Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Think popping a cold one on a hot summer day aboard a boat won’t affect you the same as if you were behind the wheel of car? Think again.

Alcohol has three times the effect on water that it has on dry ground.

Boating Safety Educator, Jack Dyess, says combining alcohol with the movement of a boat on water and the flickering light on the water’s surface makes for a potentially dangerous combination.

Because the constant motion that most of us are not accustomed to on a normal basis…and any changes to our environment, when we add alcohol to it, it’s going to have a greater effect. I think anyone with reasonable intelligence that gives any serious thought to the subject understands that boating and drinking is dangerous.

Operating a boat while intoxicated could result in a fine of up to 2-thousand dollars and up to 180 days in jail. A second conviction and the fine goes up to 4-thousand dollars and up to a year in jail. While third-time offenders get hit with a fine up to 10 grand and up to 10 years in jail. Coming up on tomorrow’s show…

Everyone on the water needs to obey the boating laws…and the only way to know the law is take the boater education class.

That’s our show for today….with support form the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas…

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Think popping a cold one on a hot summer day aboard a boat won’t affect you the same as if you were behind the wheel of car? Think again.

Alcohol has three times the effect on water that it has on dry ground.

Boating Safety Educator, Jack Dyess, says combining alcohol with the movement of a boat on water and the flickering light on the water’s surface makes for a potentially dangerous combination.

Because the constant motion that most of us are not accustomed to on a normal basis…and any changes to our environment, when we add alcohol to it, it’s going to have a greater effect. I think anyone with reasonable intelligence that gives any serious thought to the subject understands that boating and drinking is dangerous.

Operating a boat while intoxicated could result in a fine of up to 2-thousand dollars and up to 180 days in jail. A second conviction and the fine goes up to 4-thousand dollars and up to a year in jail. While third-time offenders get hit with a fine up to 10 grand and up to 10 years in jail. Coming up on tomorrow’s show…

Everyone on the water needs to obey the boating laws…and the only way to know the law is take the boater education class.

That’s our show for today….with support form the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas…

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

Drinking & Boating Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

When it comes to excuses why people don’t wear life jackets, Boating Safety Educator, Jack Dyess, says he’s heard ‘em all.

They are too uncomfortable, or they are too hot, or they aren’t stylish….

Leave your excuses on shore — life jackets save lives.

Over 95% of the drowning victims are not wearing life jackets. I’ve been in the boating safety business for a long time, I have yet to recover a drowning victim wearing a life jacket.

Life jackets are only required for children under 13 years of age, riding in motorboats under 26 feet in length. But Dyess suggests all family members wear them to encourage water safety practices that last a lifetime.

There are so many different types of life jackets on the market now, including little inflatable belts, the suspenders are inflatable and all of these are automatic so if you fall into the water, they automatically inflate. Most of them have twice the flotation as a normal life jacket and those who wear them forget that they are even wearing the thing.

Pack the life jackets on the boat, but leave the six-pack on shore.

One beer on a boat will affect a person the same as three beers on the ground.

That’s tomorrow…. Learn more about boater safety at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today. With support from the Sport Fish Restoration program working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

It’s summer camp season. But instead of sending the kids off to make potholders and Popsicle stick picture frames, send them to fish camp in East Texas where they’ll learn a lifelong skill.
Fish Camp is a four day camp and it will be in the mornings only from nine to one PM. It’s a camp where the kids can learn about fish, fishing, and water in general. They’ll not only learn the basics, but a few extra techniques and things about the tackle and bait, and different kinds of things to use for different kinds of fish.

ZoeAnn Stinchcomb is with the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, the site of the camp.

We really want to get the kids outside and doing things outdoors, because a lot of kids nowadays don’t go outdoors as much as we want them to. Families have kids that are out of school. You can have a little more extra time to spend, and what better time to experience the Texas outdoors.

Fish camp is for kids 9 to 15 years old, and fifty dollars per child. The deadline to register is Friday, June 22.

It’s a fun thing to do and plus we’ll be getting wet, and that’s always a good thing to do during the summer I think.

Fish Camp is July 3rd through 6th at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

Visit passporttotexas.org to find out how to register.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

July 3–6, 2007 — Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center — Camp Fish — Boys and girls ages 9-15 can learn fishing techniques and skills and practice them in our stocked casting pond. They will also study aquatic ecology and learn how important water quality is to fish and people. Call for times; fee $50 per person includes daily admission and all equipment; preregistration required, deadline June 22, 2007. To register, e-mail terry.bedford@tpwd.state.tx.us or call (903) 670-2211. (903) 676-BASS.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

The 12th annual Lone Star Land Steward Awards were handed out last month in Austin to private landowners for the innovative ways in which each manages land for habitat and wildlife.

The highest honor, the Leopold Conservation Award, was presented, in partnership with the Sand County Foundation, to a north Texas couple.

We are pleased to award it this year to 77 Ranch in Navarro County. Gary and Sue price are the owner operators. They’ve done tremendous work in restoring Blackland Prairie, grassland prairie, over many years, and are very deserving of the highest recognition.

Linda Campbell is program director for private lands and public hunting.

They have been working at this for about thirty years. They’ve taken a lot of old, worn out cotton farms; they have reintroduced native grasses… He’s a leader in the community, Mr. Price. And they are true land stewards to the absolute definition of the term. They’ve done a tremendous amount of work on their own place, and have had a lot of influence, I think, on many other landowners as well. :22

The Leopold Conservation Award comes with a $10,000 prize and the Leopold crystal award.

That’s our show for today… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Aldo Leopold Conservation Award Play Now | Play in Popup | Download