TRASH TRANSFER STATION DEFAULTED ON LEASE, SUIT FILED AGAINST TCEQ
by Sarah Morgan

The Bellaire City Council has voted to notify the builders of the Ruffino Hills trash transfer station in southwest Houston that they are in default on their lease, the Houston Chronicle reported Nov 4.

Ruffino Hills has been leasing 14 acres of land from the city of Bellaire for the past five years, but the city required that the trash transfer station be substantially operational by Nov 1. Now the builders have until Jan 25, 2005, to cure the default by completing construction to meet the lease requirement of "substantially operational."

The Bellaire council also approved a decision to go to binding arbitration under the terms of their lease with the landfill group, according to the Houston Chronicle. The landfill operators are requesting additional time to finish construction.

Also, an opposition group composed of residents of neighborhoods near the trash site, the Coalition Against the Ruffino Trash Transfer Station, filed suit Nov 8 against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which approved the operating permit. The suit claims that the permit application modification submitted by the operators of the transfer station failed to comply with rules and should not have been approved by the TCEQ.

CIVIC CLUB SEEKS TO CONSERVE HISTORIC PROPERTY
by Sarah Morgan

The South MacGregor Civic Club is seeking letters of support for the acquisition of the 4-acre Wright Morrow property for a park, on South MacGregor at Ardmore.

The wooded 4-acre estate was condemned by the UT Health Science Center and plans were made to build a hospital on the site. The university later dropped the idea to build the hospital after area residents expressed their opposition, but now the university is putting the property up for sale on Nov 16.

The civic club is looking for endorsement, letters, funds, and ideas in an effort to conserve the property, which includes the 1937 house built by Wright Morrow, counsel to Jesse Jones.

"Aside from the historical context of the home, the property has significant natural beauty and architectural merit," according to a letter written by R Michael Lee of the South MacGregor Civic Club.

The property includes an old oxbow of Braes Bayou and significant stands of 100-year-old trees, Lee said. Also, the property is accessible by existing, as well as proposed, bike and walking trails.

The civic club is asking that UTMB postpone the sale date, so that they may have time to develop and propose a workable plan for the property.

"We are not at this time seeking binding commitments for anything, only expressions of the significance of this property to the community and the recognition that, once gone, this property is never coming back," said Lee.

For more information on the property, contact Lee at (713) 792-5582.

ROADLESS RULE COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED TO NOV 15
by Sarah Morgan

The Forest Service has extended the comment period on the Bush administration's proposed changes to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule to Nov 15.

The Bush administration proposal would replace the Clinton administration's rules, which protect more than 58 million acres of the national forest, including 4,000 acres of the Sam Houston National Forest in Texas, from logging, drilling, and development.

Under the new Bush proposal, federal protection for these lands would be repealed, requiring that state governors petition for protection of individual areas in their states, should they so choose, leaving it up to the governor whether to seek greater or fewer protections.

The rule, which Clinton signed on his way out of office in 2001, covers the last third of America's national forests across 39 states, protecting wildlife and the clean drinking water that these lands provide for more than 60 million Americans, according to the Heritage Forest Campaign, an alliance of conservation advocates.

For more information or to comment on the proposal, visit http://www.ourforests.org.

SMART GROWTH MEETING: PEAK OIL AND URBAN FORM

Many in and out of the energy business believe global oil production will peak soon - if it hasn't already - and that sharply rising demand for energy will at least produce a world in which energy is no longer cheap. The next Smart Growth meeting on Nov 17 will address what the effects of more costly energy are, as related to urban form. The meeting is from noon to 1:30 pm at the Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, second floor; attendees welcome to bring their own lunches. For more information, call (713) 523-5755.

BLUEPRINT HOUSTON LEADERS' CONFERENCE

This year's Blueprint Houston Leaders' Conference will address the best approaches to planning Houston's future on Nov 20, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, at the George R Brown Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E. The 2003 Citizens' Congress identified goals for Houston's future, and this year's conference will seek out ways to make that vision a reality. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail:
hsweetnam@blueprinthouston.org.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION FELLOWSHIPS

The National Wildlife Federation is now accepting applications for 2005 fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in improving the environment. Fellows receive a modest grant, project support, recognition of their accomplishments, and other benefits. They assist with the research, design, and implementation of projects to help reduce consumption and pollution, restore habitat, and other environmentally helpful initiatives. Fellows also attend NWF's annual meeting in March 2005 in Washington, DC.

Fellowship grants will be awarded in the following areas: Campus greening, civic engagement and research projects addressing global warming, water policy, Native American and Alaska Native communities, volunteerism, and greenspace protection. Application deadline is December 15, 2004. To learn more about the fellowships, go to http://www.nwf.org.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2005 NATIONAL WETLANDS AWARDS

Nomination forms for the 2005 National Wetlands Awards Program are now available. The Environmental Law Institute in Washington, DC, has presented the National Wetlands Awards since 1989, recognizing individuals from across the country who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence at regional, state, or local levels. The Institute makes awards in six categories: Education and Outreach; Science Research; Conservation and Restoration; Landowner Stewardship; State, Tribal and Local Program Development; and Wetland Community Leader. Organizations and federal employees are not eligible.

The deadline for submitting nominations is Dec 15. For a copy of the 2005 National Wetlands Awards nomination form, visit:
http://www.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm.

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