SANDIA  WETLANDS  RESTORATION  PROJECT  DESCRIPTION  (DRAFT  7/27/11)  

Balmorhea,  Texas  Tierra  Grande  Chapter  of  the  Texas  Master  Naturalists,  

Landowners  Ellen  and  Don  Weinacht,  Project  Coordinator  David  Hedges,  Project  Document  Madge  Lindsay    

 

 

 

Table  of  Contents  Statement  of  Purpose    Background  Summary    Wetland  Site  Tract  (Figure  1)    Recent  Updates    Development  Areas  &  Work    

1. Communications  &  Website  Construction  (Team  1)  2. Water  (Team  2)  3. Vegetation  Management  Group  (Team  3)  4. Development  &  Maintenance  of  Facilities  (Team  4)  5. Legal  (Team  5)  6. Biological  Monitoring  (Team  6)  

 Committee  Teams/Assignments  &  Meetings    Project  Schedule  -­‐  Milestones  and  Work  Schedules    Project  Volunteer  Hours,  Manpower,  Donations  and  Support    Project  Costs,  Accounting  and  Funding    Press  Releases            

 

STATEMENT  OF  PURPOSE  (or  Mission  Statement)    Demonstrate  through  the  regeneration  of  private  resources  the  ability  to  create  and  enhance  habitat  for  the  benefit  of  wildlife.  

 

BACKGROUND  SUMMARY    The  Sandia  Wetlands  project  was  inspired  by  the  hundreds  if  not  thousands  of  waterfowl  and  other  birds  including  the  Sandhill  Crane  that  are  visible  in  the  fall  at  New  Mexico’s  premier  wildlife  watching  sites  Bosque  del  Apache  and  Bitter  Lake  National  Wildlife  Refuge(s).      Located  on  Reeves  County  Road  313  (at  the  intersection  of  Interstate  Highway  I-­‐10  and  Texas  Highway  17)  in  Balmorhea,  Texas,  the  Sandia  Wetlands  Project  came  to  life  after  a  group  of  Texas  Master  Naturalists  including  the  landowner  traveled  to  Bosque  del  Apache  and  Bitter  Lake  NWR  in  New  Mexico.        After  seeing  this  wildlife  spectacle  and  preserve(s),  landowners  Ellen  and  Don  Weinacht  of  Balmorhea,  TX  decided  that  they  had  both  water  and  land  currently  not  used  for  ranching  that  could  be  used  as  a  place  for  restoring  some  of  the  wetlands  long  lost  from  the  original  Sandia  Springs  (located  off  Texas  Highway  17).    Sandia  Spring’s  headwaters  is  currently  owned  by  the  Nature  Conservancy  of  Texas.    Wetlands  once  emanating  from  it  have  been  drained  over  the  years  for  agricultural  use.    Dave  Hedges,  resident  of  Fort  Davis,  Madge  Lindsay  and  Van  Robinson  supported  the  landowners  in  their  decision  by  offering  their  help  to  launch  the  project.    Hedges  with  his  birding  experience  and  knowledge  of  shorebirds  set  about  to  help  the  landowners  proceed  with  the  work.    This  included  scheduling  land  surveys,  dozer  work,  and  procuring  water  control  structures  to  begin  filling  the  wetlands  from  the  Reeves  County  Water  District  irrigation  canals  that  run  on  Weinacht  lands.    Unit  #  1  was  filled  when  its  dozer  work  was  completed  May,  2011.    Unit  #  2  (both  shown  on  the  site  map  included)  was  filled  on  June  10th,  2011.    Water  for  the  project  comes  mainly  from  Sandia  Springs  and  as  needed  from  Balmorhea  Lake,  where  the  Weinacht’s  own  water  rights.      At  the  annual  meeting  of  Tierra  Grande  Texas  Master  Naturalists  on  June  11th  the  members  adopted  the  Sandia  Wetlands  as  a  local  conservation  project.    They  agreed  to  assist  as  volunteers  in  its  restoration  and  help  with  development  and  maintenance  to  make  this  a  functioning  conservation  site  and  potentially  a  public  wildlife-­‐viewing  site.    This  document  is  a  draft  of  the  planned  work  with  the  landowner  who  is  taking  responsibility  for  the  project’s  funding.    

