TPW Commission
Public Hearing, August 20, 2025
Transcript
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
August 20, 2025
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
COMMISSION HEARING ROOM
4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78744
ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Good afternoon, everyone. The Annual Public Hearing is called to order.
August 20, 2025, at 2:09 p.m.
As crazy as it sounds, I’m going to take roll again.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I’m Chairman Paul Foster.
Vice‑Chairman Oliver Bell?
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner Leslie Doggett?
COMMISSIONER DOGGETT: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner Anna Galo?
COMMISSIONER GALO: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner John McCall?
COMMISSIONER McCALL: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner Bobby Patton?
COMMISSIONER PATTON: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner Dick Scott?
COMMISSIONER SCOTT: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Commissioner Tim Timmerman?
COMMISSIONER TIMMERMAN: Present.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: I’m glad you all stayed with us.
[ LAUGHTER ]
This is our Annual Public Hearing. And before proceeding any further… with any further business, I believe Dr. Yoskowitz has a statement to make, and some comments about how this system works.
DR. YOSKOWITZ: Public notice of this meeting containing all items on the proposed agendas has been filed in the Office of the Secretary of State as required by Chapter 551, Government Code, referred to as The Open Meetings Act. I would like for this fact to be noted in the official record of this meeting.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: All right. Thank you. And we will now hear from those who are signed up.
You will each have two minutes to speak, and after… we’d like for the person after you to try to be ready as much as we can, and we’ll try to move it along as quickly as we can. It’s very important that we hear everybody’s comments. We take every single one very seriously.
And it’s unfortunate sometimes that we have to limit the amount of time, but it just is the nature of the beast. And we have to manage our time. So I will start… And, Dee, you might need to help me out. But this is the list?
DEE HALLIBURTON: Yes, Sir. So, we’ve gone to electronic pretty much on everything now. And so, we were now using, you know, the iPads to register everybody into the system. So, we’re going to be using this registration slip with everybody’s names on it.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Okay. Do you have a pen that I can borrow? Is that one there?
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: I don’t know where my pen went. All right. So, first of all, we have several speakers on the topic of Texas Brigades. And so, there are seven of you, it looks like. And first is Allie Allcorn.
And after Allie will be Julia Pearson, Abigail Clayton, Xavier Schuelke, Gracie Teetz, Christopher Clayton, and Gage Burton.
So, if you guys can kind of maybe line up behind Allie there in the aisle so that each of you is ready to follow her. And that will help us be more efficient.
So, Allie, step up to the mic. Be sure to turn the mic on by pushing the right‑hand button.
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: It’s on.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Oh, it was already on.
Okay, and you may begin. Thank you.
ALLIE ALLCORN: Hello. My name is Allie Allcorn, and I’m the Executive Director of The Texas Brigades, a youth leadership development program. Each summer, we provide an intense, hands‑on educational program for over 200 high‑school‑aged youth on private ranches across the state.
We ask these youth to act as conservation ambassadors for their communities, spreading the word about the importance of wildlife and natural resource conservation.
These youth traditionally conduct educational presentations to well over 10,000 citizens, set up exhibits for 70,000 more, and have newspaper and magazine articles which reach over 500,000 people.
Texas Parks and Wildlife is one of the primary partners of Texas Brigades. Parks and Wildlife staff serve as our instructors, volunteers, at all of the Texas Brigade camps across the state.
They not only share their expertise with our participants, but they also serve as year‑round role models and mentors to those youth with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors.
On behalf of all of the 200… over 250 volunteers involved with Texas Brigades, thank you to Texas Parks and Wildlife for being part of our programs, where we are translating conservation education into conservation action.
With me here today, we have a few camp graduates to share how Texas Brigades has impacted their lives and the importance of our partners, particularly Texas Parks and Wildlife.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Great.
Thank you.
Julia Pearson.
JULIA PEARSON: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. My name is Julia Pearson, and I am 16 years old. This year, I had the opportunity to go to three Texas Brigades camps. I went to Bass as a special agent, I went to North Texas Buckskin as an assistant leader, and I got to go to Ranch as a cadet.
So, like Ms. Allie said, Texas Brigades is a youth conservation program that focuses on creating conservation leaders in every community.
The program has hugely impacted my public speaking skills. Before camp, I definitely would not have been able to get up in front of a crowd, even like this, and present. But now, through the leadership and public speaking presentations that we have gone through, I’m now able to confidently do this.
I have also been able to have a lot of cool experiences with Brigades. Last year, for Buckskin, I went on a hunt in Sonora at the A&M research station. And it was a really fun weekend, and I got to harvest my first deer. And so, that was a really exciting experience.
There’s also been lots of cool connections to the natural resource world. With the instructors who are, like Ms. Allie said, Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists. And then just through other Brigades events. So, once last year, I was presenting my prescribed burning poster to somebody. And then I met them again in a prescribed burn association burn. And so, that was really cool to make that connection. And so, Texas Brigades offers lots of connections like that through youth, through networking, and different things like that.
I have also had the opportunity to receive two scholarships through Texas Brigades. And I hope to continue using those, and use my conservation and land stewardship skills that I have gained from them through career and natural resources and fire management.
I would like to thank Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for your continued support of the program.
And thank you for your time today.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
You did great.
Oh.
Abigail Clayton.
ABIGAIL CLAYTON: Good afternoon, my name is Abigail Clayton. And I’m honored to be here today to speak on behalf of Texas Brigades, a program proudly supported by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
I have been involved with Texas Brigades for three years. And in that time, I have had the privilege of attending six of their summer camps.
Looking back, I can honestly say that those experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. Before attending my first Brigades camp in 2023, I was very shy, quiet, and unsure of myself. I would have never imagined standing here talking to all of y’all. But through Texas Brigades, I was challenged to step outside of my comfort zone.
I learned how to lead, how to work as part of a team, and most importantly, I gained confidence. Texas Brigades has also fueled my passion for the outdoors. I have learned about wildlife, ecosystems, and habitat management. And it has allowed me to pursue my passion for the outdoors.
It has also led me to be interested in pursuing a career in natural resource management. But what I value just as much is the opportunity Brigades has given me: to give back. Through this program, I have been able to share what I have learned by educating others, speaking at community events, and helping others gain an appreciation for conservation.
I just want to thank you for supporting organizations like Texas Brigades. Your investment doesn’t just create camps, it creates leaders, it builds confidence, and it inspires the next generation to care for our natural resources.
I truly would not be standing here today without this program. And I will always be grateful for the opportunities it has given me.
Thank you again for your support, and for believing in the difference Texas Brigades can make. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
All right.
Xavier Schuelke.
XAVIER SCHUELKE: Good afternoon.
My name is Xavier Schuelke.I have been a part of Texas Brigades for four years, attending eight camps in total, holding many different leadership positions, as well as student positions.
