TAMU: New AgriLife Extension native grassland monitoring/management publication announced

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a new publication available to help landowners monitor and manage the health of their native rangeland, said the author.

(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

The publication, Native Grassland Monitoring and Management, targets landowners within the Trinity River Basin and similar areas, said Blake Alldredge, AgriLife Extension associate with Texas A&M University’s wildlife and fisheries department at College Station.

He said the publication describes in detail several range monitoring and management techniques. It is now available as publication WF-001on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore website at http://agrilifebookstore.org . Alldredge noted that the monitoring and management information offered is applicable across the state.

“Monitoring the ecological site condition or health of the land is necessary for landowners to evaluate how past land management decisions are affecting the plant, soil and water resources of the landscape,” Alldredge said. “Monitoring specifically examines the plant species present and how much area they cover. Being able to see how range conditions change over time, which is also known as range trend, will allow land managers to make the best management decisions as conditions change.”

The monitoring techniques covered in the publication will be of particular help to wildlife managers and livestock producers to help them determine what management activities are needed to reverse negative range trends, he said.

The monitoring techniques covered in the publication include photo points, grazing exclosures, nest and cover surveys, grass stubble height surveys and forage clipping surveys. Management techniques covered include chemical and mechanical treatments, prescribed burning, disking, shredding and grazing.

“The main goal of the publication is to connect land monitoring and management techniques with proper watershed protection, because they are one and the same,” Alldredge said. “Well-managed native grasslands and tame pastures are important to watershed protection as they increase the water storage capacity of the soil, reduce erosion, promote groundwater recharge and provide more efficient nutrient absorption. Landowners also benefit from increased forage production and quality wildlife habitat.”

Alldredge said his bottomline hope is that the publication will aid the watershed enhancement efforts of AgriLife Extension, Trinity Waters and other groups seeking to improve the wildlife and water quality resources in the Trinity River basin.

The publication was produced through the Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation Initiative of the Trinity River basin project. The project is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute. Through this initiative, Alldredge said AgriLife Extension has partnered with Trinity Waters, a landowner organization based in the Trinity River basin, to produce educational materials related to water and wildlife conservation for landowners.

For more information, contact Alldredge at balldredge@tamu.edu.

List: environmental and nature-related books of note

Here's a listing of environmental and nature-related books that reflects the history of this form of journalism. One of my professors at UNT, Randy Lee Loftis (science, health and environmental reporter for the Dallas Morning News), provided his insights on these books – along with select readings – during our last class meeting the fall 2012. It was inspirational, to say the least.
Enjoy!
• Gilbert White, The Natural History of Selbourne, 1788
• William Bartram, Travels, 1791
• John Filson, The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke, 1784
• Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto VIII, 1822
• Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851
• Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, 1859
• Henry DAvid Thoreau, The Maine Woods, 1864
• John Wesley Powell, The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons, 1874
• Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Windhover, 1877
• John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, 1939
• Rachel Carson, Under the Sea-Wind, 1941
• Marjory Stoneman Douglas, The Everglades: River of Grass, 1947
• Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949
• Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
• Anonymous Cherokee legend, "Earth Making," told in 1974
• Barry Holstun Lopez, Of Wolves and Men, 1978
• Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard, 1978
• Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert, 1986
• Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life, 1992
• David Quammen, The Song of the Dodo, 1996
• Ricardo Rozzi, Multi-ethnic Bird Guide of the Austral Temperate Forests of South America, 2003
• Peter Matthiessen, Shadow Country, 2008
• Richard Louv, The Nature Principle, 2012

TCEQ staff to study biosolids issue; report back to commission in five months

The state of Texas will be taking a good look at the land application of biosolids over the next five months. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality commissioners met Tuesday on a proposed rule change. Rather than move only that specific change forward, the staff was directed to gather stakeholder input from across the state and come back with a proposal that can address odor and nuisance complaints while also keeping the material out of the landfills.
Depending on the TCEQ staff findings, the end result could range between a rule change, increased enforcement of what is already in place, different policies, etc. As urbanization into rural areas continues, this is a conversation/dialogue that need to occur. There are a range of stakeholders the TCEQ wants to talk with, including those affected by the practice, the municipalities that have waste to be removed, the distributors that spread it, the farmers who use it for fertilizer.
Public meetings (TBA) will be held as part of the process for gathering information and comments.
To view the webcast of Tuesday's meeting in Austin, visit online at http://www.texasadmin.com/agenda.php?confid=TCEQ_OM061813&dir=tnrcc. Click on Agenda Item No. 30.

