME OF THOSE BIG FISH, UH, UH, ACQUISITIONS. 
          'CAUSE I, I KNOW, I KNOW IN SOME CASES THEY WERE WORKED FOR YEARS. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S UM, THERE'S REMARKABLE STORIES ON THE PART OF THE LANDOWNERS WHO, UM, LEFT A LOT OF MONEY ON THE TABLE. 
          THEY COULD HAVE GOTTEN A LOT MORE MONEY IF THEY'D SOLD THEIR LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT INSTEAD THEY PUT IT INTO, INTO PERMANENT PROTECTION, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE CREATURES. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE STORY AND I, I STILL THINK IT'S ONE OF OUR BEST KEPT SECRETS. 
          I, UM, I, UH, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO SHOUT THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS A LITTLE LOUDER. 
          I DO ANTICIPATE SOME CELEBRATIONS WHEN THE 15 YEAR PERMIT EXTENSION BECOMES FINALIZED TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE WITH US. 
          THAT SOUNDS GREAT. 
          ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? NO, THAT'S IT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WE WILL MOVE 
          [5. Recognition and Appreciation of Melinda Mallia – Sherri Kuhl, City of Austin, Austin Water Environmental Resource Officer]
TO THE RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF MELINDA, MALIA. 
          ME. 
          MALIA, I, I I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO, TO SAY YOUR NAME RIGHT? ME, I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT. 
           AND SHERRY KOOL IS HERE TO HELP US WITH THE PRESENTATION TO MELINDA. 
          SO THE, THE RULE IN PRONOUNCING MY NAME IS THAT ANYTHING GOES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALL RIGHT. 
          SO, AND IT DEPENDS ON WHICH BRANCH OF THE FAMILY YOU'RE IN, WHICH WAY YOU PICK. 
          BUT IN, UH, MY BRANCH IS MAIER. 
          GOTCHA. 
          WELL, WE ARE REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM HERE. 
          YOU'RE LOOKING A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOU ARE. 
          LET'S SEE, YOU'RE USING A CANE. 
          IS THERE A STORY THERE? UH, YEAH. 
          I HAVE A BRAND NEW KNEE IN, IN HERE. 
          YAY. 
          UM, I, I RETIRED AND DECIDED THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WAS BEING ABLE TO WALK, SO, SO I ATTENDED TO THAT FIRST. 
          WELL, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE. 
          AND SHERRY, YOU'VE GOT THE FLOOR. 
          YEAH. 
          KIMBERLY, DID YOU WANT TO COME DOWN TOO, OR? UH, I, I WILL IN A MINUTE. 
          STEPPED ON HER FOOT. 
          OH, NO, . 
          YOU'RE GOOD. 
          LET'S NOT INJURE MELINDA. 
          ANY FURTHER, PLEASE. 
          OH, IN, PLEASE. 
          I'M SHERRY. 
          COOL. 
          I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN WATER. 
          AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT MELINDA, AND THEN I THINK KIMBERLY'S GONNA COME DOWN AND JOIN ME TOO. 
          UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, UH, SOME TIME TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TODAY TO MELINDA MAIER. 
          SHE RETIRED RECENTLY AFTER 31 YEAR CAREER AS A DEDICATED, MOTIVATED PUBLIC SERVANT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, AND HAD A KEY ROLE IN DEVELOPING, EXPANDING ALL OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROGRAMS. AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH HER FOR ALL THOSE YEARS. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, IN ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY. 
          AS KIMBERLY SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO PROTECT AND, UH, PRESERVE THE PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS THAT, THAT ARE VERY SPECIAL. 
          SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE BA CANYON LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN AND BECAME A RECOGNIZED EXPERT IN GETTING US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, UH, SECTION SIX LAND ACQUISITION GRANTS. 
          UM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE A LOT OF THE PRESERVES IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM. 
          THEY WERE REALLY ESSENTIAL FOR THAT. 
          AND SHE DID THAT AT THE SAME TIME THAT SHE WAS ALSO MANAGING MANY OTHER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GRANTS, UH, FOR TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, SHE MANAGED THE ACQUISITION OF THOSE EARLY, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY BCP PROPERTIES, AND CAN THROUGH MELINDA'S WORK, IT WENT WITH OTHERS ON, IN HER GROUP, WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE OVER 13,000 ACRES OF BCP LANDS FOR TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, AND OVER 4,600 
          [00:30:01]
ACRES OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. 
          UH, ON TOP OF THAT, SHE WAS ALSO THE VISIONARY AND GUIDING FORCE BEHIND THE NEW BCP VISITORS CENTER, WHICH I KNOW COMMISSIONER SHEA IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND WHEN THE VISITOR CENTER OPENS TO THE PUBLIC, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TELL ALL THESE SUCCESS STORIES OF THE BCP AND KNOW THAT MELINDA'S WORK, UM, WAS BEHIND MUCH OF THAT. 
          UM, WE APPRECIATE HER DILIGENCE AND HER PROFESSIONALISM OVER THESE YEARS, AND SHE'S LEFT QUITE A LEGACY. 
          UM, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING AND CONGRATULATING, MELINDA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, YOU HAVE JOHN WHITE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER FROM TRAVIS COUNTY HERE AS WELL. 
          JOHN, YOU WANNA MAKE SOME COMMENTS? YEAH, WELL HAVE JOHN AND Y'ALL ARE WELCOME TOO, AS WELL, MELINDA, WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE APPRECIATION. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY LOVELY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SHOW THE PRESERVED CONFIGURATION ANALYSIS HERE, BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THAT WAS REALLY JUST A DIRECT RESULT OF ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK OVER MANY, MANY YEARS. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR, AND I CAN CARRY THAT FOR YOU. 
          . 
          I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE YOU GIVE THAT REPORT. 
          'CAUSE I, SOME OF THOSE SHAPES I CAN STILL SEE IN MY SLEEP. 
          SO YOU REALLY PULLED IT ALL TOGETHER. 
          THAT WAS GREAT. 
          . 
          WONDERFUL. 
          OH, THIS IS LOVELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JOHN, DID YOU WANNA SAY SAME THING, JOHN? THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY IS I DID A LOT OF TALKING WHEN, WHEN MELINDA RETIRED AT THE COUNTY AND I MET EVERY WORD OF IT. 
          AND WE'RE SORRY TO, WE WERE SORRY TO SEE HER GO. 
          WE'RE GLAD TO SEE SHE'S UP AND AROUND AGAIN. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL KEEP DRAGGING HER BACK IN HERE ONCE IN A WHILE TO GIVE US SOME GOOD ADVICE. 
          MELINDA, DO YOU WANNA TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? OH, WELL, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE. 
          , HERE'S YOUR CHANCE. 
          HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE? WE'LL MAKE TIME FOR YOU . 
          UM, I I I'M JUST TRULY HONORED. 
          I KNOW IT SOUNDS KIND OF  LIKE A STANDARD THING TO SAY THAT I, I REALLY GOT TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT THAT, THAT GREAT MINDS REALLY INVENTED BEFORE ME. 
          I CAME ALONG WHEN PEOPLE LIKE VALERIE BRISTOL HAD, HAD ALREADY. 
          UM, AND, AND, WELL, JOE LESSARD, I, I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH SOME OF THE, THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY IMAGINED WHAT A CONSERVATION PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE WHEN THERE WERE NO OTHER MODELS, THERE WERE NO GUIDELINES FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. 
          PEOPLE SAID, WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS THING. 
          THERE'S A LAW THAT SAYS WE CAN DO IT. 
          SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THEY, THEY FIGURED IT OUT. 
          SO I CAME ALONG WHEN IT WAS TIME TO JUST START DOING IT, AND I JUST DID WHAT THEY SAID TO DO AND, UM, WITH, WITH AN AMAZING TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL HERE TODAY DOING INCREDIBLE WORK. 
          AND I JUST, I'M PRIVILEGED THAT I GOT TO BE PART OF IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND KUDOS TO THE VISIONARY, UM, COMMISSIONERS WHO OH, SAT, UM, ON THE COURT BACK IN THE DAY AND, UM, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL'S DAUGHTER JENNIFER IS HERE TODAY. 
          JENNIFER HAS OFFERED TO TAKE A PICTURE IF Y'ALL WANNA COME DOWN. 
          OH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          TAKE A PICTURE HERE. 
          BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT QUICKLY, I KNOW THAT YOU, I MEAN, YOU SAID YOU DREAMED ABOUT SOME OF THESE SHAPES. 
          OH, TO THIS DAY YOU CARRIED MAPS AROUND, OH, WELL, OBVIOUSLY LONG BEFORE I GOT ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN 2015. 
          BUT YOU WOULD BRING THOSE TO US AND TALK WITH US ABOUT THE ACQUISITIONS AND SOME OF THEM WERE COMING TOGETHER. 