Before attending Texas Brigades, I had a very basic understanding of wildlife management. I had grown up running around my grandparents’ ranch every chance I got. I’d been hunting a few times. But I didn’t truly understand what it took to create a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
The first Brigades I attended was South Texas Buckskin Brigade. And within a few hours of arriving at camp, I had a first‑row seat to a deer necropsy and an introduction to palatability class of plants, and a breakdown of the muscle groups and different glands on a deer. So, needless to say, I came home with a much greater understanding of wildlife management. I also came home with a burning desire to spend the rest of my life working in the outdoors.
But it doesn’t stop there. Since then, I’ve gone to a camp every summer, sometimes multiple. I have also had the opportunity to grow as a person through Brigades. Like a lot of my friends have said, I would not have been able to be up here before Brigades to have the confidence to speak in front of all of y’all.
But the thing I value most from Brigades is the people I have met through Brigades– from campers that have become some of my closest friends to mentors that are largely a part of Texas Parks and Wildlife.
And I… it might seem cliche, but I truly think of Brigades as a family, and a family that, I hope to be part of for the rest of my life.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
All right.
Gracie Teetz.
GRACIE TEETZ: Hi, everyone.
My name is Gracie Teetz.
And I’m really excited to share how much Texas Brigades has impacted my life. I’ve been a part of a Texas Brigades for seven different camps. And I started out as a cadet at the North Texas Buckskin Brigade. And I honestly had no idea how much fun that one week would change everything for me. I showed up thinking that it would just be a simple camp about different things in wildlife and maybe some cool outdoor stuff.
But It ended up pushing me way out of my comfort zone in the best way. I learned how to speak in front of people, work as a team, and really grow as a leader. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to come back as assistant leader and a special agent at North Texas Buckskin Brigade.
Being able to help new cadets and give back to the same camp that has helped me, shaped me, is rewarding. I also went through Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade as a cadet, and came back as an assistant leader there, too.
Each camp has its own personality and has taught me many different things. I’ve even attended Ranch Brigade, and had an amazing opportunity to be a cadet at the first ever North Dakota Waterfowl Brigade, which is super cool and totally different from what I was used to.
And I’m very excited to come back to my community to show everybody what I have learned at each one of these camps.
Through all these experiences, I have made lifelong friends, grown more confident, and discovered my passion for wildlife conservation. I plan to keep being involved with the Texas Brigades program throughout high school and even maybe in college.
It is something that has become a big part of who I am. In the future, I have always planned to be a game warden. And I know it’s going to be challenging, but Texas Brigades has helped me prepare in so many ways, whether it’s learning about wildlife, leadership, or just believing in myself. I’m really grateful for everything this program has given to me, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
All right.
Christopher Clayton.
CHRISTOPHER CLAYTON: Howdy. My name is Christopher Clayton, and I’m a senior from Burnet County. And my journey with Texas Brigades started four years ago, the summer before I started high school.
Before… going into it, I attended the North Texas Buckskin Brigade. I had just moved across the state to a new community. And I was a timid, reserved, and ultimately lost kid looking for a sense of belonging, purpose, and direction.
When I arrived at first, it truly felt like trying to drink from a fire hose. However, as I navigated that week, I not only learned many lessons that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, but I will… also, a spark was ignited within me for natural resource conservation and effective leadership.
Now, fast forward to today, and through eight different camps, four of which in leadership positions and roughly 300 hours of volunteering, that spark has grown into a raging bonfire.
Learning new lessons with each new camp, impacting every part of my life, and leading me to applying to Texas A&M this fall to attend next fall and pursue a career in natural resource conservation, conserving these natural resources that we all hold so dear.
Now, I can’t overstate the impact Texas Brigades has had on my shaping the person I am today. And I can safely say that when I’m an old man sitting on my back porch looking back at the most important, defining parts of my life, that fateful week at the North Texas Buckskin Brigade, and every other camp following, will certainly be at the top of my list.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you. It’ll get here quicker than you think, so...
[ LAUGHTER ]
Gage Burton.
GAGE BURTON: Hi. My name is Gage Burton.
I’m 14 years old, and have had the privilege to attend two Brigade camps, the Rowling Plains Bobwhite and the South Texas Ranch. I can honestly say that this program has opened my eyes as a land advocate, and forged me into being a better version of myself.
A perfect example of that is the fact that I’m here standing in front of you in Austin, Texas, to tell what I have learned about stewardship and conservation.
I know that land is one thing we are not getting any more of. And so, we… so it’s a great responsibility taking care of it and stewarding it well. And it’s one thing we need to work at educating others about.
Through Brigades, I have learned to identify different types of forages, calculate stocking rates, and even just visually assess the land as I drive by. I have learned the benefits of prescribed burns to our landscape, how to track a Bobwhite quail, and how to cook a really good steak.
It even gave me the confidence to make a call about some land that I saw for sale in Stonewall County and see if it would be beneficial to add value through habitat improvement. This is something I would like to do long-term, enhance land value through habitat restoration and management.
The Brigade program not only teaches me about conservation, but has given me invaluable tools to use in communication, leadership, and team building. Yes, the games we play are fun, but learning to convey your idea to someone you are working with can mean the difference between getting your job done well and not getting your job done at all.
There is also an importance in conducting yourself in a professional and respectful manner.
Now, I have been blessed to grow up on some beautiful working ranches, but the Brigade program has given me a new lens in which to view the lands that we have been given as steward. And it’s a view that I am very grateful to have.
Thank you.
CHARIMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
And I’m going to go a little bit out of order. There’s one more Texas Brigades speaker. Gus Lockwood. I think?
GUS LOCKWOOD: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice‑Chairman, and Commissioners.
My name is Gus Lockwood. I live in Kerr County. And I want to speak to you today about Texas Brigades.
For the last four years, either my older brother or sister stood here to tell you about their experiences at the South Texas Buckskin Brigade.
When I got old enough to attend a Brigades camp, I wanted to try something different. So, I chose to go to the Waterfowl Brigade.
Out of the nine Brigades camps, I am not entirely sure why I chose the Waterfowl Brigade, but I am glad I did. We stayed at the Pintail Hunting Club in Garwood, Texas, and it is a very different climate and eco‑region than what I’m used to.
We spent five days journaling, collecting plants, learning about waterfowl anatomy, learning duck calls, and getting to lots of shooting and leadership activities. The instructors and volunteers at the waterfowl brigade mostly came from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
And I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gives their time and expertise to serve at the Texas Brigades camps, and also to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation for being… for supporting Texas Brigades.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you, Gus.
All right. We have one, two, three, four speakers from Hunting Heritage. Starting with Justin Dreibelbis?
JUSTIN DREIBELBIS: Dreibelbis.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Okay.
And after him is going to be Lily Mosley, Jeremy Shull, and Dante Smith. If you guys come up here. Justin?
MR. DREIBELBIS: All right. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners.
For the record, my name is Justin Dreibelbis. I’m the C.E.O. at the Texas Wildlife Association. We are here this afternoon to thank you for your generous support and over 30 years of partnership on our Hunting Heritage programs.
We started the Texas Big Game Awards together in 1991. We started the Texas Youth Hunting Program in 1996. And then most recently, in 2021, we started our Adult Learn‑to‑Hunt Program. All of these programs have been wildly successful in their own right– the Texas Big Game Awards to celebrate our state’s hunting heritage and culture, TYHP to get kids out on private land for safe educational hunting experiences, and then the adult program for the same exact reasons.
