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WE'RE READY.WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE SEPTEMBER 25TH MEETING OF THE, UM, MAYBE, UM, I UNDERSTAND WE'VE NOT HAD ANYONE SIGN UP FOR SPECIFIC COMMUNICATIONS TO CORRECT.
NO, ONE'S SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY, ADAM SECRETARY.
UM, SO, UH, WE'LL START WITH THE
[1. Approve Record of Decisions for the May 29, 2020 Regular Meeting ]
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE MAY 29TH, UH, 20, 20 REGULAR MEETING, ACTUALLY, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'LL JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF.I'M A COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF RIGID SHEA, UH, CHAIR, AND, UH, MY COLLEAGUE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
LESLIE POOLE IS THE CO-CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE MAY 29TH, 20, 20 REGULAR MEETING? YOU DO I'LL SECOND THAT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[2. Bone Cave Harvestman Update- BCP Staff ]
AGENDA AND UPDATE FROM OUR BCP STAFF ON THE BONE, THE CAVE HARVEST, MAN.SO, UM, I'M ALICIA, O'DONNELL, I'M, I'M GETTING REALLY BAD FEEDBACK ON MY END.
I THINK IF EVERYONE MUTES, WHEN THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING, THAT WILL HELP ELIMINATE.
YEAH, ACTUALLY THAT SOUNDS BETTER RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M LISA DONNEL, I'M THE SENIOR BIOLOGIST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN SPELL TONY'S CANYONLANDS PRESERVE AND HOBBY TALKING FIRST ABOUT THE BULKY HARVESTMAN STATUS REVIEW.
AND I'LL REFER TO A DOCUMENT THAT'S IN THE PACKET, UM, AND IT'S TITLED SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING ENDANGERED STATUS FOR THE BUNKER HARVESTMAN.
SO THIS WAS A DOCUMENT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER JOINTLY BY CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BCP STAFF.
SO THE VOCAB HARVESTMAN IS ONE OF SEVEN AND DANGER CAVE, OR KARSTEN VERTEBRATES, AND TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES.
IT'S RANGE OCCURS NORTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER IN NORTHERN TRAVIS COUNTY AND EXTENDS INTO NORTHERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
IT SPENDS ITS ENTIRE LIFE UNDERGROUND.
HOWEVER, IT DEPENDS ON SURFACE PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES FOR NUTRIENTS AND STABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.
AND ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2019, THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PUBLISHED A POSITIVE 90 DAY FINDING ON A 2014 PETITION TO THE LIST OF BOCA HARVESTMEN THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOUND THAT THE PETITION PRESENTS SUBSTANTIAL SCIENTIFIC OR COMMERCIAL INFORMATION INDICATING THAT DELISTING THE BONE HARVEST MEN MAY BE WARRANTED TO FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE THEN INITIATED A REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE BOUQUET HARVESTMEN TO DETERMINE WHETHER DELISTING IS ACTUALLY WARRANTED.
SO WHILE THE 90 DAY FINDING IS BASED ON INFORMATION IN THE PETITION, THE STATUS REVIEW INCLUDES ALL EXISTING, INCLUDING NEW INFORMATION.
SO THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SERVICE WILL REVIEW THAT INFORMATION AND THEN PUBLISH A 12 MONTH FINDING ON WHETHER THE LISTING IS WARRANTED OR NOT FOR THE MEDICAID HARVESTMEN IS STILL ENDANGERED.
THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IS JUST EVALUATING MORE INFORMATION.
SO AS PART OF THAT STATUS REVIEW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BCP BIOLOGISTS PUT TOGETHER THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET FOR THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
AND WE FOCUSED MAINLY ON NEW AND RECENT INFORMATION.
WE LOOKED AT THREATS TO BOTH THE SUBSURFACE AND THE SURFACE HABITAT.
AND WHILE THERE ARE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS, LIKE THE BCCP AND THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ACP AND AREAS THAT PROTECT SOME OF THEM, THEM BONE, CAPE HARVEST MEN SITES, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE RANGES THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THAT DOCUMENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SUMMARIZE THAT SUCCINCTLY.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT ONCE THESE ECOSYSTEMS ARE DESTROYED, IT'S PRETTY MUCH PERMANENT AND THEY CAN'T BE RECREATED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REGROW A CAVE.
AND SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE OCTOBER 20, 1990 DAY FINDINGS.
SO THIS WAS PUBLISHED FOLLOWING A LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED BY THE AMERICAN STEWARDS OF LIBERTY AND SOME OF THE OTHER PETITIONERS ON THAT 2014 PETITION.
AND WE HAVE SOME COUNTY WAS ALSO AN INTERVENER PLAINTIFF FISH AND WILDLIFE HAD PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TWO NEGATIVE 90 DAY FINDINGS ON THE 2014 PETITION.
AND BOTH OF THOSE WERE CHALLENGED AS PART OF THIS LAWSUIT AND THEN MARCH, 2019, THE COURT RULE THAT FISH AND WILDLIFE, UH, DID NOT APPLY THE CORRECT LEGAL STANDARD AND HAD TO WRITE A NEW 90 DAY FINDING.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FOURTH 90 DAY FINDING FOR THE BONE CAPE HARVEST MEN.
THERE WAS A PREVIOUS NEGATIVE 90 DAY FINE FINDING IN MARCH OF 1994.
THAT WAS ON A, UH, BASED ON A 1993 PETITION.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, THREE NEGATIVE 90 THEY FINDINGS.
AND THEN THE OCTOBER ONE FROM LAST YEAR WAS THE POSITIVE, WHICH THEN KICKS IT INTO THE 12 MONTHS OF REVIEW AND THE STATUS REVIEW.
AND THIS WILL BE THE THIRD STATUS REVIEW THAT WAS, UH, UH, THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RAN A FIVE
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YEAR REVIEW IN DECEMBER OF 2009 AND A VERY, UM, DETAILED, LIKE COMPREHENSIVE STATUS REVIEW IN APRIL OF 2018.SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUALLY, UH, I, I HEARD YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THE 90 DAY, UM, PROCESS, UH, IS THE, UH, FISH AND WILDLIFE REVIEW, UM, SEPARATE REVIEW A YEAR LONG.
CAN YOU REMIND ME OF THE TIMEFRAMES? I FRANKLY GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES IN IT.
SO WHAT'S THE KEY TIMEFRAME FOR GETTING A, I GUESS, A DETERMINATION, UH, BY FISH AND WILDLIFE BACK TO US, RIGHT.
WELL, THE NORMAL PROCESS IS, IS ONCE YOU GET, ONCE YOU GET THE PETITION, UH, FISH AND WILDLIFE HAS 90 DAYS, WHICH IS TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE IS IT'S, IT'S USUALLY HARD TO ACTUALLY PUBLISH A FINDING WITHIN THAT 90 DAYS, BUT THEY HAVE 90 DAYS TO MAKE THAT FINDING.
AND THEN THEY HAVE 12 MONTHS THEN, AND THAT'S WHETHER THE PETITION ITSELF HAS ENOUGH INFORMATION THAT A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE PETITION ACTION MAY BE WARRANTED.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THE 12 MONTH FINDING.
SO IN THIS CASE, THEY'VE DONE A POSITIVE 90 DAY THAT, AND THEN KICKS IT INTO THE 12 MONTH FINDING.
AND, AND THEN AS PART OF THAT, THEY DO, THEY DO A STATUS REVIEW AND WHAT THEIR ACTUAL TIMELINE WILL BE, WHEREAS SEEMING THAT WE HAD A YEAR TO SUBMIT INFORMATION.
SO WE HAVE UP UNTIL OCTOBER, WHATEVER THAT DAY WAS 10TH, UM, TO GET INFORMATION INTO THEM.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THEN THEY'LL LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE A FINDING, BUT IT'S ALSO UNDER, YOU KNOW, UH, A LAWSUIT, SO THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES.
SO I CAN DEFER TO ADAM ON THAT ONE, ADAM, ADAM'S A RUNNER FROM, UH, US FISH AND WILDLIFE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION FOR US? NO.
I THINK THAT LISA PROVIDED A GOOD SUMMARY OVERVIEW ON EVERYTHING, UM, AND APPRECIATE THE INPUT AND WE WILL BE INCLUDING INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL HOLD IT INTO A SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT.
SO I GUESS A FEW OTHER THINGS JUST FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HAS COMPLETED A SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT FOR THE SPECIES THAT INFORMED A RECENT FIVE-YEAR REVIEW, UH, THAT WE COMPLETED.
UM, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE TIMELINES, BUT IT WAS ONE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE WILL BE UPDATING THAT SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT AND BE COMPLETING A 12 MONTH.
AND WE'RE WORKING TO, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULE DATES FOR THAT.
I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO GIVE YOU ON DATES, BUT THE INFORMATION AT THE TIME AND PROVIDING IT TO US, WE DO HAVE TIME TO INCORPORATE IT AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT.
UM, UH, IT COMES FROM OUR POOL.
DID YOU HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING YOU NEED ON THIS ITEM? OKAY, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[3. Proposal to Add a Definition of “Habitat” to Regulations that Implement Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)- BCP Staff ]
UNLESS STAFFERS, ANYTHING FURTHER? SORRY.SO ITEM THREE IS THE PROPOSAL TO GET A DEFINITION OF HABITAT, TO REGULATIONS THAT IMPLEMENT SECTION FOUR OF ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PRESENTATION FROM OUR VCP STAFF.