          OTHERS YOU WERE STILL WORKING ON. 
          I MEAN MM-HMM. 
          , YOU, YOU, YOU LANDED SOME HUGE FISH, BUT IT TOOK A REALLY LONG TIME, DIDN'T IT? I MEAN, MEAN YEARS. 
          WELL, ABSOLUTELY. 
          I MEAN, I, I WORKED, I, I STARTED WORKING ON ACQUISITION IN 1997 AND WAS STILL DOING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LEFT WITH, WITH THE HELP OF DEBBIE, WHO TOOK OVER WHEN I STEPPED UP INTO THE NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM MANAGER JOB. 
          AND, UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE IMMINENT DOMAIN AUTHORITY, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT. 
          AND, UM, SO WHAT WE HAD WAS A CHARGE TO ACQUIRE LAND IN A, A COUNTY THAT WAS RAPIDLY GROWING. 
          WHERE, WHERE WE WERE COMPETING WITH ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WANTED THE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND WE HAD, WE, WE COULDN'T JUST FORCE THEM TO SELL IT. 
          WE HAD TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO DO IT. 
          WE HAD TO BE CREATIVE, WE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM. 
          MANY OF THOSE DEALS TOOK YEARS TO LAND. 
          BUT WE, WELL, KIMBERLY DID A GREAT REPORT TODAY. 
          WE MANAGED TO GET IT THIS FAR. 
          SO I THINK YOU CAN STILL GET 
          [00:35:01]
A PICK OFF A FEW MORE. 
          UH, MY COMMENT ABOUT THAT IS SOMETIMES IT'S JUST WAITING UNTIL THE OWNERS ARE READY. 
          UM, AND WOULD YOU JUST LIKE CIRCLE BACK WITH THEM PERIODICALLY AND SAY, HEY, WONDERING HOW YOU'RE DOING? YOU KNOW, ANY ANY CHANCE WE COULD CHAT, I WOULD HIT UP TOO MANY TIMES. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE GET KIND OF TIRED OF THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT YEAH, I WOULD KEEP, KEEP TABS ON IT. 
          PAY ATTENTION, UM, LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND BE READY WHEN THEY JUMP UP. 
          LIKE, JUST BE READY. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT'S REALLY GOOD ADVICE. 
          AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MELINDA, FOR YOUR 31 PLUS YEARS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          DOING THE WORK AND TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER THE YEARS, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT WORK, AS WE SAY FREQUENTLY FROM THIS DIOCESE. 
          UM, WE JUST KEEP ON DOING IT. 
          IT'S REAL PUBLIC. 
          ENJOY, ENJOY YOUR, UH, RETIREMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MAKE THAT. 
          DON'T WANNA COME DOWN FOR, WE GET SOME PICTURES, WE, LET'S GET IT FILED DOWN. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE. 
          I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE. 
          GRAB THAT. 
          AND IF THE COUNTY STAFF OR JENNIFER, ALL STAFF WANNA COME UP HERE, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE THAT PICTURE IN THE BACKGROUND OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN? SEE, LET'S GET EVERYBODY, HAVE EVERYBODY. 
          MOM SAYS HI. 
          SHE WAS LIKE, OH. 
          SO WE HAVE TWO MORE ITEMS. UH, NEW SPECIES 
          [6. New Species Listings Under the Endangered Species Act – Debra Scott, Travis County TNR Environmental Project Manager]
LISTINGS UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, WHICH IS DEBORAH SCOTT, TRAVIS COUNTY, TNR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER. 
          DEBORAH. 
          HI. 
          THE MIC IS GONNA BE YOURS AS SOON AS IT'S POSITIONED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'LL . 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          WELL, COMMISSIONER SHEA, YOU'LL PROBABLY RECOGNIZE THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S A SLIGHT TWIST FROM THE LAST ONE YOU SAW, . 
          SO, I'M DEBORAH SCOTT. 
          I'M WITH TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER AND MY BACKGROUND ACTUALLY IS, UM, BATS. 
          I AM A BAT BIOLOGIST BY TRAINING. 
          UM, AND TODAY I AM GONNA DISCUSS, UM, SPECIES THAT ARE UP AND COMING ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST THAT ARE UNDER REVIEW OR THERE ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY OUR BALCON CANYONLANDS CONSERVATION PLAN. 
          JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW. 
          [00:40:01]
OVERVIEW. 
          THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IS DESIGNED TO HELP PER PROTECT THE RECOVERY OF A SPECIES TO KEEP IT FROM GOING EXTINCT. 
          THERE IS A LONG PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS STATUS WOULD BE, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S THREATENED, ENDANGERED, OR IF IT'S A CANDIDATE. 
          SPECIES PLUS, UM, HABITAT THAT THAT SPECIES RELY ON, UM, IS THE DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT. 
          AND DIFFERENT FACTORS GO INTO DETERMINING, UH, WHETHER OR NOT A SPECIES GET LISTED, UM, OR IF IT'S PRECLUDED BY OTHER HIGHER PRIORITIES. 
          AND THAT HAS MAINLY TO DO WITH THE THREAT TO THE SPECIES. 
          NOW, I WON'T GO INTO BIG DETAIL, BUT THIS IS THE PROCESS TO GET A SPECIES LISTED . 
          UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S LONG AND COMPLICATED. 
          YOU HAVE THINGS SUCH AS 90 DAYS REVIEWS, 12 MILES STATUS REVIEWS. 
          UM, THOSE ARE ROUGH GUIDELINES. 
          I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY RARE THAT REVIEWS ARE ACTUALLY DONE OR IN THAT TIME PERIOD. 
          SO IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. 
          IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING'S IN A 12 MONTH STATUS REVIEW, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY MEAN 12 MONTHS. 
          UH, SO THE BCCP COVERS, UH, SEVEN ENDANGERED SPECIES. 
          THE RECENTLY DELISTED BLACK CRIO AND 27 SPECIES OF CONCERN, THE SPECIES I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, NONE OF THEM ARE COVERED BY THE BCCP. 
          AND CURRENTLY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE COVERED BY THE BCCP 'CAUSE. 
          UH, AS KIMBERLY MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE RENEWING IT FOR ANOTHER 15 YEAR AMENDMENT. 
          UM, AND WE HAD A CONSULTANT COME IN AND ANALYZE WHETHER OR NOT WHAT WAS THE BEST PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND THAT IS WHAT THEY COME, CAME UP WITH AT THAT TIME. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING POTENTIALLY NEW WAYS TO, UH, PROTECT THESE SPECIES. 
          UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE VILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER. 
          THIS IS RA LISTED AS THREATENED. 
          IT'S BEEN LISTED SINCE 2014. 
          UM, AND THEN THERE'S SIX OTHER SPECIES THAT AREN'T LISTED, BUT THEY'RE BEING CONSIDERED FOR LISTING. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE TODAY. 
          COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT A FAT BUCKET IS? WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE FAT BUCKET. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT ONE'S SO, SO SPECIAL. 
          EVERYONE LIKES THAT ONE. 
          . 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER, SINCE IT'S ALREADY BEEN LISTED. 
          UM, IT'S CONSIDERED THREATENED. 
          THERE IS DESIGNATED CRI CRITICAL HABITAT. 
          IT'S CURRENTLY FOUND IN TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY. 
          AND IT'S A FULLY AQUATIC, UM, SALAMANDER SPECIES THAT CAN OCCUR IN THE SUBTERRANEAN. 
          AND ITS MAIN THREATS ARE, UH, URBANIZATION AND ITS EFFECTS TO WATER QUALITY. 
          SO FOR, IF YOU COULD SEE THESE SPOTS, A LOT OF THE KNOWN LOCATIONS WERE PROTECTED ON THE PRESERVE. 
          THE BACO CAN PRESERVE PERVERT PRESERVE, AND WE HAVE STAFF THAT CURRENTLY MONITOR AND PROTECT THEIR SITES. 
          UM, HOWEVER, RECENTLY WE'RE FINDING THAT THERE'S, UH, ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT PROTECTED ON THE PRESERVE. 
          SO, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS NOT CO THE SPECIES IS NOT COVERED BY THE BA CANE LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN. 
          UM, HOWEVER, UM, COUNTY AND SEA STAFF ARE REVIEWING DIFFERENT PERMIT OPTIONS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S NEEDED FOR DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 
          UM, CURRENTLY SEVERAL OF THE LOCATIONS OR THE SPECIES ARE BEING, UM, PROTECTED AND MONITORED ON THE PRESERVE. 
          AND THERE ARE EXISTING WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO PROTECT, UM, THE SPECIES AND FLOODPLAIN LAWS AND REGULATIONS AND ORDINANCES. 
          SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THE SPECIES ON THE PRESERVE? UM, AGAIN, WE'RE ALREADY MONITORING AND PROTECTING THE HABITAT. 
          UM, THERE IS SOME EFFORT TO IMPROVE HABITAT OR INCREASE, UH, WATER IN THE LANDSCAPE. 
          WE CAN DO ADDITIONAL LAND ACQUISITION TO PROTECT SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE BASIN AND JUST CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          NOW THIS ONE'S GONNA BE COMING UP A LOT,  PRETTY SOON. 
          THIS IS A TRICOLOR BAT. 
          UM, DEBORAH, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THE JOVIAL SALAMANDER? HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO EVALUATE THE IMPACTS OF DROUGHT ON THE SPECIES? 'CAUSE THAT I THINK IS PROBABLY THE GREATEST THAT AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT DROUGHT IS THAT THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WATER AVAILABILITY AND WATER QUALITY IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, FEATURE FOR THAT SPECIES. 
          SO, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE A CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT MANAGER WHO'S LOOKING AT CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECTS ON THE PRESERVE. 
          UM, AND IT'S STILL IN DISCUSSION OF HOW THAT CAN IMPACT THE SPECIES AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE SPECIES. 
          CAN THIS, UH, CONSIDERATION, UM, EVER BE, UH, EVALUATED IN THE CONTEXT OF GROUNDWATER PUMPING PERMITS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR US, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD LIKE TAKE, UH, OR IF THEY CONSIDER THAT TO NEED TO TAKE COVERAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, MY UNDERSTANDING OF AT LEAST THE THREE NORTHERN SALAMANDERS, WHICH WOULD BE THE JOLLYVILLE, THE 
          [00:45:01]
SOLE AND THE GEORGETOWN, IS THAT PUMPING IS NOT THE THREAT LIKE IT IS TO THE SOUTHERN EDWARDS SALAMANDERS THAT LIKE ARE AT JUST VERY TWO PARTICULAR SITES. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IN GENERAL, NOT FOR ALL OF THE SITES FOR THESE NORTHERN ONES, IS THAT THEY ARE, UM, IN SHALLOWER AQUIFERS. 
          AND SO PUMPING AT ONE PARTICULAR SPOT ISN'T GONNA AFFECT THEM LIKE IT DOES FOR THE SOUTHERN EDWARDS, WHERE ALL THE PUMPING IS REALLY INFLUENCING WHAT'S COMING OUT AT THE, THE FEW SPRINGS THAT THE SPECIES ARE LOCATED AT. 
          SO I I'M SURE IT'S HAVING AN, AN IMPACT OR AN INFLUENCE, BUT NOT TO THE SAME DEGREE, I THINK AS THE THREATS FROM WATER QUALITY. 
          I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGER CONCERN, NOT NECESSARILY THE WATER QUALITY QUANTITY. 
          THANKS. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REVIEWED AS NEW INFORMATION COMES IN? 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S SUCH A ENORMOUS STRAIN ON GROUNDWATER, UM, PARTICULARLY FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT IT'S, I KNOW OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE, UM, ARE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTEN A FORCE MAJEURE LETTER FROM THEIR WATER SUPPLIER. 
          SO THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE PRESSURE ON GROUNDWATER AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING PROBLEMS WITH, UH, WITH DEVELOPMENTS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY MAYBE MORE TRUE FOR THINGS LIKE THE BARTON SPRINGS, AT LEAST IN THIS AREA, UM, AS OPPOSED TO THE JOLLYVILLE. 
          'CAUSE I DO THINK THAT THERE, THAT THE LARGER AQUIFER WHERE THE STRAWS GO AND WHERE THE WATER COMES FROM IS NOT AS EASY TO, I THINK, HONE IN ON INFLUENCING AT A PARTICULAR SPRING VERSUS WHERE A STRAW GOES IN. 
          SO I THINK IT IS JUST A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT. 
          ARE THERE PARTICULAR, UM, UM, AQUIFERS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE JOLLYVILLE? UH, I KNOW THAT THE, IT'S IN A TYPICAL, UH, THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THE SUB-BASIN AND THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT. 
          UM, IF YOU, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE WATERSHED, ALL THE BLUE. 
          UM, SO NORTHERN EDWARDS, UH, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DELINEATION IS FOR THE DIFFERENT AQUA AQUIFERS ARE. 
          UM, BUT BRUSHY CREEK, IT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT THAN THE DRAINAGE BASIN. 
          YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'D LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL ADD THAT TO THE LIST. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THIS IS THE TRICOLOR BAT. 
          UM, IT IS PROPOSED ENDANGERED, AND THERE ARE RUMORS THAT IT'S GONNA BE LISTED, UH, LATE THIS SUMMER. 
          UH, 2024. 
          THIS SPECIES OCCURS THROUGHOUT TRAVIS COUNTY YEAR ROUND. 
          UM, AND IT'S A HABITAT GENERALIST, SO IT CAN BE FOUND IN LIKE CAVES, CULVERTS, BRIDGES, UM, FOREST CANOPIES, UH, IN THE LEAFS. 
          UM, IT'S PRE DISPERSED, UH, WHERE IT'S LOCATED AT. 
          UM, HOWEVER, IN THE SOUTH THERE IS SOME LIMITATIONS ABOUT HOW THIS BAT IS USING HABITAT. 
          AND WHAT'S ITS BEHAVIOR IN THE NORTH, IT'S A HIBERNATING SPECIES, SO IT WILL, UM, GO INTO CAVES AND THEN BASICALLY FALL ASLEEP FOR THE WINTER TIME AND THEN WAKE UP, UM, WHEN SPRINGTIME COMES AROUND. 
          UH, CENTRAL TEXAS IS WARMER SO THE SPECIES, UM, MAY NOT TRULY ENTER A HIBERNATION STAGE. 
          SO THERE'S, UH, SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW, UM, THREATS AND IMPACTS ARE AFFECTING THE SPECIES LOCALLY. 
          THE BIGGEST THREAT RIGHT NOW TO THE SPECIES IS SOMETHING CALLED WHITE NOSE SYNDROME. 
          IT'S A FUNGAL DISEASE THAT GETS ONTO THE SKIN OF THE BATS. 
          AND WHEN THEY TRY TO HIATE HIBERNATE, IT REALLY IRRITATES THEM AND IT WAKES 'EM UP AND IT USES UP THEIR PRECIOUS ENERGY RESERVES AND THEY END UP STARVING TO DEATH. 
          UM, AND THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY ADDITIONAL STRESSORS IF THEY LOSE THEIR HIBERNACULA OR THEY LOSE THEIR ROOSTING HABITAT. 
          UM, 'CAUSE WHEN THEY GO OUT AND ROOST IN THE SPRINGTIME, THEY USUALLY FIND TREES TO LAY, UH, HAVE THEIR BABIES, UM, AND RAISE THEIR BABIES. 
          SO IF THEY'RE LOSING THOSE ROOST TREES, THAT CAN BE A PROBLEM. 
          OR IF THERE'S A REDUCTION IN INSECT POPULATIONS, UH, IT CAN MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO EAT. 
          SO, UM, ANY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, THE COUNTY THAT, UH, MAY HARM THE SPECIES, REMOVE THEIR HABITAT, WILL PROBABLY NEED INCIDENTAL TAKE COVERAGE. 
          UM, THAT INCLUDES TREE CLEARING ON THE PRESERVE, ANY TYPE OF FUEL MITIGATION ON THE PRESERVE, LAND OR WATER RESTORATION PROJECTS, PRESCRIBED FIRES, UM, AND EVEN CARS. 
          BIOLOGICAL MONITORING FOR THE CARS INVERTEBRATES. 
          UM, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE MITIGATION MEASURES ARE PROBABLY GONNA INCLUDE SOME TYPE OF SEASONAL TREE RESTRICTIONS. 
          MAYBE IMPLEMENTING BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS BEFORE A PROJECT IS COMPLETED TO SEE IF THE SPECIES IS EVEN THERE. 
          UM, AND THEN JUST REVIEWING OUR MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL FOR CARS TO SEE IF THERE'S 
          [00:50:01]
ANY TIMING CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BATS ARE GONNA, UM, WHEN CARSON VERTEBRATES ARE BEING SURVEYED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DISTURBING THE BATS. 
          UM, AND DECONTAMINATING, UH, CAVE EQUIPMENT. 
          SO IT DOESN'T SPREAD THE WHITE NOSE SYNDROME . 
          UM, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE COULD DO ON THE PRESERVE. 
          UM, PRIMARILY IDENTIFYING OUR EXISTING TRICOLOR BAT, UM, DATA ON THE PRESERVE WHERE IT IS FOUND. 
          UH, WHERE ARE THE CAVES, WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS IT, UM, USING THE PRESERVE, SEASONAL USE, UM, THROUGHOUT, UH, DIFFERENT SURVEYS. 