We had a big year this last year. In Texas Big Game Awards we recognized over a thousand hunters and landowners for their contributions to wildlife conservation.
The Texas Youth Hunting Program held 255 different hunts on private land around the state. We took well over a thousand kids on safe educational hunts. And then our newest program, still in the growth phase, we held 30 adult hunts, taking 150 first‑time adult hunters on safe educational hunts.
So, we couldn’t do it at that scale without your support and partnership. As was said with many of the Brigade speakers, Parks and Wildlife employees give their time to come out and help on these hunts.
Whether they’re guiding. Whether they’re the hunt‑master. Whether it is a game warden coming out to talk to the kids on a youth hunt. It all makes a huge difference, and we greatly appreciate it. So, thank you very much for your years of support.
We’ve got three great speakers for you today. Lily is one of our youth hunters. And her dad, Vico, who’s in the back, is also a hunt‑master for the program. Jeremy Shull is an Adult Learn-to-Hunt Program participant. And so is Dante Smith.
And so, all three of them have unique stories, and we are really glad to tell that story. So, thank you for the opportunity.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Great.
Thank you.
Lily?
LILY MOSLEY: Hello. My name is Lily Mosley. I am… I am ten years old, and I’m an avid Texas Youth Hunting Program participant.
Today, I’m here to talk with you about TYHP, and why it’s important to children like me. I remember my first youth hunt back when I was a little kid– a very long time ago.
[ LAUGHTER ]
My first hunt took place at the Dos Arroyos Ranch. And it was a camping trip. It was my first time camping. I was so excited. As soon as we got there, I learned how to put up a tent.
That first night, we even got to hear Sika bellowing on the hills. The first day, I got to see a few animals, but nothing that we were hunting for. The second day, our hunt master, Mr. Mark, took some time to share some wildlife education with us.
At the end, he asked, “Is anyone brave enough to try some deer poop?” Being the only girl, I knew I had to volunteer. Nine-year-old me said, “Sure.” I walked up there proud and popped one in my mouth. I was happy when It turned out to be a covered… a chocolate‑covered raisin.
[ LAUGHTER ]
The last day, I was allowed to shoot a buck. When I hunt, I get very nervous. But TYHP doesn’t care. They keep letting me back into the blinds. After my shot, we waited what felt like forever. But in the end, it was fun going out to track my buck using what I learned about blood trails.
I helped cape my deer, and even got to teach other kids and parents how to harvest their deer’s. At the end of the season, I got to go to Texas Big Game Awards. And I took my buck. It was my first time there, and I was very nervous to walk up in front of people I did not know.
In the end, I had a fun time. Without the support of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, some children may never be allowed to hunt like I was.
Some families do not have the money to hunt. Some families do not have the money to buy firearms. And some kids do not have parents that hunt.
But with your support, you are ending those roadblocks. Thank you again for letting me speak today.
I am Lily Moseley, a TYHP hunter. Thank you for supporting Texas Youth and Wildlife, TYHP.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
[ “THANK YOU” IN UNISON ]
All right, Jeremy.
JEREMY SHULL: Yeah.
Good afternoon. My name is Jeremy Shull, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the Texas Youth Hunting Program.
Four years ago, I began my journey in the big game hunting through the Adult Learn‑to‑Hunt Program with my first hunt in Mason, Texas.
Since then, I’ve continued to grow as a hunter, conservationist, and steward of the land by mentoring with other ALHP… by mentoring with ALHP each season, giving back to the program that has given me so much. That experience built my trust in this program and its mission.
So, when my daughter showed an interest in hunting, I turned to the Texas Youth Hunting program, knowing it would provide her lessons in safe, legal and ethical hunting methods, while providing meaningful opportunities.
Last November, we had sent her for the first time at the Double A Ranch in south Texas. It was an unforgettable weekend. She harvested her first animals, filled our freezer for the year. And together we created memories that will last a lifetime.
The experience was capped by attending the Texas Big Game Awards, where she received her first big‑game harvest certificate surrounded by many of the same people who gave me my start back in 2021.
I want to sincerely thank the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for supporting TYHP. Because of your work, families like mine are able to enjoy the outdoors together, learn, and carry forward the great Texas hunting tradition.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Great.
Thank you.
Dante.
DANTE SMITH: How have y’all been? Good? Awesome. Love to hear it. I’m going to start with a quick joke from a favorite movie of mine. It is called "Pursuit of Happiness." Anybody familiar with that one? Okay. Well, Will Smith walks into an interview, and says, you know, he’s got paint all over his shirt. And the interviewer goes, “Well, you know, at least you have nice pants.”
Well, I look down at myself. I look at everybody in the room. And I’ve got shorts on, and everybody’s got pants on.
[ LAUGHTER ]
And I’m like, “Well, at least I’ve got a nice shirt, okay?” My name’s Dante Smith.
[ LAUGHTER ]
And I’m actually hailing from Beaumont, Texas. I live in Elgin, Texas, now. But I have been in the central Texas area for about 13 years. I graduated from Southwestern University, where I actually got connected with an individual that invited me out to my first official ALHP hunt.
I was introduced to hunting from my grandfather. We called him our “Louisiana cowboy.” He is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. And he just taught us so much. He was an anchor for our family. We were connected to the outdoors out in Beaumont. We were big into the saltwater fishery out in Sabine, if anybody is familiar.
And so… we typically stuck to fishing. My grandfather, around nine or ten years old– whatever the legal age is, I don’t really remember, I think we’re are past the statute on that, but if not, it was whatever that age was– took us out on our first hunt around that age. And I didn’t get anything. I didn’t get to harvest anything.
So, we kind of stuck to fishing. I then kind of got away from hunting and really focused on school and football and all the other sports. But we did stick to fishing, thanks to my dad and my older brother. That’s always been a big part of our life.
But as I introduced our first son into this world about a year and a half ago, and as we were about to introduce another one in less than 30 days, I knew that there was another opportunity for us to just continue that legacy from our Louisiana cowboy, Freddy Joseph Etienne.
So, I reached out to my buddy at TWA, Texas Wildlife Associations. His name is Jim. And I said, “Man, I see that you are doing so much good work. How can I be part of it? How can I be an adult that is trying to relearn how to hunt?”
And he said they are partnered with TPDW, or WD– I can’t think of acronyms right now. But… and he just again praised you all, praised Texas Wildlife Association. And I am here today to also praise you. I appreciate you.
The legacy that you are going to allow to carry on for my family is immensely appreciated. And I cannot wait for my next opportunity. I will say, on my first ALHP hunt it was similar to my grandfather’s story where we didn’t get anything. But the guys invited me back out. And I did harvest two does in the program.
Cleaned them just like I would clean a fish. And I learned so much. So, really happy with the program. Thank you, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Thank you all for all that you do for the support of that company and that organization.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
All right.
I’m going to call six names.