 

SITE  LAYOUT    

   

 

Recent  Updates  (Since  6/14/11)  -­‐-­‐-­‐All  Committees  have  met  and  many  new  developments  have  taken  place  at  the  project.          1. New  water  control  structures  in  place  in  the  Wetlands  and  all  wetlands  sites  have  been  disked  with  a  tractor  to  take  out  weeds  and  set  up  better  bed  for  shorebird  invertebrates.  

2. Noxious  vegetation  at  the  project  site  has  received  herbicide  to  for  weed  control.    

3. Nature  Conservancy  partnership  press  release  sent  and  picked  up  by  local  papers.    

4. In  a  meeting  in  June,  2011  Nature  Conservancy  of  Texas  agreed  to  enter  into  the  project  as  a  partner  providing  technical  guidance  for  the  wetlands  project.      

5. Don  and  Ellen  Weinacht  are  entering  into  a  lease  with  Nature  Conservancy  for  water  from  the  Sandia  Springs  preserve.  

6. Water  measuring  devices  installed  at  wetlands.  7. A  new  wetlands  unit  was  constructed  at  the  project  in  June,  making  it  three  units  instead  of  two.  

8. Website  is  up  go  to  http://sandiasprings.wordpress.com/BSP  Biological  Checklists  sent  to  Website  (Mary  Lou  Saxon).      

9. Trees  have  been  planted  on  site  at  the  project.      Shorebird  Migration  has  begun.    Bird  sightings  from  Dave  Hedges  thus  far  include:    

7/26/11    Phalarope 2 Bairds Sandpiper 2 Semi-palmated Sandpiper 1 Solitary Sandpiper 1 7/24/11 Bairds Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpipers Yellow-headed Blackbirds (about 50) (Not a shorebird, but loved by birdwatchers)

 

(TEAM  1)    COMMUNICATIONS  &  WEBSITE  CONSTRUCTION       Create  a  Link  on  TMN  Blog  Site  

Ability  to  post  observations  and  photos  concerning               Vegetation           Water           Bird  Sightings           Other  biodiversity                                

(TEAM  1)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:     Mary  Lou  Saxon  CO-­‐CHAIR:       Barbara  Novovitch    COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:  Name           E-­‐Mail         Phone  No.  Mary Lou Saxon msaxon@sbcglobal.net 214 634 2286 Barbara Novovitch bbnovo@gmail.com 432 386 4102 Beth Nobles texasmountaintrail@gmail.com 432 234 0002 Tex Toler textoler@gmail.com 512 658 8839 432 729 4772 Anne Adkins anne@adkins.com 432 426 3961 anne@marfapublic radio.org 432 729 4578 Pete Szilagy peteattexasmountains.com 249-0541  Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting  First meeting is to be held at Marfa Public Radio 3pm on June 18, 2011. Hello, We just this minute broke from our Website committee meeting. We made some important decisions. We are going to create a Google Group for inter committee information and updates, Every committee chairperson can submit documents (postings/updates/photos) to it, and it is accessible to our group members only (who join the site). And then there will be a website for more general information and photos. Tex is in charge of the Google Group site and I am in charge of the website , with the help and support of the other website committee members. We need everyone to know that all information needs to be backed up and our group is not responsible for document storage. People need to keep copies of all their photos docs etc... We will pass on log in information to all committee chairmen and officers of Tierra Grande at a later date. Our next meeting will be after the TG event on July 29 but we will be in touch by email. Mary Lou    

 