          HABITAT ANALYSIS, WE COULD DO ADDITIONAL TREE AND TREE AND CAVE PROTECTION, UM, LIKE INSTALLING BAT FRIENDLY CA UH, GATES ON THE CAVES IF IT'S APPROPRIATE. 
          UM, AGAIN, WHITE NOSE SYNDROME DE DECONTAMINATION OF, UH, CAVING SUPPLIES AND CAVE RESTORATION. 
          OPENING UP FIELD CAVES SO IT CREATES HABITAT FOR THESE BATS. 
          UM, THESE ARE ALL OPTIONS THAT COULD BE DONE ON THE PRESERVE IF, UH, WE HAVE SO CHOOSE. 
          SO TO GET BACK TO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SPECIES, THIS IS THE PETINAS RIVER SPRING SALAMANDER. 
          UM, AND THIS WILL PROBABLY GET TO SOME OF YOUR POINTS, COMMISSIONER SHEA, ABOUT WATER AVAILABILITY. 
          THIS IS A GENETICALLY DISTINCT SPECIES THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY DISCOVERED NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND IT'S BEING REVIEWED BY THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO DETERMINE IF IT NEEDS, UM, ENDANGERED SPECIES, UM, PROTECTIONS. 
          IT HAS A VERY LIMITED DISTRIBUTION. 
          IT'S ONLY FOUND IN THREE COUNTIES IN CENTRAL TEXAS. 
          THERE'S 10 KNOWN LOCATIONS, TWO OF WHICH ARE IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          NOW, BASED ON THE LIMITED LOCATION AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF THREATS AROUND THE SPECIES, THERE'S PROBABLY A HIGH RISK FOR EXTINCTION. 
          UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING IN THAT AREA. 
          UM, IT, THE SALAMANDER COULD BE AFFECTED BY POOR WATER QUALITY AS A RESULT OF THAT DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, WATER SCARCITY, THE WATER AVAILABILITY WOULD BE A BIG ONE. 
          IF THERE'S TOO MUCH PUMPING, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HABITAT, AND THEN THOSE ARE EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          I JUST, YEAH, I JUST WANNA, UH, REINFORCE WHAT DEBORAH JUST SAID. 
          THERE'S A VERY LARGE, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PROPOSED, UM, ALMOST ON TOP OF A, A NUMBER OF THESE SITES WHERE THE PURELLI RIVER SPRINGS SALAMANDER'S BEEN FOUND, AND THEY ARE SEEKING PERMITS FOR EXTENSIVE GROUNDWATER PUMPING AND A REQUEST TO DIVERT THE PERELLIS RIVER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO THERE'S, THERE'S, YEAH, THERE'S A, IT'S A HUGE THREAT AND IT'S, IT'S IMMINENT. 
          SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE FISH AND WILDLIFE, UH, TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF URGENCY AROUND THIS ONE. 
          I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE FIVE OF THE KNOWN LOCATIONS, UH, WHAT IS DIRECTLY IN THAT PROJECT SITE. 
          SO HALF HALF THE KNOWN LOCATIONS ARE AT IMMEDIATE RISK. 
          IS THIS SOMETHING, UM, KIMBERLY, THAT WE IN THIS, IN THIS COMMITTEE COULD SEND A LETTER ABOUT? UM, EITHER TO FISH AND WILDLIFE OR TO THE, I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO, TO KNOW WHO WE WOULD EVEN, UM, INTERACT WITH. 
          THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          I MEAN, UM, GIVEN THE, UM, SORT OF URGENCY OF THE TIMING ON THIS, THE, THE DEVELOPERS ARE SEEKING, UH, BOTH APPROVALS FROM, UM, UH, GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT IN HAYES AND UM, TRAVIS COUNTIES. 
          UM, THE GCD SO FAR HAVE NOT, UM, PROPOSED TO GRANT THEIR PUMPING PERMITS AS THEY REQUESTED. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF CONDITIONS ON IT, BUT IT'S ALSO BEING APPEALED. 
          SO IT'S GOING THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS. 
          AND, UM, I DON'T RECALL THE STATUS OF THE REQUEST TO DIVERT THE ELLAS RIVER FOR THE PROJECT, BUT, SO THERE'S TWO MAJOR, UM, UM, APPLICATIONS FOR, UH, TAPPING WATER RESOURCES, WHICH WOULD HAVE A BELIEVED TO HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE SALAMANDER. 
          UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT FISH IS AWARE OF OR THAT THERE WOULD BE, IS IS THERE ANY VALUE IN THE TWO GOVERNING, UH, UH, PARTNERS OF THE BCP TO SEND ANY KIND OF COMMUNICATION TO FISH, UM, REQUESTING THAT THIS BE ACTED ON WITH SOME EMERGENCY OR GUIDANCE WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW. 
          I MEAN, THIS IS, YEAH, AND IT'S, WE'RE NOT EVEN ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS TO BE AN ACTION. 
          UM, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I, I BROUGHT A RESOLUTION A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE PRIVATE DAMS THAT WERE REELECTED, ERECTED ON THE SOUTH LANO AND TCEQ AND, UH, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GOT INVOLVED AND THEY ARE, HAVE THOSE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND OWN LANDOWNERS 
          [00:55:01]
ARE HAVING TO REMOVE THE DAMS THAT THEY HAD PUT IN PLACE. 
          AND IT'S JUST A WHOLE LOT OF CONCRETE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE PERMITS. 
          AND SO THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS COMING FROM TCEQ WITH REGARD TO UNDERSTANDING THE, UM, WATER RIGHTS AND, UH, RIVER FLOWS AND RIGHTS OF THE RIVER. 
          AND IF THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOP, AND THESE WEREN'T DEVELOPERS, THESE WERE JUST PRIVATE LAND OWNERS. 
          SO IF THERE'S A DEVELOPER OUT THERE SAYING THAT HE, WITH AN INTEREST IN RE IN REROUTING THE ALS RIVER, IT'S DIVERTING A PORTION OF IT YEAH. 
          AND DIVERTING A PORTION THAT, THAT'S ALARMING. 
          SO  AND, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION DOWN THERE, BUT THE BCP IN THIS COMMITTEE HAS SOME ADJACENCY, I GUESS. 
          SO, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE ANY ACTION. 
          NOT TODAY. 
          YEAH, TODAY. 
          BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING. 
          BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE STAFF TO DIG INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE TALK WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND ME, UM, LET US KNOW WHICH FINE. 
          SO THAT WE CAN THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION WHAT, IF ANY OFFICIAL ACTION WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE. 
          UM, WE CAN FROM THE COMMENT OR GUIDANCE, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST COMMENT JUST FOR Y'ALL'S INFORMATION THAT BOTH, WE ACTUALLY MET, OH, WAS IT MAYBE A MONTH OR SO AGO WITH BOTH COUNTY AND CITY STAFF AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT PROJECT SPECIFICALLY. 
          AND I THINK THE ONE THING THAT WE REALIZED WITH THE, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW DIFFERENT PARTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STORY. 
          AND SO I DO THINK IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HAVE A, UM, MAYBE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A A RECURRING CONVERSATION ABOUT WHO'S HEARD WHAT, WHEN, AND HOW AND WHAT'S MOVING. 
          AND UM, JUST SO THAT WE DO ALL STAY ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PROJECT. 
          THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          SO MAYBE WE COULD EVEN HAVE THAT AS AN UPDATE IN THE NEXT MEETING DEPENDING ON WHAT HAS HAS BEEN EVEN WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN BETWEEN BEFORE. 
          YEAH. 
          SO WE'LL SEE WHERE WE'RE AT WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING. 
          THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. 
          THANKS FOR OKAY. 
          WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WE'LL GET BACK TO OUR, UM, PER RIVER SPRINGS SALAMANDER. 
          YES. 
          SO HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE BCCP? UM, SO WESTGATE PRESERVE, OUR MARTIN TRACK AND HAMILTON POOL ARE ALONG THAT WATERWAY. 
          IF THERE'S SURFACE WATER, UM, GROUNDWATER COLLECTION, UM, RESTORATION PROJECTS, AND EVEN SOME PARK RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES MAY NEED SOME TYPE OF TAKE COVERAGE. 
          UM, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THIS SPECIES UNTIL IT'S LISTED? UM, AGAIN, WATER QUALITY PROTECTIONS AND IMPROVEMENT. 
          UH, I DO BELIEVE WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT. 
          MAINTAINING WATER CONSERVATION, REDUCING WATER USE, UM, AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR RECREATIONAL PARTNERS TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          TEST IS FAT MARKET. 
          EVERYONE'S FAVORITE FATTY . 
          UM, , THIS IS PROPOSED ENDANGERED. 