THAT WILL BE A MAN'S WHILE DO I NEED TO MYSELF OR IT MIGHT GET, NO, I THINK WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
JUST ASK EVERYONE WHILE SHE'S PRESENTING.
SO I'LL REFER TO A COUPLE OF OTHER DOCUMENTS IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BCP, BOTH SUBMITTED COMMENTS SEPARATELY.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE IN THERE.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THIS, UH, THE AUGUST 5TH, 2020 FISH AND WILDLIFE PUBLISHED A PROPOSED RULE TO DEFINE HABITAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CRITICAL HABITAT.
AND THERE WAS A 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD, AND WE GOT OURS IN ON THE FINAL DAY, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 4TH, A CRITICAL HABITAT, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO WHEN A SPECIES IS PROPOSED FOR LISTING AS ENDANGERED OR THREATENED UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, FISH AND WILDLIFE MUST CONSIDER WHETHER THERE ARE AREAS OF HABITAT BELIEVED TO BE ESSENTIAL TO THE THESIS CONSERVATION.
THOSE AREAS MADE THEM BE PROPOSED FOR DESIGNATION IS CRITICAL HABITAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION ABOUT CRITICAL HABITAT.
AND WHILE, YOU KNOW, ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES, EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THOSE AND MAKING SURE THERE'S NOT TATE
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CRITICAL HABITAT ONLY APPLIES TO FEDERAL PROJECTS.SO FEDERAL PERMITS, LICENSES, FUNDING, OR FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T ADVERSELY MODIFY CRITICAL HABITAT.
SO THIS FIFTH PROPOSED RULE SAYS THAT WILDLY ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DEFINES CRITICAL HABITAT.
IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY DEFINE HABITAT.
SO IT PROPOSED IT, IT PROVIDES BOTH THE PROPOSED AND AN ALTERNATIVE DEFINITION.
AND THE STATE OF INTENT IS TO BROADEN THE DEFINITION BEYOND CRITICAL HABITAT, BUT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY BOTH COMMENTED THAT THE DEFINITION SEEMED TO DO THE OPPOSITE.
SO INSTEAD OF CRITICAL HABITAT, BEING A SUBSET OF HABITAT, IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE ALSO COMMENTED THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT FURTHER DEFINITION OF CRITICAL HABITAT IS NEEDED, BUT IF IT IS, IT SHOULD BE MORE EXPANSIVE.
UM, WE BOTH PROVIDED ALTERNATIVE WORDING AND THEN TRAVIS COUNTY RECOMMENDED A SEMINOLE JOURNAL ARTICLE FROM 1973 TO HELP GET THE DEFINITION MORE IN LINE WITH THE SCIENTIFIC USE OF THE TERM.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE'VE COMMENTED ON PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
A CITY AND COUNTY STAFF SUBMITTED COMMENTS TWO YEARS AGO IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018.
AND THOSE REGULATIONS WENT INTO EFFECT IN AUGUST OF 2019.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A THIRD ROUND OF COMMENTS.
UM, ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, THERE WAS A NEW PROPOSAL THAT WAS PUBLISHED AGAIN WITH A 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO EVALUATE THIS ONE.
IT ALSO DEALS WITH CRITICAL HABITAT, BUT I'LL JUST READ A COUPLE OF LINES OUT OF THE SUMMARY FOR THE PROPOSED RULE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE QUOTE, THE PROPOSED REVISION SET FORTH A PROCESS FOR EXCLUDING AREAS OF CRITICAL HABITAT UNDER SECTION FOUR, B TWO OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, WHICH MANDATES OUR CONSIDERATION OF THE IMPACTS OF DESIGNATING CRITICAL HABITAT AND PERMITS EXCLUSIONS OF PARTICULAR AREAS.
FOLLOWING A DISCRETIONARY EXCLUSION ANALYSIS.
THEY WANT TO ARTICULATE CLEARLY WHEN AND HOW FISH AND WILDLIFE WILL UNDERTAKE AN EXCLUSION ANALYSIS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT AND PROVIDING COMMENTS ON IT BEFORE OCTOBER 8TH.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS JUST, WE'VE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE PROPOSED RE-INTERPRETATION OF TAKE UNDER THE MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT.
THAT WAS BACK IN MARCH, WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE PROPOSAL, AND THEN THERE WAS AN EIS ON THAT IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, SO THEY WERE INTERPRETATION IS OF TAKE WHERE TYPICALLY THAT'S BEEN INTERPRETED TO APPLY TO BIRDS THAT ARE IMPACTED OR KILLED BY OIL SPILLS OR POWER LINES OR DEVELOPMENT OR WHATEVER THIS REINTERPRETATION SAYS THAT THAT TAKE HAS TO BE INTENTIONAL KILLING.
AND SO IT WOULD NOT APPLY TO ANYTHING INCIDENTAL.
SO ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS WOULD NOT APPLY.
BUT THEN AN AUGUST 11, 2020, UM, THAT PROPOSED RULE CHANGE WAS OVERTURNED IN COURT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE STATUS NOW OR WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
BUT IF THAT SHANE HAD WRITTEN NAME THAT WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY NUDE OR THE WHOLE, UH, FUNCTION OF A TAKE OF ENDANGERED SPECIES, I MEAN, OIL SPILL, YOU COULD NEVER PLAY MORE, AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO KILL SPECIES, RIGHT? WELL, AND JUST IT'S THE MIGRATORY, OH, I'M SORRY.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S A MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT.
SO IT WOULD ONLY APPLY TO MIGRATORY PARTS.
SO IT'S NOT, NOT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IN THIS CASE.
UH, STILL THAT ZOOM, THEY WOULD TRY AND EXPAND TO ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
UM, IS THERE A WAY TO SORT OF SUMMARIZE WHAT THESE, MY SISTERS, AFRICA, IT'S SORT OF A DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS WITH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE CLEAR, UH, IN GENERAL THEY VIEW ANY REGULATION IS REGULATORY OVERREACH, UH, FROM MY VIEW OF IT.
AND THEY'RE ATTEMPTING TO, UM, ELIMINATE REGULATIONS AND NARROW THEM AND WEAKEN THEM.
UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF EVIDENCE FOR THAT, BUT, UH, IS THERE A WAY TO CHARACTERIZE WHAT THESE CHANGES, HOW AND HOW THE AVERAGE PERSON WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UH, THE EFFORT BEHIND THESE CHANGES, ARE THEY TOO NARROW OF THE APPLICATION, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT TO LIMIT WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN A IN A PROTECTED AREA, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE DEFINITION OF HABITAT? IS THAT THE, THE GENERAL EFFECT OF IT, AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO SPEAK POLITICALLY, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A BETTER SORT OF, OF PEDESTRIAN UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT? WELL, A LOT OF FOCUS ON CRITICAL HABITAT.
UM, SO IT WILL DEFINITELY IMPACT, UM, SPECIES WHERE CRITICAL HABITAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED.
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US, IT'S ONLY THE JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER.UM, WE DON'T HAVE CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATED FOR OTHER SPECIES, BUT, UM, YEAH, FOR ANYTHING NEW, UM, THAT'S DESIGNATED ALSO FOR THREATENED SPECIES.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES THAT HAVE GIVEN US, UM, CONCERN, AND I THINK, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW, UM, THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALL OF THE OTHER THREATS THAT ARE KIND OF NEW AND, UH, COMING UP AND THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, SO MUCH OF IT'S THE UNCERTAINTY.
SO YEAH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THESE REINTERPRETATIONS.
WE CAN EVEN REPEAT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
SO PROTECTIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ENJOYED OF THE CREATURES AND OF THE LAND, I THINK IS, IS THREATENED BY THESE EFFORTS.
AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, UH, UH, ADAM OR LESLIE, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ON THIS? JUST APPRECIATE THE GOOD BRIEFING.
AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, LISA, ARE YOU, ARE YOU DOING OKAY, HANGING IN THERE? I'M DOING GREAT.
YEAH, I'M ENJOYING, I'M SHOWING THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER AND COOLER TEMPERATURES.
THERE'S NO ACTION THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO APPROVE ADDING THIS.
UH, NO, THERE'S NO ACTION TO TAKE CARE OF THESE COMMENTS ALREADY SUBMITTED TO THE SERVICE.
[4. Tawny Crazy Ants Found on Additional BCP Tracts- BCP Staff ]
SO THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, UH, UH, BCP STAFF UPDATE ON TONY CRAZY AUNTS FOUND ON ADDITIONAL BCP TRUCK.
I WAS GOING TO BE TALKING TO US ABOUT THIS LISA.
UM, UH, NICO HOWARD, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE AUSTIN WATER ABOUT CONUS KAMEN PRESERVE PROGRAM.
AND SO TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND FIRST ON THE, ON A TON OF CRAZY AUNTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME FROM, UM, SOUTH AMERICA AND THE HOUSTON AROUND 2002, WHERE THEY'VE CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
THEY CAUSED ELECTRICAL OUTAGES, UM, PEOPLE HAVING TO APPLY PESTICIDES EVERY SIX MONTHS JUST TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THEIR HOUSE AND SWORE THEM.
UM, THEY WERE CONCERNED CAUSE THEY CAUSE DAMAGE TO WILDLIFE BY SWARMING THEM.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY SUFFOCATE WILDLIFE AND THEY CAN EAT MOST INSECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THEY SORT OF A LOT OF CONCERN.
UM, THE FIRST PLACE WE SAW THEM IN AUSTIN WAS ONE OF OUR BCP PRESERVES CALLED WHIRLPOOL CAVE PRESERVE.
