Texas is possibly the most unique state in the continental United States. We have more species and habitats than all other states, except perhaps California. However, unlike California, 97% of the land and habitat in Texas is privately owned, which provides unique conservation opportunities and challenges. The diversity of people and perspectives in Texas is also impressive and healthy. Texas Parks and Wildlife serves this diversity by promoting the conservation of all wildlife, including over 1,000 species of nongame and rare wildlife, as well providing conservation assistance to people interested in these species. The funding provided by the Title III of CARA would go directly to TPW, enhancing its ability to manage all of the state's wildlife.
For Texas, the stakes are huge. By keeping common species common, adding species to lists of endangered species will be uncommon. This is particularly important in Texas with so many species and so much private land. Wildlife-watching, hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation in Texas generated about $6.7 billion in direct spending in 1996. Healthy landscapes and wildlife populations are vital to both of these important issues.
Accomplishments
Texas has several well-established programs targeting nongame wildlife, including one of the largest wildlife diversity programs in the country, as well as an extensive resource protection division that has responsibility for monitoring and protecting wildlife habitat in Texas, particularly aquatic habitats.
Overall, Texas Parks and Wildlife spends over $10 million a year in these areas, out of a total agency budget of $250 million. In addition, we spend about $21 million on game and general wildlife management, $20 million on fisheries management, nearly $40 million on law enforcement and about $8 million on communication and education activities.
Over the past 10 years, Texas Parks and Wildlife has made major additions to its private lands assistance program (technical guidance staff) as well as creating and staffing new urban and nature tourism programs. But with a state as big as Texas, even this isn't enough. Even $10 million a year doesn't go far in a state with over 267,000 square miles of land, 80,000 miles of rivers and streams, 254 counties, 20 million citizens and 1,200 species of vertebrate wildlife.
Still, we have seen some tremendous success stories, such as our Landowner Incentive Program (LIP), the first program in the country that offers financial assistance to landowners who wish to manage for rare and endangered species and habitats. The LIP program stimulates conservation by recognizing and rewarding landowners who are willing to manage their land for rare species, using a voluntary, incentive-based approach. While many landowners are already willing to manage their land for wildlife without financial reward, there are times when a little advice and start-up funding is all it takes. Over the past 4 years, Texas Parks and Wildlife has spent nearly $1 million on 45 projects affecting 46,000 acres of habitat, matched by $425,000 in outside funds.
Concurrently, we have increased our technical guidance program to 20 biologists. These biologists assist landowners in developing LIP projects, as well as providing general wildlife management advice. In their work with landowners, our technical guidance biologists have developed wildlife management plans for 12.6 million acres, promoting a habitat-focused conservation approach that works for wildlife as well as for private landowners.
We also aggressively use nature tourism and Watchable-wildlife projects as incentives for conservation through economic development. We have seen this approach work particularly well along the Gulf Coast and in South Texas, which now have a national reputation as bird-watching destinations. Each April, birdwatchers in Texas can see over 300 of the 600 species of birds that occur in the state. Texas Parks and Wildlife has been a leader in working with landowners and communities, showing them that the bird habitat they provide can return them direct economic benefits. And once people accept that nature tourism is part of their business, it's easy to convince them that they need to maintain the habitat their business depends upon.
We have already established and marketed the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, producing maps that identify over 300 premiere bird-watching sites on the Gulf Coast in cooperation with over 100 communities, as well as cost-sharing site improvements with those communities. And we are following up with plans for the Great Texas Wildlife Trail in central Texas and the Panhandle.
We have taken this nature tourism model a step further by proposing a new complex of visitor and education centers, called the World Birding Center, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is one of the most economically challenged areas in the country - 4 of the counties there are among the poorest counties in the U.S. But bird watching has become a big business in the Valley, generating nearly $100 million dollars a year in tourism income. The World Birding Center will serve as a focus for this new industry, and is expected to generate an additional $10-15 million a year in new income to the region.
In addition, Texas Parks and Wildlife has had tremendous success developing cooperative agreements with private landowners, precluding the need to list a number of species under the federal Endangered Species Act. By working with landowners and other states, we have developed conservation agreements for swift fox, lesser prairie chickens, Arkansas River shiners and Devils River minnows, restoring and securing the status of the these rare species in Texas.
