Regional Highlights

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Panhandle Wildfire Update (Region P)

Wildlife biologists continue to assess the damage from devastating wildfires that scorched hundreds of thousands of acres across the Panhandle. The raging fires affected wildlife habitat by burning rangeland, federal Conservation Reserve Program grasslands, and timber along creek bottoms. In a sense, the fires showcased the historic norm before human fire suppression—large scale range fires followed by rain and rejuvenation. Long-term, the fires may have some benefits—brushy areas could come back more in grasses. Short-term, biologists are concerned about ground-nesting birds such as lesser prairie chicken, pheasant, quail and turkey, plus multiple nongame species, which now have little to no nesting and protective cover. TPWD will be closely monitoring the situation over the coming months.

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FEMA Begins Reimbursement Process for Hurricane-damaged Sites (Regions E and U)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department continues repair and recovery operations at the numerous sites damaged by Hurricane Rita last year. The Federal Emergency Management agency continues to review TPWD requests for reimbursement funding for various projects. As of March 20, FEMA had approved reimbursement funding for projects at Martin Dies, Sea Rim and Village Creek state parks, as well as the Jasper Fish Hatchery and Sea Center in Lake Jackson. FEMA has also approved partial requests for repair funding at Lake Houston, Mission Tejas and Sabine Pass.

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Golden Alga Update (Region C)

Golden alga blooms and related fish kills continue in the Colorado, Brazos, and Red river systems but seem to be decreasing in severity with the spring weather. On the Colorado River, blooms continue on Colorado City Lake, Moss Creek Lake, and E.V. Spence Reservoir but no large fish kills are taking place at this time. On the Red River, blooms continue on Lake Kemp and Diversion Lake but no large fish kills are presently occurring. The golden alga is present in Lake Texoma, and while a fish kill occurred in an isolated area (Lebanon Pool), no fish kills have occurred in the main body of the reservoir. The Brazos River basin continues to be the most impacted system at this time. Fish kills are ongoing in Lake Granbury and Lake Whitney and have spread down the river towards Waco. TPWD staff are monitoring the conditions in the reservoirs and river. The kills seem to be lessening in severity but still continue.

more information on Golden Alga

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Game Warden Academy Opens Up (All Regions)

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is taking applications for a game warden cadet class scheduled to start in October 2006. Applications were available beginning March 1, 2006 and will be accepted through April 14, 2006.

Twenty-five cadets will be accepted in the 52nd Game Warden Academy, which will begin its seven-month training in October 2006. More than 700 people applied for the 40 positions in the previous cadet class that graduated in July 2005.

- read news release "Applications Being Taken for Game Warden Academy" - 02/20/06

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