Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Public Hearing
January 20, 2000
Commission Hearing RoomTexas Parks & Wildlife Department Headquarters Complex
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
7 BE IT REMEMBERED that on the 20th day of
8 January, 2000, there came on to be heard matters
9 under the regulatory authority of the Parks and
10 Wildlife Commission of Texas, in the Commission
11 hearing room of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
12 Headquarters complex, Austin, Travis County,
13 Texas, beginning at 9:28 a.m., to wit:
14
15 APPEARANCES:
THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION:
16
Lee M. Bass, Fort Worth, Texas, Chairman
17 Dick W. Heath, Carrollton, Texas (absent)
Nolan Ryan, Alvin, Texas
18 Ernest Angelo, Jr., Midland, Texas
John Avila, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas
19 Carol E. Dinkins, Houston, Texas
Alvin L. Henry, Houston, Texas
20 Katharine Armstrong Idsal, Dallas, Texas
Mark E. Watson, Jr., San Antonio, Texas
21
THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT:
22 Andrew H. Sansom, Executive Director, and
other personnel of the Parks and Wildlife
23 Department.
24
25
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1 OTHER APPEARANCES:
2
Ellis Gilleland, P.O. Box 9001, Austin, Texas,
3 78766, representing Texas-Animals;
4 Pablo Avila, County Judge, Zavala County,
Crystal City, Texas, 78839;
5
John Fain, 717 West Main, Arlington, Texas,
6 representing Arlington Parks & Recreation;
7 Robert L. Hall, Jr., 201 Airport Road, Drawer
H, Anahuac, Texas, 77514, representing Chambers
8 County, Texas;
9 Marc Maxwell, 125 South Davis, Sulphur
Springs, Texas, 75482, representing the City of
10 Sulphur Springs;
11 Tom Donnelly, Hallettsville, Texas, 77964,
representing the City of Halletsville;
12
Alberto Gonzales, 1503 North Seventh Avenue,
13 Crystal City, Texas, 78839, representing Crystal
City Independent School District;
14
Charles Johnson, County Judge, 103 North
15 Fifth, Carrizo Springs, Texas, 78834,
representing County of Dimmit;
16
John Davis, representing Urban Wildlife
17 Program-Outreach and Output;
18 Pat Mercado-Allinger, P.O. Box 12276, Austin,
Texas, 78711, representing Texas Historical
19 Commission;
20 Elton Prewitt, 7701 North Lamar, Suite 104,
Austin, Texas, 78752, representing Texas
21 Archeological Society and Council of Texas
Archeologists.
22
23
24
25
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1 JANUARY 20, 2000
2 *-*-*-*-*
3 PUBLIC HEARING
4 *-*-*-*-*
5 CHAIRMAN BASS: Good morning. We'll
6 try to get underway here. Sorry for a little
7 slow start this morning.
8 To get the meeting going, would you
9 please read our opening statement, Mr. Sansom.
10 MR. SANSOM: Mr. Chairman, a public
11 notice of this meeting containing all items on
12 the proposed agenda has been filed in the office
13 of the Secretary State, as required by Chapter
14 551 of the Government Code. This is referred to
15 as the Open Meetings Law. And I would like for
16 the action to be noted in the official record of
17 the meeting.
18 Ladies and gentlemen, as you know,
19 the Chairman is in charge of this meeting. And
20 today, as usual, I will be assisting him in the
21 conduct of the meeting as kind of
22 sergeant-at-arms.
23 We have sign-up cards out at the
24 table in the hall for anyone who wishes to
25 speak. And if you want to speak, you need to
.0004
1 sign up, because the Chairman will call your name
2 from the cards one at a time.
3 Each person who has signed a card
4 will be able to come forward and speak at the
5 podium one at a time. When your name is called,
6 please come forward, state your name and who you
7 represent, if someone other than yourself.
8 He may also, depending on the issue,
9 call the next person in line. So if you could be
10 prepared at the back of the room, then the
11 meeting will move more quickly.
12 Everyone who wishes to speak and has
13 signed a card will have three minutes to state
14 your comments and issues. I'll keep track of the
15 time using this little traffic light here, and
16 notify you when your three minutes are up. Your
17 time will be extended if a commissioner has a
18 question for you. If the commissioners are
19 discussing an issue among themselves, that time
20 will not be counted against you, either.
21 It's important that you understand
22 that we -- that it's very critical to us that you
23 be courteous in your comments; that you show a
24 proper respect not only for the commissioners and
25 our staff but for the other members of the
.0005
1 audience as well. I know you will. And I
2 appreciate all of you being here, because we do
3 want to hear your comments.
4 If you have written materials you
5 would like to submit, then please give them to
6 Ms. Estrada here, who is on my right, and she
7 will make sure that the commissioners get them.
8 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
9 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you,
10 Mr. Sansom. First order of business will be
11 approval of the minutes from our previous
12 meeting, which has been distributed to the
13 Commission prior to this. Are there any
14 comments?
15 COMMISSIONER DINKINS: Mr. Chairman,
16 I just found one on page 36, line 23, to make
17 "receive" past tense.
18 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you. I
19 appreciate you catching that. Any other
20 comments?
21 With that amendment, the Chair would
22 entertain a motion.
23 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: So moved.
24 CHAIRMAN BASS: A second?
25 COMMISSIONER WATSON: Second.
.0006
1 CHAIRMAN BASS: The Chair has a
2 second. All in favor? Any opposed?
3 (Motion passed unanimously.)
4 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very much.
5 The second order of business is the
6 acceptance of gifts, which have also been
7 previously distributed. Primarily it deals with
8 Rainbow Trout this time around. Any comments or
9 a motion for approval of the acceptance of
10 gifts?
11 COMMISSIONER DINKINS: So moved.
12 COMMISSIONER HENRY: Second.
13 CHAIRMAN BASS: Motion then is
14 second. All in favor? Opposed?