(TEAM  2)    WATER       Investigate  and  locate  current  information  on         Sandia  Springs  Output       Water  Available  for  Wetland  Project       Understand  Saturation  of  Soil       Understand  Water  Evaporation  Rates       Schedule  Water  Releases            (TEAM  2)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:    Melanie  Stewart  Pace  CO-­‐CHAIR:      COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:    Name       E-­‐Mail           Phone  No.      Melanie  S.  Pace   melanie.pace@mrpacecpa.com  Jill  Goodwin   rinconda@satx.rr.com  Kate  McKenna     bigsky@texasmountains.com  Joan  Osper     joanoesper@me.com    Madge  Lindsay   madgelindsay@me.com       432-­‐426-­‐2339          Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting    Next  Meeting  is  Thurs.  evening  7  p.m.  June  16th  at  Melanie  Pace’s  Home  102  Clearview  Drive,  Fort  Davis,  TX    (Limpia  Crossing  1st  street  to  the  right,  after  entering  the  community  passed  the  mailboxes.  )    

 

WATER COMMITTEE MONITORING REPORT, JUNE 20, 2011, 8:30 A.M. By: Observers, Melanie Pace and Madge Lindsay We were at the site at 8:30 a.m. and observed the following: CANAL FLOW: APPROX. 60 gals. per minute WATER LEVELS: Unit #1 = 6" of water (60% water coverage with soils from dried mud to moist soils to wet marsh, to a 6" pool) Unit #2 = 4.8" of water in the pool (20% water coverage with mostly dried mud, moist and wet soils to a small pool with less than 5" of water) EVAPORATION RATES: HIGH---Estimated to be about 50% (temperature highs the past two weeks have been over 100 degrees up to 108 degrees; W/Moderate winds RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON OBSERVATIONS: Top Priority-----NEEDS MORE WATER OBSERVATIONS OF: Vegetation:Mesquite needs control, lots coming back after water recedes Cottonwood Tree (1) may be dying, others look healthy Maintenance: Water Measurement gauges are good but hard to read with binoculars from the perimeter and road, Melanie checking into this. Birds; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (1) Mexican Duck (1) Killdeer (2) Swallows (? barn or cliff) (6) Scaled Quail (2) Lesser Night Hawk (1) Meadow Larks (2) Say's Phoebe (2) Mourning Doves (2) Sparrow (sp.) (5) Butterflys: Spicebush Swallowtail (1) Dragonflys Species (?) (5)

 

Report on Evaporation Rates by Joan Oesper, Team 2/WATER • I have contacted the Texas Parks and Wildlife office here in Alpine, who were

not much help on migration timings. I will next look at possible resources at Sul Ross, and also contact Mark Lockwood, who is at Davis Mountains state park.

• As for evaporation rates, the USDA office was a little more helpful. The Texas

Water Development Board has data on evaporation from Balmorhea Lake from 1954 to the present. The annual surface evaporation in inches during that period ranges from a low of 51.31 in 1990 to a high of 93.09 in 1994. This may be what we use for a first approximation, but I think the evaporation rate on our shallowly covered acreage will be somewhat higher than that from a lake. Evaporation rate depends on the temperature of the water, the temperature of the air, the area of air-water surface, the humidity, and the airflow past the air-water surface. The USDA people were not terribly knowledgeable about evaporation, but I will look for resources at Sul Ross on this as well.

• The TWDB web site also has detailed information on monthly evaporation rates

from Balmorhea Lake, with the winter months having a relatively low evaporation rate of about 2-3 inches/month, and evaporation in May, June, July, and August at a much higher rate of 6-11 inches/month.

• Measurement of an acre foot: an acre foot is the volume of water that will cover one acre of land to the depth of one foot, equal to 43,560 cubic feet of water. (There are 43,560 square feet in one acre.) An acre foot is equal to 325,851 gallons of water. Thus, one inch of water on one acre would be 27,154 gallons. One cubic foot contains 7.480 gallons of water.

The following are some useful websites I found: • http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/ Texas Water Development Board website • http://www.regionfwater.org/files/regionf/Final/Final%202011%20Plan/Chapter

%201c.pdf This is a survey of springs in the Balmorhea area and where the spring water comes from. Dated 2010

• http://midgewater.twdb.state.tx.us/Evaporation/evap.html Evaporation/Precipitation data. The quadrangle we are interested in is # 604.

