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DIDN'T YOU GUYS BUY THIS BUILDING? WE'RE STARTING
IT'S NOVEMBER 1ST, AND, UH, THIS IS THE BE COUNTY'S CANYON LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE, REGULAR MEETING.
I AM TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO, AND I'LL BE CHAIRING THE MEETING.
AND MY CO-CHAIR IS, UM, OUR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
UH, DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE.
UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT TITLE IS FOR YOU IF IT'S LOCAL DIRECTOR, BUT, UM, I, I'M THE PROJECT LEADER OR FIELD OFFICE SUPERVISOR FOR THE AUSTIN OFFICE FIELD OFFICE SUPERVISOR FOR THE AUSTIN OFFICE.
CHRISTINA WOULD NORMALLY COME.
I, I KNOW, I WAS JUST THINKING I, YOU INTRODUCED ME AND I DIDN'T REMEMBER.
HERE WE GO, MYERS AND OUR BCP OFFICER KIMBERLY HAR HARVEY.
[1. Approve Record of Decisions for the May 10, 2024 Regular Meeting]
AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISIONS FOR, UH, THE MAY 10TH, 2024 REGULAR MEETING.BUT LET ME ASK FIRST BEFORE I START, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? IF NOT, WE'LL GO INTO THE AGENDA.
UH, SO, UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, RECORD OF DECISIONS OR IS THERE ANY KIND OF BRIEFING ON THAT THAT WE NEED TO KNOW? NO.
THERE A MOTION, UH, MOTION FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM POOL.
[2. Update on 15-Year BCCP Permit Extension Application and BCCP Administrative Updates– BCCP Officer]
UPDATE ON THE 15 YEAR BCCP PERMIT EXTENSION APPLICATION AND BCCP ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES FROM OUR BCCP OFFICER.YES, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE BCCP PERMIT RENEWAL APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED TO THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND CITY AND COUNTY STAFF RECENTLY HAD OUR FIRST COORDINATION MEETING WITH THE SERVICE.
UH, IT'S EXCITING TO BE WORKING TO SECURE THE EXTENSION TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OFFERING THIS EXPEDITED ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SOLUTION TO TRAVIS COUNTY LANDOWNERS DEVELOPERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS.
SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE PARTIES TO THE OCTOBER 30TH, 2023 AMENDED AND RESTATED INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT, UM, AND SHARED VISION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BCCP.
AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE 2 20 23 B-C-C-P-I-L-A PROVIDES FOR THE CONTINUED JOINT AND COOPERATIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
SO, UM, THE B-C-C-P-I-L-A WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS NOW WILL ENABLE THE CITY AND COUNTY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH EXPERT CONSULTANTS IN THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES AND CLARIFYING UPDATES TO THE 1996 BCCP HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN AND MODERNIZATIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BCCP.
SO THESE UPDATES WILL NOT CHANGE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE BCCP PERMIT, NOR THE COMMITMENTS THE CITY AND COUNTY MADE TO CONSERVE LAND IN THE BALCONES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE, AS WELL AS THE 62 KARST FEATURES AND MANNERING THOSE LANDS AND CAVES IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE BCCP COVERED SPECIES FOREVER.
UH, LAST MONTH, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF CONSULTANT SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH THE UPDATES AND MODERNIZATION OF THE BCCP.
UH, AND TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY HAVE BOTH SECURED FUNDING FOR THIS.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE YOU'LL SEE VERY SOON SOMETHING GOING TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO ALSO, UH, AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION OF THAT ILA.
THE UPDATES AND MODERNIZATIONS OF THE BCCP WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE PREPARATION OF A CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTION STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE BCCP PERMIT INTO THE FUTURE.
THERE HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL SPECIES IN THE BCCP PERMIT AREA THAT HAD BEEN LISTED SINCE THE BCCP WAS FIRST PUT INTO PLACE.
SO, UH, THE WORK PERFORMED UPDATE TO THE BCCP WILL ALSO INCLUDE ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL TAKE FOR NEWLY LISTED SPECIES OR SPECIES LIKELY TO BE LISTED IN THE FUTURE.
THEY'RE NOT COVERED BY THE BCP PERMIT, UM, TO RECOMMEND ENDANGERED SPECIES AT COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES FOR THOSE NON-COVERED SPECIES.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US, BUT WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS TOWARDS IT.
AND AFTER 28 PLUS YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, TIME, UM, SINCE WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, TO CREATE THIS KIND OF A HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN, ARE THERE MANY THAT ARE GETTING THESE KINDS OF EXTENSIONS? IS THIS SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL? THERE ARE SOME CALIFORNIA PLANS THAT HAVE, ARE AS OLD AS WE ARE, UH, PARTICULARLY ONE IN SAN DIEGO.
AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, A SIMILAR RENEWALS AS WELL.
THERE ARE SOME CENTRAL TEXAS PLANS THAT AREN'T QUITE AS OLD AS OURS, BUT ARE STILL ALSO GOING THROUGH SOME RENEWALS.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING
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TO KEEP ALL THESE CURRENT AND GOING WELL.UM, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT EXCELLENT REPORT.
UM, OR ONTO, DO WE NEED TO, UH, WE DON'T NEED TO ADOPT IT, DO WE? THIS IS REALLY JUST A BRIEFING.
[3. History and Recognition of the BCCP Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)- BCCP Officer]
UH, AGENDA ITEM THREE, HISTORY AND RECOGNITION OF THE BCCP SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE SAC AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.THE CAC, UH, BY THE BCCP OFFICER.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S LOVELY TO SEE ALL THE FAMILIAR FACES IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE BEEN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PART OF, UM, THIS HISTORIC, UM, INVENTION.
I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY, UH, IT WAS A, IT WAS A ACT OF, UH, OF WILL AND POLITICAL WILL AND CREATIVITY THAT, UH, THAT CREATED, UH, THIS ENTITY.
AND, UM, UH, I THINK WE ARE A MODEL FOR, FOR THE COUNTRY, AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELP DO THAT ARE HERE TO BE RECOGNIZED.
SO I'M, I'M THRILLED TO SEE YOU ALL.
IT'S WONDERFUL THAT SOME OF YOU COULD JOIN US.
UM, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO GET THIS VIDEO OUT TO THE FOLKS WHO COULDN'T BECAUSE AS WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH ENERGY LOOKING FORWARD, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE GOT HERE.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MAKE NOTE THAT OUR FORMER TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, VALERIE BRISTOL, IS IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US HERE TODAY WITH HER DAUGHTER JENNIFER, WHO IS MY APPOINTEE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO REALLY IMPORTANT AND LONG LASTING WORK.
AND THE, THE, THE ROOTS OF SOME OF THAT ARE HERE WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO TODAY.
THANK YOU, VALERIE, FOR BEING HERE.
THERE'LL BE MORE TO SAY, I ASSUME AFTER THE ITEMS INTRODUCED.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A, A LITTLE HISTORY AND OF COURSE, SOME APPRECIATION.
SO, CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEES PLAY CRUCIAL ROLES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE INITIAL PHASES.
EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER BRINGS DISTINCT EXPERTISE AND PERSPECTIVES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PLAN'S, ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY, SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY, AND REGULATORY SUCCESS, TO SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOP AND LAUNCH A HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS CONSERVATION PLAN, AND ITS ASSOCIATED ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT, BOTH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CAC AND THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SAC, MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS BY BRINGING THEIR RESPECTIVE EXPERTISE AND PERSPECTIVES.
THE CAC REPRESENTED THE INTERESTS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING RESIDENTS, LANDOWNERS, BUSINESSES, AND CONSERVATION GROUPS.
IT SERVED AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE BCCP ADMINISTRATION AND THE PUBLIC ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS AND VALUES WERE HEARD AND CONSIDERED IN CONSERVATION PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING.
IT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PROMOTING PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE BCCP.
IT PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED LAND USE AND CONSERVATION MEASURES, FOSTERED COMMUNITY BUY-IN AND ASSISTED IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
THE CAC ALSO AIDED IN OUTREACH EFFORTS, HELPING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE BENEFITS OF THE BCCP AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES PROTECTION.
THE SAC WAS COMPRISED OF EXPERTS IN BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, AND OTHER RELEVANT FIELDS, AND OFFERED TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC GUIDANCE ON CONSERVATION STRATEGIES AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WITHIN THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
IN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PHASE, SOME MEMBERS WERE ON THE BIOLOGICAL ADVISORY TEAM THAT PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN DESIGNING THE BIOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE BCCP, ESTABLISHING SCIENTIFICALLY BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES AND DEVELOPING MONITORING PROTOCOLS TO ASSESS HABITAT CONDITIONS AND SPECIES HEALTH.
THEIR EXPERTISE HELPS SUPPORT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT, ENSURING THAT THE PLAN WOULD REMAIN EFFECTIVE AND RESILIENT AS ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OR SPECIES NEEDS EVOLVED TOGETHER.
THE CAC AND SAC HELPED TO ENSURE THAT THE BCCP WAS SCIENTIFICALLY ROBUST AND SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE.
BALANCING ECOLOGICAL NEEDS WITH COMMUNITY INTERESTS AND SUPPORTING THE PLAN'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN CONSERVING KEY HABITATS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE REGION.
WHILE THE CAC AND SAC WERE STILL OFFERING VALUABLE PERSPECTIVES IN SPECIALIZED SITUATIONS, SEVERAL YEARS INTO BCCP IMPLEMENTATION, SUCH AS MAJOR PLAN REVISIONS OR SIGNIFICANT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, THEIR INVOLVEMENT DECREASED AS THE CITY AND COUNTY'S INTERNAL CAPACITY GREW.
AND THE HCP TRANSITIONED FROM INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION TO SUSTAINED MANAGEMENT.
IT IS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR THE SUPPORT ROLE OF HCB ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO DIMINISH OVER TIME AS THE IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES HIRE FULL-TIME STAFF TO ADMINISTER AND OVERSEE THE HCP.
AND THIS CHANGE OCCURS FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE IS THE INCREASING INTERNAL EXPERTISE.
SO AS THE IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES
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BUILD A DEDICATED TEAM OF BIOLOGISTS, GIS SPECIALISTS, ECOLOGISTS AND CONSERVATION MANAGERS, THE NEED FOR EXTERNAL TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INPUT FROM THE SAC NATURALLY DECREASES STAFF MEMBERS BECOME WELL VERSED IN THE PLANS, REQUIREMENTS, SPECIAL NEEDS AND HABITAT MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS, ALLOWING THEM TO CARRY OUT DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVELY.ANOTHER THING IS THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CONTINUITY OVER TIME, FULL-TIME STAFF GAIN COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE HCP ITS GOALS AND ITS ADAPTIVE PROCESS.
STAFF EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC LOCAL CONSERVATION CHALLENGES ALLOWS THEM TO ADDRESS ROUTINE AND COMPLEX ISSUES WITHOUT CONSTANT EXTERNAL INPUT.
IT THE SHIFTING ROLE OF THE CAC.
INITIALLY, THE CAC PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN FOSTERING COMMUNITY SUPPORT, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, AND ADDRESSING CONCERNS.
HOWEVER, AS THE HCP BECAME ESTABLISHED, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS BECAME MORE FAMILIAR AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE PLAN, REDUCING THE NEED FOR CONTINUOUS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THE CACS ROLE EVENTUALLY EVOLVED TO FOCUS ON OCCASIONAL FEEDBACK AND PUBLIC OUTREACH ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
AS ONGOING COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION ARE MANAGED MORE REGULARLY BY FULL-TIME BCP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF.
SO THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE 28 PLUS YEARS INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BCCP, AND CURRENTLY EMPLOY A LARGE SUPPORT STAFF OF EXPERTS THAT CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF THE PAST.
AS WE LOOK FORWARD WITH EXCITEMENT FOR THE BCCP PERMIT, EXTENSION, AND MODERNIZATION TASKS AHEAD, WE HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL THE AMAZING KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO, ON BEHALF OF THE BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE AND THE BALCONES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE STAFF, WE'D LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR THE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS CONSERVATION PLAN.
YOUR SERVICE HAS BEEN PIVOTAL IN GUIDING THE PRESERVATION OF AUSTIN'S INVALUABLE NATURAL HABITATS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES THROUGH THE YEARS WE CELEBRATE THE PROFOUND IMPACT EACH OF YOU HAS HAD ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS CONSERVATION PLAN.
YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK, THOUGHTFUL COUNCIL AND PASSION, HAVE NOT ONLY SHAPED THE BCCP INTO A MODEL OF HABITAT PROTECTION, BUT HAVE ALSO STRENGTHENED THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY'S LEGACIES AS STEWARDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND BIODIVERSITY.
THE COUNTLESS HOURS SPENT IN MEETINGS, THE INSIGHTFUL RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE YOU'VE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE HAVE SET AN ENDURING STANDARD FOR CONSERVATION EFFORTS ACROSS OUR REGION.
THOUGH THE COMMITTEES ARE NOT ACTIVE ANYMORE, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS LIVE ON IN THE PROTECTED SPECIES AND THE STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR TESTAMENT TO YOUR WORK.
WE THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE, YOUR VISION, AND YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE FUTURE OF OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPES.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION WILL BE FELT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE, UH, THAT COULD MAKE IT HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND TO ALL OF THOSE THAT COULDN'T END, TO THOSE THAT WE'VE LOST FROM THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ONSET OF THE PERMIT.
JOEL, I'D LIKE TO ASK ANY, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE HERE WHO SERVED IN ANY CAPACITY OR ANY ROLE, EITHER ON THE CAC OR THE SAC OR AS SUPPORTIVE CITIZENS ALONG THE WAY.
AND THEN I'D INVITE ANY OF YOU WHO WANNA MAKE ANY COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT THE SPAN OF HISTORY AND WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED HERE.
I'D LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO COME UP AND, AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US.
BUT CAN I JUST SEE A SHOW OF HANDS FOR FOLKS WHO WERE INVOLVED, UH, EITHER IN THE CAC C OR THE SAC COMMISSIONER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? IT'S SUCH A, IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION AND I I DON'T THINK PEOPLE FULLY APPRECIATE, UM, WHAT IT TOOK TO CREATE IT.
WE WON'T EVEN TRY TO TALK ABOUT THAT
NO, THIS, I, I COULDN'T, UH, NOT BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS SO EXCITING.
THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO'VE, WHO SUPPORTED THE BALCONIES THROUGH THE YEARS, HAS REALLY SET A STANDARD THAT I'M JUST SO HAPPY THAT WE DID IT.