15 (Motion passed unanimously.)
16 CHAIRMAN BASS: Motion carries.
17 Thank you
18 TPWD DONATIONS OVER $500
19 Name of Donor: HAAS Outdoors, Inc., Mossy Oak
Description: 6 coats, pants, shirts, and caps
20 Purpose of Donation: Third Annual Dream Hunt
21 Name of Donor: Oquirrh Productions, LC
Description: The Hunting Game, CD ROM
22 Purpose of Donation: Hunter Education Training
23 Name of Donor: Alpha Leak Detection & Pipeline
Description: Diesel fuel and pump rental
24 Purpose of Donation: To provide water on 2,000
acres of Murphree
25
.0007
1 Name of Donor: Will Kirkpatrick
Description: CASH
2 Purpose of Donation: Catch and live release
3 Name of Donor: City of Corpus Christi, Texas
Description: CASH
4 Purpose of Donation: Removal of Hyacinth, Lake
Corpus Christi
5
Name of Donor: Lake Fork Area Merchants
6 Coun-Tour Fund
Description: CASH
7 Purpose of Donation: Lake Fork Tournament Survey
8 Name of Donor: City of Lubbock, Texas
Description: CASH
9 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
10 Name of Donor: City Public Service
Description: CASH
11 Purpose of Donation: Survey- Braunig & Calaveras
12 Name of Donor: City of Denison
Description: CASH
13 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
14 Name of Donor: Randall Word
Description: CASH
15 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
16 Name of Donor: City of Canton
Description: CASH
17 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
18 Name of Donor: City of Duncanville
Description: CASH
19 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
20 Name of Donor: Texarkana
Description: CASH
21 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
22 Name of Donor: Pittsburg
Description: CASH
23 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
24 Name of Donor: Lamesa Kidfish
Description: CASH
25 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
.0008
1 Name of Donor: W.O.R.D.
Description: CASH
2 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
3 Name of Donor: Jack County
Description: CASH
4 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
5 Name of Donor: City of Cleburne
Description: CASH
6 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
7 Name of Donor: Cox East Texas
Description: CASH
8 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
9 Name of Donor: City of Lamesa
Description: CASH
10 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
11 Name of Donor: City of New Braunfels
Description: CASH
12 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
13 Name of Donor: City of Victoria
Description: CASH
14 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
15 Name of Donor: City of Bandera
Description: CASH
16 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
17 Name of Donor: City of Wichita Falls
Description: CASH
18 Purpose of Donation: Rainbow Trout
19 Name of Donor: Friends of Neasloney
Description: CASH
20 Purpose of Donation: Hunter Safety and Youth
Shooting Event
21
TOTAL: $116,105.75
22
23 CHAIRMAN BASS: Mr. Sansom, would
24 you please do the presentation retirement and
25 service awards.
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1 MR. SANSOM: Mr. Chairman, if you
2 could please join me at the podium. It's always
3 kind of a bittersweet occasion when we have
4 colleagues who are leaving the department as
5 retirement. So we wish them very well.
6 Today we have two retirements. Jose
7 Esparza has been a game warden at Texas Parks and
8 Wildlife for 25 years. He has been stationed
9 during that entire period in San Antonio. He's
10 been named officer of the year there and he's had
11 a lot of experiences.
12 Normally we think of the warden as
13 an individual who primarily operates out in the
14 countryside. But in urban areas, as well, there
15 are plenty of things to keep our guys busy.
16 Jose actually lost his thumb one
17 time in an incident involving a mountain lion.
18 He was involved in the case of the famous Hill
19 Country buck that now hangs in Hill Country
20 Village. He's very, very involved in
21 institutions like the FFA and 4H, and he's the
22 trail boss of Mesquite. Please recognize,
23 retiring now with 25 years of service, Jose
24 Esparza from law enforcement, Game Warden V.
25 (Applause; photographs taken.)
.0010
1 MR. SANSOM: Through the years, as
2 we have continued to automate our system, now
3 linking up our state parks, particularly for
4 license sales and data and cash flow through our
5 system, the burden of that has fallen on the
6 administrative technicians in the Parks.
7 Today we have the honor of
8 recognizing, after 21 years of service, retiring
9 administrative technician from Cleburne State
10 Park, having come to Parks and Wildlife to work
11 there in 1979, Brenda J. Starns.
12 (Applause; photographs taken.)
13 MR. SANSOM: Well, I don't know
14 whether any of you have been to Fort Griffin. I
15 hope you have, because one of the things that you
16 can see there in the summer is that if you go up
17 to Fort Griffin and go down to the campground,
18 there will be an individual at the campfire at
19 probably 6:30 in the morning who may one day be
20 wearing a buffalo robe; the next day he may be in
21 his buckskins. He's making coffee and the kids
22 are coming out of the tents and gathering around
23 him so that he can explain to them the history of
24 the area, the great lore and many stories of the
25 buffalo hunters in that great period of our
.0011
1 history.
2 Lester Galbreath is receiving a
3 service award today for 30 years at Parks and
4 Wildlife. He started at Dinosaur Valley. He's
5 been at Lake Whitney, and he is the steward of
6 the official Texas Longhorn Herd.
7 Please recognize, for 30 years of
8 service, Lester Galbreath from Fort Griffin State
9 Park.
10 (Applause; photographs taken.)
11 MR. SANSOM: I have personally known
12 this, our next honoree, for -- since he was in
13 college. And he I were acquainted at Texas Tech
14 more than 30 years ago. Larry Hutcheson has
15 worked here for all of that time. He came to
16 Parks and Wildlife in 1969 as a member of the
17 newly organized Interpretation and Exhibits
18 Branch.
19 As all of you know who have enjoyed
20 and visited our state parks, the interpretation
21 of the resources of Texas, be they cultural or
22 natural, is a critical part of our mission and
23 what we offer.