UM, WHERE, WHEN YOU WENT INTO THE CAVE AFTER THE INFESTATION, IT WAS LIKE THE FLOOR WAS MOVING WITH SO MANY TINY, CRAZY ANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD, UM, EAT THE INVERTEBRATES IN THERE.
AND, UM, SO UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ENTOMOLOGISTS DILLA BRUEN WITH THE BRECKINRIDGE FIELD LAB NOTICE, THERE WAS A, UM, MICROSPORIDIA FUNGI THAT WAS NATURALLY INFECTING THE TAWNY CRAZY ANTS.
AND SO HE EXPERIMENTALLY AND APPLIED THAT IN THE WHIRLPOOL CAVE AREA AND IS REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT LAST YEAR.
NOW WE DON'T SEE ANY TINY, CRAZY INCIDENT THAT AREA AT ALL AFTER THE, AFTER INTENSE, UM, INFESTATION OVER FOR SOME YEARS.
WE ARE SEEING THOUGH, UM, THE SPREAD OF KIND HANDS ACROSS THE AUSTIN AREA AND THIS REPORTED, UM, IN THIS, IN THIS REPORT, WE, UM, WE, WE, UH, ED LABRUNA REPORTED SEEING IT IN GREER APART IN SOUTH WALNUT CREEK PARK AND THOSE AREN'T BCP PRESERVES, BUT OF COURSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT SPREADING ACROSS THE AUSTIN AREA WORK ONCE AGAIN, IN FACT AREAS WHERE THEY'VE EVEN BEEN TREATED ALREADY, WHERE THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE.
SO, UM, AND SINCE THAT TIME, UM, IN THE LAST MONTH, UM, IT'S BEEN OBSERVED THAT THE TAWNY CRAZY ANSWER OR INFECTING EMMA LONG PARK, WHICH DOES HAVE PCP PRESERVE AREAS.
AND SO, UM, SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH UT AND, UH, PART, UM, DIVISION MAINTENANCE MANAGER.
UM, JOE DIAZ IS WORKING REALLY WELL WITH US TO TRY TO, UM, ADDRESS THE CONCERN OF THE TINY, CRAZY AND SPREADING ACROSS THE PARK, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, GOING TO WARBLER HABITAT HABITAT, UM, BUT ALSO SPREADING ACROSS AUSTIN.
SO THIS IS A REAL RECENT DEVELOPMENT WE'RE TRYING
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TO ADDRESS, UM, ON EMMA LONG PARK.JOHNNY'S K LISA'S HERE IN CASE YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TAWNY CRAZY ANTS, HE'S, HE'S REALLY SUITED TO ADDRESS THEM.
IF WE, UH, YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK NICO IF HE FEELS NICO, DO YOU FEEL SOMEWHAT, UM, OPTIMISTIC, UH, GIVEN THE, WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE ERADICATION OF THE INFESTATION IN THE CAVE FOR THE NEW, THE NEW LOCATION FORUM? OKAY.
I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE RESULTS THAT ED LEBRON SEEN IT AT UT BRECKENRIDGE LAB, IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING BECAUSE IT WAS VERY, IT WAS VERY DEPRESSING YEARS AGO.
WE, WE, YOU KNOW, IT, WASN'T LOOKING VERY GOOD FOR WORK.
BUT NOW IT'S LOOKING VERY GOOD IN THAT AREA.
SO THERE IS, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD HOPE FOR TREATING IT ACROSS THE AUSTIN AREA, BUT SO FAR THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL APPLICATION OF IT, IT'S THE ONLY THING USED NOW THAT SEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE ON A, ON A LARGE SCALE TO TREAT THEM.
DID YOU SAY ANN WAS AVAILABLE TO, UM, I'M INTERESTED FOR INSTANCE, USING THIS APPLICATION IN OTHER PLACES WHERE WE'RE FINDING TONY ANTS AT LEBRON IS NOT HERE ON THIS CONVERSATION ON THIS MEETING? JOHNNY SCALY SAYS HE'S ONE OF THE WHO'S WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE BCP, IF YOU WANT TO, UM, ADDRESS THAT QUESTION, JOHNNY.
SO THE, THE MICRO SPURTING IS ALREADY OBSERVED IN DANCE NATURALLY, AND IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED AT EMMA LONG PARK WHERE THE ANTS WERE RECENTLY DISCOVERED.
UM, SO THERE'S HOPE THAT THE MICROSOFT IN SPURGEON WILL DO IT'S WHAT IT DID AT WHIRLPOOL.
HOWEVER, IT'S A TIMELY PROCESS.
UM, IT DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY KILL ANTS WHEN THEY'RE INFECTED.
IT KIND OF SLOWS THEIR SURVIVAL, SO THEY DON'T LIVE AS LONG.
AND SO IT TAKES MULTIPLE USERS TO SEE THE IMPACTS FROM THE
AND DURING THAT TIME THERE'S, UH, ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE THAT IS ALREADY OCCURRING, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE? AND, UH, WOULD IT BE FEASIBLE TO, UM, APPLY THE MICROSPORIDIA UM, UM, UH, I GUESS PROACTIVELY OR IT'S A PROPHYLACTIC AND IN THAT AREAS WHERE THEY, THAT ARE ADJACENT SITES WHERE THERE'S GOOD REASON TO PRESUME THERE WOULD BE A SPREAD OF THE CRAZY TONY ANTS, THE WAY TO SPREAD THE MICROSCOPE IS BY MOVING INFECTED ANTS FROM UNINFECTED AREAS TO, OR FROM INFECTED AREAS TO UNINFECTED AREAS.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, WAITING FOR THE IMPACT TO BE OBSERVED SO THAT YOU CAN START SPIRIT IT IF IT'S NOT ALREADY IN THE NEW LOCATIONS YEARS FOR IT TO, TO ESSENTIALLY CAUSE THEM TO DIE OFF.
IS THERE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE ON, UH, ON THIS ITEM THAT, CAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO BEYOND, UH, HELPING WITH THE SPREAD OF MICROSPORIDIA ONCE THESE ANTS ARE, UM, UH, SHOW UP, RIGHT? YEAH.
THE MACROS PROTEIN IS OUR BEST STRATEGY FOR ATTACKING PUBLIC EDUCATION IS OUR, UM, THEIR STRATEGY IS TO, TO HELP LIMIT THE SPREAD SO THAT THEY'RE NOT MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
AND, AND CAN YOU JUST SAY REALLY BRIEFLY WHAT THE PUBLIC EDUCATION IS? ARE PEOPLE ACCIDENTALLY MOVING IT, IF THEY, UH, WHAT PLANT THE PLANTS THAT HAVE IT, UH, IN THEIR SOIL NEAR A BCP TRACT OF LAND, OR, I MEAN, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW? YEAH.
SO LANDSCAPING MATERIALS, UM, ANY, UH, SOIL OR FILL OR BRUSH OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAY BE, UH, HAVE, UH, PLENTY CRAZY AT NESTS ARE WAYS THAT THEY'RE SPREAD.
UM, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR OUTREACH DEPARTMENT TO HELP, UM, DEVELOPED MATERIALS FOR EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON THE ISSUES AND HOW TO PREVENT THE SPREAD.
WOULD THEY BE VISIBLE? I MEAN, IF SOMEONE GOT A PILE OF COMPOST OR BOUGHT SOME PLANTS, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SEE THE ANT HILLS OR THE ANTIQUE ACTIVITY? YEAH, THEY DON'T BUILD HILLS LIKE MY GRANTS, BUT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE ACCOUNTS IN A SHARED GOAL IT'S RECOMMENDED WHEN YOU BUY A NEW MATERIAL
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TO LEAVE IT OUT ON CONCRETE BEFORE USING IT, DOES THAT MIGHT HELP EITHER DISPERSE THEM OR BUILD THEM OR WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IF THEY'RE THERE.SO BEFORE IF YOU'RE GETTING A NEW PLANT OR SOMETHING, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATELY HOLD IT IN A AREA AWAY FROM EVERYTHING SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA IN FACT, AND YOU CAN OBSERVE THEM.
UM, ARE THE, ARE THEY, UH, THESE ANTS A THREAT TO HONEYBEES TO BE YES, THEY CAN, UM, UH, SWORN HIVES THE HIVES.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS ITEM? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, LESLIE? NOT A QUESTION.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT THE, UM, WAS IT HYPE, SAY IT AGAIN, THE HYPE, WHATEVER IT IS, THAT'S HELPING DEAL WITH ATTORNEY ADS.
I REMEMBER WHEN YOU GUYS WERE JUST AT THE FRONT END OF THOSE SAME, WE THINK THIS MIGHT WORK.
AND MAYBE THAT WAS A YEAR AGO.
SO I'M JUST GLAD TO HEAR THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT SOMETHING IN PLAY.
THAT'S PULLING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
I HOPE IT DOESN'T CAUSE YOU KNOW, A CASCADE OF DIFFERENT PROBLEMS, BUT UM, AT LEAST THAT'S TINY, CRAZY ANSWER BEING DEALT WITH.
THANKS TO, UM, UT RESEARCHERS WHO DISCOVERED THIS.
SO THAT'S SOUNDS LIKE SEND THEM OUR, YEAH, EXACTLY.
[5. Wildfire Mitigation on the BCP- BCP Staff ]
AGENDA ITEM FIVE.AND, UM, JOHNNY, UM, NUMBER FIVE IS WILDFIRE MITIGATION ON THE BCP.
