EDWARDS AQUIFER,3: Why endangered species matter ... 
ahead on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan permits 
what's necessary to ensure the survival of rare, 
threatened and endangered species that depend on the 
Aquifer and the San Marcos and Comal Rivers while 
allowing continued use of the resource by the rest of us. 

06 -- There's federal law requiring this, but it's the right thing to 
do in terms of protecting the resource for all of us into the 
future.

Cindy Loeffler is water resources branch chief at TPW and 
one of the architects of the protection plan. Convincing 
people to do the right thing - like modifying their water 
usage based on the needs of rare species - can be a hard 
sell.

The plan includes ongoing water conservation -- especially 
during times of drought -- removing invasive species, and 
declaring a portion of the San Marcos River a state 
scientific area that would make it illegal to uproot 
endangered Texas Wild Rice.

But Loeffler says these protected species are indicators of 
a healthy ecosystem - which benefits everyone.

21 -- By providing these protections for these species, that helps 
ensure the San Marcos river, the Comal River will keep flowing. 
Keeping these springs flowing is really at the heart and soul of 
the work done by the recovery implementation program. And so 
that benefits the species, of course, but also benefits people as 
well.

The WSFR program ... supports our series and funds 
diverse conservation projects throughout Texas ... 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti. 



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Maximum Script time:		 0:58.0 Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25