And you guys…
First is Ben Torres. You can make your way to the microphone. Followed by Jimmie Barron– or Baran, I’m not sure. Clyde Goodnough, Matt Wagner, Lance Trinque, and Jim Meyn.
Ben.
BEN TORRES: Good afternoon, my name is Ben Torres. And I come from Angleton, Texas. But my roots hail from southwest Texas. I am Lipan Apache.
And the thing I want to address today with y’all is urban sprawl, especially within the southeast and I-35 corridor.
I don’t know if y’all noticed, but a lot of development has been going down in Texas lately. And I feel like it’s been a necessary thing to address at the moment. Because, as of right now, there is less than one percent of prairie left in the coastal prairie region, the Blackland Prairie Region, the Post Oak Savannah region.
And it’s getting to a point where Texans aren’t able to connect to the land anymore. And without being at that connection to the land, we have no connection with our community. With the land, we are able to bring together the community. And without it, we eventually come apart.
And I’m sorry… I am at a loss of words. But I feel like it’s… I feel like it’s a necessity that we address the problem right now, and focus on bringing back our prairies in one way or another. Especially because I know I’m sure that you all grew up listening to quail in the morning and catching fireflies in the evening and seeing all kinds of stars at night.
But over the years, it’s not like that anymore. And I would like my kids and my grandkids to be able to see that one day. And I feel like a lot of Texas culture is related to the landscape, and I want to work towards that, you know? And I appreciate what you all do for our state.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Jimmie?
JIMMIE BARAN: Good afternoon. My name is Jim Baran, and I hold a Ph.D. in chemistry from U.T. Austin, and currently reside in Burnet County.
I worked at 3M for over 25 years in corporate research on materials, including over 20 years on nanoparticles and larger particulates. I’m an inventor on over 60 U.S. patents. Through this work, I have become quite familiar with the EHS aspects of powders and airborne dust.
I’m here to talk about the Burnet County rock crusher that is going in near Inks Slate State Park, Longhorn Caverns, and the National Fish Hatchery. Your own Director of State Parks and TCEQ’s office of Public of Interest Council both have submitted recommendations that the permit be overturned and/or denied.
I completely agree with both of these conclusions. The applications indicate that 53 percent, or 5.2 tons per year, of the emitted dust would be respirable, meaning that these particles will reach deep into the lungs, posing significant, chronic health risks.
It really… in reality, it would be worse than this because recent NIH publications are rightly demonstrating that volumes and numbers of particles matter much more than the weight percents that are reported in many applications, and such.
At the Longhorn Caverns, in addition to vibration and safety issues, the effects on Chicken McNugget bat colony have not been addressed.
Published studies on bats indicate that the noise and dust could interfere with everything from bat communication and directional navigation, to reduced hemoglobin, to causing the bats to completely abandon the area.
Imagine how removing or reducing the bat population would affect the insect population. Mosquitoes, anyone?
The effects on the fish hatchery could be equivalent, or worse. Studies have shown that dust leads to increased water turbidity, reduced water oxygen levels, and introduces contaminants such as heavy metals, all leading to development deficiencies and increased disease susceptibility.
I’m happy to provide references or more information, if asked. But based on my assessment, with my background and the available data, the only benefit I see from the rock crusher is that Burnet and others east will experience redder sunsets.
Thank you.
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: Can I ask a question?
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Sure.
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: Just if you … you mentioned potentially having some information.
MR. BARAN: Mm-hmm.
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: If you’ve got something that you could provide to the staff so that we could see that. We are not allowed to really comment. And I’m not sure where this falls under our jurisdiction. But at least if you provide the information, if it does apply to us, we can take a look at it.
MR. BARAN: I can provide published papers.
VICE-CHAIRMAN BELL: Okay, thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: All right.
Clyde.
CLYDE GOODNOUGH: Yes. Good afternoon, Board.
I’m here today with a real heavy heart. I’m a retired football coach, retired fishing guide. I’m a full‑time grandpa right now. I got a place up on Buchanan, Silver Creek. I live in Pflugerville. And I’ve tried with the TCEQ, I have tried with the LCRA about this rock crushing plant. Ya’ll are next to last in line. I need some help.
This location of this rock‑crushing plant is not a good location. You’ve got Longhorn Cavern Parks. Who knows how many other caves are out there, too? Inks Lake. Federal fish hatchery. 3509, the road going to this place, is not graded correctly. The plan for the runoff and for the silt runoff and the retention, and all that kind of stuff from their plan, will not work. The grade won’t work. It’s too steep.
I’m asking Parks and Wildlife today to do the right thing and deny this permit. This is not right, ladies and gentlemen. And I spend a lot of time up on Lake Buchanan, cleaning up the lake. And I’m very proud of you all young people right here. You are going to teach the next generation. I’m very, very proud of you. And I don’t like trash in the lake.
I’m not some weirdo environmentalist. But this isn’t the right place for this out here. And I just want to make sure we are all on the same page. I apologize for part of the football coach that is coming out of me.
[ LAUGHTER ]
But I just can’t do this. And it’s not right. And I just need y’all’s help, please. That’s all I want to say.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Matt?
MATT WAGNER: Greetings, Chairman Foster and Commission members. I’m Matt Wagner, Executive Director of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. At almost a thousand members, we are the largest chapter of the Wildlife Society, an international organization formed in 1937.
As the threat of the New World screwworm migrates northward, y’all are finding a way to address the impacts to deer and other wildlife, while also balancing the need to manage chronic wasting disease in White-tail deer.
The CWD rules that you passed in January are being implemented. But more transparency is needed in enforcing visible I.D. of released deer, disclosure and fate of positive deer‑breeding facilities, and notice to landowners neighboring those facilities.
The CWD dashboard has been created as a step in the right direction. And we thank the department for this important tool.
We also applaud the law enforcement division for their continued work to pursue legal actions against the 24 suspects involved in the ghost deer case, which also has negative implications for our wild deer.
Next week, the Animal Health Commission will hear public comments on their proposal to reduce their involvement in CWD management in native deer, including making hold orders optional rather than mandatory.
We think this is a mistake.
We implore the department to continue your co‑management of CWD with the Animal Health Commission. We are also monitoring water issues from around the state, including recent bills dealing with groundwater. This shared resource owned by landowners, but with unclear water rights, will be addressed in the near future.
We know that as demand for groundwater increases, it will be more important than ever to make sure that extraction does not exceed recharge.
A recent article from Texas A&M researchers indicates that brush control over the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer can actually enhance recharge.
So, as you work with landowners in these recharged zones, please share with them the importance of land stewardship in not only managing wildlife populations, but also our critical water supplies.
Thank you for this opportunity.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Lance?
LANCE TRINQUE: Gentlemen, Ma’am.
Oncor 765 kV transmission line. The largest power line ever built in Texas is proposed to be erected right down the middle of the Paluxy River Valley.
My name is Joe Lance Trinque, and I live on the south fork of the Paluxy in Erath County, where three proposed routes are being considered. The Paluxy, one of only two undammed rivers in the state, is a jewel of central Texas, and is the crown jewel in Dinosaur Valley State Park.