THEN WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM, WHO'S GOING TO BE SPEAKING DAVID GIVEN IT, HE AS THE BCCP INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATOR.
HELLO? CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? OKAY.
UM, SO, UM, LET ME JUST GET SITUATED.
SO, UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS DAVID
I WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UH, UH, WE PARTNER OBVIOUSLY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRAVIS COUNTY DOES THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF IT.
SO I COORDINATE ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF AND LIKE MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
SO SINCE STARTING WITH THE CITY IN 2012, I HAD THE REALLY GOOD FORTUNE TO HELP WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
I'VE GOTTEN TO WORK WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WILDFIRE DIVISION AND TO HELP ON MULTIPLE PRESCRIBED FIRES.
AND NOW FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS, I'VE, UM, I'VE OPERATED IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ROLES AT THE AUSTIN WATER, WILD LAND CONSERVATION DIVISION, WHICH IS WHERE THE CITY SIDE OF THE BCP IS.
UM, I SAY ALL THIS AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE HAVE MYSELF ON THE BACK OR ANYTHING, BUT I JUST, I, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, HEY, I'VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY AND FORTUNATE TO GET TO WORK WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND GET TO COORDINATE WITH THESE GROUPS.
BUT ALSO I WANT TO ILLUSTRATE HOW ALL THESE EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED FOSTER A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPASSIONATE PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATION.
UM, IN THE PAST REGARDING WILDFIRE PREVENTION MEASURES THAT WE'VE TAKEN, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SHADED FUEL BREAKS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE, UM, TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION, AS WELL AS HABITAT PRESERVATION, UM, TODAY.
HOWEVER, UM, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ONE OF THE OTHER FIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS THAT WE ALL ENGAGE IN.
AND SO IN DOING SO I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN, UM, AND JUST GIVE ME A THUMBS UP ONCE YOU CAN SEE THAT.
UM, SO HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS, YOU KNOW, AT A VARIETY OF TIMES IN THE PAST, I'M ONLY GOING TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS WITHIN THIS, UH, UM, WEB PAGE.
AND THIS IS A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WEBPAGE THAT WE USE TO HELP COORDINATE WITH ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS.
AND IT'S GOT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TABS AND TOPICS, UM, ALL DOWN THIS LIST, INCLUDING INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS AND THE LIKE, BUT TODAY I'M GOING TO EXCLUSIVELY TALK ABOUT JUST ONE PARTICULAR SUBJECT.
SO HERE, UM, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE PERMIT ALLOWS FOR MITIGATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE BCCP PARTICIPATION AREA SEEN HERE ON THIS MAP AS THE BLACK BORDER SURROUNDING THE WESTERN OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING THE, IN THE DIFFERENT COLOR TRACKS, THOSE ARE THE BCP PRESERVES, UM, PROPERTIES.
UH, WE ALSO COORDINATE, UM, COORDINATING.
THESE IS ONE OF MY PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS, UH, IN RELATION TO THE BCCP.
I GET TO COLLABORATE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE WESTERN HALF OF
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TRAVIS COUNTY.UM, HERE WE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED THAT ARE ADJACENT TO, OR INSIDE OF THE DIFFERENT BCP PRESERVE TRACKS.
NOW, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THESE ARE THE ONLY AREAS THAT I HELP COORDINATE BECAUSE IN THEORY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE WESTERN HALF OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT HABITAT WITHIN OUR PRESERVE PROPERTIES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HABITAT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.
SO ANY INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT TECHNICALLY OCCURS WITHIN THE WESTERN HALF OF TRAVIS COUNTY IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMING THROUGH US.
WE CAN COORDINATE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS LIKE THE SPREAD OF TAWNY CRAZY, AND IT DOESN'T OCCUR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING GOLDEN SHIELD WARBLER HABITAT, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING CAR'S HABITAT FROM A GROUND DISTURBANCE PERSPECTIVE.
BUT GOING BACK TO JUST LOOKING AT THESE INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS THAT WE, UM, COORDINATE WITH INCLUDES, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LIMITED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
PUBLIC WORKS, TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ENERGY, LCRA, PEC, AUSTIN WATER, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON, INCLUDING ALL OF THE, UH, UM, CONSTRUCTION, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE HIRED, INCLUDING ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS WE COORDINATE WITH PAT.
SO THAT'S A, LIKE A VERY GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE STUFF, BUT TODAY I WANT TO EXPLICITLY TALK ABOUT, UM, ENERGY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW OVER THE, YOU KNOW, VERY RECENT HISTORY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AS WELL AS YOU KNOW, IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS HISTORY SINCE 2011 BASTROP COMPLEX FIRES, THE AWARENESS OF ENERGY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES, WHETHER THEY'RE OLD AND FAILING, WHETHER THEY'RE SUBJECT TO HIGH WINDS, YOU KNOW, THOSE CREATE THIS CAN CREATE WILDFIRES.
AND SO WE'RE JUST BEING VERY MINDFUL OF THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT IN RECENT HISTORY.
SO I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT INTERNALLY WE DO HAVE A MAP OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FEATURES.
HOWEVER, SINCE THIS IS A SENSITIVE, SINCE THIS IS SENSITIVE INFORMATION, UH, WE HESITATE TO SHOW LIKE HYPER-SPECIFIC STUFF HERE DURING A PUBLIC MEETING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE, AND ARE CONTINUING, UM, TO DEVELOP MORE COLLABORATIVE, INTERACTIVE MAPS, LIKE THE ONE YOU CAN SEE HERE WITH HIGHER DETAIL HIGHER RESOLUTION, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS.
WE COORDINATE WITH THESE GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT VEGETATION MAINTENANCE SPECIFICALLY IS CONDUCTED AT REGULAR INTERVALS AND COMPLIES WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE HABITAT, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES OF THE UTILITY PROVIDERS TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE DO THIS.
SO HERE'S A WEBSITE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY'S WEBSITE, EXPLICITLY FOR TREE PRUNING AND PENSION MAINTENANCE.
I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE WHOLE WEBSITE, BUT ONE AREA TO LOOK AT IN PARTICULAR IS THAT BECAUSE OF PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS IN TEXAS, IN CALIFORNIA, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, RECENTLY, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS INCREASED THEIR TREE PRUNING PRACTICES IN ORDER TO BE MORE MINDFUL OF, WE WANT TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE WHEN THEY DID THIS.
WE A DOUBLE CHECK THAT ALL OF THIS COMPLIED WITH THE BCCP PERMIT, UM, THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF IT FELT STILL IN LINE WITH THAT KIND OF DOES, BUT SINCE THEY WERE INCREASING IT, UM, WHAT WE DID WAS IS THAT WE WORKED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY IN THE FIELD WITH PCP BIOLOGISTS.
IF IT RELATED TO PARK LAND, WE ALSO BROUGHT IN, UH, PARKS AND REC RANGERS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, THE PEOPLE DOING THE ACTUAL WORK, ALL OF THAT STUFF.
WE WENT OUT INTO THE FIELD, WALKED MANY OF THESE LINES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE WANTED TO WORK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ADHERING TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALSO THE ENERGY STANDARDS, AS WELL AS WE WERE ADHERING TO DANGEROUS SPECIES HABITAT STANDARDS.
SO IN DOING THIS, WE WORKED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
LIKE I MENTIONED, TO BUILD AN INTERNAL WEB MAP IN ADDITION TO THE FIELD VISITS, AND THIS WOULD HELP US IDENTIFY AGING ASSETS AND, UH, ASSETS THAT WERE EXPLICITLY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.
THOSE WERE THE BIG ONES BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF PREVENTING EMERGENCIES.
UM, THE BCCP PERMIT DOES ALLOW FOR EMERGENCY WORK TO OCCUR.
UM, BUT WE LIKE TO TRY TO PREVENT THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
CAUSE WHEN A POLE DOES FALL IN THE FOREST, UM, AND YOU KNOW, A NEIGHBORHOOD LOSES POWER, THEY HAVE TO GET IN THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT DURING AN EMERGENCY, THE IMPACT MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN IF IT WAS PREVENTATIVELY DONE AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE IDENTIFYING THESE OLD ASSETS, IDENTIFYING HARD TO REACH ASSETS SO THAT ALL OF THIS EMERGENCY WORK CAN BE DONE AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, I'M GOING TO UNSHARE MY SCREEN NOW AND I ACCIDENTALLY MUTED MYSELF.
SO, UM, ANOTHER PROACTIVE WAY THAT WE ARE PROTECTING HABITAT, AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY IS TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE WE CAN GET ELECTRIC LINES OUTSIDE OF THE
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BCP THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THERE.UM, AND AGAIN, NOT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT THE VERY SPECIFICS OF THAT.
UM, TWO EXAMPLES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT ARE IN THE WORKS PEC IS MOVING A, UH, AN ENERGY LINE OUTSIDE OF A TRAVIS COUNTY PROPERTY.
THAT'S OUT NEAR THE OASIS, AS WELL AS AUSTIN ENERGY IS MOVING SOME LINES OUTSIDE OF THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT AREA.
UM, IN BOTH OF THESE INSTANCES, WE ARE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL TO THEM BECAUSE THEN THEY CAN GET GREATER ACCESS AS WELL AS BENEFICIAL TO US.