          UM, AND IT ALSO HAS PROPOSED CRITICAL HABITAT. 
          IT IS A FRESH WATER MUSSEL. 
          IT, UM, IS ONLY LOCATED IN A COUPLE AREAS IN TRAVIS COUNTY IN THE, A LITTLE BIT IN THE , JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE CORNER, SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND PART OF THE LOWER ONION CREEK. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE LITTLE BLACK DOT ON THE MAP THERE. 
          UM, IT HAS SEVERAL THREATS, UM, BASICALLY COMING DOWN TO WATER QUALITY AND URBANIZATION. 
          UM, WATER AVAILABILITY, SILT SANITATION IS A BIG THREAT TO ANY TYPE OF EROSION RUNOFF, UM, IS HUGELY DETRIMENTAL. 
          AND ALL OF THAT IS COMPOUNDED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          SO IF THE SPECIES IS LISTED AGAIN, WEST CAVE, UH, PRESERVE MARTIN TRACKER HAMILTON POOL ARE GONNA BE ONLY, UH, BCCP TRACKS THAT WOULD BE, UM, AFFECTED BY THIS. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE SURFACE OR GROUNDWATER COLLECTIONS, RESTORATION PROJECTS AND SOME PARK RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
          UH, MITIGATION MEASURES WOULD BE A BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS TO SEE IF THE MUSSEL ARE IN A PROJECT AREA AND POTENTIALLY RELOCATING THOSE MUSCLES. 
          IF SO, UM, CONTROLLING ANY ZEBRA MUSCLES IF IT'S APPROPRIATE. 
          AND THEN DEFINITELY USING APPROPRIATE SEDIMENT AND EROSION CONTROLS. 
          ARE ZEBRA MUS A THREAT TO THE FAT MUCK? ZEBRA MUSS ARE A THREAT TO MOST NATIVE MU SPECIES 'CAUSE IT CAN OVERTAKE, UM, A WHOLE ECOSYSTEM AND THEY'RE SO PROLIFIC. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME, UH, . 
          SO, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY OWN MOST OF THE LAND AROUND THE KNOWN LOCATIONS IN THE LOWER ONION CREEK, UM, WATERWAY. 
          SO WE'VE ALREADY DOING LAND CONSERVATION. 
          UM, WE COULD DO ADDITIONAL LAND CONSERVATION AROUND THE PETAL RIVER. 
          UH, AGAIN, WATER QUALITY PROTECTIONS 
          [01:00:01]
AND IMPROVEMENT, UM, WATER CONSERVATION SAVING METHODS, UM, AND IMPROVING, UM, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC SAFETY CONTROLS AT HAMILTON POOL BRIDGE. 
          THIS IS ALSO APPLIES TO THE POWEROUS RIVER SPRINGS SALAMANDER. 
          UM, IF WE CAN REDUCE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AT THAT LOCATION, IT PREVENTS SPILLAGE FROM GOING INTO THE WATERWAY, WHICH WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE SPECIES. 
          UM, AND WE CAN CONTINUE, UH, WE COULD SUPPORT ANY PROPAGATION AND REINTRODUCTION EFFORTS THAT ARE ONGOING. 
          NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO BUGS. 
          SO WE HAVE THEM ON OUR BUTTERFLY. 
          THIS IS CURRENTLY A CANDIDATE SPECIES, UM, LISTED UNDERNEATH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. 
          THAT CANDIDATE SPECIES MAINLY MEANS, UM, IT, ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTIONS ARE WARRANTED, BUT IT'S PRECLUDED BY HIGHER PRIORITIES. 
          UM, MORE THAN 80% OF THE EASTERN MODERATE POPULATION HAS DECLINED SINCE 1990. 
          AND THIS IS DUE TO HABITAT LOSS, PESTICIDE USE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          WE'RE TALK ABOUT MORE BUGS. 
          WE'VE GOT THE AMERICAN BUMBLE BEE AND THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BUMBLE BEE. 
          BOTH OF THESE SPECIES ARE BEING REVIEWED BY THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO DETERMINE IF PROTECTIONS ARE WARRANTED. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW THE AMERICAN BUMBLEBEE HAS THE GREATEST CONSERVATION VALUE BY PROTECTING, UM, POPULATIONS IN TEXAS. 
          'CAUSE TEXAS HAS THE HIGHEST POPULATIONS FOR THE AMERICAN BUMBLEBEE. 
          UM, NOW IT'S OPPOSITE FOR THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BUMBLEBEE, WHERE TEXAS IS HAVING THE LARGEST POPULATION DECLINES. 
          UM, SO THERE'S PROS TO CONSERVING BOTH OF THEM. 
          AND THESE ARE THREATENED BY HABITAT LOSS, PESTICIDE USE, DISEASE, CLIMATE CHANGE, REDUCED GENETIC DIVERSITY AND COMPETITION FROM NON-NATIVE HONEYBEES. 
          SO THIS IS A MAP OF THE OCCURRENCE RECORDS FOR THE AMERICAN BUMBLEBEE. 
          AND IF YOU CAN SEE, TEXAS HAS A PLETHORA OF THEM IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS . 
          SO IF WE'RE PROTECTING HABITAT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE PROTECTED IN BUMBLEBEES. 
          THEY'VE HAD THE GREATEST DECLINES UP NORTH. 
          DEBORAH, CAN I ASK ABOUT THE, UH, MONARCH BUTTERFLY? SURE. 
          UM, IS THIS PROPOSED, UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP HERE AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHERE THE, UH, THE LOCATIONS ARE IN TEXAS AND IS IT BECAUSE IT'S A PART OF THE, UH, MIGRATION ROUTE? CORRECT. 
          SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'VE IDENTIFIED A WHOLE LOT OF LOCATIONS EXCEPT WE KNOW THIS IS THE MIGRATION ROUTE. 
          SO IT, THE I 35 CORRIDOR IS A BIG MIGRATION ROUTE FOR THE, UH, MONARCH BUTTERFLY. 
          SO PRETTY MUCH ALL OF TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          WOW. 
          AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY STAY HERE IN LARGE NUMBERS, THEY'RE JUST PASSING THROUGH AND THEN COMING BACK? BOTH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO SOME MIGRATE, SOME DON'T. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHAT'S THE PROCESS ON A, A CANDID SPECIES? 'CAUSE I'M PRESUMING THIS IS BEING DONE BY OTHER LOCALES ALONG THE MIGRATION ROUTE AND THE, UH, THE, THE, FOR THE CANDIDATE SPECIES. 
          SO BASICALLY, UM, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE KEEPS MONITORING IT. 
          UM, AND IF THREATS BECOME WORSE OR THE POPULATION START TO DECLINE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, THEN IT MAY WARRANT A HIGHER LISTING AND THEN IT COULD BE BECOME THREATENED. 
          ORAIN. 
          UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S AT RISK, UM, BUT THEIR ATTENTION AND RESOURCES ARE FOCUSED ON OTHER, PRIOR, OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE AT GREATER RISK. 
          SO, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE ASKING? IT'S KIND OF HARD, A LOT OF COMPETING, UH, UH, NEEDS FOR SPECIES LOSS. 
          YES. 
          BUT MONARCH BUTTERFLIES WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE POORER FOR THE LOSS OF THEM. 
          YES. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING. 
          UM, AND I'LL DISCUSS THOSE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SIDES. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO THIS IS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BUMBLEBEE. 
          UM, IT'S GREATEST REDUCTIONS HAVE BEEN IN TEXAS. 
          IT USED TO BE MORE IN THE CENTRAL LOCATION. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THE, IT'S GONE FROM GREEN TO YELLOW, REDUCING ITS RANGE, UM, BUT IT'S STILL IN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE BCCP? UM, ANY, UH, PROJECTS THAT COULD IMPACT THE OR HARM THE SPECIES OR THE HABITAT WOULD NEED SOME TYPE OF TAKE COVERAGE. 
          THAT COULD BE LAND AND RESTORATION OR ANY TYPE OF DISTURBANCE PROJECTS. 
          FORTUNATELY FOR US, THE PRESERVE AND OUR PARKLANDS, UM, ARE GONNA BE GREAT FOR THESE SPECIES. 
          WHATEV WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IS GOING TO HELP THESE SPECIES. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE, UH, MILK WEEK PROPAGATION AND THE USE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND, UM, REDUCING PESTICIDE USE ON THE PRESERVE. 
          UH, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE DOING CONSERVATION. 
          UM, AND TO SPEAK TO WHAT I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, THERE ARE A LOT OF VOLUNTEER EFFORTS RIGHT NOW TO IMPROVE POLLINATOR HABITAT FOR THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY. 
          AND IF IT'S POSSIBLE, THESE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS COULD BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE SPECIES FROM NEEDING LISTING, UM, IF THE POPULATION CAN RECOVER. 