It is also critical habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler, the only native species entirely propagated in our great state.
I am here today to make sure this community hears the plea of Texas landowners, and wildlife that depends on them, to exercise all its authority to stop or reroute this project.
It is my understanding this unprecedented transmission line will provide power for the construction of artificial intelligent plants and big sprains.
Are we, as Texans, going to lay down at the altar of big tech the rights of Texas landowners and the very survival of an iconic Texas species?
Please, as a committee, use all possible means at your disposal to protect the wildlife I know you hold dear. You’re our only line of defense in a world bent on ecological development that leads to enormous environmental destruction, including the destruction of a beautiful riparian habitat to line the pockets of a California‑owned company whose C.E.O. makes $365 million a year.
My intelligence is not considerable, but it is not artificial. It seems to me that many Texas landowners that are forever affected by these proposed lines, that the developers of these A.I. plants should build their power in generating facilities and not destroy the habitat of endangered species and trample on the rights of property owners.
So, please, do your absolute best to protect the wildlife I know you love, as well as the Paluxy River Valley and all the species, including the Golden‑cheeked warbler, and us Texans who love our land and great state.
Thank you for listening.
God bless you all, and God bless Texas.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
And Jim.
JIM MEYN: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman.
Congratulations on your new assignment.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
MR. MEYN: Good afternoon, Commissioners, and welcome, Commissioner McCall. My name is Jim Meyn, and I run the largest oyster hatchery in the Gulf of America right here in Texas, called Palacios Marine Agriculture Research, or PMAR to simplify that.
We are a nonprofit organization in the state with a simple mission: use Texas oysters to save Texas bays.
I want to take the opportunity at this annual session to give you a midyear update on how we are doing so far down in PMAR.
We have produced at this point 80 million oysters, which is almost a ten‑fold increase over our production in 2024.
To give you some context of 80 million oysters, that’s roughly double the annual harvest over the last three seasons from our public reefs. So, a pretty substantial amount, and we are only at the halfway point.
As we head into the fall, we actually expect to produce, conservatively, another 120 million oysters, or 200 million oysters for the year, which is five times the average harvest from any season of recent note– which has been in the 40 to 45 million range.
We are working with the department right now on ways that we can make the best uses for these cultivated oysters to restore Texas bays. And I look forward to coming back at future sessions and sharing the successes that we have formed together.
Thank you for your time.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
That’s impressive.
Next, I’m going to call six more names. William Golding. You can make your way to the front. Followed by Nan Manning. Kirby Brown. Larry Black. Fermin Ortiz. And Grahame Jones. Mr. Golding.
WILLIAM GOLDING: Good afternoon. My name is William Golding. I’m with Save Burnet.
And I’m here today to express my strong opposition to the proposed Asphalt Inc. rock‑crushing plant on Hoover Valley Road in Burnet, Texas.
We are excited Governor Abbott added to the second special agenda camp safety legislation to ensure and enhance youth camp safety.
This rock crusher plant is less than three miles from Longhorn Caverns and Inks Lake State Park. And the Asphalt Inc. proposed plant will be blasting and creating vibrations throughout this.
The site is also on the same fence line as Camp Longhorn. The lady behind me is the camp director, and she’ll tell you more about it. They have over 2,200 kids that go to that camp. Can you imagine an eight‑year‑old child riding a horse– “Boom!” from blasting.
To say nothing, they sleep outside, silt and everything else. In the handouts I delivered earlier today to you guys in a black folder, there was copies of the “Burnet Bulletin” on the front page. There’s a story about our efforts. Okay?
Also included in that handout is a letter from the director of Texas Parks and Wildlife. And I would like to quote on the second page of the letter that you have:
“TPWD requests the applicant required to initiate coordination with TPWD’s ecological and environmental planning program review team. The environmental review team reviews development projects from a variety of industries, provide recommendations to protect the fish and wildlife resources.
During the construction, in addition, the required coordination TPWD requests the applicant to be required to conduct air dispersion modeling that considers impact.”
Everything we’ve seen so far through TCEQ, TWP, I’m sorry to say, they have ignored most of the requirements that we have.
Finally, I just want to say we love our central Texas area. Camp Longhorn. All the places we have. Fish hatcheries, quiet and peaceful. We are not against rock crushers. We just don’t want them right next to our camps.
If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Otherwise, thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
All right.
Ms. Manning.
NAN MANNING: Hello, everybody. Thank y’all for having us. And I know we just got a moment to speak. But you have a folder like this. Blue. It has a Camp Longhorn heading because my office helped me put this notebook together.
And I will tell you a lot of what everybody said is exactly true. The location, if you look probably on the second page, you will see exactly where the location is. You’ve got Camp Longhorn right here. You’ve got a fence line. You’ve got Longhorn Cavern State Park. And then you’ve got Inks Lake State Park. Okay?
So, those two parks are crown jewels. And I know that you all were in charge of all the parks. And I’ve been to so many.
I’ve been to Palo Duro Canyon. I have been all over the state of Texas. And there are some beautiful parks. We have to protect them. And we need your help.
In your folder, first you will first see the flooding that was caused from Spring Creek, which is at the proposed rock crushing site.
What happens is Spring Creek and Peter’s Creek… Peter’s Creek flows into where Camp Longhorn is, Spring Creek flows all the way down and it goes into the Devil’s Backbone Nature Trail, which goes into Devil’s Waterhole, which goes into Inks Lake State Park.
And if you look at those pictures, and granted, you know, that was six inches of rain. We’ve had a lot more than that. And we’ve had bigger floods. But they had to close that bridge. And that silt and that poison and that silicon dust will go straight into that area.
The other part of your folder– and it’s a lot of reading information, but there’s a lot of maps about the cave. And there’s a study that shows that this cave is actually sinkholes. And there are extremely… the possibility‑‑ it’s not a possibility, it’s a reality– that with blasting, which will be less than three miles away, these sinkholes will collapse.
And there’s caves underneath Camp Longhorn. There’s caves underneath the proposed site. It’s a known fact.
So, what we’d like to ask you is just to say the TCEQ and the LCRA have failed us, right? And when we ask, “Why?”, they say they checked all the boxes.
Well, want another big box that says, “Common sense.” Check it. Common sense.
[ LIGHT APPLAUSE ]
Okay?
So, we want to protect all the parks. And we know that’s your responsibility. But you all have a lot of power. And we are hoping that you could help protect these parks, protect this area. And I’m all for… for all parks everywhere. But this is a concern right now. And you can tell from all of us.
And we appreciate your time. And please have fun reading all this stuff in the back. There’s a lot of information in there.
Thank you all.
Any questions?
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
MS. MANNING: Okay.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Um, Kirby Brown.
KIRBY BROWN: Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, good to see you. And thank you for your service.
We appreciate it very much.
I’m Kirby Brown. I’m a conservation outreach biologist with Ducks Unlimited, and a former TPWD member, a retiree.
Ducks Unlimited, I hope most of you know, is the largest wetland organization in the world with one million members and supporters, including 55,000 current members in Texas, and, since 1937, has restored and conserved over 17 million acres of wetlands in the United States.
