WILDLIFE PLAN, 1: Creating a plan to address species decline 
before it happens ... we'll explain on Passport to Texas.

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy is a new 
plan tied to millions of dollars in federal funding to conserve wildlife 
and habitat in Texas.

"It is designed to give us a roadmap for the next five to ten years 
concerning non-game species within the state of Texas."
Steve Bender coordinates the planning process for Texas Parks 
and Wildlife. The strategy calls for spending federal dollars on the 
conservation of the state's biodiversity, including plant communities 
and - of course - animals.

"We're looking at doing a comprehensive mapping project, followed 
by a comprehensive surveying project for mammals, reptiles, 
amphibians, and potentially invertebrates, to get ourselves back 
into a baseline situation where we know where to move and how 
to go forward. "

Think of this plan as preventive medicine. Instead of waiting for 
a species to become imperiled to the point of extinction, biologists 
will actively monitor species to ensure they do not slip closer to 
needing protection under the endangered species act.

"We actually put our money toward those individual species, 
especially those species that are headed toward further imperilment. 
These funds were designed to essentially head those species off 
at the pass. We would look at using those funds to take a species 
that is in decline, but is not yet imperiled or threatened by the federal 
distinction, and try to bring those species back before the listing 
process starts."

That's our show. Made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish 
and Wildlife restoration Program ... for Texas Parks and Wildlife ... 
I'm Cecilia Nasti.