24 Barry has been involved in exhibit
25 projects at Palo Duro, Port Isabel, Caddo Lake,
.0012
1 Franklin Mountains, McKinney Falls. He's
2 participated in master planning projects and
3 preservation plans from places like the Maxey
4 House, the Fulton Mansion, Brazos Bend and
5 Seminole Canyon.
6 He's been involved with large
7 artifact projects such as the stagecoach at
8 Fanthorp Inn, the living history farm which we
9 will open on March 2nd at
10 Washington-on-the-Brazos, and that big, blue ship
11 that's at San Jacinto Battleground.
12 Please recognize, after 30 years of
13 service, Barry Hutchison, a planner from the
14 State Parks Division here in Austin.
15 (Applause; photographs taken.)
16 MR. SANSOM: We have discussed, over
17 this Commission meeting, the acquisition of
18 additional lands in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
19 for the purpose of preserving habitat for
20 white-winged dove.
21 Gary Waggerman began working at
22 Parks and Wildlife on the Statewide Morning Dove
23 Project in 1967. He left for a little while to
24 go to work for the Army. But for most of that --
25 of his 30 years here, he has been involved in
.0013
1 white-winged dove.
2 He's identified and helped acquire
3 over 90 percent of the land that we have acquired
4 throughout the Valley for white-winged dove
5 habitat. That's nearly -- it's 5100 acres, and
6 now known as the Las Palomas Wildlife Management
7 Area. That's where I first began to work with
8 Gary when I was involved in the acquisition of --
9 part of the department.
10 Gary and his colleagues initiated
11 and pioneered the planning of native brush to
12 restore habitat, and he has personally been
13 responsible for doing that on over 800 acres of
14 former farmland in the Valley.
15 He's known throughout the country
16 for his expertise in this area, and he has
17 authored and coauthored papers on censusing,
18 brush planting, chachalacas, white-tipped doves,
19 and many, many other wildlife issues. He's now
20 in San Marcos, moving north along with the
21 white-wings, to expand the survey to the
22 remainder of Texas.
23 Please recognize, with 30 years of
24 service, Gary Waggerman from the Wildlife
25 Division in San Marcos.
.0014
1 (Applause; photographs taken.)
2 MR. SANSOM: When I was reviewing
3 this morning the accomplishments and experiences
4 of Glenda Moore, who is in Administrative
5 Resources, having worked there 25 years, it's a
6 kind of an astonishing picture of what has
7 happened in information technology since 1974.
8 When Glenda came to work at Parks
9 and Wildlife in the early '70s, basically what
10 she was doing was transferring data from paper,
11 such as letters and other forms, to cards for
12 computer input.
13 In a few years she began to work on
14 a system where that data was transferred from
15 cards to tape. And she transferred to Data
16 Control in 1982, where we began to operate the
17 mainframe. And she, in fact, was an operator.
18 In 1988 she assisted in
19 administering the project to create a LAN, which
20 we call the Local Area Network, in our building,
21 which connects personal computers throughout the
22 system. In '95 she moved on to the -- what we
23 call the Desktop Computer Services, and today she
24 is the supervisor of that group.
25 So she has followed the
.0015
1 technological revolution that we've all
2 experienced from -- from basically from cards to
3 microchips. And over that 25 years she has
4 provided a tremendous service to Texas Parks and
5 Wildlife. Network specialist from here in
6 Austin, Glenda Moore, with 25 years of service.
7 (Applause.)
8 MR. SANSOM: Must be a Y2K thing.
9 Kenneth Moore. I hope some of you
10 have been out to Blanco. Blanco is one of our
11 most beautiful and lovely of original parks
12 constructed in the Hill Country and built by the
13 CCC.
14 Kenneth went to work there in '74 as
15 a park ranger. He was promoted to a Ranger II
16 and he became a Ranger IV today. And he has
17 worked all of his 25 years at Blanco State Park.
18 Please recognize Kenneth Moore, 25
19 years of service.
20 (Applause; photographs taken.)
21 MR. SANSOM: Finally, just a few
22 miles from Blanco, at Johnson City, Michael Burow
23 has been with Parks and Wildlife for 20 years.
24 He started at San Jacinto on the Battleground and
25 transferred to Stephen F. Austin in 1980, where
.0016
1 he was a utility operator.
2 He became a Park Ranger IV in 1998.
3 And after 18 years at Stephen F. Austin, he was
4 promoted to a Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
5 Specialist at Pedernales Falls State Park, where
6 he is today the assistant park manager after 20
7 years.
8 Michael Burow, from State Parks,
9 with 20 years of service.
10 (Applause; photographs taken.)
11 MR. SANSOM: Mr. Chairman, each year
12 the Fisheries Administrators Section of the
13 American Fisheries Society recognizes outstanding
14 sportfish restoration projects that are submitted
15 from fishery management agencies across the
16 country.
17 These sportfish restoration projects
18 are funded with dollars collected from excise
19 taxes paid on fishing tackle and equipment - this
20 is known as the Wallop-Breaux Fund - and motor
21 boat fuel as well. The dollars are distributed
22 back to the States on a cost-share basis for use
23 in projects and management activities designed to
24 improve sport fishing and boating opportunities.
25 These funds represent a significant portion of
.0017
1 the budget for most state fisheries, programs
2 including ours.
3 And now I would like to turn the
4 microphone over to Phil Durocher, who has a
5 special introduction that he would like to make
6 to you. Phil?
7 MR. DUROCHER: Thank you, Andy.
8 Mr. Chairman, members of the
9 Commission, I would like and I'm honored to
10 introduce to you today Mr. Robin Knox. He's a
11 sportfish program manager with the Colorado
12 Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Division.