• http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/GroundWaterReports/Open-File/Open-File97-03.pdf A TWDP report, Evaluation of Diminished Spring Flows in The Toyah Creek Valley, Texas. Dated 1997

   

 

Water Committee Report on Bird Migration Timing and Water Levels I have some information about migration times from Mark Lockwood of Davis Mountains State Park. (We exchanged phone messages back and forth, but I was not able to talk to him directly.) He said that migratory birds are present in the trans-Pecos area during most of the year, except a period from about June 10 to July 15. So 11 months of the year there is a migratory bird presence. The first shorebirds begin their migration during the last part of July. The heaviest period of duck migration is Oct-Nov., and many of them stay throughout the winter. The last of the spring migrating shorebirds leave the area by early June. I believe it is also important to maintain some water in the wetland to maintain a food source for the birds, so even during the times of low migratory bird numbers, the wetland nature should be maintained. We can't flood the acres a few weeks ahead of their arrival and expect a ready food source to be present right away. I will look up further migration timings of individual species, such as sandhill cranes, etc., but will not have time for this until after July 11. We are taking a vacation to California during the next 1 1/2 weeks. (My daughter, who we are going to visit there, may have some helpful information. She did an internship at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin last year.) I also anticipate that I will need to go to Wisconsin sometime soon, because my brother-in-law is seriously ill with cancer and is not expected to live long. Sorry about these delays, but I will try to do what I can when we are in town. Joan Oesper

 

(TEAM  3)    VEGETATION  MANAGEMENT  GROUP       Investigate  and  recommend:         Control  Methods       Mechanical  vs.  Chemical  Control       Cost  Comparison       When  to  Activate  and  Schedule  Work          (TEAM  3)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:    Felicia  Brailas  CO-­‐CHAIR:    Mary  Malmgren    COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:  Name       Phone         E-­‐Mail      Anne Marler..........432-294-2943..........mamarler@att.net Carol Edwards.......432-426-2314..........bbbirder@sbcglobal.net Felicia Brailas........432-426-2066..........fbrailas@fdisd.com Mary Fenton..........432-426-3817..........mary.fenton@ttuhsc.edu Mary Malmgren......432-837-9637..........mary.malmgren@gmail.com Susan Penney........432-426-2326..........4redpenney@gmail.com  Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting    Reminders: Our next scheduled meeting is Friday, June 17 @ 1pm at Carol Edwards' home in Fort Davis and Our team's first priorities are: 1) where to plant cottonwoods trees (within the next week) 2) cleaning water channel of sedge, etc

 

TEXAS  MASTER  NATURALIST  VEGETATION  COMMITTEE  REPORT:  JUNE  30,  2011    This  report  will  focus  on  the  part  of  the  discussion  regarding  a  plan  to  control  unwanted  plant  species  and  promote  plant  species  that  would  contribute  to  the  Sandia  Wetlands  goals  of  attracting  and  supporting  wildlife.        Jason  Wrinkle  discussed  the  following  issues  based  on  his  observation  of  the  plant  life  in  the  Sandia  Wetlands  project.    

• The  Bermuda  grass  in  the  current  area  is  not  well  established  and  should  be  removed  as  soon  as  possible  as  it  will  be  more  difficult  to  eliminate  once  it  is  well  established.    Bermuda  grass  will  continue  to  grow  even  under  water.  Recommendation  was  to  divert  the  water  and  drain  the  wetland  areas  as  soon  as  possible  and  apply  Rodeo  at  the  maximum  strength  and  spray  as  soon  as  possible,  hopefully  within  the  next  two  weeks.  Jason  explained  that  it  is  the  most  used  and  safest  aquatic  herbicide  for  such  use.  See  attached  Rodeo  label  to  answer  any  questions  regarding  environmental  impact.    

• The  decision  was  made  to  cancel  the  TMN  work  day  on  July  9th  due  to  the  mosquitoes  and  to  ask  for  volunteers  from  the  maintenance  and  vegetation  committees  to  help  with  the  spraying  of  the  Bermuda  grass  on  the  9th.      