And in just the last two years, in each of the last two years, we’ve conserved one million acres in the United States. Really impressive to see that happening.
In Texas, in our fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, just the other month, D.U. and TPWD collectively partnered on over $6 million of wetland projects on TPWD wildlife management areas.
And it’s a great relationship, a conservation synergy that we have, and a partnership with both the Wildlife Division and the Coastal Fisheries Division as we work through a lot of coastal issues.
And D.U. last year raised over $9 million at 120 local Texas events. And those funds are often leveraged with federal and state grant programs, such as with TPWD’s Pittman‑Robertson funding and funding derived from the sale of the migratory birds stamp here in Texas. And also with the Texas General Land Office, private foundations such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
And this conservation work occurs basically throughout the state on many state‑owned wildlife management areas, the private lands in the Texas Panhandle and along the Texas coast, Texas coastal waters.
And we put over $25 million on the ground last year, moving mud, restoring and protecting coastal shorelines and wetland habitat.
So, we want to thank the Commission and the department for recognizing that water are a shared resource, and that wetland habitat conservation has to take place not only here in Texas, but also internationally– up in Canada as well as in Mexico.
And your participation in the fall flights program has been one of the things that helped that happen. We appreciate both you and the staff in working with that.
Finally, just… we couldn’t have accomplished this work without you guys. Thank you. That’s what we’re here to say. We appreciate it.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you very much.
MR. BROWN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: And Larry Black.
LARRY BLACK: Good afternoon. I am a semi‑retired lawyer. I used to work with the attorney general’s office doing tort defense of agencies just like yours. And I am now pro bono counsel for Save Burnet, opposing the quarry adjacent to the parks.
I am here to tell you that since you had been put on notice today, and your agency almost a year ago, of the hazard posed by the adjacent land, you have a duty under the Texas Tort Claims Act to warn or make it safe.
Warn or make it safe. To date, TPWD has done nothing.
That’s not an option. Let me urge you to contact the lawyers at the attorney general’s office that try tort cases and say, “Hey, here is our position. Here is what we have been provided. Is it an option to do nothing?”
And I assure you, with all my experience in this area, they will tell you, “No, you must do something.” Please do so.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you. And Fermin Ortiz.
FERMIN ORTIZ: Good afternoon. Thank you all for your attention to this issue. You’ve seen the passion. You’ve seen the heartbreak that we have out there.
But quite honestly, I love the Texas state parks. We would always take off on the weekends and go stress relief, my wife and I of 44 years, and we still do.
I know we have a bucketload of moneys available for buying and getting new parks, which I’m all excited about. But we do need to protect the ones we have. And there are studies that this blasting above the cave– I mean, just think about it– is going to go all the way up and down. It doesn’t stay there. There’s no fence line that stops it.
It will affect what we have in Longhorn Caverns. It is irreplaceable. We cannot just go on Amazon next week and get another one. I just implore you all, beg you all, have them do studies before it’s too late.
It will not be able to be fixed. We can’t go back and put retaining walls or something if this is allowed to proceed. If I’m wrong– it’s kind of like I was debating with a friend of mine the other day about Christianity– I said, “If I’m wrong, I’m just a better human being. If you’re wrong, you get into trouble.”
I don’t want to tell you all what could happen if we lose Longhorn Caverns. A lot of children here that were here earlier that deserve to be able to enjoy.
Just like my family has… we have a ranch out in Llano County for 150 years. We need to protect Texas state parks. That’s all we are asking. No fires. No demonstration. Just do some studies to make sure we are safe and we can protect our lakes and our Longhorn Cavern.
Thank y’all.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Grahame Jones.
GRAHAME JONES: Good morning, Chairman Foster, Vice‑Chairman Bell, Commissioners, Dr. Yoskowitz. Thank you for this opportunity to be here today.
My name is Grahame Jones.
I’m the Executive Director for the Texas Conservation Alliance. I also proudly serve on the Oyster Advisory Committee and the Coastal Resources Advisory Committee as well. And I spent a little time at Parks and Wildlife.
Texas Conservation Alliance is proud to work alongside the Parks and Wildlife Department in advancing conservation that benefits both people, habitat and wildlife.
We’ve recognized the department’s leadership, specifically in coastal fisheries management and oyster‑related issues, efforts that are vital to the health of our oyster reefs and bays and estuaries.
These initiatives, which include the modernization of the COL program, the mariculture program, the oyster buyback program, to name a few, are extremely important not only to us today, but for generations to come as well.
Above all, I want to emphasize our gratitude to the State Parks Division, our game wardens, biologists, technicians, admin support staff, and every employee who works on behalf of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Your collective efforts are what make conservation in this state possible. We believe that by working together we will continue to protect Texas rivers, forests, coastlines, wildlife for generations to come.
Specifically, TCA. We work… are actively involved in protecting our wild and free rivers throughout the state, and are keenly aware of our water situation and monitoring that with our partner conservation organization.
So, again, thank you for your time, thank you for your service, and everything you do for Texas.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Monica Morrison. You can make your way up to the microphone.
Followed by Jenny Sanders. Charles Eckel. Ronald Eckel. Kevin Good. And Morgan Tyler. Ms. Morrison.
MONICA MORRISON: Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you, Chair Foster, Commissioners, and Dr. Yoskowitz, for giving me this opportunity to speak to you again today. And I appreciate your efforts in banning canned hunts in Texas, and also for implementing 36‑hour trap check times for our cat.
My name is Monica Morrison. I’m the founder of Texas Native Cats and a coalition member of Texans for Mountain Lions. I’ll keep this brief.
In June 2022, Texas for Mountain Lions submitted six steps for change and a petition for rule making submitted to TPWD. Included in those six steps was the following: mandatory harvest reporting.
Reporting harvest to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will provide crucial information on mountain lion distribution and trends in the state of Texas.
In January 2024, former Commissioner… Commission Chair Joseph Fitzsimmons, who led the Mountain Lion Stakeholder Advisory Group– or stakeholder group, rather – met before the Commission and agency to present the results of the meeting held by the stakeholder group.
Mr. Fitzsimmons noted, and I quote, "Harvest reporting is an important tool in measuring the health of a population." He mentioned the lack of data, which mandatory harvest reporting would significantly help to resolve. This was cited numerous times in his presentation.
I will note that mandatory harvest reporting of mountain lions is the standard in other states. I ask that you keep mandatory harvest reporting at the forefront of any decisions you make for mountain lions. Without it, the Texas population of this species remains in peril.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Jenny Sanders.
JENNY SANDERS: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Commissioner, Dr. Yoskowitz. Welcome, Commissioner McCall. It’s good to have representation from deep east Texas. So, glad to have you here.
My name is Jenny Sanders, from Lufkin. I work as an independent contractor in private lands, wildlife conservation and policy across the state.
I represent myself today. I want to commend the department for your leadership as it relates to chronic wasting disease. The rule packages for the captive deer industry, law enforcement’s recent work on the ghost deer case, and the rapid deployment of the recent CWD dashboard, are huge steps forward.
But we can’t take our eye off the ball.