13 Robin is real active in the American
14 Sport Fishing Association and American Fishery
15 Society. He's one of the leading experts on
16 whirling disease, which as you know, probably
17 know, affects a lot of trout in the western part
18 of the United States. And he's now serving as
19 president of the administrative section of the
20 American Fishery Society. So I would like to
21 introduce Mr. Robin Knox.
22 (Applause.)
23 MR. KNOX: Thank you, Phil.
24 Mr. Chairman, members of the
25 Commission, I'll try and keep my remarks to three
.0018
1 minutes so I don't get buzzed out of here.
2 The fishery administrators, much
3 like Mr. Durocher here, have the responsibility
4 for managing fishery programs in the 50 states of
5 the United States and then also on coastal marine
6 fisheries.
7 Each year we try to recognize
8 projects that represent exemplary models of what
9 can be accomplished through partnerships with --
10 between state and federal agencies, private
11 industry, local communities, and interested
12 citizens.
13 Each year we have three categories
14 of awards. The first category is sportfish
15 restoration and management; the second category
16 is outstanding sport fishery research; and the
17 third category is angular and aquatic education.
18 In 1999 the Texas Freshwater Fishery
19 Center was submitted as an applicant for the
20 outstanding angular and aquatic education
21 project. Let me tell you, this project won hands
22 down.
23 In the literature that I received
24 from Texas, there was a quote that said, "Texas
25 governor George Bush Junior summed up public
.0019
1 perception of the new facility in November of
2 1966 -- excuse me, 1996, when he presided over
3 the grand opening and exclaimed, "'This place is
4 really cool!'"
5 Well, let me tell you, I got to go
6 to the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center last
7 April, when Mr. Durocher hosted the spring
8 meeting of the Fishery Administrator Section, and
9 I have to admit, that place is really cool.
10 On behalf of the American Fishery
11 Society, which represents over 7,000 fishery
12 scientists throughout North America, I would like
13 to present to the Texas Parks and Wildlife
14 Department, the Commission, and the Inland
15 Fisheries Branch, the Fishery Administrator
16 Section Sportfish Restoration Award for 1999,
17 Angular and Aquatic Education Project, the Texas
18 Freshwater Fishery Center.
19 So if I could have Phil and Mr. Bass
20 come up here, please?
21 (Applause; photographs taken.)
22 MR. SANSOM: Ladies and gentlemen,
23 thankfully, Glenda was helping someone at her --
24 fix their computer or figure out how to get into
25 e-mail or something. And she is here. So
.0020
1 congratulations.
2 (Applause; photographs taken.)
3 CHAIRMAN BASS: He said lots of nice
4 things about you.
5 AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: ACTION - CONSENT
6 AGENDA ITEMS.
7 CHAIRMAN BASS: All right. At this
8 point I would like to ask for approval of our
9 agenda.
10 Item 11, land acquisition in Jack
11 County, is eligible for the consent agenda. It's
12 been previously discussed in open session and is
13 a return visitor to our agenda. And as I say, it
14 is eligible for consent agenda. And that's our
15 only item of the day that is -- the Chair would
16 entertain a motion to approve our agenda, with
17 Item 11 being on the consent agenda.
18 COMMISSIONER DINKINS: So moved.
19 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: Second.
20 CHAIRMAN BASS: The motion is
21 seconded. All in favor? Opposed?
22 (Motion passed unanimously.)
23 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you. And
24 which brings us to our first action item, which
25 is approval of the consent agenda, the Item 11,
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1 Jack County, which nobody has signed up to speak
2 on today.
3 The Chair would entertain a motion
4 to approve the consent agenda.
5 COMMISSIONER AVILA: So moved.
6 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: Second.
7 CHAIRMAN BASS: Motion is seconded.
8 All in favor? Opposed?
9 (Motion passed unanimously.)
10 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very
11 much.
12 AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: BRIEFING - LOCAL PARKS
13 AND INDOOR RECREATION GRANTS REVIEW.
14 CHAIRMAN BASS: At this point we'll
15 have a briefing item on Local Parks and Indoor
16 Recreation Grant Review. Mr. Hogsett, if you
17 would please --
18 (WHEREUPON, a briefing
19 item was presented to the
20 Commissioners, after which,
21 the following proceedings
22 were had:)
23 AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: ACTION - LOCAL PARK
24 FUNDING.
25 CHAIRMAN BASS: Local park funding.
.0022
1 MR. HOGSETT: Well, I could go ahead
2 and start by telling you that outdoor recreation
3 grants, we have received applications from 34
4 sponsors requesting $13,965,092 in matching
5 funds.
6 We have made site visits of all
7 those 34 applications. The applications are
8 scored and rank ordered. You can find that rank
9 order in Exhibit A of your Commission item.
10 The funds that are currently
11 available are $6,486,781. And we're recommending
12 the first 15 projects. You will notice in the
13 recommendation that the amount that we're
14 recommending for the last project, the
15 Burkburnett project, is slightly less than the
16 total request. That's because we simply don't
17 have enough money in the account currently to
18 fund that project at full funding.
19 However, we are asking you to allow
20 us the authority, should we realize savings in
21 other projects, which is quite common during the
22 fiscal year, that we will then amend that project
23 to give them full funding.
24 And I'd be glad to answer any
25 questions you might have about the agenda.
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1 CHAIRMAN BASS: We have some public
2 comment on this agenda item, which I would like
3 to call at this time.
4 First I would like to call on
5 Mr. Avila, a county judge from Zavala County. If
6 you come forward, please, give your comments at
7 this time.
8 And if John Fain from Arlington
9 would be prepared to speak next.
10 MR. AVILA: Good morning,
11 commissioners. My name is Pablo Avila. I'm the
12 County Judge for Zavala County. Crystal City is
13 our county seat.