AND I REMEMBER, UH, JUST TO BE HONEST, IT CAME CLOSE BECAUSE AS I SAID, THE WINDOW WAS BEGINNING TO CLOSE.
THE PRICES OF LAND WERE STARTING TO GO SKY HIGH.
THERE WERE MANY THINGS AND WE'VE JUST KEPT PUSHING AND PUSHING AND WE GOT IT.
AND, UM, EVEN DURING THE ONE YEAR, BETWEEN 95 AND 96, AS FISH WAS REVIEWING IT, IT CONTINUED TO HAVE A LOT OF STRESS.
AND THEN AFTER WE GOT THE PERMIT, JUST TO BE REMIND EVERYBODY, THE LEGISLATURE TOOK TWO BIG SWINGS AT
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US, AND I LED THE WHOLE EFFORT TO BLOCK THE LEGISLATURE'S EFFORTS TO DESTROY THE, AND IT CAME VERY CLOSE.SO
AND WHAT A RARE, UH, VICTORY
THAT, THAT WAS, UM, I, YOU KNOW, THERE JUST WEREN'T THAT MANY PEOPLE WORKING ON IT.
BUT LUCKILY I CAME FROM A PRECINCT, PRECINCT THREE, WHICH IS OUT IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY AND IN THE ENS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I HAD KNOWN SO MANY LOBBYISTS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD TO TEND TO THEIR OWN BUSINESS, THEY VERY QUIETLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHO I NEEDED TO TALK TO AND HOW I NEEDED TO HELP GET THIS THROUGH.
SO I JUST VERY QUIETLY WENT ABOUT IT WITH MY STAFF AND IT WORKED WELL.
SO I HAVE MANY PEOPLE TO BE GRATEFUL TO.
WELL, AND I, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THERE WAS, UM, THERE, THERE WERE ISSUES AROUND FUNDING IT, AND I THINK YOU AND YOUR STAFF CAME UP WITH A VERY CREATIVE SOLUTION THAT ENDURES TODAY.
UM, WELL, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR A LITTLE ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
THAT IS MY CONTRIBUTION, REALLY.
I HAVE TO THANK ALWAYS THE CITY STAFF WHO CAME ORIGINALLY CAME TO ME AND SAID, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT A TAX INCREMENT? AND I HAD NOT UP TO THAT POINT, BECAUSE IN THE STATUTES THERE WAS ONE THAT WORKED ONLY IN, UH, UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS.
BUT THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, HMM, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS LOOKS A LOT LIKE A TAX ABATEMENT.
AT THE TIME SAMSUNG WAS MOVING TO GET A TAX ABATEMENT ON THEIR BIG NEW PLANT IN, UH, EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THAT WAS GETTING A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE COURT.
AND SO I REFRAMED THE TAX INCREMENT FOR THE BALCONES TO BE SAME AS SIMILAR.
AND THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
WELL, AND THAT, AND THAT, AND THAT WAS BRILLIANT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M NOT CHARACTERIZING THIS RIGHT, BUT THERE WERE HUGE FIGHTS BETWEEN THE LANDOWNERS.
WHO, UH, WERE, YOU KNOW, SUDDENLY FACED WITH HAVING ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT ON THEIR PROPERTY AND WERE FURIOUS THAT IT WOULD LIMIT THEIR ABILITY TO DEVELOP AND MAKE MONEY ON THEIR LAND.
I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH ON THE ENORMOUS CONTROVERSY.
ENORMOUS, UNTIL WE SUBMITTED THE PERMIT
OF WORK AMONG THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO, TO GET THE BALCONIES TO THE POINT OF, UH, THE PERMIT.
AND PART OF WHAT WORKED, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WAS, UM, THE LANDOWNERS WERE ABLE TO GET SOME COMPENSATION, AND THAT WAS PART OF THEIR BEEF.
THEY SAID, DON'T TAKE OUR LAND WITHOUT OH YEAH.
ALWAYS WITHOUT COMPENSATION, WE HAD TO PAY.
AND, AND SO THE MECHANISM THAT YOU HELPED CREATE TO WORK, OUR PROBLEM WAS WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY.
BECAUSE EVEN THE TAX INCREMENTS TAKES A LITTLE WHILE.
BEFORE, AND THAT WAS A REAL PROBLEM AT THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY KEPT SAYING, BUT YOU'RE STILL NOT PAYING THESE LANDOWNERS.
AND I KEPT SAYING, WE WILL
SO, AND THEN, UH, ALSO I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE PEOPLE WHO HELP FISH AND WILDLIFE DECIDE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN WASHINGTON TO BEGIN TO HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO HELP A HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN GET THROUGH THAT INITIAL PHASE.
BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT WAS HURTING US SO BADLY, WAS WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY START BUYING LAND AT FIRST.
AND THE CITY HAD DONE A FABULOUS JOB.
THE CITY ALREADY HAD BOUGHT 12,000 ACRES FROM THE, UH, RESOLUTION TRUST.
AND BETWEEN THE CITY'S PURCHASED THE COUNTY AND THE CITY'S PARKS THAT HAD GOLDEN CHEEKS, WE HAD ASSEMBLED A PRETTY GOOD OH.
AND SOME OF THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WHO HAD ASSEMBLED, UM, PRESERVES.
SO ALL OF THAT TOGETHER HAD GOTTEN US CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHERE ONCE WE GOT THE, UH, PERMIT AND GOT THE INCREMENT, WE COULD FINISH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY RELATIVE TO THE WORLD.
AND I REMIND PEOPLE, UM, WE, WE HAVE A REMARKABLE, UM, TREASURE HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAD THE VISION AND THE LEADERSHIP TO PRESERVE THE LAND, BOTH FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC IN, IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, BUT FOR THE, UH, FLOURISHING OF THE SPECIES AND THE OTHER BENEFIT.
AND EVERYONE'S COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE TRAFFIC THAT COMES WITH IT.
THESE LANDS ARE PERMANENTLY OUT OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEY WOULD'VE HAD THOUSANDS OF HOMES ON THAT.
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IT WOULD'VE BEEN COVERED.BUT ALSO, AND I WANT TO THROW THIS ONE IN TOO, BECAUSE WATER, UH, AT ONE POINT I REMEMBER A CITY STAFF PERSON SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE BALCONES IS A SILVER BULLET THAT WE HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT.
AND HELPING TO PROTECT THE CITY'S WATER BECAUSE IT PROTECTS SO MUCH OF BULL CREEK AND OTHER, MANY OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE SOURCES OF WATER THAT ACTUALLY ENTER THE SYSTEM, UH, TO PRO PROVIDE WATER FOR ALL OF US.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A MULTI, YOU KNOW, AND IT WILL ONLY GIVE MORE BENEFITS AS TIME GOES BY.
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT ALL THAT LAND AND THINK, HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? YES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO TELL THE STORY BECAUSE IT WAS A COMMUNITY EFFORT, A HUGE EFFORT.
AND IT HAPPENED JUST BARELY IN TIME.
WELL, I REMEMBER WHEN I ARRIVED HERE IN 1988 AND I MET BILL BUNCH AT A, THERE WAS AN, AN EARTH FIRST CONCERT AT, UH, LIBERTY LUNCH.
SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE GONE NOW.
AND, UM, UH, THEY WERE, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, AUDUBON AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO, UH, SEND POSTCARDS TO US FISH AND WILDLIFE URGING THAT THE BLACK CAT VERIO AND THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER BE LISTED.
'CAUSE THEY'D ALREADY DONE THE SCIENTIFIC WORK.
THEY DOCUMENTED THAT THESE SPECIES WERE IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION.
AND, UH, AND THERE WASN'T ACTION HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND SO THEY BEGAN A, I THOUGHT, A VERY EFFECTIVE CITIZENS CAMPAIGN.
AND, UM, SO THE COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, DESERVE A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT FOR SORT OF KICKING THIS WHOLE PROCESS OFF.
AND GETTING THE, THE SPECIES LISTED AS ENDANGERED, WHICH THEN RAISED THE WHOLE ISSUE OF, WELL, HOW DO WE PROTECT THEM? MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT'S THE GENESIS OF ALL THIS.
PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WHAT WENT INTO IT.
THEY, THEY LOOK AT THE LANDS AND MARVEL AND THINK, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DID A LOT OF REALLY SERIOUS AND VERY CREATIVE WORK.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAD HAD A HAND IN IT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
AND, AND THANK LESLIE FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE THROUGH THESE YEARS.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR CATCHING US UP ON SOME OF THE HISTORY ABOUT A VIDEO.
UH, I'M, UH, IS IT ON THIS, IT'S NEXT.
UH, AND JUST, UH, TO REMIND ME, WE'VE ASSEMBLED LAND AT THE COUNTY, UH, THE CITY AND THE, UH, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND IF YOU PUT ALL THOSE LANDS TOGETHER, WHAT'S THE ROUGH, UH, SIZE OF IT? I KNOW SOMEBODY HERE KNOWS THAT WITH ALL THE LANDS COMBINED.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE WITH THE REFUGE ADDED.
ANYBODY WANNA TAKE A GUESS ON THE REFUGE? WE AROUND 25,000.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE MORE JUST THE, OH, JUST THE REFUGE.
SO THAT, THAT 25 FROM THE REFUGE.
34 FOR THE CITY AND THE COUNTY COMBINED.
WELL, THAT'S ALL THE PARTNERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
IS THERE A WAY WE CAN HAVE, WAS SOMEBODY GONNA SHOW THAT? SURE.
THERE ARE ALSO SOME OF THE CITY'S WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, UH, SHOWN ON THIS MAP AS WELL.
IF WE PUT IT IN FRONT OF THIS TABLE HERE, WILL THE CAMERA BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP? YEAH, I THINK IF HE JUST LEAN IT ON THE TABLE.
UH, MATT, THAT WE PUT TOGETHER OF THE WILD LAND CONSERVATION DIVISION LANDS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
SO IT HAS ALL THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY AND OTHER PARTNERS, VCP LANDS, AND THEN ACTUALLY OTHER CONSERVATION LANDS IN THE AREA, INCLUDING THE REFUGE AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN SOME, UH, CITY PARK LAND.
AND THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, UM, ARE, UH, MANY OF THE WATERSHEDS THAT PROVIDE THE RECHARGE TO THE AQUIFER, WHICH FEEDS BARTON SPRINGS, FLOWS INTO TOWN, LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, AND NOW WILL, UH, HOUSE THE AQUIFER, UH, RECHARGE PROJECT IN AN, UH, IN AN ABANDONED QUARRY THAT THE CITY PURCHASED.
UM, I GOT TO TOUR THAT THE OTHER DAY.
AND JUSTIN BATES IS HERE WHO MANAGES THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DIVISION.
SO PEOPLE WONDER, WELL, HOW HAVE WE MANAGED TO KEEP BARTON SPRINGS TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN STILL SWIM IN IT? THAT'S PART OF THE EXPLANATION.
WE PURCHASED THAT LAND IN ADDITION TO PASSING IN ORDINANCE WANTS EVERYBODY TO PROTECT IT.
IF WE GET IT ON CAMERA, I CAN MOVE IT BACK.
SO YOU HAVE A, THERE'S MORE TO NO, THAT'S IT FOR THAT, THAT'S THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA.
WELL, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR EVERYONE THAT HAD A, A ROLE IN THIS.
'CAUSE I KNOW LOTS OF PEOPLE DID.
[4. Update on Travis County’s Historic 2024 Black-capped Vireo Season– BCP Staff]
ITEM FOUR ON THE AGENDA'S UPDATE ON TRAVIS COUNTY'S HISTORIC 2024 BLACK CAP VERIO[00:25:01]
SEASON.UH, AND THAT PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE FROM BCP STAFF.
I'M GONNA, UM, BIOLOGISTS MANAGERS.
WE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEVER TALK ABOUT BLACK S SO WHEN I WAS INVITED TO DO THIS, I WAS VERY EXCITED.
THIS STEMMED FROM A, UM, A PRESENTATION THAT I HAD, UH, OUR TEMPORARY STAFF DO AFTER THIS LAST SEASON, WHICH WAS A VERY EXCITING SEASON.
UM, OUR STAFF IS ALWAYS VERY EXCITED ABOUT DOING BIRD WORK.
SO AT THE END OF THE SEASON, WE HAVE THESE GATHERINGS AND, UM, BRAG ABOUT WHAT WE, UM, ACCOMPLISHED.
AND, AND USUALLY IT'S VERY HEAVY ON GOLDEN CH WARS 'CAUSE THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
AND, UM, BUT BLACK CAP VERIOS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER US EVER GATHERING, TALKING ABOUT BLACK CAPS MUCH.
AND, UM, BUT, UM, JUST, UH, UH, JUMPING ON WHAT SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYING ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS, I, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO THE, UM, I GUESS IT WAS A BIO BIOLOGICAL ADVISORY TEAM AND ALL THE, UH, EARLY BIOLOGISTS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT KNEW WHERE THESE, THESE BIRDS WERE AND, UH, THAT WE NEEDED TO PROTECT THEIR HABITAT AND TARGETED THOSE, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL OF THE 2000 ACRES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE AREAS LIKE VERIO PRESERVE D DAVENPORT RANCH THERE AND, AND BARTON CREEK PRESERVE.
AND THEN BIG CHUNKS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY JUMPED ON IT EARLY IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
UH, THE, WHAT WE CALL THE JOLLYVILLE UNIT NOW, THE PARK, UM, THESE, THESE AREAS WERE WHERE THE VERIOS WERE AND THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY, BUT THERE WERE QUITE A BIT.
BUT, BUT WE SWOOPED IN AND, AND GOT THEM.
SO, UH, PLACES LIKE THE PARK AND COMANCHE PEAK COMANCHE TRAIL.
SO I LOOKED AT THE HISTORIC MAP AND, AND A GOOD NUMBER OF THOSE BLOBS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED ARE PROTECTED AND, AND THEY'RE BEING, THEY'RE BEING USED NOW.
SO, UM, ANYWAYS, THIS YEAR, UM, WAS EXCEPTIONAL AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKED TO COME IN HERE.
UM, SO I'LL JUST GO OVER SOME QUICK STUFF JUST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO KNOWS WHAT.
BUT, UH, UM, UH, BLACK CAPS ARE ONE OF SIX VERIO SPECIES KNOWN TO BREED IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
THEY'RE, UM, A SMALL VERIO, DISTINCTIVE BLACKHEAD AND BOLD WHITE SPECTACLES, OTHERWISE GREENISH ABOVE WHITEISH UNDER PARTS.
FEMALES ARE, UH, IMMATURES ARE SLIGHTLY DULL.