Study: River Legacy Parks bobcats co-existing with nearby residential areas

Dr. Richard Ashley discussed a yearlong study on bobcats living in the city of Arlington’s River Legacy Parks during last month’s meeting of the Indian Trail chapter of Master Naturalists at Red Oak Library. The funded study involved the placement of GPS-tracking collars on five bobcats.
He noted that the taxidermied bobcat in a case he brought with him was not one of the felines studied in his research but was a display used for educational purposes.
His appreciation for the felines was evident: “I’m not the guy to talk to if you want to get rid of bobcats.”
As carnivores, the animals have a necessary spot in the ecosystem, Ashley said, noting that their prey includes cottontail rabbits, squirrels and rats. The study took a look at the cats’ habits in and about their habitat in the 1,300-acre River Legacy Parks, which is located around former biosolids drying beds at the Village Creek wastewater treatment facility.
The study showed that the bobcats preferred heavily wooded areas, which they use as corridors. There is little down time for the animals, which are almost constantly on the move. Each animal’s territory consists of about 45 square miles and includes residential areas, Ashley said.
“There are a lot of caring, sensitive people in this area,” he said of the cats’ seemingly quiet co-existence with the neighborhoods. “There’s not much known about bobcats and not a lot of research, especially on urban bobcats. The bobcats appear as residential as raccoons.”
The study also found that the females tended to be solitary, with little overlap to their ranges. Males, however, moved across the females’ areas. The GPS data plotted the cats’ locations every 45 minutes over a five-week period, at which time an electronic signal was sent to the collars to drop off of the animals.
Ashley, who teaches online classes for Fort Worth Christian High School, says a university has approached him about conducting another study on the River Legacy Parks bobcats. This one also would involve GPS collars and the tracking of a larger number of the felines.

Article on biosolids published in the Waxahachie Daily Light

My graduate project on the use of biosolids in Ellis County, Texas, has resulted in a website www.musinggreen.com, this blog and a Facebook page (Musing Green). Thursday also saw the Waxahachie Daily Light's publication of my lead piece as well as related articles on the Texas Master Naturalist and Texas Stream Team programs. Here's the link to the main article: http://tinyurl.com/m28v95j.
This Tuesday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hear a petition request that would restrict the use of biosolids as a land application in Ellis County. The proposed rule change would disallow the spreading of the product within three miles of a city limit. It's agenda item No. 30 so will likely be heard in the afternoon in Austin. My understanding is that Ellis County residents unhappy with the practice will be on hand for the presentation.
Here's a link to the petition that seeks to address complaints of residents near Midlothian: http://tinyurl.com/n3qgh38.

Here's the CEJ's recommended reading list

The Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder has a wonderful recommended reading list posted on its website. It's an extensive list, so you might want to start sooner rather than later!

TCEQ press release: Take Care of Texas campaign

In a shared announcement June 4, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unveiled a statewide public service campaign to promote outdoor recreation and encourage personal responsibility in protecting our state’s natural resources.
Country music star Kevin Fowler donated his talents for radio and TV spots, including writing and performing the campaign’s jingle, “Take Care of Texas,” which will be broadcast on Texas radio and TV stations throughout the summer.
“Kevin’s jingle is not only a catchy song, but it’s also a very noteworthy message,” says TCEQ Executive Director Zak Covar.  “Through this statewide campaign, we hope that everyone who enjoys the abundant outdoor recreation opportunities here will do their part to conserve and protect those natural resources.”
“With the punishing drought our state has suffered in recent years, most people know how important it is to conserve water, and public education efforts like Take Care of Texas are absolutely vital to help get the job done,” said Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director. “In poll after poll, Texans have consistently ranked  water resources near the very top of public priorities. It’s important for people in cities, and it’s important for fish and wildlife, state parks and natural habitats—everything is connected, and we all have a role to play. Take Care of Texas provides quick and easy practical guidance for people to do what they already know is right.”
The PSA, as well as a video about the making of the announcement, is available on the Take Care of Texas website.  The website offers Texans easy ways to conserve water and energy, and includes an online calculator to estimate how much household water, energy, and money they can save by taking these conservation measures in their own home and garden.  Everyone who takes the online pledge to help keep Texas clean will receive a free Texas State Park Guide in appreciation for their efforts.

Texas Master Naturalists in Ellis County, Texas

The Texas Master Naturalist program is one way people can become more knowledgeable and involved in the ecology around them. After completing the program, they can then serve as volunteers to impart education and information to the public.
“Texas can’t afford to hire people to do what we do,” says Eileen Berger, president of the Indian Trail chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists, which includes Ellis and Navarro counties. “Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners are valued at $21 an hour for their volunteer work.”
To become a Texas Master Naturalist, members go through 40 hours of classroom training in which they learn, among other topics, about plants, reptiles, amphibians, weather/climate, fish, insects, birds, archeology, forestry, rangeland and prairies. In particular, they learn about the flora and fauna indigenous to their area.
After finishing the coursework, participants are expected to put in 40 hours of volunteer work and complete an additional eight hours of advanced training before receiving the title of Texas Master Naturalist.
The Indian Trail chapter has established volunteer partnerships with several entities, including the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center in Seagoville and the Texas Wildlife Association.
“We partner with a lot of groups,” Berger says, noting that continued volunteering and training are required to maintain status as a Texas Master Naturalist.
Observing nature and understanding what one is seeing is important, Berger says.
“Birds are a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem. It’s easy to observe them. With wetland birds and the animals that live in the water everything is connected. You can’t pull one piece out and it not affect the system. Birds tell you stuff. You don’t have to even test the water.”

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The Indian Trail chapter meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday each month at Red Oak Library. Visitors are welcome.
The Texas Master Naturalist program is sponsored by two state agencies: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas AgriLife, with the latter also overseeing the Master Gardeners and Master AgriLife programs.