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Inside Tracks
Beneath the Gavel ....................... 2,3
Local News ................................... 4,5
Environmental Issues ................. 6-9
Bird Tales .................................. 10,11
Calendar ......................................... 12
January Outing
Here are the details on our date
with John J. Audubon in Houston, the
weekend ofJanuary 21 and 22.
Saturday, ]attuary 21
1:00/2:30 Houston Zoo, to learn
about the Attwater Prairie
. Chicken captive breeding
program.
::\:00/5:00 JohnJ Audubon watercolor
exhibit at the Houston Mu­seum
of Fine Arts.
7:00/9:00 BBQ at Houston Audubon
Edith Moore Sanctuary.
Sunday, ]a11uary 22
7:00 am Edith Moore Sanctuary for
continental breakfast, walk
trails.
8:00am Guided tour of Katy Prai­rie,
home to thousands of
wintering geese and ducks.
Noonish Head home or Houston ac­tivities
on your own
Package price $30 for Audubon
members, $35 non. Includes a $12 dona­tion
to the 501(c)3 Audubon Foundation
of Texas.
Call Bill Sain at 408-7731 to sign up,
for information on hotels (the hotel res­ervations
and bill are your responsibil­ity),
and for car-pool and/or bus infor­mation.
BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIElY
CHAPTER OF THE
NATIONAL AUDUBON
SOCIETY
210-822-4503
The Chapter's primary goals are to promote
species and habitat conservation, and
environmental education in the community.
Volume XIII, No. 1 january 1995
Balancing the Equation
In light of the dangers posed by the incoming Congress and the Texas Legis­lature
to the gains in environmental protection over the last two decades, the first
few months of this year are crucial if we are to mitigate the damage.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the ability to mediate polarized
communities is a role Bexar Audubon Society can effectively fill.
BAS has the means to find solutions to these problems that affect all of us
regardless of our environment: city, suburban, farms and ranches, or city, state and
national parks.
Over the next several meetings we will try to establish an understat~ding that
the law of conservation of matter and energy is a very broad sweeping Ia w of nature
which cannot be violated. ·
What we displace or change on one side of an equation begets a consequence
on the other side. It behooves us to understand the consequences of any ac­tions-
societal, physical and biological.
These three areas are so tied together that it is almost impossible to change one
and not change the others.
With thes,e ideas in mind, the programs starting January '95 will focus aware­ness
on our actions as stewards of this planet, in solving the problems we face in
balancing the environmental equation.
january 19 Meetittg: Dr. Woody Saunders, Trinity University Urban Studies
Department, will present a program that looks at the environmental and cultural
forces influencing infrastructure development. This is especially relevant with the
apparent (at this writing) breakdown of the pact to protect the aquifer.
1995 Electio11: Also at this meeting, we will elect our officers and at-large board
members for 1995. The slate proposed by the nomination committee, along with
biographical infonnation and a mail-in ballot, can be found on page 5.
Meeting Specifics: Monthly meeting of Bexar Audubon Society, Thursday,
January 19, 1995. Refreshments will be available at 7:00pm. Come early to socialize.
Free and open to the public. Call822-4503 for more information.
Location: Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia Street, San Antonio. Nearest free­way
exit is North St. Mary's, off High-way281.
Public Tra11sportation: VIA Route
5 (St. Mary's-McCullough-North Star
Mall) to Magnolia Street.
February 17 Meeting: Peggy
Prather.of Holistic Resource Manage­ment
of Texas, Inc. will 'lead us
through an understanding of the so­cial,
cultural, biological and physical
forces involved to bring together the
producers (owners) of the land with
the equations of the environment.
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It's 1995! New year, new challenges,
new frustrations, new friends and col­leagues,
renewed alliances, new suc­cesses
to celebrate, new commitments
to the future.
One again the topic for this letter
has been chosen with difficulty. As I
enjoyed the South Texas luxury of sit­ting
on my back porch watching birds
at the feeder and soaking up some win­ter
sun the day after Chrishnas, I mulled
over the changes h1 government and
the challenges fach1g us next year, both
here in Texas and in Washington.
Some say we risk losing the grom~d
won in twenty years of concentrated
effort to put environmental regulations
and protections in place to conserve the
elements of our natural world for future
generations and ourselves to appreciate
and enjoy.
Think Locally
Stop with me for a moment. Look
around you.