UM, THIS IS A MALE IN THE PICTURE HERE.
UM, TERRITORIES ARE GENERALLY TWO TO FOUR ACRES.
AND, AND, AND THAT CAN CHANGE SOMEWHAT, BUT THAT'S A, AN AVERAGE.
UM, THEY MIGRATE TO WESTERN MEXICO FOR THE WINTER.
UM, UH, THEY'RE FOUND THROUGHOUT A LOT OF, OF TEXAS.
UM, I DIDN'T MENTION THAT, BUT, UM, MOST OF THE HILL COUNTRY OR A LOT OF THE HILL COUNTRY, UM, OUT TO BIG BEND, UM, UH, VALDI AROUND VALDI, UH, CAMP WOOD, THAT WHOLE AREA, ALL THE WAY UP TO FORT, UH, CASOS AND INTO TO OKLAHOMA.
UM, AS Y'ALL KNOW, 87, IT WAS LISTED DUE TO HABITAT LOSS, DEGRADATION FROM, UH, UH, BRUSH AND CLEARING, UH, DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE, AND OF COURSE FIRE SUPPRESSION.
UH, BROWN HEADED CAL PARASITISM WAS ALSO A CONCERN WHEN THEY LISTED THIS THING.
UM, AND IN 2018, UH, THE VERA WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
UM, FISH, UH, THEIR DECISION TO, UH, DELIST WAS MADE WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT PROTECTED HABITAT WOULD REMAIN INTACT AND CONTINUE TO BE MANAGED FOR THE SPECIES.
SO, UH, THE BCP IS CRITICAL, UM, FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES.
AND I'M GLAD, UH, WE'LL BE PROTECTING THESE BIRDS AND PERPETUITY.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND ME THE REMOVAL OF IT FROM ENDANGERED AND THREATENED? WAS THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A REQUEST FILED TO HAVE THE STATUS REVIEWED? OR WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT FISH JUST, I THINK, I THINK THERE WAS, THERE WAS A STATUS TRIGGER JUST BY TIME.
UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS, UH, WAS THERE A SUIT? LISA, DO YOU WANNA COME UP AND JOIN US? DO YOU WANNA, AND LET'S GRAB ANOTHER MICROPHONE FOR HER.
UM, AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF 'CAUSE YOU ARE THE SCIENTIST WHO'S DONE SO MUCH WORK ON THIS
UH, SO I'M LISA O'DONNELL, I'M ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST SENIOR FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON'S, PORTION OF THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
AND UM, YEAH, THERE ACTUALLY WAS A PETITION TO REMOVE IT TO DOWN LIST AND FISH AND WILDLIFE OVER, WELL, I SHOULD DEFER TO YOU AGAIN,
BUT, UM, YEAH, THEY, FISH AND WILDLIFE ULTIMATELY DECIDED THAT THE VERIO HAD BEEN RECOVERED, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE IT COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST ENTIRELY.
I CAN, I CAN ADD TO THAT, MAYBE NOT ABOUT THE VERY, YOU KNOW, DETAILED SPECIFICS ABOUT THE VE AUS
[00:30:01]
PROCESS.UM, WE SHOULD BE DOING STATUS REVIEWS PERIODICALLY.
WE TRY REALLY HARD TO GET ON THE SCHEDULE WHERE WE'RE DOING THEM ABOUT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE HELP 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT ON OUR PLATE.
AND WE MAY HAVE A PETITION THAT COMES IN, OR WE MAY JUST DO THEM OURSELVES.
AND WHEN WE DO A, A REVIEW, SOMETIMES IT'S A FIVE YEAR REVIEW, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A STATUS REVIEW IN BETWEEN.
UM, WE LOOK AT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S THERE, WE LOOK AT WHAT MEASURES MIGHT BE HAPPENING ON THE LANDSCAPE IN PERPETUITY THAT MIGHT HELP WITH PROTECTION.
AND THEN, UM, WE WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF THAT FIVE YEAR REVIEW OR STATUS REVIEW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE STATUS DOES STAY THE SAME, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE, UH, MOVED FROM ENDANGER TO THREATEN OR VICE VERSA, UM, OR DELIST IT ALL TOGETHER.
AND SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT ENTIRE PICTURE BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN, UM, PRESUMABLY A RULE WOULD FOLLOW THAT.
SO THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IN THIS CASE.
SO I, I DO WANNA MENTION THERE, UM, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HABITAT, BUT THEY ARE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA, THEY ARE, UM, HABITAT MANAGEMENT DEPENDENT.
UM, YOU DON'T FIND, YOU DON'T FIND MUCH BLACK HABITAT JUST THERE OUT HERE IN, IN OUR, OUR AREA.
THE FURTHER WEST YOU GET, YOU CAN ACTUALLY FIND HABITAT THAT'S, UM, UM, UM, SUITABLE WHEN IT GROWS INTO, UM, UM, OLD STAGES.
BUT, BUT IT, IT IS, UM, DEPENDENT ON, ON MANIPULATION OF HABITAT, WHICH, UH, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY DOING.
UM, OKAY, SO, UM, YEAH, SO IT WAS DELISTED.
UM, NOW OUR TEAM, OUR OBLIGATIONS INCLUDE, UH, ENSURING THE PRESERVATION OF 2000 ACRES.
UH, WE REGULARLY MONITOR THE POPULATION AND THE HABITAT.
WE IMPLEMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS, ENHANCE, CREATE SUITABLE BREEDING HABITAT.
UM, WE, UH, RAISE AWARENESS OF THE SPECIES AND ITS HABITAT THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
AND WE ARE, UH, BUSY SUPPORTING RESEARCH INITIATIVES INTO VERIO ECOLOGY AND THREATS.
UM, THAT'S A FEMALE BLACK CAP AT, AT THE NEST.
I DUNNO IF YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE BEEPS OF THE NEST THERE.
UM, OKAY, SO JUST QUICK, THE, THE HABITAT IS UNIQUE.
UH, UH, IT'S PATCHY, SHRUB AND COMPOSED OF DENSE THICKETS AND CLUMPS.
VARYING VARYING SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION, UH, WHERE VEGETATION COVER EXTENDS TO THE GROUND.
UH, PLANT SPECIES COMPOSITION IS VARIABLE, BUT IN OUR, IN OUR AREA, IT'S OFTEN DOMINATED BY CHINOOK.
UM, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE EVERYWHERE, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT LATER.
UM, IT'S OFTEN, UH, EMBEDDED, UH, ADJACENT TO, UH, GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT.
AND OFTEN YOU GET BOTH SPECIES UTILIZING AREA.
SO IN SOME, ON SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES, WE ACTUALLY CO UM, MANAGE HABITAT.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL THERE.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS UNEXPECTED.
I WISH I COULD SAY THAT I KNEW THAT ALL THE WORK I WORKED ON WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, SO THIS SLIDE PRETTY MUCH SUMMARIZES, UM, UM, THE HISTORY OF, OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
I DON'T HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DATA IN HERE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WHEN I STARTED, UH, MY FIRST YEAR WAS, UH, I, I STARTED IN THE END OF THE NINETIES.
UM, THE FIRST CHANCE WE GOT TO GO CHASE VERIOS WAS IN 2001.
AND ALL WE HAD WERE VERIOS, UH, ON THE JOLLYVILLE, UH, PLATEAU JOLLYVILLE UNIT.
UM, UH, YOU CAN SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED OUT WE WERE EXCITED WITH, UM, UM, 1516 TERRITORIES.
UM, I'LL SAY THAT THE, THE, THE AQUALINE IS ABUNDANCE.
ABUNDANCE IS ALWAYS GONNA BE HIGHER THAN, THAN TERRITORIES.
WE DETECT UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DETECT.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE A BREEDING TERRITORY.
A TERRITORY IS A, A, A MALE THAT THAT IS PAIRED, UM, THAT'S THERE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AT A MINIMUM, AND THEN HOPEFULLY, UH, PRODUCES, UH, UH, OFFSPRING.
UM, SO
UM, AND WE PICKED UP A FEW PROPERTIES HERE AND THERE AS WE EXPANDED, UH, THAT AREA.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT JUST, UH, DECLINED, DECLINED, DECLINED, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE WE WERE ONLY MANAGING ABOUT SEVEN TERRITORIES, UM, ON COUNTY LAND.
UM, AND THEN THINGS STARTED IMPROVING A BIT.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THIS, UH, UH, MOMENT NOW TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO OUR MANAGEMENT CREW, UM, MELINDA AND, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOR ACQUIRING THE, THE CODDLY UNIT AND EXPANDING THAT BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY A HUGE GEM FOR NOT JUST THIS SPECIES, BUT GOLDEN CHEEKS AND, UM, UH, CAVES AND, UH, THE TANA CROTON, WHICH IS A PLANT THAT WE MANAGE.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY SINGULARLY ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL, UH, LAND PURCHASES THAT, THAT,
[00:35:01]
UH, WE DID.AND, AND, AND IF I CAN TAKE, UH, JUST A MOMENT TO, UM, REINFORCE HOW REMARKABLE THAT WAS, MELINDA, ARE YOU WILLING TO JUST TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE? I THINK YOU WORKED ON THIS FOR WHAT, 20 YEARS TRYING TO ACQUIRE THIS LAND.
IT, IT WAS, UM, A REAL LABOR OF LOVE AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME AND A LOT OF PERSEVERANCE TALK FROM HERE.
SO WANTS TO BRING A MIC OVER, THAT'LL WORK GREAT TOO.
BUT JUST WE, YOU,
UM, WE HAD OUR EYE ON THE
AND, UM, EVENTUALLY WERE ABLE TO, UM, BUY IT IN, IN STAGES FROM A, UH, IN THE END, A VERY COOPERATIVE LANDOWNER WHO'S BECOME ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SUPPORTERS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS REALLY KEY BECAUSE WE HAD STAFF AT THE TIME THAT HAD DONE A MASTER'S THESIS ON BLACK CAT VERIO AND THEIR FLIGHT PATHS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA HERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT'S, BUT IT'S REALLY OUTSIDE OF OUR ACQUISITION ZONE FOR BCCP.
HOWEVER, UM, THERE WAS A CAVE ON OUR PERMIT THAT HAD BEEN MISSING.
WE'D NEVER, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE LOCATION TILL ROSE FARMER'S LAST DAY OF WORK, SHE FOUND ONE PIECE OF PAPER WITH A LOCATION.
NICO HOWARD WENT OUT AND DID THE SUBSURFACE MAPPING.
WE DISCOVERED WE HAD ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES OF SUBSURFACE, UM, CAVE HABITAT FOR A NAMED CAVE, WHICH, WHICH TIED IT INTO OUR PERMIT.
I'M PROBABLY GETTING OVERLY DETAILED HERE, BUT, AND WAS WHERE WE STARTED CA ON THE PROPERTY? YES.
OH, AND WELL, IT WAS, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ON THE KUCHER RANCH, WHICH WAS, UH, CATHERINE KOALA'S AUNT.
AND, UM, UH, THE FIRST 550 ACRES WAS, UH, UM, DEEDED INHERITED BY SCOTT AND WHITE AFTER MARTHA KUCHER DIED, SCOTT, IT'S SCOTT WHITE HEALTHCARE.
UM, THEN WE BOUGHT THE NEXT PIECE FROM CATHERINE KOOLA, THEN ANOTHER, AND ANOTHER.
BUT IT WAS THAT INITIAL, UM, DISCOVERY OF THE CAVE ON, ON THAT PROPERTY, OUR ABILITY TO BUY THAT.
BUT IT HAD THE ADDED BENEFIT OF BEING RIGHT IN THE AREA WHERE WE NEEDED, UH, BLACK CAT.
AND WE ALWAYS NEEDED MORE BLACK CAT.
WE, WE WERE LOSING EVERYTHING AT THE TIME.
WE WERE IN THE, THE DECLINE 2012 DECLINE.
WE WERE PANICKING, WE WERE LOSING EVEN THE VALUE OF THE, THE VERIO PRESERVE.
AND SO, UM, WE KNEW THIS WAS REALLY, UH, PROMISING EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK YEARS FOR PAUL AND THE STAFF TO WORK ON IT AND, AND DEVELOP IT.
BUT IT, IT, ANYWAY, IT, IT'S, WE'VE SINCE, SINCE FOUND, THEY, THEY NOT, WE, UM,
SABO HABITAT FOR CARS, PLUS BLACK CAP, PLUS GOLDEN CHEEK, OR IT'S JUST ONE OF THE BEST PIECES OF PROPERTY WE'VE EVER BOUGHT.
I DON'T THINK I NEED THE HALF OF THAT, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSEVERANCE.
AND I LOVE IT THAT IT WAS ROSE FARMER'S LAST DAY WHEN SHE FOUND THE CAVE AND THEN NICO UP AND DOWN LIKE
AND I'LL ADD THAT IT'S, IT'S PROXIMITY TO THE REFUGES IS AN ADDED BONUS TOO.
SO, UM, THERE'S EVERYTHING RIGHT THERE.
UH, THE, THE, THE NUMBERS, THE, THE, THE VERIO GETS DELISTED, WE'RE STRESSED ABOUT IT, AND THEN THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE THE MEMO, OR MAYBE THEY DID RECEIVE THE MEMO AND, UM, NUMBERS STARTED INCREASING.
BUT WE WERE HAPPY, WE WERE GETTING GREAT RESULTS ON A LOT OF THE HABITAT.
I THINK THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALSO WAS HAVING, UM, UM, BIG, UH, UPTICKS AS WELL.
AND THEN LAST YEAR HAPPENED, AND YOU CAN SEE ON, ON, UM, ON THIS CHART THAT, UM, WE, WE BASICALLY DOUBLED OUR TERRITORIES JUST ON THE, ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
UM, SPEAKING TO CITY BIOLOGISTS.
THEY, THEY HAD A GOOD YEAR AS WELL, BUT THEY DIDN'T SEE THE NUMBERS, UM, DOUBLE LIKE WE DID, UM,
THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY, THOSE WERE THE TEXTS THAT DID THAT
BUT I'M, I, I WAS LIKE THAT, THAT I WANTED THAT ON, ON THE, UM, VERY CLEVER.
THEY'LL HAVE TO SHOW US ALL HOW TO DO THAT.
I KNOW WE'LL HAVE TO GET NAMAR IN HERE.
SHE WAS OUR TECH TECH SUPPORT.
UM, AND, UM, WE HAD GREAT STAFF THIS YEAR CHASING VERIOS, AND WE HAD TO CHASE VERIOS THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS REALLY QUICK.
