June 29, 2010

 All eyes on the Gulf of Mexico as Alex intensifies  

TPWD and other state agencies are gearing up for a possible Thursday land fall of Alex, which forecasters say likely will be a Category 1 hurricane by then. As of Tuesday morning, Alex was still just a tropical storm, but it was expected to gain strength over the warm waters of the gulf as it moves northwest. The National Weather Service’s projected storm path showed it coming in just south of Brownsville, which would put the more damaging eastern edge of the storm on the Texas side of the Rio Grande. Up to a foot of rain was considered possible for South Texas, with forecasters comparing Alex to Hurricane Dolly in 2008.  

 For More:  This_Week_June_29.pdf

June 24, 2010

Get Kids Off the Couch This Summer with Geocaching

Parents looking for a way to get technology-savvy kids caught up in the summer doldrums outside should sign them up for Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Geocache Challenge going on in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. Twenty-one state parks are participating in this treasure-hunting contest in which youngsters use their GPS devices and provided coordinates to track down hidden, waterproof boxes containing collectible wildlife-themed trading cards, park information, a logbook for cachers to record their visit and a paper punch unique to the park to mark their passport. The first 100 kids to mail in their completed passports receive a commemorative geocoin. All participants receive a Texas Geocache Challenge sticker and certificate. For a list of participating parks and additional information, visit: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/geocaching/.

For More: This_Week_June_24.pdf 

June 18, 2010

Deepwater Horizon spill update

The western-most extension of the commercial and recreational fishing closure in the Gulf of Mexico remains some 150 miles east of Sabine Pass.  The Texas General Land Office continues to investigate reports of tar balls on beaches from Sabine Lake to South Padre Island.  Some tar balls were reported to have gooseneck barnacles attached indicating that these had been adrift for a considerable amount of time. TPWD continues to maintain regular communication with sister agencies and industry representatives.

For More: This_Week_June_18.pdf

May 24, 2010

Lone Star Land Steward banquet Wednesday

The 2010 Leopold Conservation Award winner for Texas will be recognized during Wednesday evening’s Lone Star Land Stewards banquet at the Austin Airport Marriott South hotel. Among invited guests include this year’s regional land steward recipients, as well as those honored in special categories.

For More: This_Week_May_24.pdf

May 20, 2010

Boating deaths decline in Texas, safety advocates want to keep it that way

AUSTIN — Deaths from boating accidents on Texas public waters decreased last year compared with the year before and Texas game wardens, boater education proponents and others hope to keep the numbers trending downward. The decrease in 2009 came after an unprecedented spike in boating accident deaths in 2008, the highest in more than ten years.

For More: This_Week_May_20.pdf

May 04, 2010

TPWD closely monitoring ongoing Louisiana oil spill situation

TPWD staffers are following the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but so far Texas has not seen any impact from the event.  But an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil a day continues to spew from 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Due partially to rough seas and heavy weather, the oil slick has expanded to roughly 3,000 square miles – and area the size of Puerto Rico.

For More: This_Week_May_04.pdf 

April 19, 2010

Some state parks affected by recent heavy rains

A slow-moving weather system that dumped up to four inches of rain on some parts of Texas affected three state parks. Government Canyon State Natural Area at San Antonio was still closed to the public Monday due to the heavy rain that moved through much of the state Thursday through Saturday. High water and runoff caused some site damage and the facility will be closed until further notice. Elsewhere in Central Texas, Guadalupe River and Palmetto state parks were closed for a time, but both have reopened.

For More: This_Week_April_19.pdf

Feb. 16, 2010

TPWD PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS SUBMITTED TO LBB, POSTED ONLINE

TPWD Tuesday submitted to the Governors Office and the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) our proposed plan for reducing the agencys budget by 5% in the FY10-11 biennium.  This plan was requested of most state agencies, including TPWD, by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker.  A link to our proposal on our website has also been posted for the interested public to see, listing and describing proposed cuts (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/reduction_plan/).

For More: This_Week_Feb_16.pdf

Texas Buffalo Soldiers to Host Events Celebrating African American History Month

AUSTIN — In honor of African American History month, the Texas Buffalo Soldiers will be presenting special events in College Station on Feb. 17 and Austin on Feb. 20 that celebrate the rich cultural history of African Americans in Texas.

For More: TXBuffaloSoldiers.pdf

This Week Feb. 8th

HOUSE INTERIM COMMITTEE EYES WATER RESOURCE, RARE SPECIES ISSUES

The House Natural Resources interim committee met last week and heard testimony from department leaders and experts about federal laws that affect Texas fish and wildlife. Ross Melinchuk, Deputy Executive Director for Natural Resources, and staff experts in the Wildlife and Legal divisions addressed the committee. They provided information and answered questions about how TPWD interfaces with three federal laws: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and Endangered Species Act. Among other things, the committee heard about a potential federal listing of several species of rare freshwater mussels that could be determined in 2011. Experts described how these mussels serve as important indicators of river and stream ecological health and water quality. 

For More: This_Week_Feb_08.pdf