The recent reemergence of New World screwworms is a great example in the danger of complacency. We face the same risk with CWD if we let up now. I urge continued resolve in three areas: compliance; disclosure; and partnership.
Please continue to be vigilant in enforcement of visible I.D. on leased breeder deer, and provide strict penalties for violators.
Secondly, the historic lack of compliance on exposed release sites has been a huge hole in the CWD containment effort.
These sites are, under current rule, not eligible for the managed lands deer permit program. Swift revocation of those permits for noncompliant landowners is a must, and will serve as a great deterrent for… or encouragement for greater compliance.
On disclosure, the CWD dashboard is an excellent tool to strengthen it. Please consider adding the addition of exposed release sites to the maps, their compliance status, and the ghost deer movement location, so the public can make informed decisions when they hunt, when they buy land, when they consume animals in those areas and assess their own risk.
And then, finally, on partnership. Since CWD first arrived in Texas, there’s been an effective partnership with the Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
We understand that Texas Animal Health Commission is attempting to back out of that. We just encourage the department to push back. Leaving you as a department with a whole bunch of new responsibilities but lacking the statutory authority and resources to back that up, is going to be difficult.
And then lastly, and I’m sorry I’m going long. But please continue to engage your advisory committees. Those committees provide transparency and faith that the public has a voice in the decisions that are made up here. And it’s been a big key in my mind to the reputation you have with private landowners and hunters across Texas.
So, in closing, thank you for your leadership, vigilance, transparency and partnership. We can continue to be a leader in captive… in chronic wasting disease management.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Charles Eckel.
CHARLES ECKEL: Good afternoon. My name is Charles Eckel. I’m here representing Lyssy & Eckel Feeds.
Texas wildlife faces a real screwworm threat. The good news is we already have the scale to act. In South Texas alone, there are roughly 524,000 White‑tail deer across 16.7 million acres. That’s one deer to 32 acres.
On the same landscape, about 70 percent of those ranches provide supplemental feed. And where offered, about 90 percent of the deer of those acres consume the feed.
On high fences and managed lands, over 90 percent supplement feed, and well over 95 come to those feeders.
Our proposal is a host‑based drug barrier for wildlife maintained…And by doing so, we will… the way we will do this is maintain steady oral ivermectin exposure during risk… peak risk times so blood and wound secretions are hostile to screwworm larvae.
Buying time and reducing the reproductive burden, the sterile insect technique must overcome.
So, how do we do that? We offer daily feed formulated with ivermectin at the correct dose. And we put that into those protein feeders across the ranches, making sure that we are getting ample access to cervids and not target… and making sure that we are keeping away from non‑targeted species.
The scale of this is already there. Many of these feeders are already in place across the Texas wildlife landscape, and we know that the animals are coming.
We still have that 35‑day withdrawal that comes with this ivermectin feed. But oral ivermectin is the only current option that is scalable and can reach White‑tail mule deer across the state in a rapid moment of… in a drop…
We have the 2016‑2017 Florida Keys outbreak to look back on, where managers paired sterile insect technique with macrocyclic lactones in key deer showing that… And it had success. It worked.
So, I’ll close. And I ran out of time. But sterile insect technique is the hammer. That’s what we need, is more sterile flies. And we have the money coming.
But this wildlife focus oral ivermectin option turns barriers and turns our success into these great windows.
And so, we’ve been working alongside with your department, and we look forward to more. But know that we are fighting for this, and we won’t stop until we have the wildlife protected.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you. And Ronald Eckel.
RONALD ECKEL: Thank you. My name is Ronnie Eckel, and I’m with Lyssy & Eckel Feeds out of Poke, Texas.
Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Dr. Yoskowitz, thank you for your service. Thank you for the time that you’ve given us today. Alan, thank you for your efforts. It has been very good.
But contrary to comments by state officials, Texas does not have a plan to protect Texas wildlife from the New World screwworm fly.
Monitoring surveillance and limiting the movement of livestock in no way protects livestock and wildlife from the NWS. We keep hearing about sterile flies.
In the first outbreak of the NWS back in the ‘50s,‘60s, and ‘70s, 700 million flies per week were needed to eventually eradicate the NWS. That effort took 25 years.
It is estimated that when the NWS arrive in Texas, 500 million flies per week will be needed to combat the NWS. We currently have 110 million sterile flies a week, total.
These sterile flies are produced in Panama. $21 million has been given to Mexico to convert a sterile fruit fly facility. That production will not be available until next year.
And it’s expected to produce 60 to 100 million sterile flies. Keep in mind, we need 500.
It was announced last week that a new sterile fly production facility will be built in Edinburg. At the House hearing yesterday, timelines of two to three years were mentioned for completion. That’s it.
That’s the plan as it exists today. Monitor, surveillance, limit movement of livestock, 110 million sterile flies. As Charles just mentioned, there is a plan. Macrocyclic lactones. Ivermectin and doramectin. Macrocyclic lactones in the blood and tissue of wildlife and livestock are effective in killing early‑stage larvae of the New World screwworm.
The key to their effectiveness is frequent dosing to make sure ivermectin or doramectin levels in the serum and tissues are adequate to kill or paralyze the early‑stage larvae.
I’m sorry. I’m out of time. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Kevin Good.
KEVIN GOOD: Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Kevin Good. And I’m here as President of Texans for State Parks, which is a coalition of park nonprofit partners, user groups, and volunteers all across the state.
I want to begin by expressing our appreciation and admiration for the work done by Rodney Franklin and the whole state parks team. I know I’m kind of preaching to the choir here. But I do want to remind everybody of the importance of state parks in providing a spot where families can make memories. Land, natural and cultural resources are conserved.
And encourage you in your visit to El Paso in a few months to go by and visit Hueco Tanks, which is often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Native American rock art. And, I will say, I don’t know anybody who has visited there and not been impressed.
I want to particularly express our appreciation for the new parks that are coming online, and the efforts of the agencies to develop these new parks. This is kind of ending a 20‑year drought, I would say, in terms of park development in this state. And it’s important that we make up for lost time in providing these access points.
I do want to encourage the agency to be judicious in its development of these sites, and not create a situation where in a few years we’re faced with another backlog of maintenance; getting behind on the needs that come along with developing these facilities.
In closing, I would just encourage you to continue the work that you are doing currently, and continue to operate these sites so that they can provide access to the outdoors for those not lucky enough to have family lands, and provide an opportunity to develop stewards for the future generations.
Thanks.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
And Morgan Tyler.
MORGAN TYLER: Good afternoon. My name is Morgan Tyler. And thank you again for allowing us some time to speak here this afternoon.
A little bit about myself. I work in the feed and grain industry. Seventh generation Texan. My family has ranched in Presidio County for 140 years now. I’m a father. And very concerned about our New World screwworm issue that may be upon us.
And I’m very grateful that the Eckel father‑and‑son team were ahead of me. They were much more eloquent on this subject matter.
But one thing that I… you know, I grew up and my grandfather talked to me about screwworms. And I heard the stories. I remember seeing some of the old baits and how bad that smelled. And he was a conservationist and really drove me to my career in wildlife management.
