SMGA Update for June 16, 2008

In This Issue...

For Your Calendar
Welcome to J.R. and Julie
Conservation Committee Forming
San Marcos Requests CPAT Funds
Tidbits

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 CPAT MEETING, SAN MARCOS ACTIVITY CENTER, 7:00 PM
The Hays County Parks Advisory Team (CPAT) will vote on a request for funding from the San Marcos Parks & Recreation Department. Read the story below and come voice your opinion.

EVERY THURSDAY, TRAIL BUILDING, END OF SUMMIT RIDGE DR, 6:45-8:15 AM
Trail work is humming along in spite of the summer heat. We are entering from Willow Creek to work on what might be thought of as the middle leg of the spine trail through Purgatory. Thanks to the eight hard workers who joined us last week. And special thanks to John Griffis and his teens, who have managed to get out almost everyday for a couple hours.

Email alliance@smgreenbelt.org to receive location changes and last-minute weather cancellations. All trail builders must wear gloves, hard shoes, and eyewear. Water bottle, long pants, and hat highly recommended. We supply tools and bug repellent. Find a map to Summit Drive here.

1ST & 3RD WEDS: ELEPHANT EAR REMOVAL, AQUARENA CENTER, 4:30-7:00 PM
Meet at Aquarena Center at the far end of the long parking area. Gloves, supplies, and instruction provided.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, HYACINTH REMOVAL,
AQUARENA CENTER, 9:00-NOON
Email wassenich@grandecom.net for details.

TRAIL BUILDING, SATURDAY, JUNE 21: 8:00-10:00 AM
(7:30 NEWBIES)
See notes above for Thursday trail building.

NATURESCAPE PHOTOS NOW ACCEPTED
Your amateur nature photo taken within Hays County could be a winner! We will display up to 60 images at our contest exhibit, and winners will receive cash prizes. Tell friends and family and learn more here.

WELCOME TO J.R. & JULIE

J.R. Mendoza was looking for a place to hold his 9-year-old daughter’s birthday party, not a career change. But an ad at Rio Vista pool for the San Marcos park ranger position caught his eye, and he found himself in the job. After attending college in San Antonio, J. R. worked as a management consultant and program auditor/trainer for the State of Texas. As he traveled around the state, his passion for Texas parks and open spaces grew. J.R. comes to his new job at the height of the river parks season, but he is not too worried. “I plan to take advantage of a flexible schedule and get out into all the parks in San Marcos.”

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We are also fortunate to have Julie Hulbert as the new director of the San Marcos Nature Center. Julie loves to hike, rock climb, mountain bike, and kayak. But her real passion is for our living planet and in particular aquatic critters, and she hopes to bring that passion to the people of San Marcos. Julie holds an advanced degree in aquatic biology from Texas State. Her past work experience includes a 2000-2003 stint at the Nature Center, creating eco-tourist preserves in Ecuador, and assessing habitat for an engineering firm. Julie is gearing up for summer camps and rebuilding the ponds at the Nature Center.

SMGA extends a hearty welcome to these new city staff!

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE FORMING

SMGA’s Conservation Committee plays a key role in our mission, “To create and conserve an interconnected system of parks and natural areas for our community and future generations.” Thanks to new board member, Sherwood Bishop, for agreeing to head up this important effort. Sherwood presented a draft mission statement for the committee at SMGA’s recent board retreat, summarized as follows.

The Conservation Committee will work to protect and conserve greenspaces by:

• Identifying lands with the highest priority for protection and connectivity, and
  
• Advocating for the protection of land through conservation easements, acquisition
  and collaboration with other entities.

Since SMGA doesn’t buy land directly, the Conservation Committee will have a strong outward focus, providing support to other entities (e.g. City of San Marcos, Hays County, etc.) in their conservation efforts, and educating them and the public in general regarding conservation. The Conservation Committee will proactively communicate and lobby for SMGA’s conservation and greenbelt-building priorities. It will also, by necessity, act in a contextual manner to take advantage of unexpected opportunities when they occur, and, when possible, to support SMGA’s partners in their conservation efforts.

A long-time dream of our organization is to actualize the “loop & check” plan (see map right), which envisions an interconnected system of parks and trails circling San Marcos (the “loop”) and extending along the Blanco (the “check”). The Conservation Committee plans to distribute the loop & check plan to SMGA’s partners, local developers, engineers, and other citizens to serve as a starting point for providing equitable access to open spaces by all of San Marcos’ citizens for generations to come.