AND THAT WE HAVE A BETTER CAPABILITY OF MANAGING OUR PROPERTY WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACCESS AND, AND, UH, EMERGENCY MEANS ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS, THAT KIND OF THE FINAL THING THAT I WANT TO TOUCH ON REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE WORK IS THAT WE ALSO REQUIRE WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLAN FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT ARE, THAT HAVE HIGHER SENSITIVITY, UM, ELEMENTS ON THESE WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLANS INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, ASKING THEM ABOUT THEIR FIRE SUPPRESSION EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ON SITE ASKING THEM ABOUT, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN.
SO THEY KNOW WHO TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT, ASKING THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE GOING TO BE THE SPOTTERS, WHO ARE YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACTS.
ONE IS VERY PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE WANT EMERGENCY CONTACTS ON THE BCP SIDE, AS WELL AS THE FIRE JURISDICTION SITE, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND.
BECAUSE IF THEY SEE A FIRE, THEY CAN CONTACT US.
OR IF WE KNOW OF A FIRE OR ANY SORT OF OTHER EMERGENCY OUT THERE, WE CAN CONTACT THEM TO GET THEM ESCAPE.
SO IT'S THIS TWO WAY PROTECTION TO REALLY HELP EVERYONE.
UM, AND REALLY IT'S JUST A, THE, THE WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLAN IS JUST TO KIND OF GET THEM TO BE THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, SO JUST IN SUMMARY THAT THE FINAL THING I'LL SAY IS THAT THE THING THAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS, AS THE, THE BENEFIT OF THE BCP IS THAT IT ALLOWS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH.
IT ALLOWS FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK.
IT ALLOWS FOR US TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY BY DECREASING RISKS.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE TO ENSURE AND ENCOURAGE THE BEST WAYS OF ENDANGER PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A KIND OF THROWING OUT A LOT THERE, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, FINISH UP THERE AND I'LL MUTE MYSELF IN CASE WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK RESPECT SINCE, UM, WE'VE SEEN THESE JUST HORRIFIC UNCONTROLLED WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON AND OREGON.
UM, I KNOW I'M HEARING FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE A VERY ELEVATED CONCERN.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION WE ARE PUTTING OUT OR COULD PUT OUT, UM, TO HELP THE PUBLIC, NO CONTACT OR, UM, PRECAUTIONS THAT THEY CAN TAKE.
BUT I THINK WE THINK WE REALLY NEED TO UP OUR, UP OUR OUTREACH AROUND THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATED RISK, WE ALL KNOW THIS REGION IS GETTING HOTTER AND DRYERS AND WE WILL SEE MORE WELLS.
AND THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO.
SORRY, I DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH UP THE PENCIL AND COOL.
WELL, I WAS JUST GOING SAY, I I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE STAFF IF WE COULD GET, UM, A BRIEFING PAPER, LIKE A BRIEFING MEMO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, FOR THIS INFORMATION, I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING INTO KIND OF A RAINY SEASON AND THINGS ARE GOING DORMANT AND EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, THESE QUESTIONS ARE RELEVANT TO NOT SO MUCH THE, MY SITUATION DISTRICT SEVEN, BUT CERTAINLY THE DISTRICT SIX AND DISTRICT 10, UM, BAKE SALES THAT ARE GONE GODLY IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
AND, AND SO IT'D BE GOOD INFORMATION TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND LAY SOME CONCERNS AT REST BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE DEFINITELY ACTIVATED AT THIS POINT AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO PUSH BACK.
AND MOST OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS TRYING TO CONTROL THE UNDERGROWTH, BUT YOU HAVE EVEN MORE INFORMATION HERE.
IT'S SO MUCH MORE ORGANIZED AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE COUNTY AND TO THE PROPERTIES THAT WE MANAGE UNDER VCP.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED THE BATHROOM COMPLEX FIRE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD STORY TO TELL I'D LOVE TO SEE.
UM, UH, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
MAYBE EVEN WE COULD DO LIKE AN ATX M ONE OF THOSE TAPINGS WHERE WE HAVE PUT A VIDEO UP THERE FOR JUST ON THE ROTATION, GOING TO A BRIEF CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY SLAMMED WITH THE, WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT'S GOING ON.
CAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AT EVERY WORK SOCIAL NOW WHEN COVID, UM, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO SHOE HORN SOMETHING, AND EVEN JUST A 10 MINUTE UPDATE AT ONE OF OUR WORK SESSIONS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL IF WE COULD PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, DAVID, TO DO THAT FOR US.
I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY TO DO THAT.
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YES.AND DAVID, I TOO, WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST ANY KIND OF WRITTEN UPDATE ON THIS.
I THINK THIS WOULD BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE, AND I KNOW THAT OUR COMMISSIONER PRECINCT HAS LOTS OF WILD LANDS.
I MEAN, TO THE WEST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, THE HILL COUNTRY, BUT TO THE EAST, IT'S THE, UH, PRAIRIE GRASSES.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY IN PRECINCT, ONE NEAR PFLUGERVILLE WHERE THE FIRST FIRE BROKE OUT ON, UM, SEPTEMBER OF, UM, 2011, 2011 WHEN THE BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE STARTED.
SO, UH, ANYTHING THAT, UH, YOU CAN PICK IT UP THE PROVIDES MORE DETAIL ON WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREVENTION ACTIVITY IN THE BCP, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL JUST TO SHARE WITH US ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, BUT WITH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
AND I MEAN, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO BE EXTREMELY MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MOST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL OVER 90% UP TO 99% OF ALL FIRES ARE HUMAN CAUSED OR HUMAN RELATED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN MITIGATE FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AKA, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE GOING THROUGH OUR PRESERVES, THE SHADED FUEL BREAKS AT THE EDGES OF OUR PRESERVES WERE REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FIRES THAT ARE THEN OF CONCERN THEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECOME HOME TO HOME CONFLAGRATION FIRES.
UM, AND I MEAN, AND WE ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT WE DO THE VEGETATION CLEARING, REGARDLESS OF THE SHADED FUEL BREAK WORK, WE DO, WE DO.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THESE PUBLIC CONCERNS WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LITERALLY LOOKING BEHIND ME, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY SEE THAT FROM THEIR HOMES AND THEY SEE, OH, WELL, MY HOME IS AGAINST VEGETATION, BUT REALLY YOU'RE RIGHT.
THAT, THAT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION EFFORT OF SHOWING THAT THIS WORK PREVENTS 90% OF THE FIRES THAT, THAT OUR LANDS COULD POST TO YOU.
NOW IT'S ABOUT TAKING THAT, THAT OTHER 99% OF THE HOME HARDENING PRACTICES, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, FIREWISE COMMUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE WANT, THAT WE CONTINUE THREE TIMES TO WORK WITH, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
REALLY REINFORCING THAT MESSAGE THAT THE BCP IS WORKING WITH AND COORDINATING WITH ALL THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS TO REDUCE PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO I AM HAPPY TO SPEAK AND, AND, AND WORK WITH MY TEAM TO GET THINGS WRITTEN UP FOR WHOMEVER THAT YOU DEEM FIT.
UM, I'M DEFINITELY LIKE IT, AND I CAN SHARE IT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE, IF NOT, THANK YOU.
[6. National Habitat Conservation Plan Coalition Hosts Virtual Annual Meeting November 17-18 2020- Secretary ]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM SIX, NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION HOSTING, A VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING, 17 AND 18.I DID SEE, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I SAW ADAM'S OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND HIS VIDEO ON RIGHT WHEN YOU'RE ASKING FOR QUESTIONS.
SO I JUST WANT TO SEE PATTERNS AROUND HER HEAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WOULD JUST ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF US WERE WORKING AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BCCP AND BACK AND FORTH 11 AND 12 DEPARTMENTS, UH, COMING OUT OF THAT SITUATION.
AND WE'VE JUST BEEN VERY PROACTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DESCRIBED ON HOW TO MANAGE THE PRESERVES IN A WAY THAT THEY CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN HABITAT FOR SPECIES, BUT ALSO REDUCE THE RISK FOR PEOPLE.
AND I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT, UH, YOU HAVE DONE IN A WAY YOU'RE USING SCIENCE AND THESE PREVENTION MEASURES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RISKS OF ENDANGERED SPECIES WON'T BE PRESENT, UH, FOR PEOPLE.
SO, AND, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE BECAUSE WE DID GET QUESTIONS BACK IN 2011 ABOUT RESERVES AND HOW THEY MAY BE, UM, CREATING RISK FOR PEOPLE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING BOTH IN MESSAGING AND THE WORK ITSELF, UH, TO, UH, BENEFIT PEOPLE IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD MENTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE SERVICE BEGINS ITS SPECIES ASSESSMENT FOR THE GOLDEN CHIEF BOARD, OR TO EVENTUALLY INFORM A FIVE YEAR REVIEW, UM, THE POTENTIAL THREAT OR THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, IN THIS ISSUE OF FIRE RISK, UH, TO THE SPECIES, UM, THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW AS COMPARED TO WHEN THE SPECIES WAS FIRST LISTED IN 1990.
SO ANY INFORMATION SCIENCE THAT
[00:45:02]
YOU WILL HAVE ON THAT AREA WILL BE HELPFUL FOR US WHEN WE DO OUR STATUS ASSESSMENT IN THE FUTURE.AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOT ONLY INDICATE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT ALSO BE LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR BCP BIOLOGISTS, I KNOW THAT WE ARE TOUCHING ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROBABLY STEP UP THOSE EFFORTS OVER TIME.
ITEM SIX, THE NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN, UPCOMING MEETING KIND OF SEPARATELY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN AS WELL.
THIS IS THE NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION WEB PAGE.
