Dallas-Fort Worth metro area saw biggest population growth in Texas in 2018

April 18, 2019
News

In a state where the population continues to rapidly swell, the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth region remains a fundamental source for those gains. Adding 131,767 residents from 2017 to 2018, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area gained more residents than any other metropolitan area in the country and was behind more than a third of Texas’ population growth in that period, according to population estimates the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday. Following a years-long trend, the new estimates show that Texas dominated in…

Across the Hill Country, sewage plants threaten to turn clear streams into algae pools

April 15, 2019
News

BULVERDE – When Michelle Molina heard about plans for a sewage treatment plant to start discharging wastewater into Indian Creek, she organized her neighbors and started raising money to hire a lawyer to fight the developers behind the plan. They called their group Bulverde Neighborhoods for Clean Water, and they planned to fight the discharge of up to 300,000 gallons per day that would flow through the often-dry creekbed that winds through ranches and properties on large lots, eventually snaking…

Op-Ed: The Hill Country is not the place for a pipeline

April 15, 2019
News

The Hill Country is a unique and precious place that is known for its incredible open spaces, clean water, and dark skies. The individuals and communities that live within and around these precious natural resources appreciate them not only for their incredible beauty but for the economic value they bring to individual properties, municipalities and county coffers in the form of tourism dollars. Unfortunately, these precious natural resources are threatened now, more than ever, with numerous and destructive development projects…

Trump signs orders to speed up oil and gas pipeline construction

April 15, 2019
Legislature and Regulation

HOUSTON — President Trump signed two executive orders on Wednesday that he says will speed up construction of pipelines and other projects to enhance the production and transport of oil and natural gas between states and across international borders. The actions are unlikely to have much of an immediate impact, and they will probably attract legal challenges by state governments seeking to preserve control over such projects. But the orders are symbolically important for a president who likes to take…

For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild

April 10, 2019
Land Conservation and Stewardship

For the first time ever, researchers have found captive-bred Texas horned lizard hatchlings alive after winter hibernation. It’s a big win for the state reptile, which has vanished from Texas landscapes over the past several decades. New technology has allowed Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials to track the tiny hatchlings more accurately than ever. In the past, hatchlings were nearly impossible to track after release, and all died within a few months. Even in good conditions, Texas horned lizards have a high…

Commentary: Texas will have taller billboards unless Legislature acts

April 10, 2019
Billboards

The state of Texas has drawn a line in the sky that limits the height of billboards along our highways. Unfortunately, many billboard owners have ignored it. A significant number of the billboards across our state, which are regulated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), exceed the decades-old height limit of 42.5 feet. These taller billboards exist even though the permit application for every state-regulated billboard requires the owner to certify the proposed billboard will comply with the 42.5-foot…

Reality of drought: Sausages, laws and a water district

April 10, 2019
Groundwater Resources

Part One of a Two-Part Series – Friday, Mar 29, 2019 From a 1933 textbook “Government in the United States” the author invokes the sage advice of Otto von Bismarck: “The man who wishes to keep his respect for sausages and laws should not see how either is made.” Never before has this observation rung so true as with our local government. Look at what has happened with Kendall County Water Control and Improvement District, WCID, No. 3 in the two…

CWD sampling effort leads to proposed containment zone expansion

April 10, 2019
Land Conservation and Stewardship

AUSTIN – Texas remains vigilant in monitoring and testing for chronic wasting disease, with no reported spread beyond existing containment zones over the last 12 months. However, the discovery of CWD in a free-ranging whitetail near the perimeter of the disease containment zone in south central Texas has led to a recommended expansion of that zone. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) surpassed its statewide goal of 6,735 CWD samples, collecting 10,421 between March 1, 2018 and Feb. 28,…

State lawmakers look to protect landowners against proposed pipeline project

April 9, 2019
News

KYLE, Texas — A multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline project could change the landscape of Central Texas, but some state lawmakers are doing what they can to make sure landowners in their district are protected. Bill Johnson of Kyle grew up on the 3,800-acre Halifax Ranch. “It’s been in the family since the 1930s,” said Johnson. Johnson worries a proposed natural gas pipeline project is threatening his home and his livelihood. “They’ll be clear-cutting a broad swath through this area, 125 feet…

The Legislative outlook for Hill Country water resources

April 7, 2019
Legislature and Regulation

This edition of the Texas Water Symposium features lawmakers and analysts looking at current and proposed legislation that will affect water resources and property rights in Texas. Topics addressed include the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, flooding, water well protection, the Texas State Park system, and more. Recorded March 28, 2019 at the Texas State Capitol building. Moderator: Vanessa Puig-Williams, Puig-Williams Law, PLLC Panelists: Larry Bailey, policy analyst for Rep. Kyle Biedermann, District 73 Representative Vikki Goodwin, District 47 Representative Andrew…