In order to achieve its goals, the Conservation Committee must develop a substantial membership of talented and energetic individuals. If you'd like to be considered for membership on the committee, email Sherwood at sherwood@sherwoodbishop.com.

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SAN MARCOS REQUESTS CPAT FUNDS

San Marcos could see some significant resources applied to Purgatory Creek Greenspace and 5-Mile Dam River Parks and Soccer Complex. The city is asking Hays County Citizens Parks Advisory Team (CPAT) to approve a request for $3.1 million that will match city funding to complete the projects, as shown in the table below:

Brent Luck of Land Design Partners and the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department pointed out in a May presentation to CPAT that 52% of the request applies to water quality, recharge, and open space, with an additional 48% applicable to recreation and water access.

According to the city, the proposed projects can be completed relatively quickly, because the city has its funding ready to go. Luck believes the projects will garner a high CPAT score, because they satisfy several high priorities in the Hays County Parks and Open Space Master Plan.

Some San Marcos area residents would like to see even more funding applied to water quality, recharge, and flood plain lands, but recognize the need to finish these projects before moving on to the more conservation-oriented requests.

CPAT will score the San Marcos proposal at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, June 18 in the Multi-Purpose Room of the San Marcos Activity Center. We encourage you to attend the meeting. You need not stay the entire time, but you can voice your opinion prior to the vote if you ask the chairman in advance. As an alternative or in addition to attending, you can write a letter, call, or email Curt Busk, chairman of the CPAT board, or the Hays County Grants Administrator and ask that a copy of your text be given to the CPAT members.

TIDBITS…

RINGTAIL: Ringtail trail work under the supervision of Chris North and our contractor Environmental Survey Consulting is nearly complete. The amenities and other improvements are now the focus. We’ll be meeting soon with city staff and others to discuss slab removal, cable moving, drainage and access road improvements, and more.

HAPPY GRADUATION: Some graduating high school seniors asked guests at their graduation party to contribute to local charities in lieu of gifts. One of those generous seniors, Jessica Villareal, asked for gifts to SMGA! It’s heartening to see our youth taking an interest in local causes. Thanks to Jessica and friends for setting a great example for all of us!

FARMERS MARKET: Buy fresh produce and other goodies every Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM at the Farmers Market by the old Breed Hardware parking lot on C. M. Allen Parkway. Buy local and save energy.

WATERSHED DAM TOUR (excerpt from NRCS June 9 press release): San Marcos and Hays County officials recently got a firsthand look at the five floodwater retarding structures (dams) in the Upper San Marcos River Watershed. The Hays County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Upper San Marcos River Watershed District, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation (NRCS) sponsored the tour for city and county officials. Participants learned how the watershed dams on Sink and Purgatory Creeks have proven their worth in protecting local residents from catastrophic flooding and have provided recharge benefits to the Edwards Aquifer. Current residents may be more familiar with the floods of 1972, 1985, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2007 that have caused some flooding in the area, but not to the extreme seen in 1970 that resulted in two deaths and 2,000 acres within the city covered in water. The 1970 flood spurred action and through the cooperative efforts of federal and state governments, and city, and county officials, the Upper San Marcos Watershed, Reclamation and Flood Control District formed, also known as the Upper San Marcos Watershed District. For more information on the five flood control dams, contact Bill Taylor at (512) 392-7695 or Cris Perez, District Conservationist with the USDA-NRCS office at (512) 392-4050, ext. 3. For a copy of the full press release, email melissa.blair@tx.usda.gov.

WILDFLOWERS: Three San Marcos Girl Scouts, members of Troop 881, recently presented SMGA with their original guidebooks of wildflowers found in local green spaces, part of their requirement to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest award for Junior Girl Scouts. Local Girl Scouts Lindsey Burton, Hunter McMain, and Sara Jo Porterfield recently completed badge work that included the book project, “Nature’s Beauty at the San Marcos Greenbelt.” The girls plan to build on their picture project as part of their work toward the Girl Scout Silver Award.

Click a date below to view past News & Events:

April 16, 2008
March 25, 2008
May 21, 2008

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