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September 23, 2007
Buffalo Bayou: linking Houston’s past and future
 
By Congressman Gene Green
 
Washington, DC - In 1836, Houston was born on the shores of Buffalo Bayou. The Allen brothers’ foresight in choosing that location has proved to be remarkable. At least seventeen bayous in Pasadena and Harris County protect our homes, schools, roads and lives by directing floodwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. The waterways in our area also proved to be an economic boon. Part of Buffalo Bayou was scraped and dredged into the modern Houston Ship Channel, and the Port of Houston, opened to traffic in 1914, sits on her banks.

 

The shores of Buffalo Bayou are a veritable museum of our area’s history. The Bayou’s junction with the San Jacinto River was the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Our waterways have provided immeasurable economic, aesthetic and recreational benefits for the last 170 years.

 

The “Bayou City” area’s unique environmental resources should be preserved and protected. In 2002, our office introduced the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area Study Act to begin the process of designating parts of Buffalo Bayou, the Houston Ship Channel and our energy industry as a National Heritage Area. Congress approved it, and the President signed it into law. The National Park Service began a feasibility study in 2005, and has now begun taking public comments regarding the Bayou’s future. Designation as a National Heritage Area would be a way to encourage conservation of the historical and natural resources that make Houston a great place to live, while maintaining local control over land and water use. There would be no federal land-use or zoning restrictions associated with the designation.

 

This recognition would allow citizens, in partnership with government, nonprofit, and private sector interests, to shape the long-term future of their environment. If Buffalo Bayou became a heritage area, local government and landowners would receive assistance from the National Park Service in developmental planning. We would also get seed money to cover basic expenses and attract more investment. When the National Park Service finishes its evaluation, our office will introduce legislation to officially create the heritage area. That designation would authorize the Buffalo Bayou Heritage Area to receive up to $1 million each year for ten years.

 

The cities in the area, Houston, Baytown, Pasadena, Deer Park, Galena Park, and La Porte, have all passed resolutions in support of designating Buffalo Bayou a National Heritage Area.

 

Buffalo Bayou is the epicenter of the historical and modern growth of our area and the energy industry. It could reasonably be called the energy capital of the world. The Port of Houston is the second-largest port in America in terms of foreign tonnage, largely because of the energy industry that sprang up around the Bayou due to its inland access to ports around the world. Old Harrisburg, which gave Harris County its name, was founded on the eastern stretch of Buffalo Bayou in 1825. Still a thriving part of the county, Harrisburg was once the capital of Texas, and was the site of many historical developments in the area, like the construction of the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio railroad. Today, the Baytown Nature Center strives to preserve the Bayou’s natural resources. These valuable historical and natural resources would get a great boost from Buffalo Bayou’s designation as a National Historical Area.

 

Our office has also secured funding for land acquisition along Buffalo Bayou for the past several years.  In 2004, we secured $700,000 to assist Harris County in purchasing land for the Buffalo Bend Nature Park. We also secured $1.2 million in 2005 for the City of Houston to acquire a second piece of property along the Bayou at Lockwood Drive.  The city will provide the necessary match to purchase the property. And, in 2006, we secured $750,000 for the acquisition of 1.5 acres along Buffalo Bayou to expand Hidalgo Park.  This funding would also allow the city to purchase two acres of land along Brays Bayou to increase green space and create a new park.

 

What you can do

Attend one of the National Park Service’s three public “scoping” meetings to support Buffalo Bayou’s designation as a National Heritage Area:

 

  • September 24, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Talento Bilingüe de Houston, 333 South Jensen Drive, Houston
  • September 25, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Jacinto City Town Center, 25 Oates Road, Jacinto City
  • September 26, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at La Porte City Hall Council Chambers, 604 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte

 

You can also send the National Park Service your input via e-mail: john_paige@nps.gov, fax: 303-987-6675, or regular mail: John Paige, Intermountain Region, National Park Service, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Denver, CO 80225-0287

 

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