          SO 
          [01:05:01]
THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF DOING A VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION IS TO HELP PREVENT THE SPECIES FROM NEEDING TO BE LISTED. 
          SO WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS FOR THESE SPECIES? UH, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HAS A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. 
          ONE SIMILAR TO THE BALCON CAINES PRESERVE, WHICH IS THE INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT HAVE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COULD BE A NEW ONE. 
          UH, WE COULD POTENTIALLY AMEND THE BCCP, ALTHOUGH OUR PAST RE ANALYSIS HAS SAID THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING IMMEDIATELY, MAYBE LONG TERM. 
          UM, AND THEN THERE'S A NEW AGREEMENT CALLED THE CONSERVATION BENEFIT AGREEMENT, WHICH, UM, COMBINES CONS, CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS WITH ASSURANCES AND SAFE HARBOR AGREEMENTS, WHICH BASICALLY ALLOWS US TO MANAGE FOR THESE AT-RISK SPECIES BEFORE THEY'RE LISTED. 
          AND THEN IF THEY BECOME LISTED, THEN WE GET TAKE COVERAGE FOR ALL OF OUR HARD WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR. 
          AND THIS IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT, IT, IT INCLUDES NON-LISTED SPECIES. 
          THE OTHER AGREEMENTS DIDN'T ALLOW NON-LISTED SPECIES. 
          SO THERE'S SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE BCCP. 
          UM, IL TAKE COVERAGE IS GONNA BE NECESSARY FOR SOME MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
          THERE COULD BE, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, IMPACTS TO PROJECT TIMELINES REGARDING PERMITTING OR SEASONAL RESTRICTIONS. 
          BUT THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO ADDRESS CONSERVATION AT A WIDER SCALE ACROSS THE COUNTY. 
          'CAUSE THE COUNTY IS EXPERIENCING RAPID, RAPID ORDER URBANIZATION HABITAT LOSS, WHICH IS LEADING TO GREATER LOCAL SPECIES DECLINE. 
          SO PROTECTING THESE SPECIES NOW CAN ACTUALLY HELP IN THE LONG TERM. 
          AS I MENTIONED, THE VOLUNTEERING CONSERVATION EFFORTS CAN PREVENT THE NEED FOR THE SPECIES TO BE LISTED. 
          UM, IF WE JUST CONTINUE WHAT WE'RE DOING AT, UM, LAND ACQUISITION, IMPROVING HABITAT FOR THESE SPECIES, MAKING SURE THE WATER QUALITY IS UM, SUFFICIENT AND AVAILABLE, AND THEN LOOKING AT OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PROTOCOLS TO SEE IF THEY, UM, BENEFIT THE SPECIES. 
          I HOPE I DIDN'T TAKE TOO LONG OF YOUR TIME, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM. 
          OR IF YOU WANNA HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OUTSIDE, I'D BE HAPPY TO. 
          THAT'S GREAT, DEBORAH. 
          IT'S A GOOD PRESENTATION. 
          YEAH, THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL. 
          WE WERE ASKING QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT. 
          CHRISTINA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO YEAH, CHRISTINA HAS ALL THE ANSWERS IF YOU WANNA  CHRISTINA. 
          GLAD SOMEBODY DOES. 
          WELL, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH IN COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE FOLLOW UP ON THE, ON THE MIAL PROJECT. 
          YEAH, SOUNDS GREAT. 
          THANK SOUNDS YOU. 
          YEP. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          SO OUR LAST ITEM, 
          [7. BCP Partner Report Highlights – BCP Staff]
BCP PARTNER REPORT HIGHLIGHTS, AND WE'LL KEEP THESE SHORT, BUT UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE STAFF THAT'LL COME UP AND JUST GIVE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ON THE, UM, PARTNER REPORTS. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TRAVIS COUNTY UP FIRST. 
          HI, I'M LINDA LOCK, A PRESERVE LAND MANAGER FOR TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND YOU HAVE OUR REPORT IN YOUR PACKET. 
          SO I'LL JUST COVER A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS. 
          UH, OUR TOP PRIORITY DURING THE OH FALL AND WINTER SEASON WAS TO CONTINUE CLEANING UP THE STAGGERING AMOUNT OF DOWN TREES AND LIMBS FROM, UH, UH, WINTER STORM MARA. 
          WE HAD A STAFF CREWS AND, UH, THREE DIFFERENT CON SETS OF CONTRACTORS WHO WORKED, UM, TIRELESSLY TO, TO CUT AND CHIP THE VET DEBRIS PRIMARILY IN OUR, UH, SHADED FUEL BREAKS AND IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE. 
          AND, AND ALSO ALONG OUR, UH, ROADS AND TRAILS. 
          UH, WE FINALLY SEEMED TO BE CATCHING UP AND, UH, AT LEAST IN THESE CRITICAL AREAS, AND WE WERE DEFINITELY HAPPY TO NOT HAVE A ICE STORM THIS WINTER. 
          UH, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A VARIETY OF HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS. 
          WE ADDED ANOTHER 850 FEET OF, UH, BERMAN SWALE IN THE MEDWAY CONSERVATION TERRACE PROJECT. 
          WE PLANTED NATIVE VEGETATION AROUND A DEGRADED POND IN THE STEINER RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT. 
          WE, UM, DID VEG, UM, FRESH MANAGEMENT TO CREATE VERIO HABITAT IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE PRESERVE. 
          WE ALSO PLANTED TREES AND SHRUBS IN A DROUGHT DIE OFF AREA ON THE BASIA TRACT. 
          AND, UH, BROADCAST SEEDED ABOUT 40 ACRES OF, UH, NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBES IN, UH, MAINLY TO, TO HOPEFULLY INCREASE POLLINATOR DIVERSITY OR POLLINATOR HABITAT BIODIVERSITY AND, AND CLIMATE OR DROUGHT RESILIENCY. 
          UM, AND NOW THIS SPRING WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING OUR, UH, KIND OF NORMAL BIRD SURVEY WORK. 
          AND AS 
          [01:10:01]
DEBBIE MENTIONED, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, MONITOR AND, AND PROTECT THE HABITAT FOR SOME OF THESE, UH, SOON TO BE, UH, LISTED SPECIES ON THE PRESERVE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, I, I HAVE A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR VISITOR CENTER. 
          UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS WITH OUR, UH, ARCHITECT TEAM, AND THAT TEAM IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON THE PERMITTING PROCESS. 
          SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT. 
          AND THEN I, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE EMILY ACKLAND, WHO IS OUR NEW PROGRAM MANAGER. 
          SHE'S IN THE AUDIENCE. 
          WE'RE SORRY TO, UH, SEE MELINDA LEAVE, BUT WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE EMILY ON BOARD AND SHE WAS OUR PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNTERPARTS. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST MOVING ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE AISLE, I GUESS. 
          UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK, DO WE HAVE A QUESTION? UH, JUST A QUICK ONE. 
          CAN YOU JUST SAY, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE IMPORTANCE AND THE VALUE OF THE BIOSWALE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING? PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I I THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR TRYING TO PREPARE THE LANDSCAPE FOR THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND JUST HAVING A MORE THRIVING LANDSCAPE. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S JUST ONE OF THE TOOLS WE'RE USING FOR RESTORATION, TYPICALLY IT'S ON, UM, WHERE THERE'S A, ON A SLOPE SLOPE WHERE THERE HAS BEEN DEGRADATION OF THE, BASICALLY ALL THE SOIL HAS WASHED AWAY OVER TIME. 
          SO WE CREATE BERMS KIND OF ALONG THE, THE SLOPE AND THEN THOSE BERMS WE PLANT ON THEM AND THEY, THEY'RE S SWALES, UM, BEHIND THE BERMS, WHICH, UH, COLLECT WATER AND KIND OF WATER THOSE PLANTS THAT ARE ON THE BERM AND BUILD SOIL. 
          SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT WAY, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS OVER ON THE VERIO PRESERVE AND, UH, DOUBLE J AND T. 
          AND WE'VE, UH, LAST YEAR BASICALLY WE STARTED OUR OWN PROJECT. 
          AND SO THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF AN ONGOING PROJECT WE'RE DOING ON THE MEDWAY TRACT. 
          I REMEMBER SEEING, UH, BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS IN AREAS WHERE BIOSWALES HAD BEEN CREATED AND IT'S REALLY, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BRINGING THE, LITERALLY THE SOIL BACK, IT'S REBUILDING SOIL. 
          IT'S PRETTY AMAZING HOW QUICKLY IT CAN, UM, IMPROVE THE AREA. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, BUT IT'S A, IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS. 
          YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BRING IN THE MATERIAL AND CONTOUR IT JUST RIGHT. 