• Listen to the birds; think about
those here as migrants for the win-ter
or en route elsewhere. ·
• Look at the city skyline. Is there a
brown smudge on the horizon?
• Turn on your tap and appreciate
the dear, clean water we still enjoy.
• Think about the amom1t of pesti­cides
on your food today, and what
it could be. And if there had been no
reform, how a silent spring could
have become a death knell for us all.
Follow the Threads
Spend an hour thinking about
everything you have, everything you
do, a·nd everything you enjoy and ap­preciate
that you have-or have access
to-in its present quality or quantity,
directly because somebody cared
enough to sound the alarm and do
something to keep someone else from
destroying or degrading it.
Ask yourself how much conserva­tion
or protection would have occurred
were people simply encouraged to "do
the right thing."
Am I cynical? Perhaps. But some­times
the average citizen or the average
businessperson has no idea (as hard as
this may be to imagine) of the impact of
January 1995
BENEATH THE GAVEL
his or her behavior on the environment
or upon the rights of other citizens until
somebody points it out.
Then the choice to observe others'
rightS is weighed against personal bene­fit.
Do you have faith that most people
will consistently and reliably choose
their neighbor's health and safety over
their own profit or convenience?
Examine other countries and other
cultures. What have been the results of
their choices on environmental is­sues-
good and bad?
Evaluate the Arguments
There are people in positions of
power today who have the pote11tial to
make significant changes that affect our
lives, If we care about our future, how­ever,
and the integrity of our ecosys­tems,
we can, we must, and we will
challenge them.
Do you believe, as Congressman
Henry Bonilla says he does, that the
Endangered Species Act endangers hu­man
beings?
Do you believe that human beings
are in danger of extinction? If they are,
is it because of habitat destruction re­sulting
from other species' successes?
Or is it because we humans are rac­ing
headlong toward an uncertain fu­ture,
all the while fouling our own
nests? Is the danger to the pocket books
of the few, or the long-term health and
welfare of the many?
Quick Action Anticipated
Accordh1g to Liz Raisbeck, VP in the
NAS DC office, via an e-mail on 12/27,
the word is that there will be quick ac­tion
in Washington on a number of
items:
A budget rescission (read: repeal)
bill. This could have devastating impact
on programs we care about. It could
contain a provision for no funds for un­authorized
programs, such as the ESA,
SuperFund, Clean Water Act, etc.
Unfunded mandates bill. This is a
top priority in both houses. The goal is
to have it done by the end of January.
Very difficult to stop, but NAS will
lobby for a process bill, not a bill that
actually requires "no money, no man­date."
Rather it should require a cost
l
analysis and verification that it will not
put an m1due burden on state or local
governments.
Also, it absolutely should not apply
to the private sector, as some are pro­posing,
and it must not be a vehicle to
let the states off the hook on polluth1g.
They must be subject to the "polluter
pays" principle.
The Administration is rewriting its
FY '96 budget to include major reduc­tions
h1 programs. What programs will
the reductions affect? We don't know
yet, but the subcommittee chair for In­terior
Appropriations has been told his
allocation will be reduced by $1 billion.
- The Contract with America legisla­tion
will be split up and sent to various
committees. There is still negotiation
over that. Judiciary and Government
Operations will probably be very im­portant
to environmental issues. Our
concern is that the "Contract" not be
allowed to undo twenty years of efforts
for environmental protection in the U.S.
Whaf s in Store?
I have heard interesting reports
from Washh1gton.
Bonilla is reported to be chosen by
the Republican leadership to spearhead
a campaign to weaken the protections
of the Endangered Species Act.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is
said to co-chair an effort to reduce regu­latory
burdens.
Other Texans-Phil Gramm, Dick
Armey, Bill Archer, and Tom De­Lay-
none of whom are noted for their
environmental stewardship, are also h1
key positions in this Congress.
Contract Violations
What does NAS see as some of the
elements and potential impacts of the
Contract?
Parts of it are a war against the en­vironment
cleverly cloaked h1 happy
platitudes. Rather than protecting the
public, these elements will create a huge
financial burden wrapped in red tape.
Eliminating unfunded mandates
means every state and local govern­ment
that pollutes would not have to
comply with our federal laws m1less the
government paid 100 percent of the
Bexar Tracks
BENEATH THE GAVEL, continued
cost. (And how do you measure exactly
where those costs begin and end? Let
your imagination wander. You'll be sur­prised.)
