NEW MAPS PROVIDE FLOODPLAIN INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC

In an effort to assure that Harris County is better prepared for the damaging floods that often occur in the area, the Harris County Flood Control District and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have created an extensive database of updated maps and elevations, the benefits and technicalities of which were explained in a meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

"We have a unique flood problem here in Houston," said Will Meyer, representative for the Harris County Flood Control District, "We want to help people understand the risks of flooding."
The massive damage of Tropical Storm Allison will not soon be forgotten. The Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project cites that the storm caused over $5 billion in property damage, flooding thousands of homes and leaving about 30,000 residents stranded in shelters.

Though these events can not be prevented, FEMA and the Harris County Flood Control District began the Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project to assess flood issues and provide useful information that could help in finding new ways to prevent the costly and dangerous effects that heavy rainfall can cause.

Now that these maps have been created, TSARP is making them available to the public via the Internet.

The maps use a new system called LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, Meyer explained, where a plane flies overhead sending out laser beams that hit the ground and bounce back. A series of mathematical equations later and a precise elevation is produced for that point of land. This approach provides millions of points to create these maps, versus the traditional way of surveying land that provides only a few.

By combining the information created by LiDAR with other information including aerial photos, historical rainfall records and existing maps, the new maps provide multiple levels of detailed information.

This information can be used in different ways, Meyer said. If there is a chemical spill, these maps will show where and how the contamination will flow allowing a containment device to be placed in the most effective area. Furthermore, in the event of a serious flood situation, evacuation planning could be safer and more exact with this new knowledge. These maps could also be beneficial in limiting the transmission of the West Nile virus by pinpointing mosquito breeding grounds rather than spraying a large area.

Updated maps can be accessed through the Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project’s web site at http://www.TSARP.org

A resident can enter an address and pull up a map showing where their area lies in the floodplain. There is also a section for engineers providing more detailed information on flood planning.

MORE LOGGING AND DRILLING THREATENS SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST

The Bush administration’s "Healthy Forest Initiative" is under fire from Sierra Club and other environmentalists concerned with the proposed petroleum projects and logging in Sam Houston National Forest and other forests facing the same threats.

"The Bush administration has, in some respects, declared war against national forests," said Brandt Mannchen, Sierra Club forestry chair.

Sam Houston National Forest, just north of Houston, was home to many different species of trees including southern magnolia, American beech, and black cherry trees. But, over the years, logging has changed that since many areas of the forest have undergone a conversion to pine plantations, according to the Sierra Club’s "State of the Sam Houston National Forest" report.

This conversion consists of clearing large areas and replanting pine trees, which, according to the Sierra Club, grow fast and are easier to log. These pines are then repeatedly logged and thinned. This process has threatened the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and increased infestations of the southern pine beetle.

Now, the Lone Star Hiking Trail, located within Sam Houston National Forest, is being threatened with new logging policies. The US Forest Service is proposing to log one million cubic feet of trees, about two miles of which will effect the hiking trail which is known as the longest, continuous hiking trail in Texas. Furthermore, the proposal allows logging near streams and along the shoreline of Lake Conroe, but has not taken into consideration wildlife that may be living in the area such as the Eastern Wild Turkey, Gray Squirrels, Ospreys, and others.
Another serious threat to the forest is petroleum development.

The Sierra Club’s report says, "The most recent Schedule of Proposed Actions for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas lists nine separate proposals to drill or reenter 32 different wells for oil and gas production in Sam Houston National forest alone."
The increased oil activity puts the forests at risk for, leaks, spills, and other forms of pollution.

"Wherever there is public land, if there’s oil and gas available, development of those resources takes precedence over everything else," said Mannchen.

It is the Sierra Club’s contention that these lands should remain places for recreation and conservation where the visual quality and forest diversity should be protected.

$15 MILLION BUFFALO BAYOU RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
Buffalo Bayou Partnership, 4/22/04

Buffalo Bayou Partnership unveiled a $15 million reconstruction plan for a 23-acre site along Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston on April 23. The plan is a vital piece of the Buffalo Bayou and Beyond Master Plan, a 20-year vision that is transforming Buffalo Bayou into an active and vibrant waterfront.

"We want Houstonians and visitors alike to enjoy the Buffalo Bayou corridor and all its amenities. With the improvements derived from this project, our hope is that the area will become a scenic, accessible urban park where people can enjoy the outdoors in the heart of downtown," said Susan Keeton, chair of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. "This project exemplifies our plan for the entire downtown region of the bayou."

http://www.buffalobayou.org

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHERIES CENTER EDUCATION BUILDING
Texas Parks and Wildlife, 4/26/04

Texas-Bass Pro Shops founder John L. Morris is serious about the value of teaching young people principles of natural resource conservation by involving them in fishing.

Morris showed that commitment at a fundraiser for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center held April 3 in Grapevine. He pledged to match dollar for dollar all monies raised during the next year (up to $650,000) for the construction of a new education building at TFFC. This amount equates to one-half of the money needed to complete the fundraising for the new education center.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/news/news/040426a.phtml

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN MAPS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Gulf Coast Institute, 4/27/04

The 2025 Regional Transportation, now awaiting approval by the Transportation Policy Council of Houston-Galveston Area Council, proposes 12,900 lane miles of new road projects. Every Houston neighborhood will be effected.

As part of its continuing information initiative about the plan, the Gulf Coast Institute has prepared a Special Edition set of Houston Transportation Bulletins with maps for each Houston City Council District showing the proposed projects for that area. The maps are available online at http://www.livablehouston.org Click on the Houston Transportation Bulletin link.