          AND THEN PLANT AND TAKE CARE OF THE PLANTS FOR A WHILE TILL IT ALL CAN, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY START TAKING CARE OF ITSELF. 
          YEAH. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          AND NEXT WE HAVE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN REPORT. 
          HELLO EVERYONE. 
          MY NAME IS JUSTIN BATES. 
          I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION. 
          AND, UH, YEAH, IT'S GREAT TO, TO, UH, JUST GO OFF WHAT LINDA'S SAYING. 
          THE RESTORATION WORK, OBVIOUSLY IS A KEY PART. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU, WE GOT THE REPORT HERE OF, OF THE GREAT WORK ACQUIRING THE PRESERVE. 
          THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS, IS REALLY CONTINUING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT A RESILIENT LANDSCAPE INTO THE FUTURE. 
          AND, UH, I ACTUALLY JUST CAME OFF TWO DAYS OF AN ASH JUNIPER SYMPOSIUM THAT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN WATER, UH, SUPPORTED, UH, WITH LOTS OF SPEAKERS TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS KEY PART OF, OF THE HABITAT OF THE BCP. 
          AND, UH, AT THAT, YOU KNOW, JIM O'DONNELL, ONE OF OUR BIOLOGISTS, TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE DOING AT OUR DOUBLE J AND T AND VERIO TRACKS. 
          UH, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THAT RE THOSE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES ARE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AREAS THAT ARE PRIME HABITAT AND WE'RE LETTING THEM DO THEIR THING. 
          WE HAVE AREAS THAT, THAT NEED SOME HELP THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME DIVERSITY OF UNDERSTORY AND THEIR, THEIR EFFORTS TO GO IN AND TO PLANT UNDERSTORY SPECIES AND HELP THOSE AREAS JUST BE BETTER HABITAT, UM, IMPROVE THE AMOUNT, VARIETY OF PLANTS, INSECTS, ALL THAT SORT OF THING. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THESE BERMS AND SWALE PROJECTS ARE A KEY STRATEGY FOR THESE HIGHLY DEGRADED SITES. 
          SO THE PLACES THAT WERE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY PAST LAND USE BY RUNOFF, TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SLOW WATER DOWN AND THE BERMS AND SWES ARE, ARE REALLY PROBABLY THE, THE HEAVIEST TOUCH. 
          BUT LOTS OF OTHER STRATEGIES, EVEN JUST FROM TAKING ALL OF THAT WINTER STORM DEBRIS AND LAYING IT DOWN ON CONTOUR SO IT CAN HELP SLOW DOWN, UH, WATER RUNNING OFF THE SITE. 
          SO OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE RESTORATIONS ACTIVITIES HAVE CONTINUED ON CITY OF AUSTIN PROPERTIES. 
          WE, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT FROM HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEER HELP, UH, STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS THROUGH THE AUSTIN CONS CIVILIAN CONSERVATION 
          [01:15:01]
CORPS PROGRAM. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAVE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP, UM, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HELPING US WITH INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT. 
          ANOTHER OF OUR BIG PROJECTS HAS BEEN, UH, INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT ON THE LONG CANYON TRACT. 
          I THINK JUST A FEW OTHER UPDATES. 
          UH, KIMBERLY MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, BUT THE CITY WAS MAN MANAGED TO ACQUIRE A 33 ACRE TRACT, UH, ADJACENT TO OUR KENT BUTLER PROPERTY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, 33 ACRES DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ACQUISITIONS CAN BE REALLY STRATEGIC. 
          AND IN THIS CASE, IT, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY LIMITS THE AVAILABILITY OF A LARGE TRACT OF LAND FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OR MAKES THAT MORE CHALLENGING. 
          SO IT, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, GROWING THE SIZE OF THE PRESERVE AND HELPING WITH THOSE FACTORS, IT ALSO HELPS US IN, IN POTENTIALLY PRESERVING SOME OF THAT, UM, OPEN SPACE THAT HASN'T BEEN ACQUIRED YET INTO THE FUTURE. 
          UH, WE ALSO, THROUGH THE BRODY OAKS PUD, UM, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE AN EASEMENT OVER AIRMAN'S CAVE, ONE OF OUR PERMIT CAVES. 
          SO WE NOW HAVE, UM, AN ACCESS EASEMENT SO THAT WE CAN, UH, GET INTO THAT CAVE. 
          GREAT NEWS, UH, THIS TIME OF YEAR WE'RE OUT THERE MONITORING BRACKED TWIST FLOWER, UH, THREATENED SPECIES. 
          AND THIS YEAR WE'VE SO FAR COUNTED 2,970 PLANTS, WHICH IS THE MOST WE'VE EVER SEEN. 
          UM, SO LAST YEAR WAS 2019 WHERE THOSE WERE DOING WELL. 
          UM, AND SO THIS YEAR IS THE, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF BRETA TWIST FLOWER PLANTS THAT WE'VE COUNTED IN OUR SURVEY WORK. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF INTENSIVE, UH, MONITORING OF OUR GOLDEN CHIEF WARBLERS. 
          UH, THIS TIME OF YEAR WE'RE HAVE 65 VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE OUT THERE HELPING US TO CITE BANDED BIRDS OUT IN THE LANDSCAPE. 
          SO OUR STAFF IS, UH, INTENSIVELY MONITORING STUDY PLOTS, AND THEN WE'RE BENEFITING FROM VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE OUT THERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SEEING WHO'S COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR, UM, AND, AND, UH, CONTINUING TO GROW THAT POPULATION. 
          AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, AS LINDA MENTIONED, ONE OF THE KEY KIND OF BODIES OF WORK RIGHT NOW IS, IS CONTINUING TO ADDRESS STORM DAMAGE. 
          WE SAW THE, THE MAJORITY OF THAT DAMAGE ALONG THE EDGES OF THE PRESERVE IN AREAS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY TRADED, TREATED WITH SHADED FUEL BREAKS. 
          AND SO JUST DOING THE WORK OF PRIORITIZING WHERE AND HOW AND HOW QUICKLY WE CAN CLEAN THOSE AREAS UP, UM, HAS BEEN A MAJOR TASK. 
          AND, AND WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO PRIORITIZE BASED FIRST ON THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE PREVIOUSLY TREATED SHADED FUEL BREAKS ALONG THE EDGES, THEN LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THEM IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE SHADED FUEL BREAK TREATMENTS, TRYING, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS OF HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AS A KEY DETERMINANT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE CLEANING UP THAT STORM DAMAGE. 
          UM, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, JUST LAST SATURDAY, WE HAD A WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS SYMPOSIUM IN, UH, CONJUNCTION WITH A FD TRAVIS COUNTY, ALL OF OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PARTNERS. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING INTO A HOT SUMMER THIS SUMMER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WILDFIRE RISK AND, AND THE RISK TO THE PRESERVE MORE BROADLY IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS ON OUR MINDS AND, AND THAT WE'RE PAYING VERY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO. 
          UH, RIGHT NOW, THE LIVE FUEL MOISTURES IN, IN JUNIPER ARE AT PRETTY LOW LEVELS. 
          UM, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THEY BUMP UP WITH SOME OF THE, THE RAINS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING. 
          BUT, UH, I THINK I JUST GOT AN EMAIL THAT THEY'RE IN THE, YOU KNOW, NINETIES TO A HUNDRED PERCENT RANGE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ON TREND FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 
          BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE DRY WEATHER AS, AS IS PROJECTED, WE COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE BE ALONG, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ALONG A LOWER TREND LINE. 
          AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S STILL, IT STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN WITH THE HEALTH, WHAT THE HEALTH OF, OF OUR PRESERVES LOOK LIKE FROM LAST SUMMER'S DROUGHT. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THE TR THE TREES ARE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THAT AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MONITORING. 
          I'D ALSO JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT STATE OF WILDFIRE RISK AND TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GET IGNITION DATA ON CITY PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, ALONG ALL OF OUR CITY OWNED PRESERVES TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE HAVE POTENTIAL IGNITION CORRIDORS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE IT TO EVALUATE ANY ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE TO, TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK. 
          UH, WE ARE IN CURRENT CONVERSATIONS, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE STATE OF FUELS CHARACTERISTICS, 
          [01:20:01]
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUELS LOOK LIKE OUT ON THE PRESERVE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN DROUGHT, WINTER STORM, THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT HAVE REALLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE MAYBE IN MINOR, MAYBE IN MORE SIGNIFICANT WAYS SINCE THE LAST TIME WE DID A REALLY DETAILED ANALYSIS OF, UM, WILDFIRE FUELS ON THE PRESERVE. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP AND THAT WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE WITH YOU ALL ABOUT, UH, AS WE LEARN MORE. 
          QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU ON THAT POINT. 
          YEAH. 