One of our greatest challenges in conservation agreements concerns the black-tailed prairie dog - a conservation issue that, if not handled well, could lead to one of the biggest endangered species train-wrecks in history. We are working now to develop a conservation agreement for black- tailed prairie dogs, developing the plan in cooperation with landowners and agricultural interests, as well as conservationists. And the lesson we're learning is that we need to address more than prairie dog conservation - we have to address the habitat and the suite of species associated with it. It's no coincidence that prairie dogs, swift fox, and lesser prairie chickens are all species of concern, because prairies are a habitat of concern.
Through these various programs, by making a small investment now, we have avoided the much larger costs associated with endangered species issues - not only the direct costs that relate to regulating, protecting and restoring the species themselves, but also the much larger social costs that citizens bear when endangered species are on their property.
The conservation incentives are there, but landowners, local governments and communities need advice and assistance to put conservation measures into practice. State wildlife agencies are in the best position to offer this assistance.
The Need for Additional Conservation
As these examples all show, conservation in Texas depends upon our close-working relationship with landowners and communities. In Texas, we know what needs done, how to do it, and who to work with - but we simply lack the resources to affect the hundreds of species that are in need of conservation, as well as assuring the future of species that are currently common. All the conservation we've accomplished to date has been the "easy stuff', involving a few hundred wildlife species who's needs are known and which readily respond to the habitat changes humans impose on the landscape. But now we're faced with dealing with another 1,000 species that aren't so easy. The conservation challenge is just beginning.
And many of these species are not unique to Texas, their conservation depends on states working together to affect habitat throughout a species range. Inter-state conservation requires funding beyond what states can access themselves. And it requires long-term, predictable funding.
For example, over the past 20 years, Texas Parks and Wildlife has reintroduced over 7,000 eastern wild turkeys throughout the state, as well as relocated thousands of native Rio-Grande wild turkeys. Thanks to these restocking efforts, and combined with the habitat management assistance we provide landowners, the wild turkey is back in Texas. We now have turkeys throughout the state, occupying all of the available habitat and supporting over :3 million hunter- days each year. Our turkey restoration efforts worked because we had a reliable funding source over an extended period of time, plus the technical assistance to provide to landowners.
So that is the obstacle we're facing, obtaining the long-term financial resources needed to expand our conservation partnerships with citizens and communities. In Texas, we estimate that need to be at least $30 million a year. This would allow us to expand our efforts in -
Landowner Incentives - Estimated need - $6 million/year.
Habitat cost-share program
Landowner incentive program
Technical Assistance - Estimated need - $4 million/year.
Expand technical guidance program
Urban wildlife program
Increasing Recreational Opportunity - Estimated need - $3 million/year.
Nature trails
River access
Watchable-wildlife projects
Nature tourism cost-share grants
Habitat Conservation and Restoration - Estimated need - $4 million/year.
Conservation planning for wildlife
Habitat restoration projects
Re-establish populations of native species
Research and surveys
Conservation Outreach - Estimated need - $5 million/year.
Demonstration habitats
Outreach programs
Urban wildlife program
Visitor and education centers (World Birding Center, River Center)
Volunteer programs (Texas Master Naturalist, Texas Nature Trackers)
Conservation information, literature, video
Schoolyard habitats
Project WILD
Wildlife Research - Estimated need - $1 million/year.
Resource Protection and Monitoring - Estimated need - $2 million/year.
Land Conservation (conservation leases, easements, acquisition) - Estimated need - $5 million/year.
TOTAL ESTIMATED NEED - $30 million/year
I have a handout that is an excerpt of a document we gave to Congressional representatives last year, focusing on wildlife conservation.
With that, I would be happy to answer any questions.
TITLE III WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION FUND
The Benefits of CARA in Texas
Texas is the most unique state in the United States. We have more species and habitats than all other states except perhaps California. However, unlike California. 97% of the land and habitats in Texas is privately owned. which provides unique conservation opportunities and challenges. The diversity of people and perspectives in Texas is also impressive and healthy. Texas Parks and Wildlife serves this diversity by promoting the conservation of all wildlife, including over 1,000 species of nongame and rare wildlife, as well providing conservation assistance to people interested in these species. The funding provided by the Title III of CARA would go directly to TPW, enhancing it's ability to manage all of the state's wildlife.