A LOT OF THIS MAY BE DULL TO Y'ALL.
UM, UM, I DIDN'T MEAN TO START WITH KOOLA, BUT, BUT IF I HAD MOVED IT, THAT BIRD FLYING AWAY GOT SHIFTED.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
SO I WANTED TO START WITH OUR JOLLYVILLE UNIT, BUT, UM, HERE'S WHAT MELINDA WAS TALKING ABOUT.
[00:40:01]
THE, UM, NEW ACQUISITION OF WHAT WE CALL THE FLYING K, THE ORIGINAL TWO PARCELS, OR THESE TWO HERE WITH, UH, RESS UP, UP ON THE NORTH AS LITTLE, UH, I THINK IT'S FIVE ACRES.UM, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED A, UH, THE UNTRAINED EYE CAN SEE THE, UM, THE BLOB OF BLACK CAT VERIO HABITAT.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS AN AREA THAT WAS RANCHED AND OPEN AND DID NOT LOOK LIKE BLACK CAT VE HABITAT WHEN WE FIRST DROVE THROUGH IN 2014.
UH, BUT I SUSPECTED AND OTHERS THAT WE HAD A GOLD MINE.
UM, SO THIS YEAR, UM, TYPICALLY OUR BIRDS ARE IN THIS PATCH OF, OF HABITAT.
AND AGAIN, WE JUST BOUGHT THIS A FEW YEARS AGO HERE ON THE FLYING K.
WE'VE NEVER HAD BLACK CAP TERRITORIES ON THIS PROPERTY, UH, EVEN WHEN WE HAD PERMISSION TO DRIVE THROUGH TO ACCESS OUR, OUR PROPERTIES.
UM, SO, UH, I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS ISN'T BECAUSE OF SURVEY EFFORT INCREASING.
WE, WE, WE SURVEYED WHERE THE BIRDS ARE ALWAYS, UM, PRESENT AND WE JUST HAD A LOT MORE BIRDS.
UM, WHY DID, I THOUGHT THAT THEY NEEDED, UM, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UM, OF TREE VEGETATION AND GROWTH, BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE, UH, YOU'RE, WE'RE FINDING IT IN AREAS THAT HAD BEEN CLEARED CLEAR.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, IT, UH, BLACK HEAVY HABITAT KNEE IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS, YOU, YOU HAVE TO CREATE IT.
THERE'S VERY FEW PLACES WHERE YOU'RE GONNA STUMBLE ON A PATCH.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT, THAT IT, UM, PATCHES LIKE THAT DON'T EXIST.
THIS RIGHT HERE ARE, ARE, THIS IS AN ACTUAL ROADWAY THROUGH THE WOODS THAT'S, UM, UH, JUNIPER, UH, UH, GOLDEN CHIEF WARBLER, JUNIPER DOMINATED WOODLAND THAT HAS A ROAD CUTTING THROUGH, CREATING EDGE.
THERE'S SOME OLD HISTORIC HUNTING SITES AND LAND MANAGEMENT THINGS.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS A, THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS A TIDE TO, TO MAN MANIPULATING SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT.
SO YOU CAN SEE UP HERE AT ANDRES, UM, WE, I I, I HAD THIS RESTORED UP HERE.
UM, WE, WE BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY NOT ONLY FOR AXIS, BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS DOMINATED WITH, UH, UM, OAK, UH, CHIN, OAK SPECIES IN, IT JUST LOOKED, LOOKED GOOD.
THAT'S THE ONE SPOT WE ACTUALLY DETECTED VERIO IN 2014 WHEN WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH THIS PROPERTY THAT, UM, TO, UH, CHECK IT OUT.
BUT, UH, LET ME JUST SAY, UM, RED DOTS ARE ABUNDANCE.
THAT'S WHERE WE DETECTED BIRDS.
UM, I, I WOULD NOT CLAIM THAT EVERY RED DOT DIDN'T BECOME A TERRITORY, FOR INSTANCE, UM, THIS BIRD RIGHT HERE WAS HERE FOR A WHILE, MAYBE A WEEK AND THEN DISAPPEARED.
UM, HE COULD BE ONE OF THESE GUYS.
UM, UH, EMILY AND I, I, I, UH, WALKED ABOUT WITH, WITH EMILY OUT, OUT, UH, ON HER FIRST WALK OUT THERE.
SHE WANTED TO SEE WHAT WE WERE DOING.
NOT ONLY DID WE CONFIRM, UH, ACTUALLY SHE CONFIRMED THE NON BANDIT STATUS OF THIS BIRD
AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE'S HABITAT THERE.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, YOU COULD SEE, UH, UM, THIS, THIS UNIT IS SPECTACULAR.
AND, UM, I THINK I'VE GOT, UH, NUMBERS TO BACK IT HERE.
UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THESE REALLY QUICK.
BUT YOU CAN SEE WE HAD, WE DETECTED 29 BIRDS OUT THERE LAST YEAR.
WE ONLY DETECTED 11, UH, 16 TERRITORIES LAST YEAR.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE, UM, UH, PRODUCTIVITY DATA THERE.
SO, UM, IT'S A PLACE WHERE ALL THE NESTS, A LOT OF THE NESTS GET EATEN BY SOMETHING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE LAST YEAR WITH FEWER TERRITORIES, THEY PRODUCED 22 BABIES THIS YEAR WITH ALL THOSE TERRITORIES.
UM, HERE'S, HERE'S JOLLYVILLE.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS THE, UM, UH, HIGHLY TARGETED PROPERTY.
UH, ONE OF THE FIRST PROPERTIES THE COUNTY, UH, PURCHASED.
SO THIS IS THE JOLLYVILLE UNIT.
MOST OF THIS YOU CAN SEE ON HERE IS THE JOLLYVILLE UNIT.
THIS IS, UH, NOT TOO UNCOMMON.
WE JUST PICKED UP A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF BIRDS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, UH, TERRITORIES EVERYWHERE.
UH, WE WERE SURPRISED AT OUR ENTRANCE TO OUR PROPERTY.
NOW, UH, TECHNICALLY THIS BIRD OVER HERE ON THIS EDGE WAS NOT FULLY ON, UH, COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY, BUT, BUT, UM, UH, IT, IT DID WELCOME US EVERY MORNING AS WE DROVE INTO NETT SEA.
AND HE, HE, UH, HE, THEY, THEY ENDED UP HAVING A BABY.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME DOWN HERE, UH, ON OUR CUEVAS TRACT, UM, AGAIN, ALONG, UH, UM, AREAS THAT, UH, WERE CLEARED, UH, EITHER FOR TRANSMISSION LINES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE DO STUMBLE ON TERRITORIES IN PLACES THAT, UM, AREN'T, UM, TEXTBOOK HABITAT.
BUT, UM, SO I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, THERE'S, OUR NUMBERS CHANGES.
I'M, I'M, I'M SHOWING LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS TO COMPARE.
YOU CAN SEE THE, THE TRAUMATIC INCREASE.
NOW HERE, WE, WE DID GET A LOT MORE BABIES, SO THIS IS GOOD.
AND WE TALK A LITTLE BIT AT THE END OF THIS ABOUT, UM, DISPERSAL.
AND ACTUALLY I'VE GOT SOME SLIDES ON SOME, UM, INTERESTING THINGS.
UH, LUCAS, THE STEIN AREA, ANOTHER
[00:45:01]
AREA THAT WAS TARGETED, I THINK LISA AND, AND, UM, UM, SHERRY USED TO CHASE BIRDS BACK IN THE NINETIES, EIGHTIES, EIGHTIES.UM, WOW, THIS USED TO BE A DIRT, I THINK THIS WAS A DIRT ROAD OR A ONE LANE ROAD.
UH, THEY, THE ROAD GOT PUT IN AND JUST TOOK OUT ALL THE GOOD HABITAT.
UM, KIDS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50 YEARS.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE COMANCHE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, COMANCHE TRAILS, THIS ROAD, UH, TO THE OASIS AND BEYOND.
UH, COMANCHE PEAK, I THINK IS JUST SOME OF THE, UM, AREAS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS EXACTLY, BUT, UM, THIS WAS A SURPRISE FOR US.
UH, WE'VE HAD THIS BIRD HERE AT, AT STEINER NEXT TO THE, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, LARGE COLONY THAT'S JUST OFF THIS MAP.
UM, HE'S BEEN THERE TWO YEARS.
HE LIKES HANGING OUT IN A LITTLE PATCH OF ATCH THAT'S MANIPULATED BY THE, UH, POWER LINE COMPANIES.
UM, AND THEN WE PICKED UP SOME OF THESE, UH, BIRDS.
UM, HERE'S THE ONES THAT BECAME TERRITORIES.
SO IT'S NICE TO SEE BIRDS UTILIZING THESE OLD AREAS.
UM, I THINK THERE WERE A LOT MORE BACK IN THE DAY.
UM, BUT UP HERE, UH, THIS MIGHT BE COMANCHE PEAK.
UM, THIS IS OUR LAKE TRAVIS BLUFFS AREA WHERE WE SOMETIMES HAVE NO BIRDS.
FOR SOME REASON WE HAD FIVE AND THEY ALL DID WELL EXCEPT FOR ONE.
THIS GUY RIGHT HERE WAS THE BABY OF THIS GUY LAST YEAR.
SO WE BANDED HIM AS A BABY LAST YEAR.
I'M I'LL, I'LL YOU'LL, THEY ALL HAVE UNIQUE NAMES BASED OFF THEIR, UM, BAND COMBINATIONS.
AND, UH, I FORGET WHAT THIS GUY IS.
UM, BUT ACTUALLY I'VE GOT IT LATER ON IN THIS SLIDE.
AGAIN, REALLY, REALLY NICE INCREASE HERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS YOURSELVES FROM TWO TO EIGHT, TWO TO SEVEN.
UM, THE, UM, THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONE I, THE, THE ONE I, WHERE THE BABY CAME FROM.
HIS LAST NEST WAS ABOUT EIGHT FEET FROM SIX 20.
AND, UH, I, I HAVE PICTURES OF IT BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF A RESOURCEFUL LITTLE GUY.
MAYBE SHERRY CAN TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO THIS IS A BLOB OF HABITAT THAT LCRA, UM, WAS.
UM, UH, I DUNNO IF THEY WERE REQUIRED TO CREATE, IT WAS A HUNDRED ACRES, I THINK.
YOU WANNA TELL US ABOUT IT? IT WAS, IT, IT'S HERE.
I'M JUST PULLING EVERYONE INTO MY YEAH.
I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN WATER.
AND I USED TO WORK FOR THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND YES, IT WAS JUST AN AREA THAT WE DECIDED TO TRY TO CREATE HABITAT.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET TO THAT 2000 ACRES OF VERIO HABITAT, AND IT HAD THE RIGHT GEOLOGY AND SOME CHIN OAK AND THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT, UM, WOULD BE GOOD.
IT WAS ACTUALLY CLEARED MORE THAN I ORIGINALLY
SO BEEN A GOOD THING IN THE LONG RUN.
IS THERE A POWER LINE ALONG THERE? WHAT WAS THE, IS WAS THIS JUST SOME LAND THAT LCRA OWNED? THERE'S NOT A POWER LINE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A WATER LINE FOR THE CITY OF CEDAR PARK THAT GROWS ACROSS THE WHEEL LIST TRACK.
AND TRAVIS COUNTY PURCHASED THAT TRACK A FEW YEARS AGO.
UM, SO NOW IT'S OWNED BY TRAVIS COUNTY.
MELINDA HAS BEEN PIECING THIS PUZZLE TOGETHER FOR YEARS AND WATCHING ALL KINDS OF PROPERTY.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BOUGHT THIS FROM LCRA AND, AND WE'VE MADE IT A POINT TO ALWAYS GO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS BLACK CAPS THERE.
AND WE JUST NEVER GOT ANY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
AND THEN THIS YEAR, ALL OF A SUDDEN, UM, FORD DECIDED TO SHOW UP.
SO THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY NEW COLONY.
AND, UM, THEY, UH, I DON'T HAVE NUMBERS TO COMPARE, COMPARE, 'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER HAD BIRDS UP THERE.
SO THE, THE GOOD WORK SHERRY DID WHENEVER HAS PAID OFF.
WHAT DOES HY STAND FOR TOTAL? OH, I'M SORRY.
SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, THOSE ARE THE, THE YOUNG, THE BABIES THAT ACTUALLY LEFT THE NEST.
SO, SO WE DID HAVE, UH, PRODUCTIVE TERRITORIES.
OH, WELL, THIS IS KIND OF EXCITING 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT PART OF THE BCP, BUT, UM, WE'RE COMMITTED, UM, OBVIOUSLY TO, TO MANAGE, UH, ENDANGERED RARE SPECIES ON OTHER PARTS OF TRAVIS COUNTY PROPERTIES.
SO RHYMERS, UM, AND PACE BEND, PACE BEND'S KIND OF AN EXCITING NEWS STORY AND, UH, KIND OF SURPRISE US THIS YEAR.
UM, RHYMERS HAS A, UH, HAS HAD A COUPLE BIRDS THE LAST, UH, SIX YEARS OR SO AFTER THE BIRD THAT, AFTER THE BIG WILDFIRE THAT HAPPENED OUT THERE.
2011, UH, WE PICKED UP A BUNCH OF HABITAT AND, UM, WE, I SUSPECT THAT THIS COULD BECOME A, A MASSIVE COLONY OF BLACK CAT BURIALS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY, WE, WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF A STEP BACK AS FAR AS TERRITORIES.
YOU CAN SEE WE ONLY HAD THREE.
UM, BOTH OF THESE TWO HAD, UH,
[00:50:01]
YOUNG, THIS ONE ONLY COUNTED AS A TERRITORY, UM, JUST BECAUSE HE LINGERED AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO CALL IT A TERRITORY.SO, UM, PACE BEND, UH, WHERE, WHERE YOU SEE KIND OF, WELL, RIGHT HERE, THIS, THIS GREEN DOT, UM, BASICALLY WE HAD A, WE HAD A BIRD I STUMBLED ON LAST YEAR.
UM, MY BOSS LINDA HAD ME GO OUT THERE.
THE PARK STAFF WANTED TO, UM, CLEAR SOME, UM, UM, HABITAT OR NOT HA HABITAT.
WE WANTED TO DO SOME WORK DURING BREEDING SEASON.
UM, AND WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA DO SOMETHING IN OCCUPIED HABITAT OF GOLDEN CHIEF WARBLERS.
THIS IS ZONE ONE HABITAT UP HERE.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD MANY WARBLERS.
