Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

So, there’s the beetles…and there’s some egg sacks in there.

That’s Mike Janis, a natural resource specialist at the Matador WMA in the Texas Panhandle, opening a container of salt cedar leaf beetles from the USDA, hoping they will multiply and devour troublesome salt cedar trees—a water-thirsty non-native that’s overtaken about half of a million acres in Texas.

The salt cedar was introduced to the U.S. in 19th century to control riverbank erosion. But, Chip Ruthven, leader of the project, says the cedars became a problem in themselves.

It forms dense thickets and out-competes native plants, which are generally highly beneficial to wildlife from a food and a cover standpoint. Then they’re also heavy water users as well.

Jerry Michels is a research professor at the Texas AgriLife Extension. His team has been trying to establish a beetle population in the panhandle near Meredith Lake.

We’re hoping, we’re optimistic that this summer might be the year that they really explode up here.

Researchers don’t expect problems with beetles destroying other plant communities because they’re picky eaters. They only eat salt cedars. The beetles seem to be a cheap, effective tool to keep salt cedars in check, but Michels says beetles alone won’t terminate the trees.

I think that salt cedar control if it is going to be effective is going to have to be a combination of different techniques.

Such as herbicides and bulldozing. That’s our show…we receive support from the WR Program…funding habitat restoration in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fighting Salt Cedar in the Pandhandle Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

An ecological concern along the Rio Grande doesn’t stop midway across the river. It may impact both sides of the border equally. Enter Salt Cedar, an invasive exotic tree that overwhelms native plant species on both sides of the river; and both countries want it gone.

18—This is obviously a bi-national effort, with the conservation organizations in Mexico, as well as the Department of the Interior, TPWD, Sul Ross State University, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Rio Grande Institute. In addition to being bi-national there are many partners involved.

Mark Lockwood, natural resources coordinator for state parks in far West Texas, says the biggest challenge is pulling together the manpower needed to accomplish their objectives. Mexico has a head start dealing with the issue, and has trained personnel to assist as needed.

20—These projects have been going on in Mexico for the last couple of years in the protected areas. So these people are also trained in the types of actions that are needed in the control of these plants. Some it involves herbicide use and some of it just is simply removing the trees. So they are quite familiar with the types of strategies we’re going to be using in these projects.

In addition the plan involves re-vegetating the area with native species such as cottonwoods and desert willows.

Tomorrow—salt cedar eradication in the Panhandle.

That’s our show… made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program.

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

Texas and Mexico Partner to Fight Salt Cedar Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Anglers who reel in a largemouth bass weighing 13-pounds or more have until April 30 to donate their catch to the ShareLunker program. Fish accepted into the program spawn the next generation of big bass.

To donate a fish, David Campbell says to handle it as little as possible, then…

09—Get a weight on it. If you have a set of scales that you feel like are close enough that you can actually say it’s a good enough weight to call us, weigh it and let us know.

David Campbell coordinates the ShareLunker program, and explains what to do if you think you have one, and want to donate it to the program.

31—We would like to have these fish in our possession in less than 12 hours. I realize sometimes if you’re on the other side of the state of Texas is may take me a few hours to get there. If you have to go somewhere and have that fish weighed, leave it in the water in aerated live well or whatever it is, try not to dry the fish off. If that fish weighs 13-pounds on a set of certified scales—whether it’s for business or whatever it is—give us a call as quick as possible. And we dispatch a vehicle; and take care of it until we get there. That’s the main thing.

Find the phone numbers to call to donate your lunker at passporttotexas.org.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and provides funding for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti
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To request pickup of a ShareLunker (largemouth bass 13 pounds or over, legally caught in Texas waters between October 1 and April 30), call (903) 681-0550 or page 1 (888) 784-0600 and leave a number, including area code.