For Texas, the stakes are huge. By keeping common species common, adding species to lists of endangered species will be uncommon. This is particularly important in Texas with so many species and so much private land. Wildlife-watching, hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation in Texas generated about $6.7 billion in direct spending in 1996. Healthy landscapes and wildlife populations are vital to both of these important issues.
For wildlife in Texas, CARA could support Texas Parks and Wildlife's conservation and outreach efforts in several areas:
Landowner Incentives - Estimated need - $6 million/year. TPW has a Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) which provides financial assistance to landowners interested in helping rare species. CARA funds would be used to expand the LIP and create new cost-share and incentive programs for landowners, focusing conservation efforts on the privates lands that host more of the state's wildlife.
CARA funds would also allow the Department to expand the number and variety of workshops and held days it offers: teaching landowners by example.
Technical Assistance - Estimated need - $4 million year. TPW currently employs technical guidance biologists who work closely with private landowners, advising and assisting them with wildlife management plans that affect nearly 10 million acres of wildlife habitat per year. CARA funding would allow the Department to double its current effort.
Increasing Recreational Opportunity - Estimated need - $3 million/year. TPW has identified over 300 wildlife-viewing sites as part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. This nature tourism effort has directly benefited the local communities and landowners. CARA funds would be used to expand this kind of effort to the other four tourism regions of the state.
Currently TPW has 50 Wildlife Management Areas that are not all accessible to the public. With CARA, the Department could create a number of nature trails. with interpretive signage. to better serve the needs of today's outdoor enthusiast.
CARA funding would allow the expansion of river access and restoration programs initiated to work with private landowners to develop controlled access programs that address needs of both users and river landowners.
With CARA. staff would be able to fund a number of watchable-wildlife projects with individual landowners as well as communities. More work would be done with private landowners to develop controlled access programs that address needs of users and landowners.
Habitat Conservation and Restoration - Estimated need - $4 million/year. As wildlife habitat is converted to human habitat, Texas is losing a number of unique ecosystems. With the additional funding provided by CARA, Texas could begin creating strategies for conserving these unique habitats. Management efforts for aquatic and marine ecosystems would also be increased, focusing on riparian, wetland, riverine and estuarine ecosystems.
Texas has been a leader in conservation planning for wildlife (particularly birds and bats). CARA funds would speed the development of these plans on the status and management needs for species and allow the Department to develop similar plans and recommendations for reptiles amphibians lisp mammals and other important wildlife groups.
With CARA funding, TPW would also work to develop the capacity to establish populations of native aquatics to replace exotics in lakes and rivers. Programs would include habitat restoration, aquatic vegetation nurseries associated with hatcheries, development of educational outreach to engage population that impact or are impacted by displacement of native with exotic vegetation.
Conservation Outreach - Estimated need - $5 million/year. TPW has a network of urban biologists who work with residents to increase awareness of wildlife in urban areas. With CARA, TPW would be able to expand this effort into other metropolitan areas.
CARA funding would allow the development of demonstration habitats that combine many components of "an ecosystem" such as wildlife, wetlands, riverine habitats on small land areas near or in urban areas.
TPW has created a number of volunteer and . . . citizen-involvement programs and nationally acclaimed outreach programs, such as Project WILD and Outdoor Kids, involving children and school teachers in conservation education. With CARA these projects would be expanded across the state, involving citizens directly in conservation.
Texas has a network of nature centers and TPW has created a number of visitor and education centers - the Freshwater Fisheries Center. Sea Center. and the World Birdin, Center. CARA funds would be used to expand the efforts of existing education and nature centers. as well as fund the creation of new education centers as needed.
Communication with the large urban populations is essential to the success of all of these conservation areas. particularly outreach. TPW is well known for its outstanding media efforts. including video, radio and printed publications. CARA funds would allow TPW to expand these efforts, as well as provide them at less cost to the public.
Wildlife Research - Estimated need - $1 million Year. Good wildlife management depends on good science. Each year, TPW funds 40-60 wildlife research projects. gathering data on the management needs of native species. However, with 10 ecoregions, dozens of habitats and almost 1,000 different species of wildlife, this research only scratches the surface of what the Department needs to know concerning native plant and wildlife species. CARA funds would be used to increase research efforts statewide.
Resource Protection and Monitoring - Estimated need - $2 million/year. TPW is responsible for monitoring and correcting land and water problems that may affect native fish and wildlife. With the creation of the State Water Plan, these efforts have grown.