14 And we have an application before
15 you that ranked number 11 in recommended
16 funding. It's a project that we have submitted
17 twice. We feel that it is a project that will be
18 very helpful to the adults and children of our
19 community. It's a recreation project that we
20 have filed on behalf of the Crystal City School
21 District. And shortly we will have our
22 superintendent speak to you in more detail.
23 But I am kindly requesting that you
24 consider approving our application. Thank you
25 very much.
.0024
1 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very much,
2 Mr. Avila.
3 John Fain from Arlington.
4 And Robert Hall from Chambers
5 County, if you would be prepared to speak next.
6 MR. FAIN: Thank you Mr. Chairman,
7 commissioners.
8 My name is John Fain, with the
9 Arlington Parks and Recreation Department. And I
10 just wanted to take a few minutes to thank Texas
11 Parks and Wildlife Department, particularly the
12 grants and aids staff, for what has been a
13 wonderful relationship over the years.
14 I've been with Arlington now for
15 over ten years and have worked with Tim and his
16 staff on a number of projects. And we've
17 received just many, many awards from the
18 Commission. And while I can't say that a lot of
19 those projects wouldn't have gone forward without
20 your help, I can say very definitely that you
21 just made those jobs a whole, whole lot better
22 for us.
23 So thank you to all of you, and
24 particularly Tim. I'd like to present this token
25 from the citizens of Arlington to the
.0025
1 Grants-in-Aid people. Thank you.
2 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very
3 much.
4 (Applause.)
5 CHAIRMAN BASS: Robert Hall.
6 If Marc of Maxwell would be prepared
7 to speak next.
8 MR. HALL: Thank you, sir. I'm
9 Robert Hall, assistant county engineer for
10 Chambers County. I come on behalf of the
11 commissioners and the county judge to thank you
12 for your consideration for our boat ramps
13 project.
14 We understand at this time that
15 there are funds that are going to be used for
16 other infrastructures that you have, to try to
17 keep those updated, and that we might be on -- be
18 available to receive funds later.
19 Well, this is our greatest asset we
20 have in Chambers County, is the use of our
21 wetlands, our fishing and our hunting. And these
22 boat ramps could be greatly used.
23 And this would be on Corps of
24 Engineers property. And it will also be --
25 make -- open that property to not only to
.0026
1 boating and hunting and fishing, but also to the
2 birds, bird watchers of our State. Thank you
3 very much.
4 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you.
5 Marc Maxwell from Sulphur Springs,
6 Texas.
7 And Tom Donnelly, if you would be
8 prepared to speak next.
9 MR. MAXWELL: Mr. Chairman,
10 commissioners, I am Marc Maxwell, City Manager of
11 Sulphur Springs, Texas.
12 I just wanted to very briefly say
13 thank for you this grants program. As you know,
14 the City is endeavoring to undertake a very
15 ambitious park project. When we're done, we
16 believe we'll have a very well-rounded park which
17 will measure up to the mission of Texas Parks and
18 Wildlife, one that will serve not only our
19 citizens, but the citizens of Northeast Texas as
20 a whole.
21 So again, thank you. I would like
22 to also acknowledge the very competent help of
23 your staff, Mr. Hogsett and Elaine Dill.
24 This is our first time applying for
25 a grant at Texas Parks and Wildlife. And they
.0027
1 have been, very, very patient with us in
2 answering our questions and helping us through
3 the process. So a big thank-you to them as
4 well. Thank you.
5 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you,
6 Mr. Maxwell. I appreciate you coming down.
7 Tom Donnelly from Hallettsville.
8 If Alberto Gonzales will be prepared
9 to speak next.
10 MR. DONNELLY: Mr. Chairman,
11 commissioners, my name is Tom Donnelly, City
12 Administer, Hallettsville, Texas.
13 It's my honor to be the first
14 citizen of Hallettsville and Lavaca County to say
15 thank you. Thank you to the Commission, to
16 Mr. Hogsett and his staff for their guidance and
17 assistance through this procedure.
18 Please be assured there will be
19 thousands and thousands of thank-yous to follow
20 from our citizens, as your funds and our local
21 matching funds are turned into much needed
22 facilities. Thank you.
23 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you for
24 coming.
25 Mr. Gonzales.
.0028
1 And if Ellis Gilliland will be
2 prepared to speak next, please.
3 MR. GONZALES: Mr. Chairman,
4 commissioners, on behalf of Zavala County,
5 Crystal City Independent School District, and the
6 children of Crystal City - I represent them; I'm
7 the superintendent there - I'd like to thank the
8 Commission for their consideration of the
9 proposed project for our great community.
10 This grant will have a significant
11 and long-lasting impact for ourselves and future
12 generations. Our deepest appreciation is
13 extended to you, to Elaine Dill, Joel Seffel for
14 their technical assistance.
15 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you.
16 Mr. Gilliland, if you would come forward and
17 speak at this time.
18 MR. GILLILAND: I have some handouts
19 for the commissioners.
20 My name is Ellis Gilliland. I'm a
21 private citizen. I'm representing Texas Animals,
22 which is an Internet animal rights organization.
23 I'd like to address the second page
24 of the handout I just gave you. It concerns
25 Choke Canyon State Park. It says, "Game
.0029
1 preserve. No firearms or hunting permitted."
2 I'd like to ask the Commission to
3 authorize funds for that park to take down that
4 sign because it is not a game preserve. And
5 obviously firearms are permitted, and hunting is
6 permitted every year.
7 It sounds like Vietnam now,
8 particularly that you have the duck hunting
9 coinciding with the deer hunting. When the deer
10 hunters stop firing in the morning, the duck
11 hunters continue all day long, with automatic
12 Browning fire. The deer hunters are only firing
13 single shots, for some reason or another, and
14 they pick up in the evening. There is no
15 wildlife viewing of any substance, which brings
16 me to the second comment.