UH, THIS IS A NATIONAL GROUP THAT COMES TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR TO TALK ABOUT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS.
UH, IT'S A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM PRACTITIONERS TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS, TO MEMBERS OF THE SERVICE.
AND THIS YEAR THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THEIR MEETING HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BUT LIKE MANY PUBLIC, UH, CONVENTIONS THIS YEAR.
IT HAS BEEN CANCELED AND REPLACED WITH A VIRTUAL MEETING AS OF COVID-19 AND THEY DECIDED TO MAKE IT FREE.
SO EVERYBODY WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS AND GO TO THIS WEBSITE, YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING COMING UP.
THE MEETING WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 17TH AND 18.
IT'S GOING TO BE A HALF DAY FOR TWO DAYS.
UH, WE HAVE SOME INTERESTING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND REALLY IT'S FREE.
SO ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO CHECK THIS OUT, UM, THAT SOME GREAT TOPICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND ECP STAFF WILL BE PRESENTING SOME INFORMATION THIS YEAR.
WE'RE ALL VERY ACTIVE IN THIS ROOM AND PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY HAVE A VERY ROBUST GROUP THAT GOES TO WASHINGTON EVERY YEAR TO TRY TO SECURE SECTION SEVEN MONEY FOR US.
THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND BECAUSE IT'S FREE THIS YEAR, WE WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT.
PLEASE SIGN UP AND REGISTER AND CHECK IT OUT.
MAYBE YOU CAN JOIN US IN PERSON NEXT YEAR, AUSTIN, TEXAS, AS WE HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENT HCPS HERE IN SIMPLE.
SO THE MEETING WILL BE IN AUSTIN NEXT YEAR.
BRIDGET, WERE YOU ABLE TO GO TO HERE? THE ONE LAST FALL? WAS IT LAST FALL? AND I DID GO, IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO THE ONE BEFORE THAT.
SO YEAH, I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN HERE.
I'M GLAD THEY CREATED THIS NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
I KNOW WHO BRUCE BABBITT IS, BUT I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH THE OTHER PERSON LISTED TO THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT MIMI PARKER.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH HER AS WELL.
WE HAVE A GROUP THAT PUTS THESE MEETINGS ON, AND SO IT WAS ANOTHER SUB GROUP THAT WAS IN CHARGE OF REACHING OUT.
SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY, BUT I'M SORRY.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL KIND OF SNEAK PEAK INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO MA MAMIE PARKER USED TO WORK FOR THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND SHE WAS THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND THE NORTHEAST REGION.
AND THEN ALSO WAS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN WASHINGTON, DC OVERSEEING, UH, SEVERAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THERE.
NOW SHE IS RETIRED FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND I BELIEVE IS, UH, ON THE COMMISSION OR BOARD OF VIRGINIA IS A FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SHE IS REALLY A WONDERFUL MOTIVATIONAL AND, UH, ASPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP SPEAKER.
SO, UH, YEAH, I'VE HEARD HER SPEAK IN THE PAST AS A KEYNOTE AND IT'S WELL WORTH THE TIME TO HEAR HER.
UH, AND OF COURSE, BRUCE, BABBITT'S ALWAYS GOOD AS WELL.
SO THEY'VE HAD TO REALLY GET FOLKS THEY'RE SPEAKING TO THIS AT THIS MEETING.
AND THEN FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, BRUCE BABBITT AS A FORMER SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, UH, AND HE WAS, UM, A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON TO THE DECISION TO LIST THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER, WHICH HAS ENABLED OUR
[00:50:01]
COMMUNITY TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE BARTON SPRINGS.SO I WAS HAVE A SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART FOR FORMER INTERIOR, SECRETARY OF YOUR SPANISH.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? NOPE, THAT'S IT.
[7. Receive BCP Partner Reports- BCP Staff ]
SEE THE BCT PARTNER REPORT AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, UM, AND WHO WILL BEGIN FIRST GO AND YOU HEAR ME? YES.HI, I'M LINDA LOCKE FIELD SUPERVISOR FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND YOU HAVE A COPY OF OUR THIRD QUARTER REPORT, UH, FROM, FOR APRIL THROUGH JUNE.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WITH YOU.
UM, SO AS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, MANY OF OUR NORMAL ACTIVITIES HAD TO BE ALTERED TO FOLLOW THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER AND OTHER COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
AND OUR SURVEY SEASON FOR GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS WAS ESPECIALLY IMPACTED BECAUSE THE PEAK OF SEASON IN APRIL COINCIDED WITH SHELTER IN PLACE.
HOWEVER, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO GET IN AND ABBREVIATED SURVEY SEASON.
AND WE DID FIND THAT, UM, OUR, OUR WARBLER NUMBERS SEEM TO BE STABLE COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS CAUSE BLACK CAT VIDEOS, UH, START NESTING LATER THAN THE WORLD.
OUR VIDEO SURVEY SEASON WAS LESS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT OUR VERY OWN NUMBERS INCREASE THIS YEAR COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
UH, WE TYPICALLY HAVE BETWEEN 10 TO 15 TERRITORIES ON TRAVIS COUNTY MANAGED LAND.
AND THIS YEAR WE HAD 22 VIDEO PAIRS AND THEY SUCCESSFULLY SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCED MORE THAN 40.
UH, AND WE AREN'T SURE EXACTLY WHAT, UH, ACCOUNTED FOR THIS INCREASE IN SUCCESS, BUT WE DO THINK THAT OUR HABITAT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE LAST FEW YEARS ARE PROBABLY HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT ON OUR NUMBERS.
AND THEN ANOTHER BIG THING THAT WAS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC WAS OUR PATROLLING EFFORTS AND PATROLLING WAS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED, UH, AN ESSENTIAL DUTY.
AND WE ACTUALLY INCREASED PATROLLING DURING THE SHELL SHELTER IN PLACE PERIOD, BECAUSE WE SUSPECTED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE AN INCREASE IN TRESPASSING AND OTHER ISSUES, UH, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE AT HOME AND ANXIOUS TO GET OUTDOORS.
AND WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN ACTIVITY.
UH, THE MOST CONCERNING OF WHICH FOR US WAS THE, UM, BACK OF LOT CLEARING FROM APRIL TO JUNE, WE DOCUMENTED NINE NEW CASES OF, UM, TREE CLEARING ON THE PRESERVE BEHIND PEOPLE'S HOMES.
AND THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE LOSS OF ABOUT 200 TREES.
SO WE ARE SEEKING REPARATIONS FOR THE DAMAGES TO THE PRESERVE IN THESE CASES.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY SETTLED, UM, THREE OF THE CASES, BUT SIX OF THEM ARE STILL OPEN AND ONGOING.
UM, FORTUNATELY TREE CLEARING AND TRESPASS DID, UH, SLOW DOWN QUITE A BIT DURING THE SUMMER WHEN OF COURSE IT WAS TOO HOT AND MISERABLE TO BE GOING OUT THE DOOR AS MUCH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING AGAIN MORE CLOSELY NOW THAT THE WEATHER'S STARTING TO GET GOOD AGAIN.
AND, UH, AND NOW THAT FALL IS HERE, UH, AND THE WARBLERS AND VIDEOS ARE GONE.
WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO DO A LOT OF OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, THINGS LIKE FUEL MITIGATION AND ITS CONSTRUCTION AND HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS.
AND SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE THINGS YOU'LL BE HEARING ABOUT IN OUR REPORT TO YOU NEXT QUARTER.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT A QUESTION LINDEN, IT'S A, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME, UH, IF THIS IS FROM THE CITY OR THE COUNTY, BUT THERE'S A REFERENCE TO SOMEONE, UM, RAVING COVID-19 RATTLESNAKES AND MYSTERIOUS UNMANNED WOODLAND BALLOONS.
UH, AND THEN IT SAYS SAMUEL, SOME TONY TAYLOR LET'S TURN TO, WE CONDUCTED OVER 30 SURVEYS AND RECORDED A TROVE OF DATA THAT WILL HELP TO DETERMINE, UM, ALL KINDS OF THINGS ABOUT THE WARBLERS AT THE BANK BAKER SANCTUARY.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY WOULD, THE UNMANNED BALLOONS WERE WITH THAT? IS ANYBODY ELSE AVAILABLE TO SPEAK ON? IT LOOKS LIKE JOHNNY, MAYBE.
UH, SO THIS IS JOHANNA HERE, ACTUALLY.
UM, SO THIS IS JOHANNA ERIN, UH, COMMUNITY LIAISON WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY DAKOTA IS CAITLIN'S PRESERVE, UM, THAT'S PART OF THE, UH, BCP EDUCATION PARTNER REPORT.
AND YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM, UM, PREVIOUS REPORTS THAT HE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, ADDS HUMOR TO HIS REPORTS, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY.
SO I'M GUESSING THAT'S PROBABLY SOME MYLAR BALLOONS THAT, UM, HE MADE JUST BEEN PUTTING A SPIN ON
[00:55:04]
INTERESTING DANCE FROM THE, UH, FROM THE TRAVIS AUDUBON.UM, AND THEN I WAS REALLY, UM, INTERESTED TO SEE, I THINK THIS CAME FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, A SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT ON BLACK WOMEN WHO WERE, UH, TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT TO MAKE THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN, LOOKS LIKE THAT ALSO CAME FROM THE AUDUBON SOCIETY THAT IT WAS FEATURED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, SEGMENT READING.