• The  mesquite  is  wide  spread  and  should  also  be  removed.    However  it  is  low  growing  and  does  not  have  enough  growth  to  spray  so  the  suggestion  was  made  to  wait  until  next  spring  as  at  least  4  feet  of  growth  is  needed  to  be  effective.  Recommendation  was  to  look  for  first  buds  on  the  mesquite  and  spray  60  days  after  bud  break;  use  a  combination  of  Remedy  and  Reclaim  and  spray  on  leaves.  The  mixture  is  1%  Remedy  +  1%  Reclaim  mixed  in  water.    The  mesquite  tree  recognizes  the  spray  as  a  carbohydrate  and  stores  it  later  in  the  root  crown.  It  is  at  this  time  when  the  herbicide  begins  to  kill  the  root  crown  of  the  mesquite.      

• Recommendations  for  adding  plants  included:  Pecos  sunflower  (a  rare  native  sunflower,  in  Texas  found  only  at  Sandia  Springs  and  Diamond  Y  Spring;  we  will  need  to  get  permission  to  gather  seed  from  US  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  since  it  is  an  endangered  plant;  Black  Willow  to  serve  as  a  wind  break  to  decrease  evaporation;  Desert  Willow,  and  Cotton  Woods;  It  was  further  discussed  that  all  these  trees  will  use  more  water  to  become  established  but  will  eventually  become  more  efficient  users  of  water  such  as  the  large  cotton  woods  lining  the  irrigation  ditches  in  the  area.    All  of  these  trees  will  use  more  water  during  the  early  stages  of  life.    However  these  native  trees  are  simply  part  of  the  native  system.  

 REPORT  OF  SANDIA  WETLANDS  PROJECT  MEETING  WITH  NATURE  CONSERVANCY  REPRESENTATIVES      The  Nature  Conservancy     Jason  Wrinkle  –  Desert  Program  Manager     Dan  Snodgrass  –  Associate  Director  of  Conservation  Lands  Texas  Master  Naturalists                            Ellen  Weinacht                              Madge  Lindsay                            Dave  Hedges                            Mary  Fenton                              Randy  Ersch      Land  Owner                            Don  Weinacht  

 

(TEAM  4)    DEVELOPMENT  AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  PROJECT       Investigate  and  Recommend:         Coordinate  changes  and  repairs       Design  &  install  better  water  gates       Monitor  &  maintain  dikes  &  berms       Monitor  mechanical  removal  of  vegetation       Plan  and  enhance  public  access       Signs      (TEAM  4)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:    Bill  Broyles  CO-­‐CHAIR:    COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:    Name       E-­‐Mail         Phone  No.      David  Hedges                                  hdhedges@gmail.com                              432    426-­‐2237  David  Mainz                                        dlmainz@sbcglobal.net                          432    837-­‐9533  Bill  Broyles                                          billb@bigbend.net                                          432    364-­‐2270    Becky  Hart                                            beckyhart19@gmail.com                      432    837-­‐7297    Trish  Olvera                                        smilingo@sbcglobal.net                        432    386-­‐6386    Michael  McCollum                  ringtailrecords@sbcglobal.net          432    426-­‐2497      Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting    A  meeting  is  planned  for  June  19th  at  1:00  pm  at  Dave  Mainz's  house.    The maintenance committee is meeting now and appreciates the update. Our most immediate project will be to build gates to control the water. Also planning to meet July the 9th at 8am at the project and all comers are invited. We will be planning to install the first gate and do mesquite control…. Come get your feet wet. Maintenance committee.