Taxpayers would have to generate
billions of dollars to pay both state and
local governments and property own­,
ers for obeying the law. The administra­tive
burden would make it prohibitive
to govern. Protecting wildlife, air,
water, health, and public safety could
be entirely out of the question.
It would reverse the principle that
the polluter pays. In this cynical new
twist, unless the government pays pol­luters
not to pollute, they can claim a
"taking" of their private property.
Winners and Losers
Who benefits from the Contract?
We understand that Title IX would cre­ate
a massive new entitlement program
for land developers and resource indus­tries.
Powerful special interests who
want to eliminate the barriers of envi­ronmental
regulation would benefit.
Several titles require elaborate gov­ernment
analysis of the cost of regula­tion,
and analysis of the effect of every
regulation on property values, as well as
an analysis of the cost of every regula­tion
to a state or local government.
In addition it would require the
government to pay anyone whose
property values are diminished by 10
percent or more by a government regu­lation.
· This would include developers and
· resource industries, yes-but could also
include the property owner next door,
who is now restricted from engaging in
activities on his or her property that
could negatively impact your life and
your own investment.
Who will be hurt? Children, the eld­erly,
and those most vulnerable to pol­lution-
caused illnesses, as well as the
nation's wildlife and the habitat it de­pends
upon.
As alluded to above, millions of
homeowners will have no recourse
against the dangerous activities of their
neighbors when the prohibition of un­funded
mandates means the federal
government cannot require states ana
local govenunents to implement envi-
Bexar Tracks
ronmental standards, and the takings
provisions require governments to pay
property owners for obeying the law.
What Must We Do?
We ca1mot let our elected officials
believe that we do not care or that we
do not understand these implications.
We have looked beyond the surface of
these proposals. So, what must we do?
The following recommendations are
based on Raisbeck's communication:
• Demand that the Clinton Admini­stration-
the White House in par­ticular-
defend the environment.
• Lobby your senators and repre­sentative
(yes, I know. we have
Gramm and Hutchison, but they
must know that they have a con­stituency
that cares deeply about
the environment) to think about
what our country would be like to­day
if the legislation and regulation
they seek to unravel had not been
in place over the past twenty years.
It hasn't been perfect, b\[t there
have been results that have meant
positive protection for species, for
ecosystems, and for air and water,
health and safety.
• Look closely and intelligently at
propositions of the Contract andre­lated
legislative initiatives. Study
the financial and bureaucratic im­pacts
of these initiatives. Dig below
the surface and determine the long­term
and residual impacts of.these
proposals.
• Let local media know of your con­cerns.
Ask whether cutting govern­ment
waste should not include cut­tingsubsidies
to miners in the West,
grazing on public lands, water de­velopment
projects that also de­stroy
the environment, subsidies to
farmers to mine the land, sugar sub­sidies,
fuel subsidies, and tax poli­cies
that encourage the destruction
of natural resources-to name a
few.
Act Wherever You Reasonably
Can & Encourage Community
It will not be easy to stem the cur­rent
tide. Indeed, I believe that some of
the most important work over the next
several years will, of necessity, be done
at the grassroots level in our own com­munities.
We will be well served by spending
effort here at home to demonstrate
clearly that we care deeply about our
environment and are willing not only to
look to Washington or Austin.:lo )do
something about it, but to invest our
own sweat and elbow grease, our own
creativity, and our own resources to im­proving
and conserving our natural
bounty.
(That's one of the most wonderful
things about our "Natural Initiatives"
habitat project! It accomplishes exactly
this result.)
The Important Thing to
Remember
Remember why it matters. Ask
what the results may be if you do noth­ing,
then make that phone call, write
that letter, and talk to your friends.
Write to your Senators (Gramm and
Hutchison) at:
The Honorable __ , U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC 20510,
to your Congressman at:
The Honorable __ , U.S. House
of Representatives, Washington, DC
20515,
or call any of them at the U.S. Capi­tol
Switchboard at (202)224-3121.
To write the President, address
your letter to The Honorable Leon
Panetta, Chief of Staff to the President,
First Floor, West Wing, Executive Office
of the President, 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
Have a positive, fulfilling, whole­some,
and balanced 1995. Rejoice in na­ture.
Reinforce your· commihnent to a
future of sharing the earth, for in this is
love and health and life.
