Coalition Formed
Several local organizations have formed a coalition to facilitate an Urban Ecological Analysis Study in the Houston region. The U.S. Forest Service has agreed to provide $75,000 and the coalition has agreed to raise another $25,000 to fund the survey and analysis associated with the study. Survey data will be integrated into the Cool and Green software program of American Forests to develop a profile of the Houston region’s vegetative cover.

The program will determine the value in three areas of the Houston region’s urban forest and the economic benefits, of increasing our canopy cover. The three areas are energy, stormwater runoff, and air pollution.

The coalition elected TreeScape as the point organization, and Shelly Gardner of TreeScape to chair the coalition. Tina Davies, Houston Area Research Center, was elected secretary and Glenda Barrett, the Park People, Anita BROWN, Scenic Houston, and Kathy Lord, Trees for Houston, were elected as co-chairs of the development committee. Mickey Merritt, Texas Forest Service, was elected to chair the membership committee.

Coalition members are, the Bayou Preservation Association, the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston Area Research Center, Galveston/Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP), the Gulf Coast Institute, City of Houston, Texas Forest Service, Trees for Houston, the Park People, Scenic Houston, and the Houston Urban Forestry Council.

If you are interested in joining the coalition, contact Mickey Merritt with the Texas Forest Service at 281-477-6126.

Eco Notes

Extinction
Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson estimates a loss of 10,000 species a year, “the vast majority of species on earth today will be gone by the next millennium,” reports a 12/5 article in the NY Times Magazine. According to Wilson, by the year 3000, the “radical, systematic transformation of the world’s ecosystems” would see the end of the prairie dog, pollock, mahogany, African black rhinoceros, African wild dog, helmet vanga, and Hawaiian coot among others.

Fuel Economy Guide
On October 1, 1999, the EPA announced the 25th annual miles per gallon (MPG) rankings. “Choosing the most fuel-efficient vehicle within a class can save drivers at least $1,500 in fuel costs and avoid more than 15 tons of greenhouse pollution over the life of the vehicle as well as help reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil,” said EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner. In a joint effort between the EPA and the Department of Energy, the federal government is for the first time this year making fuel economy information available on an easy-to-use web site. Consumers can find the MPG of any model 2000 car and compare vehicles side-by-side to determine the most fuel efficient in its class. There is also a section dedicated to innovative technologies and their impact on fuel economy.

For additional information, visit the EPA’s Office of Mobile Sources web site at http://www.epa.gov/oms/.

Sea Turtle Deaths
The Sea Turtle Rescue Project issued a report on 11/16 stating that the deaths of endangered and threatened loggerhead sea turtles “soared to a 20-year high along the Texas coast.” Deaths of all species of sea turtle in Texas (410) have surpassed last year and are “strongly correlated with shrimp fishing,” failure of state enforcement programs, and lack of marine reserves protecting critical sea turtle habitat.