UH, SO THAT WAS A NATIONAL AUTOBON INITIATIVE THAT A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATED IN AND HELPED PROMOTE.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY DID THAT IT'S JUST UP THERE, BUT I CAN GO OVER THE, UM, BCP EDUCATION PARTNER REPORT NEXT AFTER LINDA'S DONE WITH HER REPORT.
AND I'LL JUST MAKE NOTE FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, BLACK WOMEN TO MOVE FORWARD.
YOU CAN GO TO THE HASHTAG BLACK WEEK, UM, AND SEE STORIES AND BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS, UH, UNDER THAT HASHTAG HASHTAG BLACK WEEK.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE, UH, IF YOU HAVE MORE LINDA, I THOUGHT YOU WERE FINISHED, BUT YOU'RE NOT PLEASE CONTINUE.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WEREN'T ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR LINDA'S PART OF THE, UM, SO, UH, YEAH, SO ABOUT THE BCP EDUCATION PARTNERS, UM, REPORTS THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE, UH, EDUCATION PARTNERS, CITY COUNTY, AUDUBON, UM, WEST K Y BASIN AND, UH, A NATURE CONSERVANCY.
AND AS LINDA WAS SAYING, OF COURSE DURING THIS PERIOD WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE SHELTER IN PLACE TIME.
AND SO OUR OUTREACH REALLY WAS AFFECTED QUITE A BIT, UM, COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, WE HAD AN 87% DECREASE IN NUMBER OF PEOPLE, ATTENDING EVENTS AND A 72% DECREASE IN VOLUNTEER HOURS.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, CONTINUE SOME VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO BE ESSENTIAL AND WERE, UM, DONE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND A VERY CAREFUL PROTOCOL WITH MASKING.
AND, YOU KNOW, DECONTAMINATING ANY SURFACES THAT WERE TOUCHED.
THE MAIN THINGS THAT WERE DONE DURING THAT PERIOD WERE PATROL BY VOLUNTEERS OR PATROL, UH, SURVEYS THAT WERE VERY, YOU KNOW, UM, TIME DEPENDENT BECAUSE THE SPECIES ARE ONLY THERE AT CERTAIN TIMES AS, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHRIS MENTIONED IN HIS AUTOBON REPORT WAS THAT THOSE SURVEYS THAT WERE DONE, UH, MAINTAINING THE SNOWDEN GARDENS BECAUSE WE LEFT THEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AND THEY REALLY GOT OUT OF CONTROL.
SO WE BROUGHT TWO OF OUR MAIN VOLUNTEERS BACK TO HELP, UH, CORRAL THAT INTO ORDER, UH, WATERING PLANTS THAT HAD BEEN PLAYING.
CAN I STOP A MINUTE WHEN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SNOWDEN GARDENS AND WHAT THAT WAS SURE.
SO THE SNOWDEN HOUSE ON THE, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY PORTION OF THE BCP, UM, IS A HOUSE THAT IS USED PERIODICALLY FOR, UM, OUTREACH EVENTS, UH, WHETHER IT'S MEETINGS OR AS A STARTING PLACE FOR A HIKES OR VOLUNTEER DAYS.
AND THERE'S, UH, GARDENS ALL AROUND THE PROPERTY THAT ARE NATIVE PLANT GARDENS AND THEIR DISPLAYS TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW, UM, NATIVE PLANTS CAN BE USED.
AND THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL SUITED TO THE AREA AND THE BALCONY IS CANYONLANDS THAT WHOLE REGION.
AND WE HAD A VERY WET SPRING AND, UH, EVERYTHING GREW WAY OUT OF CONTROL.
AND WE WERE SORT OF A RISK OF THE GARDENS TURNING COMPLETELY WILD.
SO, UM, WE DECIDED TO BRING BACK THE TWO VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR YEARS, AND THEY MAINTAINED SOCIAL DISTANCE, WORE MASKS, BROUGHT THEIR OWN TOOLS AND THEY, UM, AND A COUPLE OF STAFF, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING THOSE GARDENS BACK INTO SHAPE.
UM, YEAH, SO WE ALSO DID A BIG, UH, PIVOT FROM OUTDOOR IN PERSON EVENTS TO ONLINE, UH, LIKE MOST OTHER FOLKS.
IT'S BEEN PRETTY INTERESTING WATCHING ALL THE OUTDOOR EDUCATION PEOPLE AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DO OUTREACH, BUT LIKE SO MANY OTHER INDUSTRIES OR FIELDS THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SILVER LININGS.
I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT HOW TO REACH PEOPLE ONLINE STOOP AND ABLE TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME FOCUSING ON IT.
AND IT HAS ALSO OPENED UP THE PRESERVE TO PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE, UH, WHO ARE NOT PHYSICALLY ABLE TO VISIT ON A HIKE, UM, OR FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP OUT THERE.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING WEBINARS MONTHLY, THE CITY AND COUNTY I'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON THE WILD NEIGHBORS WEBINAR, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN POPULAR.
AND WE RECORD EACH ONE AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON FACEBOOK.
[01:00:01]
OUR NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT DARK SKIES AND THAT FILLED UP REALLY QUICKLY.SO WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING WITH THE SPEAKER ABOUT DOING A SECOND SESSION POTENTIALLY.
SO WE'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW IF THAT HAPPENS.
UM, AND A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AND, UM, GETTING TO KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THE PRESERVE AS WELL, STARTING TO CONNECT MORE WITH SOME OF THE GROUPS BOOK, UM, AROUND THE PRESERVE.
UM, LET ME KNOW IF, OH, ACTUALLY, SO JUST ONE LAST NOTE IS THAT WE HAVE GENERALLY SUSPENDED HIKES BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO KEEP PEOPLE SIX FEET APART AT ALL TIMES ON A HIKE.
UM, BUT WEST CAVE HAS BEEN DOING SOME TOURS.
THEY REOPENED FOR A LIMITED CAPACITY WITH, UM, TOURS FOR HOUSEHOLD GROUPS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO PROVIDED SOME FREE HIKES DURING BLACK BIRDERS WEEK AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOHANNA, FROM ALL THE PARTNERS, UM, I'M KATE MCCANN AND WE'RE, WE'RE AUSTIN, WATER'S WILD LAND CONSERVATION DIVISION THEM.
AND SO I SERVE IN A SIMILAR ROLE TO JOHANNA FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN DCP.
AND, AND AS WE WERE ALL AT HOME THIS YEAR, WE WERE HAVING, UM, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO, AS JOANNA SAID, BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF MORE PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE TIME WHERE, UM, IF TO PRESERVE AS FAR FROM WHERE YOU LIVE OR AT SOMEWHERE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT LIGHTING, WE WERE THINKING ABOUT EVENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WE WERE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO, UM, WITHIN THE REALM OF CONSERVATION, WITHIN THE REALM OF THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS BRUISER, UM, BE EVEN MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT BEING INCLUSIVE OF DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE A BIG, THANKS TO JAYA TORRES, REZA RICHARDSON, NEW INFORMATION SPECIALIST, AS WELL AS THEIR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR COORDINATOR, ANDRE STEWART, WHO REALLY HELPED TO FIND ALL OF THESE MATERIALS TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHT VOICES OF BLACK BIRDERS OF LATINO HIKERS, UM, OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, UM, AND IN WAYS THAT RELATE TO THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ON THE BIKINIS CANYONLANDS PRESERVE BY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
UM, SO IT WAS A DEEP DIVE AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE.
UM, I THINK WE ALL REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, UH, ALL THE EFFORTS IT'S TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND TO, UM, HELP BRING A MORE DIVERSE, UM, COMMUNITY TO NATURE.
UM, AND, AND IT'S REALLY VALUABLE TO HEAR THESE STORIES SO THAT OTHERS CAN BE INSPIRED BY IT.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, I LOVE THE PIECES OF BARK ON YOUR WALL BACK THERE.
ARE THEY FROM DIFFERENT TREES? I CAN'T QUITE MAKE OUT.
THERE'S A BIG COTTONWOOD THAT TEAMED DOWN OUTSIDE THE NATURE CENTER.
WHEN I WORKED THERE AND SOFA PARK AND A BIG LIVE OAK TREE THAT THE PRESCHOOLERS AT THE NATURE CENTER, WHEN I RAN PUBLIC PROGRAMS THERE NAMED FRED, AND WHEN FRED HAD TO COME DOWN, IT WAS A BIG DAY.
SO LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A FRED, THE OAK TREES BARK.
DO WE HAVE FOR OUR BCP PARTNERS? YES, WE DO.
WE STILL HAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHICH IS COMING UP.
I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE
AND SO I'LL GIVE THE, THE DCP CITY REPORT.
UM, AS FAR AS ACQUISITIONS GO ON MONDAY, WE ACQUIRED THE, UM, THE 32 ACRE, UM, CAROL LEE PRESERVE, UM, WHICH IS NEAR PENNY BECKER BRIDGE.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOWARD THE ACQUISITION OF BRIGHTLY PRESERVE, WHICH IS A 216 ACRE PRESERVE NEAR MOUNT BUN.
NOW WE'RE WORKING ON ACQUIRING.
SO THERE'S A TO OF ACQUISITIONS.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
ARE WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, ALSO REGARDING THE INTEREST IN WILDFIRE, UM, OUR STAFF, LISA DONALD HAS PUT TOGETHER AND IS PUTTING TOGETHER AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WILDFIRE ON THE, ON THE AUSTIN WATER ABOUT KONAS CANYON, LAND PRESERVES.