- Susa11 Hughes
It would reverse the principle
that the polluter pays. In this
cynical new twist, unless the
government pays polluters not
to pollute, they can claim a "tak­ing"
of their private property.
January 1995
Wildscape Gasses
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
wants to offer opportunities to the pub­lic
to learn more about wildscaping.
Through their Urban Fish & Wild­life
Program they are offering classes,
through local school districts, on
wildscaping and the critters it attracts.
Some of the courses will be free,
while others may have $2.00 fee to cover
lSD costs associated with them.
Almost all of the classes require reg­istration
by the end ofJanuary, so don't
delay. Call the schools for registration
information.
Here's a list:
Northside ISD 522-8100
2/08 Wildscaping: The Basics
2/14 Bird Watching: Beginners
2/18 A Focus on Native Plants
3/08 Wildscaping: The Basics
3/18 Nestbox Design & Placement
4/05 Wildscaping: The Basics
4/13 Hummingbirds & Butterflies
5/03 Wildscaping: The Basics
5/09 Water & Pond Building
South Salt A11to11io ISD 927-1160
2/21 Nestbox Design & Placement
3/14 A Focus on Native Plants
4/18 Wildscaping: The Basics
4/27 Water & Pond Building
5/16 Wildscaping: The Basics
South West ISD 622-9908
3/28 Wildscaping: The Basics
. Questions? Call Judit Gowen,
TPWD Urban Biologist, 349-2174.
Earth Day Calendar
The San Antonio Earth Day Com­mittee
has announced that attractive
1995 Earth Day Calendars can be pur­chased
at the Witte Museum, the
McNay Art Museum, Bookstop, Body
Shop, Kathleen Sommers, Booksmiths,
The Twig, and Whole Foods Market.
The cost is $12.95. A portion of tl1e
proceeds will benefit both Earth Day
USA and the local Earth Day Celebra­tion
(of which Bexar Audubon Society is
a primary sponsor).
January 1995
LOCAL NEWS
Bike Trail Meeting
Twenty years from now, what will
our community be like for bicycling?
Why isn't San Antonio more bike­friendly
today?
How can the Bicycle Mobility Plan
make our town a great place for cyclists?
The last public meeting for com­ments
on the San Antonio/Bexar
County Bicycle Mobility Plan will be
held by the Metropolitan Planning Or­ganization
on Tuesday, January 10,
1995, at 7pm, in the River Room, Valero
Energy Building, 530 McCullough.
CPB/NPR on Hit list
High on the cut list of the 104th
Congress are public TV and radio. Not
content to target funding in future
budgets, Newt's hatchetmen have
promised to cut funding already ap­proved
for this year. Considering the
minimal amount of money involved,
one has to suspect a vendetta.
If you like KSTX and KPAC, your
public radio stations, or KLRN, your
public television station, call or write
your Senators and Representatives (see
Susan Hughes' article on page 3 for ad­dresses
and phone numbers).
BAS Video Library
BAS maintains a library of video
tapes (VHS) for loan to members, teach­ers,
and community groups. We've
added 20 or more titles this year, includ­ing
National Geographic and World of
Audubon programs.
For a list of videos, or to arrange to
borrow one, contact Betty Minyard,
Education chair, at 344-6128.
(PS: If you have borrowed one of
our video tapes and failed to return it,
what better time than now?)
4
I 04th Congress
Directories of the 104th Congress,
complete with photos (wow!), ad­dresses
and phone numbers, names of
key aides, committee assignments, etc.,
will be available to us for $10 each early
in 1995.
It will be a valuable aid in our letter­writing
efforts throughout the year.
If you'd like one, call Susan Hughes
(532-2332) by January 20.
Thanks
Special thanks this month to Bill
Sain, Walter Barfield, Anita Reeves,
Claire Drenowatz, Tatjana Terauds, and
Susan Hughes for their labeling and col­lating
efforts in getting the December
newsletter mailed.
Bexar Tracks is mailed to more than
1,400 members each month, and this
group of volunteers transfonned a task
of several hours into two delightful
hours of conversation and laughter and
got the newsletter ready for mailing in
the process.
If you are interested in joining a
convivial group for conversation,
laughter, plus an introduction to the
mysteries of bulk mailing, oill Harriet
Wiygul. New faces are always welcome.
Thanks also to Dan Davis, whom
we don't mention nearly often enough,
for managing a large mailing list (some­times
with the additional complication
of confusing information from NAS's
contract data service) and getting the
labels to us in time; and to Kristy Davjs,
who makes sure they get from New
Braunfels to San Antonio.
