Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Presenter:  Ted Hollingsworth

Action
Acceptance of Land Donation – Orange County
Approximately 218 Acres at Tony Houseman Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
November 2, 2011

I.              Executive Summary:  Approximately 218 acres of quality bottomland habitat have been offered to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for addition to the Tony Houseman WMA by The Conservation Fund (TCF), to satisfy compensatory wetland mitigation needs for a third party.

II.            Discussion:  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Air Products LLC, have negotiated an easement for an 18-inch hydrogen pipeline to cross the Tony Houseman Wildlife Management Area (WMA), pursuant to a Commission Resolution signed in May 2011.  As part of the assessment and compensation for impacts of the pipeline route in Texas, Air Products partnered with The Conservation Fund to identify and acquire high-quality bottomland hardwood forest tracts adjacent to the WMA that could serve to offset both fish and wildlife impacts to the WMA and impacts to Waters of the U.S. (wetlands) under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

To satisfy compensatory requirements for impacts to Waters of the U.S., Air Products has paid TCF for the acquisition of two tracts adjacent to the WMA totaling 218± acres.  In compliance with their federal mitigation plan and arrangements made with staff of TPWD, TCF now offers those tracts to TPWD for addition to the WMA.

III.     Recommendation:  The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

“The Executive Director is authorized accept the donation of approximately 218 acres of land adjacent to the Tony Houseman WMA for addition to the WMA.”