 

Report  to  Water  Committee  from  David  Hedges  on  June  17,  2011    Water  measurements  stakes  installed  at  Sandia  Project  (painted  yellow  w/black  markings)    On  June  17,  2011    After  installation  of  stakes    Water  Measurements  in  Pool  #  1  =  4.5  inches  (Pole  installed  10”  in  Mud  at  #  Zero)    Water  Measurements  in  Pool  #  2  =  6.0    inches  (Pole  installed  in  6  inches  deep)  (nearest  to  the  road)    (Each  knotch  is  an  inch)    Hatch  marks  on  the  stakes    (#’s  at  6  and  12)  and  (#1  to  16)      

 

(TEAM  5)    LEGAL    Define  the  most  efficient  organizational  structure  to  address  the  following:       Texas  Master  Naturalists/Tierra  Grande/landowner       relationships     Site  Responsibility  &  structure  holding  accountability,  etc.     Limits  of  Liability     Public  Access     Potential  Grants  (?)                (TEAM  5)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:    Robert  Steele  CO-­‐CHAIR:    COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:    Name       E-­‐Mail           Phone  No.      Steve  Bickerstaff   SBickerstaff@law.utexas.edu  Mimi  Smith     smithmimi.smith02@gmail.com  John  Pace     johnpace@mrpacecpa.com  Madge  Lindsay   madgelindsay@me.com       432-­‐426-­‐2339  Robert  Steele   r_e_steele@msn.com          Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting    The  group  will  meet  in  two  weeks  (June  25th,  SAT)  12  noon  at  the  stone  village  market  in  Ft  Davis.  

 

Date:    June  22,  2011    From:   Bob  Steele    To:     Steve  Bickerstaff     John  Pace     Mimi  Smith     Madge  Lindsay    RE:       Sandia  Spring  Wetland    I  have  given  some  thought  to  the  project,  and  my  ideas  and  suggestions  follow:    

• Tierra  Grande  can  act  as  an  advisor.    John  researched  this  and  identified  this  as  a  permissible  project.  

o Based  upon  John’s  comments,  it  appears  that  there  is  no  reason  for  Tierra  Grande  to  enter  into  any  lease,  nor  does  it  have  the  capacity  to  do  so.  

o Advice  on  the  project  is  limited  solely  to  the  plants,  wildlife,  and  water.    No  legal  advice  can  be  given  to  others,i.e.,  to  the  owner.  

• There  is  an  element  of  self  interest  here.    I  suggest  that  the  Board  of  Directors  consider  this  and  make  a  formal  finding  that  adequate  disclosure  has  been  made.    This  is  especially  important  since  Ellen  is  president  of  chapter.    The  Chapter’s  charter  and  bylaws  make  reference  to  a  code  of  conduct  and  ethics.    I  have  been  unable  to  locate.  

• Liability  issues  really  fall  upon  the  owner  (Ellen).    I  suggest  that  some  type  of  memorandum  of  understanding  be  signed  by  Tierra  Grande  and  owner.  

• Any  signage  giving  attribution  to  Tierra  Grande  should  be  clear  that  Tierra  Grande  is  an  advisor  on  wildlife  and  plants  only.    Control  remains  solely  with  landowner.  

Any  other  thoughts  are  welcome.    I  apologize  for  being  unable  to  attend  this  Saturday.      

 

Report  from  John  Pace,  Legal  Committee    Outlined below is some food for thought. The Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalist program is a chapter under the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks & Wildlife umbrella. In other words it looks as though Tierra Grande is a 501(c)(3) as an extension (integrated auxiliary) of these two governmental agencies and not a standalone 501(c)(3) entity or covered under a group 501(c)(3) exemption. There is a required set of bylaws (attached), a Chapter Operating Handbook (attached) and a Chapter Management Guidelines (attached). In the Chapter Management Guidelines there is a list of acceptable and unacceptable projects for volunteers. One of those projects criteria is as follows. Conducting wildlife management – Bad or unacceptable activities on your own land Conducting wildlife management - Better practices/activities on public land Teaching/assisting landowners to - Best develop their own wildlife management plans that the landowner would carry out The project in Balmorhea would seem to fit the last category but implies that ownership and control of the project would be the landowners and not the Chapter’s, which seem to preclude a lease by the Chapter unless permission was obtained from the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks & Wildlife oversight organizations. The first category (conducting wildlife management activities on your own land) is probably linked to the prohibition in the Bylaws and in the federal law for nonprofits that a no member can obtain a private benefit by being a member of the organization. The Comptroller’s office regards the chapter as an exempt entity and it is in good standing. David Mainz is listed as the registered agent. John John Pace, CPA    