AND, UM, WHAT SHE'S FINDING IS THAT, UM, YOU HAVE VERY FEW INCIDENCES OF ACTUAL FIRES ON THE PRESERVE AND, AND VERY FEW THAT ARE LARGE.
THE REALLY LARGE DISASTERS OCCURRED BEFORE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BCP BACK IN 1961, UM, THAT WERE RESULT OF CLEARING TREES, WHICH IS COUNTER INTUITIVE WHEN OTHER PEOPLE THINK THE TREES
[01:05:01]
ARE THE PROBLEM.NOW IT'S THE FREQUENTLY, LIKE IN THE CASE OF THE BRIGHT OF THE, UM, WESTBANK FIRE OF 61, IT WAS THE CLEARING OF TREES THAT PAVE THE WAY TOWARD A DISASTROUS FIRE.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT, UM, UH, SOMEONE WAS DESCRIBING THIS AREA TO ME AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS MIGHT'VE BEEN WHERE THE FIRE OCCURRED.
IS IT, UM, IF YOU'RE GOING, UH, WEST ON, UM, B CAVE, IF YOU LOOK TO THE NORTH PAST THREE 60, THEIR OBSERVATION WAS THAT ALL THE TREES WERE OF THE SAME SIZE.
AND SO THEY PRESUMED THAT THAT HAD BEEN AN AREA WHERE THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE.
IS THAT THE WEST BANK FIRE AREA FROM 1961? YEAH.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, WHERE THE, AND AT LEAST THIS HERE, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AT LISA.
I WAS GOING TO OFFER YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
NATE, DO YOU WANT TO JUST KEEP TALKING AND THEN JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL KEEP ON GOING.
AND AT LEAST IT'S BEEN REALLY INVOLVED IN RESTORING THE, THE FIRE WESTBANK FIRE GARY, BY THE WAY, WAS APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE, WHERE THE, UM, VERIO PRESERVE IS.
AND THE WILD BASIN PRESERVE IS, WHICH IS NEAR THE AREA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL.
UM, AND SO LISA IS HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH RESTORING THE, UM, THE VERRIER TRACK, WHICH HAS HEAVILY LOT OF SOIL LOSS, UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF PROBLEMS. SO AS A RESULT OF THAT LARGE FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN 1961 AND THE SOIL YOU DON'T KNOW, OF COURSE IT TAKES FOREVER TO REBUILD ITSELF.
SO IT'S A HUGE DISASTER EVEN NOW THAT WE, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESTORE COMPANY WAS THE AREA AROUND WHILE BASIN AND THE BUREAU PRESERVE KIND OF NEARBY CAVES ROAD.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, A LOT OF THE TREES ARE KIND OF SHORT IN THAT AREA CAUSE THEY'RE STILL COMING, TRYING TO COME BACK, BUT IT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE FIRED.
IT WAS THE CLEARING OF THE TREES BY THE, BY THE RANCH OWNER, UM, PRIMARILY FOR CATTLE GRAZING IN THAT AREA.
BUT THEN THEY GRASSLAND DID REALLY, UM, PROMOTE THE LARGE FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN, GOT OUT OF CONTROL IN THAT AREA IN 1961.
BUT ANYWAY, SO THE REPORT'S NOT DONE YET, BUT, UM, LISA'S THE AUTHOR OF IT.
AND WHEN IT COMES OUT PRETTY SOON, IT WILL GET SOME ADDITIONAL SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WILDFIRES IN OUR AREA.
I'M ALSO GOING TO MENTION, THE LAST THING I WAS GONNA MENTION IS JUST THAT, BECAUSE OF COVID, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T DO A LOT OF THE INTENSIVE SURVEYS THAT WE NORMALLY DO, AND IT WAS THIS YEAR WAS WE WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE STARTED PRETTY BIG DECLINE AND GO AND SEEK WARBLERS.
AND SO WE WERE INTERESTED TO SEE, IS THAT JUST A FLUKE OR IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN ALL THE TIME OR WHAT? UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COVID, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, WE MISSED A LOT OF THE SEASON WITH THE INTENSIVE SURVEYS.
WE WON'T GET THE GOOD NUMBERS WE NORMALLY HAVE, BUT THE, UH, THE OBSERVATIONS THE STAFF DID MAKE INDICATE THAT PROBABLY CAUSE OF COVID TO BLESS PEOPLE OUT.
THERE WERE A LOT OF GOING TO WARBLERS.
THEY SAW A BLACK CAT, VARIOUS ON SITES THAT THEY HADN'T SEEN A LONG TIME ON BARTON CREEK WILDERNESS AND, AND ON CORTEN YET THAT THEY HADN'T SEEN A LONG TIME.
AND PERHAPS AS A RESULT OF FEWER PEOPLE OUT AND FEWER DISTURBANCE FOR THE BIRDS, BUT IT SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR THE BIRDS THIS YEAR.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO FINISH MY REPORT, THE REST OF IT.
YOU CAN READ IN, IN THE STAFF REPORT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'M GLANCING AT THE, UH, AT THE WRITTEN MATERIAL, BUT LESLIE OR, UH, ADAM, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL BE REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE THE WRITTEN, UM, HISTORY OF WILDFIRE OCCURRENCES, UM, REPORT.
I THINK THAT'LL BE REALLY VALUABLE AND PARTICULARLY MARRIED WITH THE WRITEUP FROM DAVID KIMMICH.
UM, IF WE'RE DONE WITH ALL OF THE VCP PARTNER REPORTS, UM, WE CAN
[8. Identify Future Agenda Items]
MOVE ON TO THE FINAL AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS TO IDENTIFY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WHO HAS INFORMATION FOR THIS SECRETARY THAT IS JUST FOR YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER PAUL TO LET STAFF MAIL, IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO PRESENT TO YOU IN A NEXT MEETING OR HIGHLIGHT FOR THE MEETINGS NEXT YEAR? I DO THINK, UH, UNLESS YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP, GO AHEAD.HOW ABOUT, UH, GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE, UH, PERMIT APPLICATION AND THEN THE DATE FOR THE MEETING FOR OUR LAST MEETING, THE LAST OF OUR QUARTERLY MEETINGS, UH, THIS ONE WILL BE, UH, VIRTUALLY AT CITY HALL.
AND WHAT'S THE DATE OF THAT AGAIN? IS IT NOVEMBER SOMETHING, SORRY, NOVEMBER 6TH, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH.
AND I'M ASSUMING WE'LL BE DOING THAT VIRTUAL AS WELL.
[01:10:01]
PROBLEM TO RESCHEDULE.WE'LL, WE'LL RESCHEDULE, JUST LET ME KNOW OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING AND I'LL HANDLE IT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, HELPFUL AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WRITTEN MATERIALS OR A PRESENTATION OR BOTH WOULD BE BEST, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE, UM, TO GET AN UPDATE OR A BRIEFING ON WHAT KINDS OF THINGS, UM, CAN BE DONE, UM, BY THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THE PRESERVE.
I KNOW WE, WE SEEM TO CONTINUALLY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE DOING ILLEGAL CLEARING, UM, SEEMS TO ME THERE'S SOME MISUNDERSTANDING THERE, OR MAYBE IT'S WILLFUL, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO HAVE A FOCUS ON WHAT, UM, WHAT CITIZENS WHO ARE ADJACENT TO THE PRESERVES, UM, CAN DO THAT, UM, MIGHT BE HELPFUL WITH, UM, SHADED FUEL BREAKS ON THEIR PROPERTY.
I KNOW, UH, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO COORDINATE, UM, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE, AND NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, TO DO, UM, SHADED FUEL BREAKS IN COORDINATION ON EACH SIDE OF THE FENCE LINE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET AN UPDATE ON THOSE EFFORTS, BUT IN PARTICULAR, UM, AN EMPHASIS ON WHAT, WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DO, WHAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO OR CANNOT OR SHOULD NOT DO.
UM, AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE, UM, WHATEVER SOCIAL MEDIA WE'RE PUTTING OUT OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER KIND OF, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION WE'RE PUTTING OUT.
UM, USUALLY THESE REPORTS ARE GREAT ABOUT, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
SO I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT INCORPORATED WITH IT AS WELL.
AND THEN AT SOME POINT, I DON'T KNOW THAT NOVEMBER WILL BE THE RIGHT TIME, BUT AT SOME POINT I DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE A REPORT ON THIS AGENDA ON THE, UM, THE NEW VISITOR CENTER THAT IS, UM, IN THE VERY, VERY EARLY PLANNING STAGES, UM, WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, BCP STAFF, WHERE WE'RE SO THRILLED ABOUT IT.
AND I, I CAN'T WAIT TO, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, TO TALK IN MORE PUBLIC TERMS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, I DEFINITELY WANT THAT ON THE AGENDA WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
THAT WILL BE, WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE THERE YET.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU REMEMBER, WE'VE WORKED ON A PUBLIC LETTER THAT WE'VE PUT OUT THE LAST FEW YEARS FROM THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
THAT MIGHT BE THE PERFECT WAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT NEIGHBORS CAN DO.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE FOCUS OF THAT LETTER.
WE'LL WORK WITH ADAM OR OTHER STAFF.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR A FUTURE AGENDAS? IF NOT, I WILL, UH, DECLARE THIS MEETING COMPLETE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UM, BUT, UM, THANK YOU AS USUAL TO ALL OF THE STAFF, YOU REALLY DO FABULOUS WORK AND MAKE US INCREDIBLY PROUD, UH, WITH THIS AMAZING TREASURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY, STAY MIGHTY