          JUSTIN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE, UM, THE ATTENTION OF THE RESIDENTS WHO, UM, LIVE ON THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PRESERVE WITH REGARD TO HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE PRESERVE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING FIREWISE WITH THEIR HOMES? ABSOLUTELY. 
          YEAH. 
          I'D SAY THAT WILDFIRE IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE CONVERSATION WE HAVE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS ADJACENT TO THE PRESERVE, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE REALLY SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF WILDFIRES THAT START ARE STARTED BY HUMANS. 
          AND SO ALL OF US REALLY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY. 
          WE, AGAIN, WE TRY AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HARDENING HOMES, OF TAKING CARE OF THINGS ON, ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER SIDE OF THINGS. 
          AND THEN WE SHARE ALL OF THIS WORK THAT I'VE JUST SHARED WITH YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO REALLY TRY AND IDENTIFY. 
          WE, WE MANAGE A HUGE AMOUNT OF LAND. 
          AND SO WE WOULD TRY AND IDENTIFY THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN MAKE MEANINGFUL INTERVENTIONS THAT WILL DEMONSTRABLY DE, YOU KNOW, REDUCE RISK. 
          AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY'RE HEARING YOU? SOMETIMES WHAT I HEAR IS THE RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S THE PRESERVES FAULT FOR HAVING TREES, RIGHT. 
          AND THAT THAT THREATENS THEIR HOMES. 
          AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A BALANCE TO BE STRUCK HERE. 
          YOU KNOW, THE TREES ARE REALLY VALUABLE AND THERE'S WAYS TO MANAGE THEM SO THAT THEY ARE NOT, UM, FIRE PRONE. 
          AND WE ARE DOING THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL TO MANAGE THEIR PROPERTIES IN WAYS THAT ALSO, UM, WOULD, UH, REDUCE THE RISK. 
          YEAH. 
          IT OF WILDFIRE SPREADS. 
          IT'S A HARD, UM, SO DO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY ARE HEARING YOU IS WHAT I'M ASKING? YES AND NO. 
          I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A HARD BALANCE TO PLAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE, THERE IS RISK MM-HMM. 
          , BUT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT SIZING THAT RISK IN THE PUBLIC'S MIND IS, IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? IN MOST OF THE YEAR, THESE ASH JUNIPER, OAK WOODLANDS ARE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HIGHLY RESISTANT TO FIRE. 
          UM, IT IS IN NARROW WINDOWS WHEN THERE IS A RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FIRE. 
          AND SO TRYING TO, TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ACTIONS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN FOR THOSE MOMENTS OF HIGH RISK CAN BE CHALLENGING SOMETIMES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GIVE YOU A A SMALL ANECDOTE, WE WERE ENGAGING WITH A LANDOWNER WHO THEIR HOME WAS OVER 150 FEET FROM OUR BOUNDARY. 
          UH, THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DOWN DEBRIS, TREES ON OUR SIDE OF THE PROPERTY LINE BETWEEN THE PROPERTY LINE IN THEIR HOME WAS A SHADED FUEL BREAK TREATMENT THAT THEY HAD DONE ON THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY, ANOTHER 30 OR SOMETHING FEET OF IRRIGATED LAWN. 
          AND SO IN TERMS OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE, THEY HAD DONE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. 
          THERE WAS REAL, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE COULD ADDRESS THOSE DOWN TREES ON OUR SIDE OF THE PROPERTY LINE, BUT IT WAS REALLY KIND OF WORKING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE DECIMAL POINT. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE AT THAT POINT THAT WE COULD DO. 
          AND SO THAT'S A CHALLENGING CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE WITH LANDOWNERS TO SAY, YES, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE STORM DEBRIS, WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORTALITY IN PLACES, BUT WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THOSE AREAS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ZERO TO 30 FEET FROM, UM, HOMES. 
          AND, AND THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO GET THROUGH TO PEOPLE AND OFTENTIMES BENEFITS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, KIND OF ONE-ON-ONE BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION. 
          I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GET INTO THE SUMMER AND AS THAT ATTENTION RAMPS UP TO, TO CONTINUE TO HONE THAT PUBLIC MESSAGE AND, AND TO GET THOSE MESSAGES OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC, THAT'S GREAT. 
          AND ALSO TO CARRY THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE ESTABLISHED POLICIES THAT TAKE ALL OF THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AND IT'S NOT, UM, ARBITRARY WHERE WE PUT OUR RESOURCES, WHICH ARE ALSO, UM, UH, UH, WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE. 
          THAT SOUNDS GREAT. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, WE STILL HAVE AN OUTREACH, UH, REPORT, BUT IT'S IN YOUR PACKET, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO JUST, UM, LOOK IN YOUR PACKET AND HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THAT. 
          WHAT WAS THAT? DO YOU WANNA COME GIVE A COUPLE QUICK HIGHLIGHTS, JEREMY? YEAH, WE CAN BE QUICK. 
          [01:25:01]
THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD WORK HAPPENING WITH THE VOLUNTEERS. 
          WE CAN BE BRIEF. 
          YES. 
          UM, SO YES, JEREMY HALL, TRAVIS COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES. 
          I'M JOINED BY CAPE MCCANN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          UM, WE BOTH MANAGE OUR EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND THIS EDUCATION OUTREACH REPORT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, AS JUSTIN AND OTHERS TALKED ON, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER STUFF GOING ON IN THE PRESERVE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING QUARTER ONE AND QUARTER TWO OF 2024, LITTLE OVER 4,600 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER EFFORT ON OUR BCB PROJECTS. 
          UM, SO THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STUFF GOING ON. 
          UM, TWO OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO COVER, UM, TO STAY BRIEF AND THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT IS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN THIS LAST QUARTER, OR OR Q1 OF 2024, HOSTED A TRAINING FOR CITY OF AUSTIN'S STAFF, UM, WHICH LEAD EDUCATIONAL TOURS AND BCP CAVES. 
          UM, THE TRAINING INCLUDED A TRIP TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAVES AS WELL AS SOME CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS, UM, TO TEACH ON GEOLOGY AND BIOLOGY AND, UM, FACILITATION OF, UH, INTERPRETATION INSIDE OF THESE CAVES. 
          AND THEY ALSO FACILITATED TRAINING FOR OVER 120 SPECIAL OPERATIONS FIREFIGHTERS IN THE AUSTIN AREA SO THAT THEY CAN KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO ANY KIND OF, UH, EMERGENCIES IN THESE CAVE SITUATIONS. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT THE, THAT THE CITY DID IN THIS PRETTY COOL, UM, ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY SIDE OF THINGS, WE COLLABORATED WITH THE SCOUTS OF AMERICA TO HOST OUR FIRST EVER WHAT WE DUBBED THE, UM, THE JACKALOPE EGG HUNT. 
          IT WAS A, UH, IT WAS AT THE UT GOLF COURSE, UM, NEXT TO ONE OF OUR PRESERVES, THE STEINER RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT WHERE BALLS GO OVER THE, INTO THE PRESERVE. 
          AND WE HAD OVER 42, UH, SCOUTS GO OUT AND COLLECT OVER 900 POUNDS OF GOLF BALLS IN A MORNING. 
          SO THAT'S A LITTLE LIKE 10,000 GOLF BALLS THAT THEY GOT OUTTA THE PRESERVE. 
          UM, SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD FUN EVENT FOR KIDS TO JUST RUN AROUND AND, AND FIND BALLS IN THE WOODS. 
          AND WE WERE, WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE UT GOLF COURSE OF $2,500 TO THE SCOUTS OF AMERICA, DIRECTING THAT TOWARDS LOW INCOME SCOUTS TO HELP REMOVE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS OF ENTRY IN, IN THE SCOUTING PROGRAM. 
          UH, WE HOPE TO MAKE THAT A YEARLY EVENT GOING FORWARD, UM, AS NEEDED. 
          AND IT WAS JUST A, A REALLY FUN THING. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT IN YOUR PACKET, THERE'S SOME PICTURES OF THE KIDS DOING SNOW ANGELS IN MOUNTAINS OF GOLF BALLS AND IT MIGHT BE THE CUTEST THING THAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY. 
          SO, BUT UM, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE. 
          UM, THAT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU GUYS. 
          ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? NOPE, THAT'S IT FOR TODAY. 
          JUST ANNOUNCEMENT THAT OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 1ST, 2024, AND THAT WILL BE AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY LAVACCA LOCATION. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          AND I CALL US ADJOURNED AT 2:36 PM AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR A GREAT MEETING. 
          LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION. 
          THANKS EVERYBODY. 
          GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL. 
          LET'S JUMP IN. 
          MY HEARTBEAT. 
          EVERY TIME I HEAR THE TALENT MODE, JUDGE BOT WIND, DOORBELLS RING, POLICE SIRENS. 
          THEY DO IT. 
          I.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.