UM, I THINK JOHN KOOLS GROUP STUMBLED ON ONE OVER HERE.
WE, WE COULDN'T DETERMINE IF IT WAS, UM, A BREEDING TERRITORY.
BUT, UM, UM, THIS IS A SIDE NOTE.
THIS YEAR WE ACTUALLY HAD FOUR BREEDING GOLDEN CHIEF WARBLERS UP HERE.
SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE MULTIPLE TERRITORIES OF GOLDEN, SHES UP ON FACEBOOK, BUT I STUMBLED ON THE FIRST BREEDING, UM, SUCCESSFUL BREEDING ONE DOWN HERE.
UM, RIOS ARE POPPING UP AT, AT BECAUSE OF THE BURN PROGRAM OUT THERE AT PACE BEND.
AND, UM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH STAFF OUT THERE TO, UM, UM, HELP MANAGE THEM.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE HAD, WE WENT FROM ONE SUCCESSFUL TERRITORY LAST YEAR TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAD, UH, ACTUALLY HAD TWO, TWO SETS OF BABIES LAST YEAR.
UM, THIS YEAR THEY PRODUCED 11, SO PAY BEND'S ANOTHER SPOT.
SO AGAIN, NOT PART OF OUR, WE DON'T COUNT THE PARK ACREAGE TOWARDS THE 2000 OBLIGATION.
UM, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, HABITAT OUTSIDE OF THE BCP AND I'M GLAD WE'RE PROTECTING IT.
UM, I WON'T, UM, THESE ARE JUST BASICALLY A LOT OF THINGS.
I I, YOU KNOW, WE, THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE, THE 114 BABIES, WE'VE NEVER HAD THAT MANY BLACK CAT VE BABIES PRODUCE.
SO THIS COULD BE A BIG TREND IF, IF, IF A FRACTION OF THOSE SURVIVE AND, AND, AND MOVE, MOVE BACK TO OUR AREA, UM, OR ONTO THE CITY'S PROPERTY OR A NEIGHBORING MANAGER MANAGING PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT SEE A, UM, UPTICK IN GENERAL.
SO, SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS JUST A BLIP OR, OR, UM, UM, WILL THIS BE THE NEW REALITY WHERE WE HAVE 55, 52 TERRITORIES? UM, PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH SOME QUICK THINGS HERE.
WE DO, UH, BAN THE, THE NESTLINGS.
WE HAVE A FEW, FEW PEOPLE APPROVED TO DO THAT, AND WE'RE LEARNING SOME GREAT DATA, UH, FROM THAT.
UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME RANDOM, UH, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STATES OF, OF NESTS.
UM, SADLY, PACE BEN, UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, WE HAD ABOUT NINE INSTANCES OF BLACK CAP.
UM, UH, BROWN HEAD, CAL PARAM, THERE'S A RIO NEST.
UM, UM, THE ONE, UH, WE CALL WALDO, HIS SECOND NEST GOT, UM, PARASITIZED AND ABANDONED.
SO, UM, IT WAS A FAILED NEST, THESE TWO.
AND WHEN YOU SAY PARASITIZED, FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, IT'S WHERE THE COWBIRDS BASICALLY TAKE OVER THE NEST, KICK OUT THE, THE VERIO EGGS AND LAY THEIR OWN, RIGHT? SURE, SURE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY A NEAT BIRD.
UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
UM, UM, HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS KIND OF THROWN THINGS OUT OF, UM, KILTER.
AND, UH, INSTEAD OF THEM MIGRATING AND FOLLOWING HERDS OF BUFFALO, OF COURSE WE GOT RID OF THE BUFFALO.
WE BROUGHT IN HORSES AND COWS AND GOATS.
AND SO NOW THESE BIRDS ARE MORE SENTIENT AND, UM, STAY IN, STAY IN ONE, ONE AREA, AND THEY CAN REALLY DO, THEY CAN WREAK HAVOC.
UM, UM, LUCKILY, UM, WITH OUR VERIA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF, OF THEY OFTEN CAN TELL THEY GOT PARASITIZED AND THEY'LL JUST ABANDON THE NEST.
UM, HOWEVER, THIS, THIS, THIS IS ONE OF THE PACE BEND.
UM, THIS WAS, UM, HOBBS HOBBS, UH, THE ONLY NEST WE FOUND, I FOUND IT THAT WHEN THEY WERE FEEDING IT, AND THESE ARE TWO BIG, UH, BROWN HEADED CALIBER CHICKS, SO THAT NEST FAILED AND, AND THEN HE DIS DISAPPEARED AFTER THAT.
UM, SOMETIMES WE STUMBLE ON NESTS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FIND AFTER THE FACT, ONE OF THE WAYS WE DO DETERMINE, AND WE COULD TELL THAT THEY HAD SUCCESSFUL BABIES IS WHAT WE CALL DANDER IN THE NEST.
IT'S KIND OF FUN WHEN WE STUMBLE ON A NEST AND ACTUALLY SEE THIS DANDER THAT'S BASICALLY DANDRUFF THAT THE, THE, UH, FEATHER SHE THAT FLAKE OFF WHEN THE BABIES, UM, POP OUT OF THE NEST.
UM, THIS IS A GIANT, UH, PIE GRAPH, BUT UH, WE FOUND 55 NESTS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE MO THE MOST FAIL MORE THAN HALF WILL FAIL FOR, FOR SOME REASON WE HAD EVERYTHING FROM PARASITISM, MOST OF IT, I THINK 20 SOMETHING OF THESE NESTS.
SNAKES, JAYS ROADRUNNERS, WHO KNOWS.
UM, A LOT OF THEM JUST GET ABANDONED, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY'LL ABANDON.
WE HAD ONE THAT GOT BLOWN OUT WITH, UM, WINDSTORMS. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.
I, I READ THAT WITH THE, WITH THE CHANGE IN CLIMATE, THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE PREDICTING FIERCER, WINDIER
[00:55:01]
SPRINGS AND, UM, NOT ONLY ON THE COUNTY'S PROPERTY, BUT OTHER PROPERTIES I'VE, I'VE FOUND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, NEST, THAT HAVE JUST BEEN BLOWN OUT OF, OUT OF TREES.UM, THESE ARE OLD THREE OLD GUYS, UH, RANDALL BOGGS SHERBERT AND OUR GP, UM, WE NAME 'EM AFTER THEIR COLOR BANDS.
THESE GUYS, UH, ARE ON OUR JOLLYVILLE UNIT.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE OLD.
UM, THEY LIVE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, THEY YELL AT EACH OTHER.
UM, UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE OLD BIRDS.
THIS ONE'S AT LEAST EIGHT YEARS OLD, AND THIS ONE'S AT LEAST EIGHT YEARS OLD, SO I DON'T, I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.
I DIDN'T THINK THEY WOULD RETURN THIS YEAR, BUT ALL THREE OF THEM DID.
AND THEY, THEY, THEY LOVE TO HATE EACH OTHER.
HOW LONG DO THEY, HOW LONG DO THEY LIVE AVERAGE PASTORING? THESE, THESE SMALL BIRDS WILL LIVE 3, 4, 5.
SO TO BREAK FIVE YEARS IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD.
AND THESE GUYS COME BACK EIGHT YEARS.
WHAT IS THE ONE AT, UH, THE, THE ONE THAT WAS ON SWITCHBACK? SWITCHBACK? WAS HE LIKE 11? 11? YEAH.
SO, SO THERE WAS ONE THAT LIVED UP TO 11.
SO MAYBE WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
I'LL KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED, BUT THESE GUYS ARE COOL.
AND, UM, ARE THOSE THE POWER RANGERS? THOSE ARE THE POWER RANGERS, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GO BACK.
YEAH, THOSE ARE FOR MY CHILDREN'S TELEVISION WATCHING.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING ABOUT 40 TO 50 BIRDS THAT ALL HAVE NAMES, UM, BASED OFF THEIR COLORED BANDS AND EVERYTHING FROM SPONGEBOB TO, YOU KNOW, SUPERHERO NAMES AND SPORTS NAMES
UM, HERE'S OUR, UH, THIS IS NEAT.
UM, SO MEGA MINE
SO WE, WE STUMBLED ON TWO BIRDS THAT WE BANDED LAST YEAR, AND NOW THEY CAME BACK THIS YEAR.
UM, NEITHER OF 'EM WERE SUCCESSFUL.
THEY, THEY, THEY HAD FEMALES, BUT THEY, UM, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE YOUNG.
AND DO THEY PAIR FOR LIFE OR IS IT NOT A NO PAIR? NO, THEY WON'T.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S, THERE'S PAIR SWITCHING EVEN MID-SEASON.
SO WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE, UM, WE'LL HAVE A, A MALE WITH A FEMALE, AND THEN THAT FEMALE WILL PAIR WITH ANOTHER MALE AT TIMES.
SO, SO, BUT, AND ALSO WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE BIRDS.
THE ONE AT PACE BEND, FOR INSTANCE.
WE PAIRED, THEY BOTH GOT BANDED LAST YEAR, THE MALE FEMALE, AND THEY CAME BACK AND THEY'RE STILL TOGETHER.
UM, UH, LET'S SEE, WALDO'S, THAT ONE AT PACE BEND ALL, WE FOUND THREE OF THEIR NESTS.
THEY, HE LIKES TO BUILD HIS NEST WITH TRASH.
SO THAT'S, UH, THE TEXT THREW THIS IN JUST FOR A PICTURE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, UH, PLASTIC BAGS IN THE, UM, IN THE NEST.
UM, ACTUALLY BOTH THESE NESTS WERE SUCCESSFUL.
IS THAT THREE CHICKS IN THAT NEST? THREE CHICKS IN THAT NEST? YEAH.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE UP TO FOUR.
UM, I THINK IN SOME WEIRD, WEIRD, WEIRD RARE TIME THAT SOMETIMES YOU'LL GET A FIFTH ONE.
BUT IT'S, I'VE ONLY HEARD ABOUT IT IN A STORY, BUT IT'S GENERALLY TWO, ONE TO ONE TO FOUR.
'CAUSE TWO OF OUR NESTS THIS YEAR ON TWO SEPARATE PROPERTIES, UH, THEY UTILIZE SNAKE SKIN.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY THEY, BUT THIS ONE, THIS ONE'S LITERALLY WRAPPED AROUND ALL THE ENTIRE NEST.
THE SNAKES WILL EAT THEM, RIGHT? SNAKES? WELL, I, THERE ARE, THERE ARE STUDIES THAT, THAT MAYBE IT, THAT DETTER SNAKES, IF THEY, THEY SMELL ANOTHER SNAKE NEARBY THAT MAYBE IT'LL KEEP, KEEP IT AWAY.
BUT ONE OF THEIR MAJOR PREDATORS, AND I, I THINK IT GOES WITH GOLDEN CHEEKS TOO, OR ARE THE TEXAS RAT SNAKES AND, UM, THEY JUST GOBBLE UP THE BABIES AND SAD.
MAYBE THIS IS THE, THIS IS, UH, I WAS TELLING YOU HOW WE HAD, WE HAD BIRDS OUT AT PACE BEND HERE.
AND WEEKS LATER, UM, WE STUMBLED ON A NEW BIRD, UM, AT THE END OF THE SEASON.
AND IT TOOK US A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE HECK HE WAS.
AND WE FINALLY GOT THE CAMERA ON HIM AND WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT, THAT BACKPACK, THAT THE VOLUNTEERS NAMED HIM BACKPACK.
UM, HE WAS BANDED HERE BY OUR STAFF.
UH, OR MAYBE, MAYBE, UM, CITY STAFF MIGHT HAVE HELPED WITH THAT ONE.
AND HE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ROUTE HE TOOK.
I, I ASSUME HE WENT ALONG THE, THE RIVER, MAYBE A LOT OF IT.
BUT WHY HE ENDED UP ON THIS RIDGE AWAY FROM ANY MAJOR WATER SOURCE IS BIZARRE.
ESPECIALLY OUR OLA TRACT IS JUST NORTH OF THIS POINT, AS IS THE FISH AND WILDLIFE REFUGE WITH A LOT OF VERIO HABITAT.
SO, SO THIS WAS A NEAT, UM, SHIFT, TERRITORIAL SHIFT MIDSEASON.
UM, HE DID PAIR WITH A FEMALE.
HE WAS ALSO HANGING OUT WITH AN OLD BABY.
UM, BUT, UH, ANYWAYS, THERE WOULD'VE BEEN SOUND ON THAT, BUT I GUESS IT'S NOT.
BUT ANYWAYS, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, STORIES? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO THE NEW LANDS THAT WERE PURCHASED, UM, BY THE COUNTY, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, CLOSE TO THE RHYMERS TRACK, UM, ARE THOSE BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY HAVING SURVEYS AT THEM OR WILL THEY START THIS YEAR TO KIND OF BE COUNTED INTO THAT? UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WON'T BE COUNTED TOWARDS, UM, BCP.
[01:00:01]
GONNA BE MANAGING IT AS, AS PARKLAND, BUT THEY'RE GREAT STEWARDS WHEN IT COMES TO ENDANGERED SPECIES.SO IF, IF THERE'S HABITAT OF, OF WHATEVER SPECIES, UM, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE, UH, TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO, TO GO LOOK, UM, AT SOME POINT.
UM, SO OUR STAFF I DON'T THINK KNOWS MUCH ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S OUT THERE, BUT IT'S BIG AND IT IS CLOSE TO RHYMERS, WHICH IS, UM, UM, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE RKG PROPERTY? YEAH, ANOTHER GREAT, GREAT.
SO IT HASN'T BEEN, THERE'S BEEN NO SURVEYING DONE ON IT YET.
NO, AND I'LL, YOU KNOW, UM, EMILY WILL HAVE TO DIRECT IF, IF OUR STAFF WILL, WILL, UM, MAYBE TAKE A SHOT AT IT OR, UH, HELP TRAIN SOME OF THEIR NEW NATURAL RESOURCES TYPE STAFF THAT THEY HAVE.
SO, UM, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE, WE'RE INTERESTED FOR SURE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, I'VE HEARD THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, NICE THINGS OUT THERE, SO I'M GLAD IT'S PROTECTED.
SO DO WE NEED, WE DON'T NEED ANY AUTHORIZATION TO HAVE THE FOLKS GO OUT AND DO THE SURVEYS.
THE BIRDS
SO DO WE KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE, THE, THE DECLINE IN 2012? 'CAUSE THE, THESE LANDS WEREN'T DEVELOPED.
IT WASN'T LIKE THEY WERE, WELL, LIKE, WE STOPPED DEVELOPMENT ON THEM.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017? 'CAUSE THAT WAS A STEEP DE DECLINE AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HABITAT GROWS OUT OF HABITAT.
