Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Most people support conservation in theory. Yet, hunters and anglers support it in practice when they buy licenses.

12—All of the money from hunting and fishing license sales finds its way back into wildlife conservation and wildlife management, whether it’s a hunting activity or a fishing activity.

Tom Newton, a license revenue manager, says money from the sale of licenses is significant.

12—License sales, which includes hunting and fishing, of course, all of our recreational licenses, and our commercial licenses…we usually net somewhere around ninety million dollars depending on how the year went.

Resident hunters and anglers aren’t alone in supporting conservation in Texas, their non-resident counterparts also make an important impact.

11—It’s a very large impact. For the hunters, the licenses generate 2.7 million in annual revenue. And fishing licenses, approximately 3.5 million in license revenue.

Even if you don’t hunt or fish, when you buy hunting or fishing licenses, you help support conservation work in Texas.

Hunting licenses go on sale August 15; with dove season fast approaching, Newton recommends buying early to avoid lines.

That’s our show… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

You may be familiar with our state park system, but not as familiar with our system of wildlife management areas. Learn about them this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS show; here’s series producer, Don Cash.

We’ve got them all over the state and they serve a variety of purposes: research, education and hunting. And. We’re going to take a look at just what all goes on, on a WMA.

August…if you don’t know about our Wildlife Management Areas, watch the show, and we’ll let you know what the WMAs are all about.

Find a station near you when you log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

[Nats aquarium] Pet stores like Rivers and Reefs in Austin sell fish and plant species from all over the world.

11—Most of your Tetris species are from South America. Even your average gold-fish comes from China. Some of your Amazon sword plants obviously come from South America from the Amazon River.

Manager Rachel Pohl says that’s why people should be careful not to dump their aquariums in rivers or lakes or even flush live fish down the toilet.

08—Some of these fish get into our rivers and start eating our fingerlings in our rivers, and it starts unbalancing the native population because they don’t have a predator here.

And it’s not just fish. TPWD aquatic habitat biologist Howard Elder says giant salvinia started out as a decorative plant for aquariums…but it didn’t stay there.

09—Giant salvinia was found in a Houston school yard in 1998. It has since been found in 17 public reservoirs.

And it’s not pretty anymore.

10—The plant can produce dense mats that actually block out sunlight and displace native vegetation and fish species as well as many wildlife species.

So do Texas a favor. Have fun with your aquariums. Just don’t dump them. Many pet stores will take back unwanted fish or at least tell you where you can take them.

That’s our show… we had research and writing help from Gretchen Mahan…the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

During July, TPWD biologists collected environmental samples from along the Texas coast, creating a baseline record to gauge any impact in Texas from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We caught up with biologist Chip Wood on Galveston Island in early July.

38—We’re working on trying to establish the normal conditions that we see along our coastline.

You know, how wide it is, you know, what types of plants or vegetation may be there, uh, if there’s any presence of any oil at all on the beach already from any other source. We started up in the Beaumont Port Arthur area earlier this week, and we hope, weather permitting, that we’ll be able to complete the entire Texas coast by the end of next week.

The team completed the task of sampling 21 stations along the Texas coast in just two weeks.

The effort is part of a plan developed by multiple natural resource trustee agencies in coordination with BP.

If you see oil in Texas waters or shorelines call the Texas General Land Office oil spill reporting line at 800-832-8224.

That’s our show… the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

[SFX brown pelicans calling]

Standing on the shore of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife veterinarian, Dan Mulcahy, called it a good day for pelicans affected by the oil spill in the gulf.

06—We’re here today to participate in the largest release of oiled pelicans following the oil spill to date.

In late June, 38 animals arrived at Rockport Airport via Coast Guard Jet from a Louisiana rehabilitation center. Their final destination: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

12—They were picked up here at the Rockport Airport by the staff of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and TPW, and were released as fast as we could undo the crates and let them go.

Once free, the birds gathered on the water away from shore and preened, which pleased Nancy Brown from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

03—They can focus on preening as opposed to just surviving.

Texas offers abundant habitat for the pelicans. Yet, these iconic birds still aren’t out of danger. Any long-term health effects from their ordeal are yet unknown.

08—We look forward to coming out here next year and hopefully seeing these birds and hopefully they’re fatter and happier and doing well here on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Before their release, biologists placed a steel band with a unique ID on each bird’s leg to track our newest Texans into what will hopefully be a long and healthy future.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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