 

(TEAM  6)      BIOLOGICAL  MONITORING       Investigate  and  monitor  site  biota  with  the  following:         Develop  baseline  data       Type  and  Scope  of  Surveys       Collect  and  record       Data  files  and  format       Ongoing  data  collection              (TEAM  6)    COMMITTEE  CHAIR:    Dana  Milani  CO-­‐CHAIR:    COMMITTEE  MEMBERS:    Name       E-­‐Mail         Phone  No.        Dana  Milani       silverstrand3@netzero.com  Carol  Edwards   bbbirder@sbcglobal.net  Linda  Hedges                  linda.k.hedges@gmail.com  Laura  Belkin                      lbelkin@sbcglobal.net    Action  Notes/Meeting  Date(s)/Next  Meeting    The  group  will  most  likely  to  be  meeting  either  the  24th  or  25th  of  June  to  start  our  baseline  survey.      On  June  16th,  the  Biological  Monitoring  Committee  sent  Balmorhea  State  Park  Biota  Checklists  to  the  Mary  Lou  Saxon  for  the  website.  

 

PROJECT  GOALS,  MILESTONES  AND  WORK  SCHEDULE  (Note  the  meeting  schedules  for  each  team)    To  be  completed.

 

PROJECT  VOLUNTEER  HOURS,  MANPOWER,  DONATIONS  AND  SUPPORT    

• To  be  compiled.    Everyone  track  their  hours  and  turn  in  to  Becky.      (To  be  completed)  

 

PROJECT  COSTS  ACCOUNTING  AND  FUNDING  (To  be  tracked  by  Project  Leader  and  Landowners)  

 

Press  Release:    FOR  RELEASE    DATE:         June  30,  2011    Contact:   Ellen  Weinacht     (432)  375-­‐2325       Dave  Hedges     (432)  426-­‐2237    SANDIA  WETLANDS  PROJECT  TO  RECEIVE  WATER  AND  TECHNICAL  GUIDANCE  THANKS  TO  NATURE  CONSERVANCY       Landowners  Don  and  Ellen  Weinacht  are  entering  into  an  agreement  with  The  Nature  Conservancy  of  Texas  to  purchase  additional  water  for  the  Sandia  Wetlands  Project  being  reconstructed  on  their  lands  near  Balmorhea,  TX.    In  addition  to  the  water  sale,  TNC  has  agreed  to  join  in  the  collaboration  by  providing  technical  guidance  to  the  conservation  project.                 The  project’s  purpose  is  to  educate  and  demonstrate  the  ability  to  create  and  enhance  habitat  for  the  benefit  of  wildlife  through  private  resources.    It  was  adopted  as  a  conservation  project  by  the  Tierra  Grande  Chapter  of  the  Texas  Master  Naturalists  at  its  annual  meeting  on  June  11,  2011.           The  four-­‐acre  wetland  project  led  by  volunteer  David  Hedges,  project  coordinator,  is  currently  under  construction  with  the  Weinacht’s  providing  the  land,  water  and  materials  and  the  TX  Master  Naturalists  Chapter  volunteers  providing  planning  and  manpower.             The  Sandia  Wetlands  project  is  approximately  three  miles  from  the  original  Sandia  Springs  in  Balmorhea,  the  remaining  portion  now  owned  by  The  Nature  Conservancy  of  Texas.    The  Conservancy’s  Sandia  Springs  Preserve  is  located  just  off  Texas  Highway  17  east  of  town.           Inspired  by  the  Bosque  del  Apache  NWR  in  New  Mexico,  the  partners  are  working  to  provide  new  habitat  and  bring  back  shorebirds,  wading  birds  and  waterfowl  that  have  been  lost  through  time.    A  website  about  the  project  is  being  launched  and  will  include  photos  and  details  concerning  the  project.                       END