AND EVEN WHEN WE RESTORE IT, YOU KNOW, WE SAY I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY I RESTORED, YOU KNOW, WES BAILEY AND I RESTORED 25 ACRES IN 2000, 2001.
'CAUSE IT TAKES ANOTHER, SOMETIMES SIX TO EIGHT YEARS BEFORE IT BECOMES SUITABLE.
SO YOU, YOU KIND OF KNOCK IT BACK IN SUCCESSION.
UM, UM, AND SO SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES TIME.
UM, THE DROUGHT, THE 20 11, 12, THAT, THAT WAS, THAT, THAT'S WHEN THERE WAS A BIG, UM, I DUNNO IF I CAN GO BACK TO THE, WHICH IS WHAT SURPRISES ME THAT WE'VE HAD SUCH AN INCREASE NOW.
'CAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A OH, UM, SHORTAGE OF RAIN.
AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, THE HABITAT DID TAKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD SEE THE HABITAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT TAKE OFF.
'CAUSE THAT WAS SUCH A 2011, THAT WAS THE DROUGHT, REMEMBER? THAT'S WHERE THE FIRE OCCURRED OUT AT, AT, AT RIRS.
THINGS JUST WERE NOT LOOKING GOOD.
I, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA CONSIDER, UM, INVERTEBRATE, INVERTEBRATE POPULATION.
SO THEIR FOOD SOURCES IS PROBABLY TAKING A HIT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE'S GONNA BE A BIG THING WE GOTTA WORRY ABOUT ABSOLUTELY.
YOU, YOU DON'T YOU, IT'S NOT JUST THE WATER OR THE HOT DAYS.
IT'S EV EVERYTHING CUMULATIVE IS GONNA TAKE, IS GONNA IMPACT, UM, EVERYTHING.
NOT JUST, NOT JUST THE, THE BIRDS, BUT, UH, CARS, UH, INVERTEBRATES AND WHATNOT.
SO I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS THE HISTORY OF, OF ALL TRAVIS COUNTY MANAGED TRACKS SINCE 2000.
UM, IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, A ACQUISITIONS, SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR, AND OR WE WERE TARGETING JUST LIKE, UH, MELINDA SAID PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE GONNA ENHANCE, UH, OUR, OUR OUR NUMBERS OF ACRES.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE BLEND OF, OF, UM, THINGS THAT LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE THINK IT LOOKS LIKE HABITAT OR IT COULD BE HABITAT.
WELL, I'VE, I'VE CREATED IN MY MIND A LOT OF HABITAT THAT HASN'T EVEN, HAS ONLY BARELY BEEN TOUCHED.
NOW, WHAT I THINK IS HABITAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, BUT THESE BIRDS, SOME OF THESE BIRDS ARE PICKY
AND THEN, AND THEN YOU WORK ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY CREATING HABITAT.
WE, WE'VE EVEN IMPLEMENTED FIRE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE MEETINGS ABOUT IT.
WE, WE DISCUSS, WE HIRE PEOPLE TO HELP US, UM, CREATE IT.
AND SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES YEARS FOR SOMETHING TO GET DISCOVERED.
AND THEN YOU DRIVE DOWN THE LINE AND YOU FIND ONE USING THIS LIKE EMPTY LOT
AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? I KNOW AROUND SIX 20.
HOW WEIRD IS THAT? SO, UM, I THINK LINDA AND I TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT 2000 ACRES THAT, THAT APPARENTLY WE, WE, WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE HIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PROBABLY SHOULD LOOK AT THAT AGAIN, SEE WHERE WE ARE ON IT.
UM, UM, I, I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY HAVE THAT MUCH HABITAT IN THE COUNTY.
UM, NOW HOW MUCH I, I, I DID BACK IN NAPKIN AND I ONLY A, ABOUT 350 ACRES OF COUNTY LAND, NOT, NOT, NOT COUNTING RHYMERS AND PACE BEND, BUT ONLY 350 WAS OCCUPIED.
SO OCCUPIED VERSUS HABITAT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO, SO WE CAN CREATE AND PRODUCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IN THE MARKET OF BUYING VE HABITAT ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO, TO LOOK AT.
BUT, UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CREATE IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR THEY CAME, I MEAN, THEY CAME BIG TIME.
THERE WAS JUST A HUGE AMOUNT OF BLACK CAT BEERS.
[01:05:01]
CHART IS REALLY KIND OF BAFFLING BECAUSE YEAH, THAT'S DECLINES IN 2017.AND THEN DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC 20 YEAH.
AND THEN IN 22, OR THE START OF 23 IS NOT EXACTLY CLEAR.
BUT IT PLATEAUS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING THINGS COMING OUT OF, UH, THAT PERIOD, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO MAYBE THIS HAD SOME BEARING ON IT, BUT IT'S REALLY AN UNUSUAL GRAPH.
WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU A, YEAH, WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE NEXT YEAR.
WE'LL SEE IF, IF, UM, MY GUT IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME GOOD NUMBERS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANKS EVERYONE.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE BCP PARTNER REPORT.
[5. BCP Partner Report Highlights – BCP Staff]
UM, BCP STAFF WILL LEAD THAT.HI, I'M LINDA, LOCK RESERVE PLAN MANAGER FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND I'LL JUST COVER A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR REPORT.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK PAUL FOR, UH, THAT GREAT PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTING OUR, OUR VERIO PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN TELL, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO MONITOR THE POPULATION AND RESTORE THE HABITAT.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR US TO SEE THE POPULATION INCREASE LIKE THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A NEW MONITORING PROGRAM WE'RE STARTING, WHICH IS TO LOOK AT BAT THE BAT POPULATION ON THE PRESERVE.
SO WE'RE, WE WILL SOON BE SETTING UP BAT UH, ACOUSTIC MONITORING, UH, STATIONS AROUND THE BCP TO RECORD BAT, UH, ECHOLOCATION CALLS.
AND YEAH, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT, UH, HOW MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW BATS ARE UTILIZING THE PRESERVE.
AND THIS WILL GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT SPECIES ARE FOUND HERE AND WHAT, UH, HABITAT TYPES THEY'RE USING.
AND WE'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE TRICOLORED BAT, WHICH BE, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, UH, MAY SOON BE LISTED AS A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES.
AND THE DATA WE COLLECT, UH, WILL BE ADDED TO THE NORTH AMERICAN BAT MONITORING PROGRAM DATABASE, WHICH IS, UH, WHICH IS WHERE SCIENTISTS, UH, FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA SHARE THEIR RESULTS, UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THE ENTIRE POPULATION.
I JUST, UH, SAW A STORY ABOUT HOW MASSIVE NUMBERS OF BATS, UM, AT LEAST THEIR HABITAT WERE GONNA BE DESTROYED OR DISTURBED WITH THE I 35 OH WORK.
I, I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THAT PARTICULARLY, BUT BATS AS A WHOLE ARE YES.
KIND OF SUFFERING FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS BETWEEN, UM, UH, WHITE NOSE SYNDROME, UM, THAT IS A DISEASE THAT, OR THAT'S KILLING BATS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WIND TURBINES, MORTALITY THEY HAVE AND STUFF.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CONCERN ABOUT A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT BAT SPECIES.
I CAN'T TELL IF THIS IS ON, IT'S ON, IT'S ON PERMANENTLY, UM, THAT BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL AND, UM, MR. TYLER WORKING WITH TXDOT TO MITIGATE ON THE, 'CAUSE IT'S REMOVAL OF A NUMBER OF BRIDGES.
UM, THEY'VE GOT BACK BOXES OUT THERE.
IT WAS A PRETTY EXTENSIVE PIECE IN THE, IN THE NEWSPAPER TODAY.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT WE DISCOVERED A NEW TAWNY CRAZY, AN POPULATION AT, UH, AT SANDY CREEK PARK, WHICH IS, AND TELL PEOPLE WHAT THAT IS FOR ANYBODY WHO'S, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO OUR WHEEL LIST TRACK.
UH, TAWNY CRAZY AUNTS ARE AN INVASIVE ANT SPECIES, UM, THAT SHOWED UP PROBABLY ABOUT A DECADE AGO.
UH, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE SOME SMALL POPULATIONS ON THE PRESERVE.
UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MANAGE THEM AS BEST WE CAN.
WE DO, UH, SOME RESEARCH WITH DR.
ED LEBRON FROM, UH, UT TO, UH, HELP US CONTROL POPULATIONS WITH A, THERE'S A MICRO SRID THAT CAN, UM, IS SPECIFIC TO TONY CRAZY ANTS THAT CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, REDUCE OR LIMIT THE POPULATIONS.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT, THAT, THAT'S EFFECTIVE.
I REMEMBER IT, IT IS PRESENTATION A WHILE BACK THAT IT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE APPLICATION.
I MEAN, WEREN'T SURE HOW EFFECTIVE IT COULD BE.
IT'S IT, UM, IN SOME POPULATION IT COMPLETELY WIPES 'EM OUT AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN COME BACK, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN HELPFUL.
UH, WE HAVE ONE POPULATION, UM, KIND OF NEAR OUR, UM, OUR
[01:10:01]
OFFICE.AND THAT POPULATION IS BASICALLY COMPLETELY DECLINED, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT MICRO MICROS IAN PARASITE, AND THEY'RE CALLED CRAZY ANTS.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST THIS WILD ACTIVITY.
THEY'RE LITTLE TINY ANT THAT JUST, UH, MOVES AROUND REAL IRREGULARLY IN CRAZY FASHION.
THEY, THEY CAN BE IN, UM, THEY GET IN BUILDINGS, THEY GET IN ELECTRICAL OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, OUTLETS AND STUFF.
AND THEY CAN CAUSE REAL HAVOC TO, UM, NOT ONLY WILD AREAS WHERE THEY, UH, CAN VERY MUCH LIMIT OTHER INVERTEBRATES, BUT ALSO, AND KILL, AND KILL OFF, UM, BIRD BABY BIRDS.
AND, AND THEN ALSO IN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN JUST IN, UH, URBAN AREAS TOO, THEY CAN CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE.
SO ANYWAY, WE, WE NOTIFIED THE PARK STAFF AT SANDY CREEK AND PROVIDED THEM WITH BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND SOME INFORMATION THEY CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT THE SPREAD OF, UH, THESE INVASIVE ANTS ON THOSE SITES.
AND THEN MOVING ON TO LAND ACQUISITION, TRAVIS COUNTY RECENTLY ACQUIRED A NEW TRACT, UH, CALLED THE, UM, HSD SIX 20 TRACT.
AND THIS 19 ACRE TRACT IS LOCATED IN THE CYPRESS CREEK MACRO SITE.
AND IT'S, UM, FAIRLY CLOSE TO OUR FIELD OFFICE.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO CON LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS ON OUR PLANS FOR THE BCP BUILDING.
UH, THE RENOVATION WORK FOR THE SECOND FLOOR, WHICH IS WHERE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, STAFF WILL BE OFFICED IS CURRENTLY OUT FOR BID, AND WE EXPECT THE CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN EARLY 2025.
AND THIS IS THE, THE SITE THAT, THAT WILL BECOME THE VISITOR CENTER.
SO EVERYBODY, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN
I KNOW WE WANTED TO SHOW IT OFF LAST YEAR AND WE HAD THE, UH, YEAH, THE NACO, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES CONFERENCE HERE IN, IN, UH, AUSTIN, AND IT WAS TOO SOON, BUT IT'S OUT ON SIX 20 OFF OF WILSON WILSON PARK ROAD, WILSON AVENUE, THE OLD SAS SITE FOR ANYBODY THAT REMEMBERS THAT.
AND THE BEAUTY OF IT WAS THAT THEY HAD 95 ACRES OF LAND THAT THEY WORKED WITH OUR STAFF, OUR BCP STAFF ON TO CREATE TRAILS TO PROTECT THE AREAS THAT HAD, UM, HABITAT AND, UM, POTENTIAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ON IT.
AND SO IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT LOCATION.
AND THE PLANS FOR THE VISITOR CENTER HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS PART OF THE PERMITTING REVIEW PROCESS.
SO WE'VE ALREADY SENT THE 50% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS TO THE CITY, AND THEN THE 90% DOCUMENTATION IS DUE LATER THIS MONTH.
SO THAT'S MOVING ALONG TOO, SO THAT THAT PERMITTING PROCESS IS CURRENTLY GOING ON.
AND WHAT, WHAT DO WE THINK IS THE, THE, THE TIMEFRAME FOR COMPLETION WHEN IT CAN BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? OH, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SAY.
I WOULD SAY TWO, TWO YEARS THAT THE EARLIEST AND PROBABLY THREE TO FOUR, IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD SAY?
THIS IS REALLY TAKING A LONG TIME.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SPEED IT UP, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
IT'S A, IT'S A PRETTY BIG PROJECT WITH A BIG PROJECT.
NOT ONLY THE VISITOR CENTER, BUT ALL THE GROUNDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, DESIGNING NICE TRAILS ON IT AND EVERYTHING.
SO, BUT IT'S GONNA BE REALLY NEAT WHEN IT IS COMPLETED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? UM, I JUST, UH, IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, IT'S SAYS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE VERY TOP OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY BCP ACTIVITIES, 38, UH, BCCP APPLICATIONS RECEIVED PROCESS SIX, PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATES ISSUED, UM, X AMOUNT IN MITIGATION PAYMENTS AND A SPLIT 50 50 BETWEEN TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO THAT'S DEVELOPMENT THAT PAYS TO OFFSET THE IMPACT THAT THEIR DEVELOPMENT HAS, AND THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO PURCHASE MORE LAND AND PRESERVE MORE HABITAT.
SO IT'S THIS PRETTY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP THAT, UM, I THINK HAS WORKED WELL.
UM, AND WE'VE OBVIOUSLY SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS IN IT.
SO AGAIN, A BIG NOTE OF GRATITUDE TO, UH, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL FOR HER AND HER TEAM FOR CREATING THIS MECHANISM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, LESLIE? ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
AND NOW WE HAVE THE CITY REPORT.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION WITH AUSTIN WATER.
UH, AND, UH, YEAH, IT'S VERY TO BE HERE.
AND SINCE WE SAW YOU AT OUR LAST MEETING, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS VERY MUCH THE HEIGHT OF THE, THE FIELD SEASON.
AND SO WE WERE ALSO DOING MONITORING ON, UH, CITY PROPERTIES.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND, UH, EXCITING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT, UH, OUR STAFF
[01:15:01]
WAS OUT, UH, MONITORING BRACKED TWIST FLOWER, UH, THREATENED PLANT SPECIES.AND THIS YEAR WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR BRACKETED TWIST FLOWER.
