Tag: conservation

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Save Salado Creek, comments due Feb 23

News from NPSOT’s Tonkawa Chapter. Read more about the threat to Salado Creek at Save Texas Streams.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently accepting public comments on the draft permit for Salado Vista, so that’s what you’ll be commenting on. For suggested talking points from Save Texas Streams, go to https://www.savetexasstreams.org/saladocreek and scroll down to “Salado Vista permit problems.”

The short take: Salado Vista’s draft permit has the worst limits of all 12 permits on Salado Creek, because TCEQ believed the applicant’s claim that it would be discharging its wastewater into Darrs Creek. But the actual location of Salado Vista’s treatment plant means that its wastewater will flow into Salado Creek instead — which means that it needs much stricter permit limits.

Please take a few minutes and send in your comment to TCEQ. The deadline is February 23rd. Any comments coming after Feb 23rd are disregarded.

Salado Vista: 

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Salado Creek, from Save Texas Streams & NPSOT

News from the NPSOT-Tonkawa Chapter (Bell County) and Save Texas Streams:

“The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently reviewing or has already approved permits for 12 facilities that could discharge 8 million gallons of treated wastewater (aka sewage) into Salado Creek, a pristine stream that flows over the Edward Aquifer Recharge Zone in Bell and Williamson Counties.” (Save Texas Streams website)

You can help!

Learn more at Save Texas Streams and on the NPSOT-Tonkawa Chapter website.

Attend the Salado Creek Community Meeting, on Wednesday, February 4, 7pm. See Save Texas Streams for the Zoom link and other meeting details.

Submit comments to TCEQ. Find links and supporting information about the permits at Save Texas Streams.

For more information and updates, see Save Texas Streams newsletters at https://www.savetexasstreams.org/newsletters/save-texas-streams-newsletter.

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TPWD Webinar, Dec 20, (endangered) Texas Trailing Phlox

Webinar news from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:

  • Conservation genetics and taxonomic distinctiveness of a Texas-endemic wildflower
  • On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
  • with Christine Edwards
    Stephen and Camilla Brauer Conservation Geneticist
    Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden

Webinar description: In this presentation, I will give an overview of conservation genetics in general and the conservation genetics program at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I will then provide an overview of a study that focused on understanding patterns of genetic diversity and structure and the taxonomic distinctiveness of a federally endangered Texas-endemic plant, Texas Trailing Phlox. (Emphasis added by NPSOT-Wilco.) I will conclude with a discussion of how the results can be applied to facilitate conservation efforts for Texas Trailing Phlox.

Bio: Dr. Edwards received a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado, a PhD in Botany from the University of Florida, and completed a Postdoc in Botany at the University of Wyoming. She has led the Conservation Genetics program at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the last 10 years. Her research focuses on using genetic tools to understand the evolutionary and ecological causes and consequences of rarity in threatened species.

Register on the TPWD website at this registration link.

Find more info here about TPWD’s Wildlife Diversity Webinar Series.

[This is not a NPSOT event.]

[Post updated 12/12, 7:16am, new link for registration.]