And I don’t want my generation, or my daughter’s generation, to face what may be the detriment to some of our wildlife species that my generation, generations before, have worked so hard to manage our wildlife.
I implore you to do the best you can to help us get this oral ivermectin product available to us as feed manufacturers. And not just for one company, but across the board.
We’ve had meetings with the Texas Feed and Grain Association. And we all agreed that we, as an industry, can help. Although the flies, the sterile flies, are obviously a great solution, we would implore you to help us get this as a tool to combat the New World screwworm.
Thank you for your time.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Shane Bonnet, or Bonnot. Make your way.
Followed by Bernadine Dittmar, Wayne Shipley, Robert Braden and Justin Woody. Shane?
SHANE BONNOT: Good afternoon, Chairman, Commissioners. My name is Shane Bonnot, and I’m here to represent the Coastal Conservation Association.
I just wanted to come up here today and express my organization’s appreciation for all the work that the department and the Commission has done with the oyster license buyback program. Being able to remove 112 of the 545 licenses, or 21 percent of the potential fishing effort out there, is a huge conservation victory.
And that would not be possible without this agency’s work, and without the donation from a lot of generous private donors and foundations. And so, a big win for conservation. And we appreciate all the department’s done.
If you think about the oyster fishery, historically it has been a public fishery solely. And now this agency has provided three off‑ramps for the fishery. Buyback, certificate of locations, or leases, and mariculture.
So, pat on the back to the department and the staff and this Commission for all they’ve done to help right‑size that ship.
Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you, Mr. Bonnot. Sorry about your name pronunciation there.
Ms. Dittmar.
BERNADINE DITTMAR: Hello.
My name’s Bernadine Dittmar, and I’m from Kerrville, Texas. And yes, the flood was worse than you can ever imagine. And I just want to thank the game wardens in Texas Parks and Wildlife. Whenever I saw their vehicle, I just was… those are my people.
I am the widow of Dr. Bob Dittmar, the first veterinarian of Texas Parks and Wildlife. He was so proud of that. And I just don’t want y’all to lose the message of how serious chronic wasting disease is.
As I took my two granddaughters to school this morning, one of them said, "Beebee, why are you going and talking to those people?" I said, "Well, I have to cheer for the wild native deer." Please put them first and foremost. And the other granddaughter said, “You know, that is really a horrible way to die. Don’t they know that? Beebee, are we ever going to see that?”
Our ranch was established in 1857. We are low fence subsistence hunters. My grandchildren hunt. We eat the meat. We bring on the youth for Parks and Wildlife Youth Hunts. We need to see clear identification. We need to have transparency. Where is chronic wasting disease these days?
And I’m going to end by saying I’m really happy Bob is not here to see how chronic wasting disease has traveled across Texas.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Mr. Shipley.
WAYNE SHIPLEY: Yeah.
Hi, folks. I’m Wayne Shipley. I live in Llano County, and I’m with the Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance. Now, I know the name Lake Buchanan is in our organization name.
But I want to let you know that our members are small businesses and community civic organizations and POAs from across the Highland Lakes area.
Like our name, the name Save Burnet implies that this issue is a Burnet problem– I’m talking about the rock crushing plant, you might have guessed that– however it’s not. It would usually have a negative effect on those of us in Llano and Travis Counties.
The Llano City Council, in fact, has passed a unanimous resolution against this rock crushing plant.
For Longhorn Caverns, daily blasting within three miles of the caverns would have a devastating effect on not only the Longhorn Cavern Park, but on the Longhorn Cavern system.
For Inks Lake State Park, light pollution from a 24-hour-a-day operation would ruin the experience of one of the most visited and beloved parks in all of Texas.
For Camp Longhorn and Indian Springs…Let me ask you this. Some of you all live in Austin. How do you think the reaction of the Austin population would be if a plant… a company wanted to come in and build a plant like this three miles from Barton Springs?
Consider the fact that TCEQ’s own office of public interest council recommended overturning the permit, citing flawed emissions standards.
“Since opening” — Oh, from Rodney Franklin, this is a quote. “Since opening in the 1930s and ‘40s, Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern State Park have been treasured destinations by Texas residents which currently hosts more than 300,000 visitors annually.”
We at LBCA agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Franklin.
We would like to offer that this is not merely a Burnet or an LBCA problem. It affects every Texan.
TPW has been a champion for the Texas environment and has been the lone state agency willing to take a stand on issues like the James River Dam. We are asking for the same resolve on the rock plant. I leave you with a paraphrase of Princess Leia. Help us, TPW.
You’re our only hope.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you. Mr. Braden.
ROBERT BRADEN: My name’s Robert Braden. I’m the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Texas Grain and Feed Association, one of the oldest trade associations in the state of Texas. I come before you today.
Thank you, Chairman and Commissioners for allowing me the opportunity. I know I have seen compassion in your faces and your smiles this morning when you were listening to the junior brigadiers. So, I know it‘s there. What I’m talking today to you about is not something good.
You know, medicating our wildlife is not something we want to whip out as an idea for anything. But what we have coming at us possibly, or when. You know, the “ifs” are falling off the rhetoric. It’s a “when.”
And when the screwworm gets here and crosses over our borders… You have the Animal Health Commission testified yesterday in front of the Texas Ag Livestock Committee that they are prepared and they are ready. They are prepared with their ideas of monitoring and surveillance.
Cattle can be injected. Cattle can be rounded up. As far as our wildlife, the only real thing there– and we’ve heard it from the Animal Health Commission– the wildlife will just die. That’s the plan.
The plan is you see a sick one, you call Texas Parks and Wildlife, you come remove it. And an extensive incursion? I’m curious what you are going to do with all the carcasses. I’m curious how you are going to handle that.
You know, my members have been feeding animals for a long time. We have very good research and data on oral ivermectin and feed. We can do it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now has the authority to grant special use, emergency use, of ivermectin in feed. I would like this Commission’s support in commissioning them to expedite that for us to get this not on shelves today. That’s not what we want.
We want to be prepared with the right dosages, the right durations, to do the right thing if it gets here, and only if.
Thank you for your time today.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Thank you.
Mr. Woody.
JUSTIN WOODY: Good afternoon, Chairman, Commissioners. My name is Justin Woody. I’m fourth‑generation oyster fisherman out of Galveston Bay with Jerry Seafood.
And I just want to thank the department, the Commission, the coastal fisheries guys, Robin Riechers, Dakus Geeslin. We’re making headway.
September 1, we are going to open the applications for new COLs, which is the on-bottom leases, which has happened since 1988, I think. And they are very much needed. I mean, I currently have some of the COLs. I have mariculture. And we are heading in the right direction.
So, I just want to say thank you, guys. We’re making headway. You have a good day.
CHAIRMAN FOSTER: Great. Thank you.
I don’t have any more names on my list.
Is there anybody else who would like to speak, or who I’ve missed? I’m taking that as a no.
Okay, this Commission has completed its business.
And I declare us adjourned at 3:26 p.m.
Thank you very much.
[ GAVEL POUNDS ]