WE, UH, OUR STAFF AND OTHERS DISCOVERED 3000 PLANTS.
UH, THE, THE NEXT BEST NUMBER WAS IN 2019, WHERE WE DISCOVERED 2200.
SO A REAL BIG, UH, INCREASE A GREAT YEAR FOR THOSE BRACKED TWIST FLOUR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WE BENEFITED, I'M SURE, UH, KATE AND JEREMY MIGHT TALK ABOUT OUR RECITING PROGRAM, BUT WE HAD 61 VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED ON 31 DIFFERENT 100 ACRE PLOTS AND ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO TRY AND, UH, PUT THEIR EYES ON BANDED BIRDS.
UH, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BANDED IN PAST YEARS.
SO A REAL GREAT CITIZEN SCIENCE EFFORT THAT WE BENEFIT FROM, UH, AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
I, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY TO TRY AND PUT PROTECTIONS ON SOME OF THOSE UNPROTECTED LISTED CAVES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, SOME OF OUR STAFF HAS BEEN OUT, HAS ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING ON SURVEYING AND EXCAVATING TWO CAVES ON THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE THAT COULD BE POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTIONS FOR, UH, SOME OF OUR UNPROTECTED CAVES.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AT THE CITY WITH A PD, ACTUALLY HAD SOME, UH, STAFF MEMBER GET UP IN THE A PD HELICOPTER TO LOOK FOR NEW OAK WILT INFESTATIONS.
AND, UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS YEAR WE DIDN'T DISCOVER ANY NEW OAK WILT LOCATIONS REALLY.
UH, AND WE, YEAH, AFTER ALL OF THAT, AFTER ALL THAT EXTREME STRESS FROM TWO ICE STORMS, SO WOW.
WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A, A TRENCHING PROJECT RIGHT NOW, UH, TO TRY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, STOP THE SPREAD WHERE WE HAVE IT.
UH, AS, AS LINDA MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, TAWNY, CRAZY ANTS, WE ALSO HAVE THOSE ON OUR LIME CREEK TRACTED, UH, AND WORKING IN THIS IN THE SPRING OF 2025 TO INOCULATE THOSE WITH THAT PATHOGEN.
I'LL JUST NOTE ONE OTHER INTERESTING, UH, PART OF THAT UT PARTNERSHIP.
LABRUN IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UH, A, A WAY TO POTENTIALLY INOCULATE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANTS.
SO HE'S LOOKING AT ANOTHER, I THINK IT'S A VIRAL, UH, INFECTION TO TRY AND, UM, INOCULATE RED, IMPORTED FIRE ANTS TO TRY AND KNOCK DOWN THEIR NUMBERS IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE INOCULATE THEM SO THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE.
SO IN THE SAME WAY THAT, THAT WE'VE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HE'S DONE THIS WORK WITH TNY CRAZY ANTS, INTRODUCING A PATHOGEN, WHICH THEN REDUCES THE POPULATION NUMBERS, CAUSES COLLAPSE IN THOSE POPULATIONS.
UM, AS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP THIS YEAR, HE'S BEGINNING SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A, A VIRAL APPROACH THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE THAT SAME EFFECT.
SO HOW DOES HE INTRODUCE IT TO THE AUNT? RED, RED IMPORTED FINANCE? I'M, I'M NOT, SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE MIGHT KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT THAT WOULD BE ING IF, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GET HEARD.
JUST A QUICK LITTLE SIDE NOTE.
WE'VE JUST BEEN TRAINING, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY PARK STAFF ON THIS.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT ABOUT IT A FANTASTIC LITTLE BIT.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, HE JUST TAKES OVER AND TELL US WHO YOU ARE, PLEASE.
JEREMY HULL, UH, BALCONY SCANS, PRESERVE OUTREACH AND, UH, VISITOR CENTER MANAGER.
UM, SO WHAT HE DOES IS HE JUST TAKES ANTS FROM KNOWN INFECTED COLONIES AND HE MOVES THEM TO NON-INFECTED PLACES, AND THEY CAN JUST ASSIMILATE INTO THE BIG SUPER COLONIAL ORGANISM.
AND IT'S, UH, THE MICRO SPREAD IS A PATHOGEN THAT GETS IN THEIR GUT AND IT ESSENTIALLY CAUSES ALL THE CELLS TO, UH, SWELL UP AND RUPTURE AND BASICALLY CEASE NORMAL BODILY FUNCTIONS.
AND SO IT JUST KILL THEM FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
UM, THEY WERE DOING THEIR FIRST, THE CHANCE COULD GET OUT INTO OTHER, UH,
IT'S SPECIFIC TO THAT ANT IT DOESN'T AFFECT ANYONE ELSE.
AND IT DOESN'T AFFECT OUR NATIVE.
WE HAVE NATIVE, UH, TAWNY CRAZY OR NATIVE CRAZY ANTS.
UM, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME SPECIES, BUT IT DOESN'T AFFECT THOSE, IT'S SPECIFIC JUST TO THIS WHERE ANT UM, WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY STARTED DOING THAT RESEARCH, THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE HIM TO THE LAB FOR A LONG TIME AND HOUSING THEM AND THEN PUTTING OUT, AND THEY WERE FINDING THAT THAT WASN'T EFFECTIVE.
THEY THINK IT GOT SOME KIND OF SMELL OR SENSE FROM THE LAB ANTS, AND SO THEY WOULD KILL HIM, BUT HE FOUND OUT IF I JUST TAKE 'EM AND PUT 'EM, THEY ASSIMILATE AND THEY WORK WELL.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE IMPACTS THAT TONY, CRAZY ANTS THAT RED IMPORTED FIRE ANTS HAVE ON OUR LISTED SPECIES SPECIES OF CONCERN.
AND IT'S REALLY CRITICAL RESEARCH AND A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO PROTECT.
THOSE ECOSYSTEMS. SOUNDS LIKE A SCIENCE FICTION FILM TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK JUST A FEW MORE HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, WE ARE PATROLLING BOUNDARIES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, TRYING TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTIES AND, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, FOLKS HOPPING THE FENCE AND TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR VIEWS OR, UH, YOU KNOW, DUMPING THINGS OVER THE FENCE LINE.
UH, OUR MOST, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, WE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP THIS YEAR WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
[01:20:01]
UH, BRING IN BY BOAT, A SKATE RAMP, UH, A SKATEBOARD LIKE HALFPIPE TO THE ULRICH, UH, WATER TREATMENT PLANT SITE.AND SO WE HAD, UH, A BIG TEAM EFFORT AMONG CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO GET WATERSHED PROTECTIONS, BOAT, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, USING ONE OF OUR PARKS BOAT RAMPS TO DISASSEMBLE THAT AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, RESTORE THE SITE BACK TO ITS NATURAL CONDITION.
SO SOMEBODY, WHEN DID THEY BRING IN THE SKATE R THEY, THEY BROUGHT IN A, ALL THE COMPONENT PARTS OF A, UH, HALF FIGHT, LIKE DURING THE PANDEMIC OR SOMETHING LIKE PEOPLE WERE NOT, UH, LITTLE BY LITTLE IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, YEAR OR SO.
UH, OH, THAT ACTUALLY SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT STORY.
THIS IS SOME KIND OF MAJOR HACK WHERE, AND IT, AND IT'S, YOU DID THAT ON BENEATH EVERYONE'S, UM, UM, IT OBSERVATION.
IT WAS, IT WAS A REALLY, YEAH.
AND SO IT JUST, WELL-CONSTRUCTED STATE, I BRING THAT UP AS AN EXAMPLE OF THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE URBAN PRESERVES AND KIND OF MANAGING, UH, THE, THE THINGS THAT SHOW UP.
AND HOW DID WE DISCOVER THAT IT WAS THERE? UH, I THINK OUR STAFF DISCOVERED IT.
AND, UH, THEN WE WORKED WITH THE, YOU KNOW, OTHER AUSTIN WATER STAFF AND AT, ON THE ULRICH SITE, UM, AT THE PLANT THERE, AND THEN BROUGHT IN WATERSHED PROTECTION AND OTHERS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THE RESOURCES TO DISASSEMBLE IT AND THEN REMOVE IT.
BREAKING NEWS HERE AT THE, UH, B CCPT, UH, AND COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH PREEMPTIVE DISASTER DECLARATIONS FOR WILDFIRE, THAT IS ALWAYS A, A PIECE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, OUR OWN, LISA O'DONNELL WAS ABLE TO SECURE $50,000 OF FUNDING FROM THE INNOVATION OFFICE AT THE CITY TO, FOR A PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LOOKING TO DO CONTINUOUS LIVE FUEL MOISTURE MONITORING.
SO ACTUALLY INSTALLING SENSORS IN SOME OF OUR ASH JUNIPER TO, UH, CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR THE LEVEL OF MOISTURE IN THAT SPECIES.
THIS IS THE NEW SORT OF FIRE SPOTTING TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT.
IT USING AI TO DETECT ANY PLUMES.
SO YEAH, KIND OF IN HAND IN HAND WITH THAT, ONE OF THE INTERESTING PARTS OF, OF THIS PROJECT IS IT'S GOING TO LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS REAL TIME MONITORING OF MOISTURE AND TREES, BUT ALSO TRYING TO CONNECT THAT WITH REMOTE SENSE DATA FROM SAT SATELLITE DATA, UH, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE TWO CORRELATE OR DON'T CORRELATE.
SO IT'LL GIVE US POTENTIALLY MORE REAL TIME DATA ON FIRE RISK, UH, BASED ON THOSE, UH, MOISTURE LEVELS IN TREES.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE, THEIR PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION, THEY HAVE A TEAM CALLED THE FUEL FUELS ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH APPLICATION TEAM.
AND WE'RE, UH, WORKING TO PUT TOGETHER A, UM, AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO WORK ON UPDATING THE LAST FUELS CHARACTERIZATION THAT WAS DONE ON THE BCP.
UM, WHITE AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY DID A, UH, CHARACTERIZATION OF WILDFIRE FUELS ON THE BCP IN, UH, 2007, 2009.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL RESEARCH GROUP TO COME BACK OUT AND RESURVEY SOME OF THOSE PLOTS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW HAVE CONDITIONS IN TERMS OF, UH, THOSE FUELS CHANGED OVER THAT TIME PERIOD.
OBVIOUSLY WITH SEVERAL DROUGHT CYCLES, WITH WINTER STORMS, WE'RE LOOKING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR HOW MUCH WORSE, HOW MUCH BETTER, HOW, HOW SIMILAR ARE THESE CONDITIONS TO THAT LAST TIME, UH, WHEN WE REALLY WENT OUT AND SAID, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THIS MUCH, UM, THOUSAND HOUR FUELS, HOUR FUELS, ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
SO WHAT WAS THE ASSESSMENT THE FIRST TIME? WAS THERE, WAS THERE A GENERAL ASSESSMENT? I I DON'T KNOW IF THEY RANK IT LIKE MODERATE FIRE DANGER? WELL, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, STUDY REALLY HELPED US UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE SYSTEMS ARE, ARE QUITE RESISTANT TO FIRE IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THERE ARE PERIODS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE GET INTO THOSE EXTREME, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WEEK OR TWO OR THREE OR MORE, UM, IN SUMMERS, LIKE SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME RISK.
AND SO IT, YOU KNOW, THAT STUDY REALLY HELPED US TO HAVE THAT MORE NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THESE OAK JUNIPER SYSTEMS AND, AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT, UM, REALLY THE SAME AS WHAT YOU SEE IN LIKE CHAPARRAL IN CALIFORNIA.
UM, AND SO THIS WILL BE AN, AND THAT MESSAGE REALLY NEEDS TO GET OUT.
CAN I, BECAUSE I CONTINUE TO HEAR A LOT OF MISINFORMATION AND CONFUSION AND, AND, UH, CHARACTERIZATION OF ASH JUNIPER'S FIRE BOMBS AND, YOU KNOW, THIRSTY PLANTS THAT ARE DEPLETING THE GROUNDWATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO CONTINUE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF, OF THESE SYSTEMS. UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL WRAP UP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, DID YOU EVER FIGURE OUT WHO PUT TOGETHER THE
[01:25:01]
ILLEGAL SKATE RAMP? IT SAYS CRIMINAL TRESPASS ACTIVITY.DID YOU EVER FIGURE OUT WHO DID THAT? WE DID NOT.
UH, WE DID NOT FIGURE OUT THAT INDIVIDUAL.
YOU THINK IT WAS ONE PERSON? YES, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE SO.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT IT WAS ONE VERY ENTERPRISING INDIVIDUAL.
SO THIS IS, IT'S HARD TO MATCH A FACE FROM A GAME CAMERA TO ALL OF AUSTIN.
SO THIS IS UP FROM REDBUD, IS THE ALLWORTH TREATMENT PLAN IS SORT OF ON THE WAY TO YEAH.
SO THEY BROUGHT IT DOWN THE RIVER, BUT THEN HOW DID THEY GET IT UP? UH, THERE'S A, A BEE CREEK.
LITTLE BEE CREEK IS RIGHT THERE.
AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET IT UP TO GO BEE CREEK FROM THE LAKE, UH, TO KIND OF THE OUTLET THERE AND, UH, BRING ALL THE MATERIALS IN LIKELY BY BOAT.
IS THERE WATER FLOWING IN BEE CREEK CONSTANTLY? UH, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE LAKE LEVEL IS SUCH THAT YOU CAN GET IN FROM, FROM THE LAKE.
DID YOU GET PICTURES OF IT? OH YEAH.
WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES OF IT.
IT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING.
YEAH, REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, LESLIE, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU ALL.
UM, AND I THINK NOW WE HAVE OUR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS NEXT.
SO JEREMY HULL, BCP OUTREACH AND VISITOR CENTER MANAGER, KATE MCCANN TERAN.
UM, I GET TO SUPPORT A LOT OF STAFF ON THE CITY'S WILDLANDS ABOUT COUNTY CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE EDUCATION OUTREACH REPORT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE LAST ONE BEFORE REFRESHMENTS AND, AND CELEBRATING COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT VERY BRIEF.
UH, WE DON'T WANNA STAY BETWEEN PEOPLE AND SNACKS.
UM, THE REPORT IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS, SO YOU HAVE IT THERE.
UM, ONE THING WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, CITY OF AUSTIN, WHILE BASIN WEST CAVE TRAVIS AUDUBON, ALL CONTINUED TO BUILD ON THEIR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, UM, OFFERINGS IN 2024 WITH A LOT OF COLLABORATION AND OVERLAP.