17 The second comment is, on the first
18 page of the Choke Canyon State Park handout which
19 you publish, I ask you to allot funds so that
20 park could publish another handout, because that
21 handout is a fraud. It says "For wildlife
22 watching at its best." That is a fraud. It is
23 not true. It was, up until 1996. When you
24 authorized the hunting the last four years, '97,
25 '98, '99, and 2000, it is not the best wildlife
.0030
1 watching.
2 So if you please would authorize the
3 funds for reprinting of the brochure and funds to
4 take down the sign that says "Game preserve. No
5 firearms," because it obviously is a shoot-em-up
6 event for the Texas yahoos to go and shoot their
7 automatic weapons and kill as many animals as
8 possible. Thank you.
9 CHAIRMAN BASS: We'll take your
10 comments under advisement, Mr. Gilliland.
11 There is no further public comment
12 on this agenda item. Is there any discussion
13 from the commission? The Chair would entertain a
14 motion.
15 COMMISSIONER RYAN: Move approval.
16 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: Make a motion.
17 CHAIRMAN BASS: Have a motion by
18 Commissioner Ryan and a second by Commissioner
19 Angelo. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion
20 carries.
21 (Motion passed unanimously.)
22 "Funding for projects listed in Exhibit A in
23 the amount of $6,468,781.00 is approved, as
24 described for individual projects in Exhibit B.
25 Individual project amounts may be adjusted to
.0031
1 take advantage of savings in other fiscal year
2 2000 projects, as long as the overall total does
3 not exceed the amount available, and the
4 requirements of the grant program are met."
5 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very
6 much.
7 Mr. Hogsett, you're up again. But I
8 will take a moment to say that it is nice to hear
9 repeated good things about people's experience
10 working with your staff. And I don't think it's
11 all just because they are walking away with
12 money.
13 MR. HOGSETT: Thank you very much.
14 CHAIRMAN BASS: I'm sure it helps.
15 It makes you a popular fellow. But it is nice to
16 hear good, positive feedback from the people that
17 work with you and how they create a positive
18 experience for those undergoing a process that is
19 not always fruitful for them.
20 MR. HOGSETT: And I'm grateful for a
21 wonderful staff.
22 CHAIRMAN BASS: Next item.
23 AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: ACTION - INDOOR RECREATION
24 GRANTS.
25 MR. HOGSETT: Again for the record,
.0032
1 I'm Tim Hogsett, director of Recreation Grants
2 Program in the State Parks Division.
3 The next item is the proposed
4 funding for indoor recreation centers. We've
5 received for this review eight applications
6 requesting $3,359,500 in matching funds. These
7 were all of the applications which were received
8 by our July 31st, 1999 deadline.
9 Staff has reviewed all of the
10 applications. They are rank ordered in
11 descending order of priority. You can find that
12 rank order at your Exhibit A and individual
13 projects at Exhibit B.
14 You will note that the last project,
15 the Alamo Project, a similar situation as we had
16 with the outdoor projects. We have less than the
17 amount available to fully fund that project.
18 However, should we realize savings in other
19 projects, we would amend that project to offer
20 them full funding. They've been contacted and
21 they understand this recommendation and are fine
22 with it.
23 I'll go ahead and read the staff
24 recommendation into the record. "Funding for the
25 projects listed in Exhibit A in the amount of
.0033
1 $3,325,000 is approved as described for
2 individual projects in Exhibit B. Individual
3 project amounts may be adjusted to take advantage
4 of savings in other fiscal year 2000 projects as
5 long as the overall total does not exceed the
6 amount available and all the requirements of the
7 grant program are met."
8 I'll be glad to answer any
9 questions.
10 CHAIRMAN BASS: Questions for our
11 public comment? We have three public comments
12 today.
13 Charles Johnson from Dimmit County,
14 if you would please come forward and speak to
15 us. And I would -- I'm sorry, you are the only
16 person on this item. The floor is yours.
17 MR. DIMMIT: Thank you,
18 Commissioner. Am I still limited to three
19 minutes, I guess?
20 Commissioners -- Mr. Chairman,
21 commissioners, my name is Charles Johnson, and I
22 am the county judge of Dimmit County and I bring
23 greetings from Dimmit County. And I want to
24 thank each of you for your support of this
25 project.
.0034
1 I would also like to thank Tim
2 Hogsett and the staff, Elaine Dill and George
3 Logan who have worked with us. And I would also
4 like to thank my staff, Tracy Hill, who has
5 worked on this project.
6 This project is bringing our
7 community together, the city, the school and the
8 county. I know it seems difficult in these times
9 that we're living in. But it is a unique
10 opportunity for our community.
11 We also like -- we would like to
12 commend the Parks and Wildlife for the funding
13 for game wardens and supporting the law
14 enforcement efforts. Down in our neck of the
15 woods, we are hard -- we're spread a little thin
16 on law enforcement. And especially during the
17 deer season, we appreciate the special game
18 wardens that are there that are funded through
19 this agency.
20 It seems like the population is
21 growing in the State of Texas. And it's not only
22 true in the urban areas, but it's also true in
23 the rural areas, where we live. Dimmit County is
24 down there north of Laredo. And with NAFTA and
25 the truck traffic that's coming through, we're
.0035
1 also seeing tourists, we're seeing snowbirds that
2 are coming down, and they are starting to like
3 Dimmit County.
4 We've got the Nueces River coming
5 through there. We would like to upgrade that and
6 make it amenable to their parking and staying a
7 little while.
8 But with that things are changing.
9 We're sort of experiencing a Renaissance in our
10 local history. This is bringing renewed interest
11 in what has happened in South Texas. We have had
12 a very colorful history, as I'm sure you're aware
13 of. And we are taking steps to preserve that.
14 And we would like to ask for your support on
15 that.
