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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Plan approved by the TPWD Commissioners in August 2002, presented an
analysis of conservation threats on land and water resources and identified both priority ecoregions and priority habitats on land and water for conservation work.
Major environmental groups, such as National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense, and Trust
for Public Lands criticized the Plan for being too vague, for its lack of measurable goals and for the lack of detailed planning steps, and funding strategies needed to protect and restore
critical habitats and to maintain ecosystem processes. The groups, however, in their public comments, did not challenge TPWD's land conservation priorities. On the otherhand, the
environmental organizations did recommend that TPWD's water resource conservation efforts include a prioritization of watersheds in which acquisition of existing water rights is most critical
for protecting fish and wildlife resources.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 2002 Plan determined that the following ecoregions were a high priority for conservation efforts:*
- The Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes
- The Cross Timbers and Prairies
- South Texas Plains
In its Conservation Plan, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also prioritized for future work two critical
wildlife habitats on land that cross ecoregion boundaries:
- Native Prairie and Grassland Habitats. Though little native prairies and grasslands remains,Texas Parks and Wildlife's
goal is to enhance that which does exist and restore that which has been lost. These prairies and grasslands cross ecoregion boundaries and include prairies and grassland habitats in the
Panhandle, on the Gulf, in the desert of West Texas, and within the Piney Woods of east Texas.
- Riprarian Habitats. Riprarian refers to vegetation found along the banks and on the floodplains of rivers, creeks and
rivers. These riprarian communities support diverse wildlife species and play a crucial role in preserving water quality and quantity. Though not the only riparian habitat singled out for
conservation, the riprarian forests of east Texas--referred to as bottomland hardwoods--are considered the most diverse Texas
ecosystems, supporting hundreds of species of trees, shrubs, plants, grasses--and provide forage and nesting for birds and mammals.*
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Land and Water Resources Conservation Plan of 2002 also analyzed threats
to Texas' freshwater and saltwater systems which provide habitat for state's diverse fish and wildlife species. As critical land habitats are threatened by human activity and invasive
species, so, too, are aquatic habitats. As Texas population climbed to over 20 million people in 2000, there has been an increase demand on aquatic resources which has affected both water
quality and water quantity. Pollution and urban waste run-off in Texas rivers and streams, reservoir construction that has destroyed bottomland hardwood systems, and the introduction of
non-native fish species are just some of the activities that affect freshwater habitats and the wildlife that depend on them.
In addition, excessive trawling, channel dredging and decrease of fresh water flow to bays and estuaries are adversley affecting saltwater systems that provide rich wildlife habitat.*
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FYI
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Instream flow is the amount of water needed in rivers and streams to support fish
and wildlife in and along waterways. Maintaining sufficient instream flows are essential to a river's health and thus to the survival of the wildlife that depend
on rivers and riparian corridors. Fresh water flows into the bays and estuaries are also essential to the health of these produtive habitats. An analysis by the
Texas office of National Wildlife Federation shows that under medium or low flow conditions, some segments of our river would go completely dry or flows would be
reduced dramatically if all water rights were used.
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The Conservation Plan considers a priority for Texas' freshwater systems*
- The evaluation of instream flow of the 15 major river basins in Texas. In fact, the Conservation Plan
is reflecting the Texas Legislators' mandate--found in Senate Bill 1 (1997)--to conduct studies of instream flows by Texas agencies invloved with
river and stream management. The TPWD plan suggests that instream flow studies should first be conducted for the Brazos, Guadalupe, Sabine and
Sulphur basins. These priority studies should be completed by 2010 with the other river basin studies to follow.
Under the 2002 TPWD's Conservation Plan, the priority conservation effort for saltwater systems are the bays and
estuaries and coastal wetland habitats. Fisheries biologist point out that, "Ninety-five percent of marine life --at some
point in its cycle--depends on the wide range of salinities and abundant food and shelter provided by bays and estuaries."*
- The bays and estuary systems, like the river basins, have been prioritized for conservation efforts under TPWD's
plan. The bay systems were prioritized based on high threat or moderate threat. The High Threat Systems are:
Galveston Bay System, Matagorda Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, Sabine Lake Sustems, and the Texas Territorial Sea.*
The Plan also identified aquatic habitat types that, like land habitats, cross all ecoregions, river basins and bay system
boundaries and which, because of their importance to wildlife and other conservation values "merit priority effort." These aquatic habitats include:
Texas' ecological riches are not only critical for fish and wildlife but they also provide outdoor recreational opportunities
for the public--bird watching, sightseeing, fishing--and contribute significantly to the economy of Texas. For example:
- Texas' coastal bays and estuaries support a thriving commercial fishing industry that has a $330 million dollar
annual impact on the Texas economy and supports an estimated 30,000 fulltime jobs
- Bird watching, fishing, shrimping, sightseeing and wildlife cruises contribute $2 to $4 billion to the Texas economy
- The total economic impact of the Texas seafood industry is about a $330 million annually.
- Sport fishers on the Gulf Coast spend $890 million a year on fishing gear, boats, equipment, contributing $2
billion into the Texas economy from fishing trips, hotels, restaurants, and supporting 25,000 fulltime jobs in the State.
- Bird watching, trout fishing and sightseeing on the Guadalupe River and Canyon lake contributes $500 milion per
year to Comal County, Texas.
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