AND I DIDN'T GO BACK THROUGH EVERY YEAR'S REPORT, BUT AS FAR BACK AS I WENT, UM, WHICH WAS AT LEAST TILL 2017, THIS IS THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF, UH, VOLUNTEER EVENTS AND HOURS THAT WE'VE HAD RECORDED.
UM, WHICH INCLUDED OVER 1,629 OF DIFFERENT EVENTS WITH OVER 9,963 VOLUNTEER HOURS.
UM, WE USE A METRIC FROM THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR THAT PUTS A MONETARY VALUE ON VOLUNTEER WORK.
UM, THE, THE 2024 NUMBER WAS $33 AND 49, SO IT'S AN HOUR.
SO IF YOU DO THE MATH, THAT'S A LITTLE OVER $333,600 WORTH OF VOLUNTEER EQUITY THAT WAS PUT INTO OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
WE JUST TAKE A MOMENT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
ALMOST A THIRD OF A MILLION OF VOLUNTEER HOURS IN, IN ONE YEAR.
SO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK ACCOUNTS FOR THAT? WAS IT LIKE PEOPLE DISCOVERING PARKS AND STUFF DURING THE PANDEMIC AND NOW THAT IT'S OVER, THEY'RE ALL GETTING OUT AND USING THEM OR WHAT? WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS RUNNING FOR MANY YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
OUR, MY PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR AT THE COUNTY HAS GROWN, UH, TREMENDOUSLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE THAT WAY.
BUT JUST THE INCREASE IN OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND GETTING MORE PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT AND EXPANDING OUR OFFERINGS IS, IS WORKING.
WE HAVE MORE WORK DAYS AND HAVE BUILT MORE CAPACITY TO INCLUDE STAFF IN, UM, A LOT OF THE MONITORING AND LAND MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ITSELF THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE.
AND THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES THAT I WAS GONNA HAVE, IF YOU HAD ANYTHING.
DO YOU, ARE, DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH, DO YOU AGREE? DO WE HAVE TIME? LET'S, WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO FOR IT.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY, YEAH, THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT GOLDEN CHIEF WARBLER RECITING MM-HMM.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? RECITING VOLUNTEERS KNOWING WHERE THEY, THE WARBLERS WERE GOING OUT AND FINDING THEM AGAIN.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE BIOLOGISTS ARE WORKING, UM, ON A HUNDRED ACRE PLOTS.
THEY'RE GOING TO PLOTS THAT THEY'RE STUDYING INTENSIVELY, THEY'RE GOING BACK TO MANY, MANY TIMES.
BUT JUST LIKE WE SAW IN, UM, PAUL'S REPORT ON THE BLACK CAP BURS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THESE WARBLERS DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT WHERE WE DRAW THAT POLYGON ON THE MAP.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY COME BACK AND ESTABLISH A TERRITORY JUST OUTSIDE OF THE AREA THAT THE BIOLOGIST IS LOOKING AT THAT ARE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO CONSISTENTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND SO IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THESE EXTRA EYES AND EARS TO MONITOR, UM, IN KIND OF A BUFFER ZONE ALL AROUND THOSE INTENSIVE STUDY PLOTS SO THAT WE CAN GET, UM, A MORE NUANCED PICTURE, A MORE DETAILED PICTURE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WITCH BIRDS ARE, ARE COMING BACK, WHERE HAVE THEY DISPERSED
[01:30:01]
TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE EYES ON THE GROUND THAT ARE REALLY EXPANDING THE ABILITIES OF OUR STAFF.AND I THINK IN GENERAL THAT'S TRUE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE ALL TYPES OF VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, WARBLER, RECITERS SCOUTS, DOING SCOUT PROJECTS ON THE BAKER SANCTUARY, ALL OF THE WORK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS DONE TO ENGAGE WITH NONPROFIT GROUPS LIKE LATINO OUTDOORS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WE'RE REALLY REACHING MANY DIFFERENT, UM, CORNERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK IT KIND OF BRINGS US BACK TO THESE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, RIGHT? THESE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM THE SAC AND THE CAC, OUR SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WERE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL VOLUNTEERS FOR THE PRESERVE HOLD A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIMBERLY ALLUDED TO, AS STAFF WAS GROWING IN SIZE AND SKILL, THAT HAS ENABLED US TO REALLY WELCOME MORE VOLUNTEERS INTO OUR WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE, WERE HELPING TO GET, UM, THE FOUNDATIONS OF THIS, UM, TO GROW.
AND SO NOW WE ALL KIND OF GET TO STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HELP PUT THE PRESERVE TOGETHER AT THE BEGINNING.
UM, AND IT REALLY TOOK HARD WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY LIKE COMMISSIONER BRISTOL SAID, TO CREATE THIS PRESERVE AND ALL OF THESE EFFORTS, WHICH I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO IN AND LOOK AT ALL THE LITTLE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT, UM, ALL OF THESE PARTNERS ARE ENGAGING WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK HARD WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SET UP THE PRESERVE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, UM, KIND OF FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THOSE, UM, EARLY VOICES IN THE BELCON CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
WHAT IS THIS PICTURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE? IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS A BOY SCOUT PROJECT.
I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS.
THAT WAS A PROJECT OUT AT THE, UH, THE BAKER SANCTUARY WHERE, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS A GIRL SCOUT TROOP THAT BUILT, UM, IT WAS THE FIRST EVER GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD PROJECT THAT WAS DONE OUT AT BAKER, AND THEY BUILT A, IT'S OUR CHIMNEY SWIFT TOWER THAT THEY'RE STANDING IN.
SO CHIMNEY SWIFT ARE SPECIFIC BIRD THAT NESTS IN UPRIGHT, UH, UM, UM, CAVITIES.
AND, UM, THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND PLACES TO BE.
SO YOU BUILD BASICALLY A TOWER THAT GOES UP AND THEY, THEY FLY IN FROM THE TOP AND HANG THERE AND BUILD THEIR NEST AND RAISE BABIES.
AND THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE DIVERSITY OF PARTNERS.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY PARTNERS IN LAND MANAGEMENT AND ALSO IN EDUCATION AND, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES ONE PARTNER CAN'T TAKE ON, DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT SETUP WITH STAFF TO TAKE ON SCOUT PROJECTS.
BUT ANOTHER LIKE BAKER SANCTUARY REALLY DOES, OR, YOU KNOW, ONE GROUP IS REALLY IN A GOOD PLACE TO TRAIN FIREFIGHTERS TO DO CAVE RESCUE IN A WAY THAT'S NOT GOING TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR CAVE HABITAT.
SO EVERYONE'S PLAYING TO THEIR STRENGTHS, UM, AND IT'S A REALLY INCREDIBLE NETWORK OF, UM, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THESE ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE REPORTS.
ANY QUESTIONS? AGENDA ITEM, ANYTHING ELSE? THE LAST ONE, UH, AND OUR FINAL ONE ITEM AGENDA ITEM SIX, RECOGNITION
[6. Recognition of Leslie Pool’s Service to the BCCP Coordinating Committee – BCCP Officer]
OF LESLIE POOLE'S SERVICE TO THE BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE AND OUR BCCP OFFICER WILL PRESENT.I'LL KICK THIS OFF BY JUST, UM, DESCRIBING A LITTLE BIT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
SO AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE BCCP STAFF, WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM LESLIE POOL FOR HER DEDICATED SERVICE ON THE BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND HABITAT PRESERVATION HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVANCING THE GOALS OF THE BCCP.
SHE'S BEEN A MEMBER OF THE BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR OVER NINE YEARS, CHAIRING HER FIRST MEETING IN JUNE OF 2015.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY BCCP ACTIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING HER TENURE.
SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE IN INCLUDING THE BCCP KARST SUBSTITUTION POLICY THAT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT ADDITIONAL FEATURES FOR PROTECTION, THE KARST LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC ACCESS LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE.
UH, WE HAVE STAKEHOLDERS THAT FEEL VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT BOTH.
AND SO THOSE WERE A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER ON, UM, HELPING ESTABLISH THE BCCP TRAIL MASTER PLANNING PROCESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RECREATION ON ELIGIBLE CITY OF AUSTIN BCP TRACKS, UH, THE BLACK CAP VERY DELISTING, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, NAVIGATING THAT AND HELPING TO COMMUNICATE WHAT THAT MEANS, UM, THAT THEIR TAKE OF THEIR HABITAT IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED TAKE, DOESN'T NEED A PERMIT, BUT THAT WE ARE STILL COMMITTED IN PERPETUITY, UH, TO
[01:35:01]
MANAGE FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THAT SPECIES.AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE, THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY IS AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING THE BCCP PERMIT EXTENSION APPLICATION, AND HELPING GET US TO, UH, GIVE US THE SUPPORT WE NEED TO MODERNIZE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES TO THE ACTUAL BCCP.
AND OF COURSE, UPDATING THE REINSTATED TRAVIS AND CITY COUNTY OR TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN, ILA AND SHARED VISION, REALLY RECOMMITTING TO THE BCCP.
HER LEADERSHIP HAS HELPED TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES AND PRESERVE AUSTIN'S UNIQUE NATURAL HERITAGE, ENSURING A LEGACY OF CONSERVATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HER VISION, ADVOCACY, AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT SHE'S HAD ON BOTH OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THRIVE WITHIN IT.
THIS IS, UH, HER LAST MEETING WITH US TODAY, BUT HER IMPACT WILL LIVE ON, AND WE HAVE A SPECIAL CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU.
UM, WE HOPE YOU ARE AS PROUD OF IT AS WE ARE OF YOU, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE ON THE COMMITTEE.
COUNCILOR, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS?
UM, AND I'VE GOT TEARS IN MY EYES AND I AM JUST KIND OF STRUCK BY ALL OF THIS.
AND I, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH.
IT HAS BEEN THE PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFETIME TO NOT ONLY HAVE SERVED OUR CITY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR 10 YEARS, BUT TO HAVE SERVED PARTICULARLY ON THIS AUGUST BOARD AND LEADING THE WORK AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE TEAM HERE WITH THE PRESERVE.
UH, I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED AND THE MAYOR AT THE TIME WAS ASKING ALL OF US, WHAT COMMITTEES DO YOU WANNA BE ON? UM, THE BALCONES PRESERVE COMMITTEE, AND I'LL NEVER REMEMBER THE ENTIRE FULL FANCY NAME COORDINATING COMMITTEE, BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED IN THE PAST THAT IT WAS JUST THE MAYOR WHO HAD SERVED.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT SOMEONE BE ON THIS BODY WHO BELIEVED IN THE MISSION AND WAS DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT IT CONTINUED.
AND YOU ALL REMEMBER BACK IN THE EARLY DECADES, LIKE MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS WAS ALL GOING TO PROCEED.
AND I WAS VERY PLEASED, UH, THAT THEN MAYOR ADLER, UM, AGREED HE DIDN'T, HE RATHER THAN HIM SERVING ON THIS BOARD, HE, HE APPOINTED ME TO IT, AND I HELD ONTO IT FOR THE THREE TERMS THAT I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE.
UM, AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU ONE OTHER LITTLE SMALL DETAIL THAT IS KIND OF FUN LITTLE, UH,
AND HE CAME INTO THE MEETING AND HE, UM, HAD PLANNED TO BE THE CHAIR.
AND, UM, I, I KNEW THAT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN COMMUNICATED TO ME.
I THINK IT WAS WILLIE HAD, HAD LET ME KNOW THAT, THAT THAT WAS COMING.
AND I THINK HE WAS TELLING ME THAT JUST SO THAT I WOULD KNOW AND, AND AGREE WITH IT.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I TOTALLY CAN AGREE WITH THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE PARTNERS.
AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I THOUGHT, HOW BEST TO SHOW THAT WE REALLY ARE PARTNERS, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND BECAUSE THE MEETINGS, UM, WE WEREN'T EVEN SURE IF THE MEETINGS WOULD BE HERE IN THE LAVAAN BUILDING, THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING OR DOWN AT CITY HALL OR BOTH.
HOW WOULD THAT WORK? AND I, SO I CAME TO THE MEETING HAVING, UM, BUILT UP MY COURAGE, UH, TO SAY PUBLICLY FROM THE DIOCESE THERE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE WAS ASKING ME TO MAKE THE MOTION.
AND I SAID, WELL, RATHER THAN THAT MOTION, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE SHARE THE CHAIR AND THAT WHEN WE, AND WE MEET ALTERNATIVELY AT CITY HALL AND, AND THEN AT THE COUNTY AND WHEN WE'RE AT THE COUNTY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOUR AUTHORITY RESTS.
YOU WOULD CHAIR AND THEN I WILL HANDLE IT WHEN I'LL CHAIR WHEN WE'RE AT THE CITY.
[01:40:01]
I MEAN, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PRETTY GOOD COMPROMISE AND THERE WAS NO OBJECTION TO THAT.AND THAT SITUATION HAS HELD IN, IN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL OF THAT BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUE HERE, COMMISSIONER SHEA, HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT PARTNER WITH ME, I THINK, ON THIS, WITH THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE HERE.
AND I DO HOPE THAT THAT SHARED PARTNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP FROM THIS DIOCESE WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THE FUTURE.
AND IF, IF THAT IS THE MARK THAT I LEAD ON BCCP AND THIS COORDINATING COMMITTEE, WELL THEN I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A REALLY GOOD ONE.
THE SHARED LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE COUNTY AND THIS CITY AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS HAS BEEN REMARKABLE AND HAS UNDERPINNED THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE SEEN HERE, PLUS THE DEDICATION OF ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE STAFF FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT VALERIE BRISTOL IS HERE TODAY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE BEGINNINGS, THE CREATION, AND THE FORMATION OF THIS CONCEPT, AND THE REAL WILL AND DETERMINATION THAT SHE EXERTED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD HAVE THIS CONVERSATION HERE TODAY WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, REALLY, I SO APPRECIATE THIS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR EVEN ME, THIS CHANCE TO SERVE.
NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY GERALD WAS WILLING TO GIVE UP THE, BECAUSE I THINK I'VE SERVED WITH YOU ALMOST THE ENTIRE 10 YEARS.
UH, AND IT REALLY HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE GOOD WORK AND HAD GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE, THE STAFFS.
AND I, I SO APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH LESLIE AND, AND TO, TO MAKE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE RECEPTION, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, WE DO.
WE'RE WELCOME EVERYBODY TO STAY AND HAVE, CELEBRATE EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY AND ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE MEETING OF THE, UH, BCCP COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER 1ST.