HOUSTON TRASH BASH TO WIN STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Texas Environmental Excellence Awards, 4/27/04

The City of Crockett’s recycling program and the Houston area’s Rivers, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash have been named winners of the prestigious Texas Environmental Excellence Award, presented by Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In all, award-winners representing 10 categories and diverse industries will be honored at the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards banquet in Austin on May 4, a highlight of the TCEQ’s Environmental Trade Fair and Conference.

http://www.teea.org

SUMMER ENVIRONMENTAL INTERNSHIPS
Austin EcoNetwork, 4/28/04

The Texas Environmental Fellowship Program is offering summer internships in Austin and Houston for college students. Participants will work with a local environmental non-profit like the Baylor College of Medicine Chronic Disease, Prevention and Control Center, Houston Wilderness, the Gulf Coast Institute, the Citizens Environmental Coalition, TexPIRG, Texas Impact, the Austin Parks Foundation and more. Each participant receives training on advocacy skills through classroom trainings and on-the-job. Trainings include work on advocacy research, working with the media, grant-seeking, volunteer recruitment and more. To apply, contact Luke Metzger at (512) 479-7287 or luke@texpirg.org.

http://www.texpirg.org/TX.asp?id2=8477&id3=TX

KODAK AMERICAN GREENWAYS GRANTS
Application deadline: June 1, 2004

The Greenways Awards Program, a partnership of the Eastman Kodak Company, the Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. Grants can be used for all appropriate expenses needed to complete a greenway project, including planning, technical or legal assistance, and other costs. The maximum grant award is $2,500, although most grants will range from $500 to $1,500.
http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2372

THE WILD GIFT
Application deadline: June 1, 2004

The Wild Gift provides exceptional youth, ages 18-30, an experience in deep wilderness and encourages commitment to a self-designed leadership project that will benefit the human and natural community. The 17-month program is provided to Wild Gift recipients at no cost.
http://www.wildgift.org

CANON ENVIROTHON

Annual competition for high school students throughout North America, designed as a way to teach kids about environmental education. The best teams from 47 states and Canadian provinces compete at a summer play-off during July or August on a selected topic. To expose students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography, a different state or province hosts the Canon Envirothon each year. In addition to the actual competition, the event also includes social, cultural, and educational activities organized by the Canon Envirothon Host Committee.
http://www.envirothon.org/competition/Canon2004/index.htm

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY TEACHER GRANTS
Application Deadline: June 10, 2004

The foundation provides grants to educators to facilitate their work in the classroom, school, district, and community. This year, projects will be funded in either of two broad categories: Promoting Stewardship of Cultural and Natural Resources, and Promoting Geographic Knowledge Through Education. The foundation plans to make approximately $100,000 available, in grants of up to $5,000 each. Applications may be submitted by a single teacher or by a project team leader on behalf of a group.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education/teacher_community/get_grant.html

CONSUMER GUIDE DETAILS ILLS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMON PRODUCTS

A free online consumer guide published in March by the Worldwatch Institute describes the environmental, social, and health harms associated with a wide range of products, including appliances, baby products, DVDs, clothing, cell phones, and food. The guide takes a behind the scenes look at how products are made, and offers simple advice and alternatives that enable people to reduce some of the ills associated with the things they buy.
For each product, the guide also describes successful efforts by governments, businesses, and nonprofit groups around the world to reduce negative impacts associated with common products.
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/goodstuff

NEW REPORT IN PARKS FOR PEOPLE SERIES

The Trust For Public Land’s Parks for People initiative works in cities across America to ensure that everyone--in particular every child--enjoys access to a park, playground, or open space. A new Parks for People report by Peter Harnik, director of TPL's Center for City Park Excellence, highlights the need for parks in Newark, New Jersey. The report's release follows by several months the publication of TPL's Parks for People white paper, which makes the case for new city parks nationwide. Upcoming Parks for People publications will focus on other US cities.
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13843&folder_id=175

A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Wilderness Forever has created a handy-dandy guide to taking action. Learn how to draft your own action letters, organize enjoyable activism events, and get in touch with local media.
To obtain your own tree-free version of the guide:
http://www.wildernessforever.org/action/index.html
Learn more about the Wilderness Act:
http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Wilderness/act.cfm

CONSERVATION ACROSS BOUNDARIES EDUCATION COURSE

Conservation Across Boundaries’s Enhancing Wildlife Conservation through Education is a fully-funded, two-week course for junior and senior high school science teachers. The course is being held June 12-25, 2004. To download a brochure and application, visit www.boone-crockett.org, http://www.eih.uh.edu/education/bboard/cabflyer_2004_small.pdf or contact Selma Glasscock, Welder Wildlife Foundation, selmaglass@aol.com for more information. Application deadline: March 30, 2004. $125 application fee.

SEASIDE CLUB BECKONS TO TEXAS TEACHERS

Texas A&M University's Marine Advisory Service (MAS) will be hosting two development workshops for Texas educators on the environment, and natural resources in Texas and the Gulf Coast. Participates who are teachers, science curriculum specialists, or department heads working in public and private schools are encouraged to register. Training sessions for elementary school educators are June 28-30; training for secondary school educators will take place July 7-9. For more information or to enroll, contact (979) 863-2940 or email lbeach@neo.tamu.edu.

EPA SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

The EPA Summer Opportunities for Students website is now up and running. The site provides a web portal through which students may enter to learn about EPA programs, offices, and summer employment opportunities. They also will be able to submit a job application directly to the EPA location where there is a vacancy.
http://www.epa.gov/ohros/student