16 As a part of that, there is the
17 Camino Real de los Tejas, which has passed
18 through Dimmit and Zavala Counties. We're
19 neighbors to Zavala County, the gentleman who
20 spoke previously. And we would support your
21 efforts with the National Forestry Service to
22 promote that part of our history of our state, of
23 Texas.
24 And additionally, I know that with
25 the Senate Bill 1 planning that is taking place,
.0036
1 the Parks and Wildlife has representation on the
2 Senate Bill 1 planning groups. And I would urge
3 you to protect our natural resources
4 aggressively.
5 Thank you, and may God bless you.
6 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you.
7 Appreciate you making the trip up here. Any
8 questions or comments on this agenda item?
9 I think yesterday we touched on the
10 fact that some of the plans that Mr. Hogsett and
11 his staff have in the works to create some
12 workshops and to publicize more widely some of
13 these programs.
14 We'll hopefully increase the pool of
15 applicants and help us to achieve even better
16 projects in the future. But this is a good group
17 of projects.
18 And I would entertain a motion to
19 approve the agenda item as proposed unless there
20 are other comments.
21 COMMISSIONER HENRY: So moved.
22 COMMISSIONER RYAN: Second.
23 CHAIRMAN BASS: A motion from Mr.
24 Henry, a second by Commissioner Ryan. All in
25 favor? Any opposed?
.0037
1 (Motion passed unanimously.)
2 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very
3 much.
4 "Funding for projects listed in Exhibit A in
5 the amount of $3,325,000.00 is approved, as
6 described for individual projects in Exhibit B.
7 Individual project amounts may be adjusted to
8 take advantage of savings in other fiscal year
9 2000 projects as long as the overall total does
10 not exceed the amount available, and the
11 requirements of the program are met."
12 AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: BRIEFING - URBAN WILDLIFE
13 PROGRAM - OUTREACH AND OUTPUT.
14 CHAIRMAN BASS: The next item of
15 business is a briefing item, Urban Wildlife
16 Program, Outreach and Output.
17 (WHEREUPON, a briefing
18 item was presented to the
19 Commissioners.)
20 AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: BRIEFING - OUTDOOR KIDS.
21 CHAIRMAN BASS: Our next item is
22 also a briefing item on Outdoor Kids. Dr.
23 McKinney.
24 (WHEREUPON, a briefing
25 item was presented to the
.0038
1 Commissioners, after which,
2 the following proceedings
3 were had:)
4 AGENDA ITEM NO. 7: BRIEFING - HUECO TANKS
5 SHP PUBLIC USE PLAN.
6 CHAIRMAN BASS: All right. Walt
7 Dabney, if you'd come forward and do a briefing
8 item for us on Hueco Tanks, please.
9 (WHEREUPON, a briefing
10 item was presented to the
11 Commissioners, after which,
12 the following proceedings
13 were had:)
14 AGENDA ITEM NO. 8: ACTION - LAND ACQUISITION -
15 HIDALGO COUNTY.
16 CHAIRMAN BASS: The next item is an
17 action item, land acquisition, Hidalgo County.
18 Mr. Herring, please.
19 MR. HERRING: Good morning. My name
20 is Mike Herring, director of the department's
21 Land Conservation Program.
22 The property needed for the facility
23 development portion of the Weslaco component of
24 the World Birding Center is currently in private
25 ownership. The property is composed of three
.0039
1 tracts, all under one ownership, which the owner
2 desires to sell as a unit.
3 Because of the owner's desire to
4 sell the tracts, the department solicited the
5 assistance of the Nature Conservancy to negotiate
6 and broker this transaction.
7 Tract 3, 3.15 acres, is a small
8 triangle needed for World Birding Center access
9 and buffer, which is proposed to be purchased by
10 the department. Purchase of Tract 3 is
11 contingent on the Nature Conservancy's successful
12 negotiations on Tract 1 and 2.
13 Staff proposes to utilize general
14 obligation bond funds authorized by legislative
15 appropriation to make this purchase. Recommend
16 the Commission adopt the motion as shown in your
17 agenda item.
18 CHAIRMAN BASS: Do you have a second
19 item on this, or is this one motion for the
20 entire piece?
21 MR. HERRING: This is one motion for
22 this piece. There will be a second item for
23 another piece in Hidalgo County. There are two
24 Hidalgo County items.
25 CHAIRMAN BASS: Yes, I see that.
.0040
1 Mr. Bauer is doing the other one.
2 MR. HERRING: Yes.
3 CHAIRMAN BASS: This was discussed
4 in Executive Session of the Conservation
5 Committee and was recommended for consideration,
6 by the Board, in public session. Are there any
7 further comments, questions at this time?
8 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: Move
9 approval.
10 CHAIRMAN BASS: The Chair has a
11 motion and a second. All in favor? Opposed?
12 (Motion passed unanimously.)
13 "The Executive Director is authorized to take
14 all necessary steps to consummate the purchase of
15 the 3.15 acre tract in Hidalgo County for
16 inclusion in the Weslaco Unit of the World
17 Birding Center."
18 AGENDA ITEM NO. 9: ACTION - LAND
19 ACQUISITION - BASTROP COUNTY.
20 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very much,
21 Mr. Herring. Would you now do your second item,
22 which is Bastrop County land acquisition?
23 MR. HERRING: As a result of
24 expansion work to the nine-hole golf course at
25 Bastrop State Park, the department has certain
.0041
1 Houston Toad mitigation responsibilities.
2 The biological opinion issued by the
3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires that the
4 department maintain at least a thousand acres of
5 toad habitat in conservation status.
6 A 1,000-acre tract of land adjacent
7 to Bastrop State Park has been offered for sale
8 to the department. Fish and Wildlife Service has
9 given approval to accept the 1,000-acre tract as
10 compensation for the department's mitigation
11 responsibility, contingent on the implementation
12 of additional habitat improvements.
13 Additionally, federal land and water
14 conservation funds may be available for
15 assistance with this project in the near future.
16 Because of the landowner's desire to
17 consummate the purchase quickly, the department
18 requested the Nature Conservancy assist with
19 purchase and interim holding the property,
20 pending Commission approval and reimbursement.
21 Staff also recommends that the
22 Commission adopt the recommendation as shown in
23 your agenda item.
24 CHAIRMAN BASS: This item was also
25 discussed in the Executive Session of the
.0042
1 Conservation Committee and recommended for
2 consideration. And if there are any questions or
3 comments, the Chair would entertain them at this
4 time.
5 COMMISSIONER WATSON: Motion.
6 COMMISSIONER ANGELO: Second.
7 CHAIRMAN BASS: Have a motion for
8 approval and a second. All in favor? Any
9 opposed?
10 (Motion passed unanimously.)
11 "The Executive Director is authorized to
12 take all necessary steps to consummate the
13 purchase of the 100 acre tract adjacent to
14 Bastrop State Park and to reimburse The
15 Nature Conservancy for its overhead and holding
16 costs."
17 "The Executive Director is further authorized
18 to utilize Land and Water Conservation Grant
19 Funds to reimburse 50 percent of the acquisition
20 costs for the 1000 acre Bastrop State Park
21 addition."
22 CHAIRMAN BASS: Thank you very much,
23 Mr. Herring.
24 MR. SANSOM: Mr. Chairman, if I
25 might comment. I would like to point out to
.0043
1 you-all and the audience that this acquisition
2 will essentially double the size of Bastrop State
3 Park. It's a very, very diverse piece of
4 property that not only includes the remnants of
5 the Lost Pines, but some other ecosystem remnants
6 as well. It will provide an important habitat
7 for the Houston Toad and finish all mitigation
8 requirements that the department is under
9 obligation to in Bastrop County.
10 Further, I think it begins the
11 process of -- Bastrop County, as Travis County
12 has done -- commencing a period of time in which
13 endangered species will be a significant factor
14 in development. The acquisition of this tract, I
15 believe, gets all of that process off on the
16 right track in Bastrop County. So I appreciate
17 your action on this matter.
18 AGENDA ITEM NO. 10: ACTION - LAND
19 ACQUISITION - HIDALGO COUNTY.
20 CHAIRMAN BASS: Mr. Bauer, land
21 acquisition in Hidalgo County, also for us to
22 consider.
23 MR. BAUER: Good morning. I'm Jack
24 Bauer with the Land Conservation Program. The
25 Adams Unit of the Las Palomas Wildlife Management
.0044
1 Area is a 65-acre brush tract near Weslaco,
2 managed for use by white-winged dove.
3 A 47.1-acre adjacent farm field has
4 been offered for sale. Our White-winged Dove
5 Program staff and the Las Palomas Wildlife
6 Management Area facility staff have been on the
7 tract and recommend habitat addition.
8 The proposed acquisition is
9 consistent with the White-winged Dove Program
10 management plan and meets Commission guidance for
11 expansion of existing facilities.
12 The property will undergo brush
13 restoration and be utilized in dove food
14 production.
15 Staff recommends the use of
16 white-winged dove stamp revenues to fund the
17 acquisition. Staff recommend the Parks and
18 Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:
19 "The Executive Director is authorized to take
20 all steps necessary to acquire approximately 46.1
21 acres in Hidalgo County as an addition to the
22 Adams Unit of the Las Palomas Wildlife Management
23 Area."
24 Any questions?
25 CHAIRMAN BASS: Questions? A
.0045
1 motion?
2 COMMISSIONER WATSON: So moved.
3 COMMISSIONER DINKINS: Second.
4 CHAIRMAN BASS: There is a motion
5 and a second. All in favor? Any opposed?
6 Motion carries. Thank you very much.
7 MR. BAUER: Thank you.
8 (Motion passed unanimously.)
9 "The Executive Director is authorized to take
10 all steps necessary to acquire approximately 46.1
11 acres in Hidalgo County as an addition to the
12 Adams Unit of the Las Palomas Wildlife Management
13 Area."
14 CHAIRMAN BASS: Let's see, that
15 brings us to, I believe, the conclusion of our
16 agenda.
17 Mr. Sansom, is there any business to
18 come before the Commission that you're aware of?
19 MR. SANSOM: No, sir.
20 CHAIRMAN BASS: In that case, we
21 will stand adjourned. Thank you very much.
22 We'll see you upstairs for lunch.
23 *-*-*-*-*
24 (HEARING ADJOURNED.)
25 *-*-*-*-*
.0046
1 REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE
2 STATE OF TEXAS )
3 COUNTY OF TRAVIS )
4
5 I, MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, a Certified Court
6 Reporter in and for the State of Texas, do hereby
7 certify that the above and foregoing 45 pages
8 constitute a full, true and correct transcript of
9 the minutes of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
10 Commission on JANUARY 20, 2000, in the Commission
11 hearing room of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
12 Headquarters Complex, Austin, Travis County,
13 Texas.
14 I FURTHER CERTIFY that a stenographic record
15 was made by me a the time of the public meeting
16 and said stenographic notes were thereafter
17 reduced to computerized transcription under my
18 supervision and control.
19 WITNESS MY HAND this the 3RD day of
20 FEBRUARY, 2000.
21
22 MELODY RENEE DeYOUNG, RPR, CSR NO. 3226
Expiration Date: 12-31-00
23 3101 Bee Caves Road
Centre II, Suite 220
24 Austin, Texas 78746
(512) 328-5557
25 EBS NO. ________
.0047
1
2
Lee M. Bass, Chairman
3
4
5 Nolan Ryan
6
7
Ernest Angelo, Jr.
8
9
10 John Avila, Jr.
11
12
Carol E. Dinkins, Vice Chair
13
14
15 Alvin L. Henry
16
17
Katharine Armstrong Idsal
18
19
20 Mark E. Watson, Jr.
21
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