And finally, thanks to those who
contributed to the success of the holiday
slide show and eating extravaganza.
The slides were a special treat, rang­ing
from Trinidad's exotic birds to na­tive
plants to spectacular shots of cranes
in flight to astonishing views of autum­nal
Alaskan skies.
The food was delicious and rich,
just what you would expect from a
bunch of decadent Americans. Thanks
to all who contributed tasty treats.
-Harriet Wiygul
Bexar Tracks
Cranefest 19 5
Recognized naturalist John Karges
will be a featured guest during Big
Spring's Third Annual Cranefest,
scheduled for February 3 and 4.
A presentation by West Texas bird­ing
experts will be provided at the bail­quet
on Friday night. Saturday you can
take guided birdwatching tours of Big
Spring State Park, Comanche Trail Park,
and surrounding areas.
There will be a program by Last .
Chance Forever, the Birds of Prey Con­servancy
of San Antonio. They special­ize
in rehabilitating sick or il-l jured birds
of prey and returning them to the wild.
They will bring hawks, owls, falcons,
eagles, and vultures (a couple species of
each) and allow them to fly.
For more information, contact the
Big Spring Chamber of Commerce at
915-263-7641 or Pat Simmons, Event Co- ·
ordinator, at 915-263-4607.
CON CAUSA
On December 10, the United States
signed a joh1t agreement with seven
Central American counties (Panama,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize),
which establishes a fra1~nework to ad­dress
environmental issues.
Called CONCA USA, the agreement
calls for cooperative actions aimed
withh1 Central America to conserve and
use sustah1ably Central America's biodi­versity.
CONCAUSA's progress will be
monitored annually.
- E11viromrnmtal Policy Update
(Compiled from the Daily
E11viro11me11t Report, Bureau of
· Natio11al Affairs, Washi11gtm!, DC)
Bexar T n1cks
. LOCAL NEWS
A Note from a Friend
Well, we had an air hwersion last week. Not a cloud in the sky, but you couldn't
see the mountains. And what was the topic on the local radio talk show? "The nasty
EPA wants us to -spend our good money on tests we don't need because there is
nothing wrong with our air. Those idiots in Wasl~ngton don't know anything."
Meanwhile, we have one of the highest incidents of cancer in the country. And
, asthma is _extremely common. Ask anyone in Blair County, Pa., if he or she had a
sums h1fection or bronchitis last winter. Most will answer yes. But that's nonnal.
Never mind that a $25 test of car emissions is cheaper than one visit to the doctor.
-Paula Ford 12/26/94 ·
Addenda from ye ed: Chicago also had a serious air inversion, carbon inonoxide
detectors were goh1g off all over town, thousands of them, and people were calling
the fire deparhnent, which, of course, was going nuts.
So the officialdom issued a plea not to call the fire deparhnent about carbon
monoxide. And they castigated the makers of the most popular CO detector
because, "they were too sensitive." That's right, blame the canary.
·Bexar Audubon Election lime
Below is the slate of officers pre­sented
by the BAS Nomiitating Com­mittee.
The election will occur at the
BAS General Meeting, Thursday, Janu-.
ary 19, at 7:30 pm. Please be there to
make your interest~ and teoncerns
known, and to take an active role in the
future of BAS.
If you cannot attend the meeting,
but wish to vote by mail ballo~, please
mark and cut out the ballot' and mail it
in time to be received by January 18.
You are encouraged to write h1 your
own candidates for any position. Write­in
candidates must be current members
of BAS. Ballots with write-ins must be
accompanied by a statement signed by
the candidate indicating willingness to
serve if elected.
Your name and address as it ap­pears
on your newsletter label must be
clearly marked on the outside of your
mailing envelope in order to validate
your vote. However, to protect your pri­vacy,
it does not have to appear on the
ballot itself. If you wish, you may en­close
your ballot Jn another envelope
inside your mailing envelope.
(Editor's note: My apologies to the can­didates
I hounded for their bios, and who
turned them in. Since I did not receive all of
them, 1 felt it best not to print any. )
Mail Ballot to: BAS Teller, PO Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209
President
<
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
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Circle proposed candidates or write in y011r own:
Susan Hughes
(write in)-------,---------­Harriet
Wiygul
(write in) ----'-------''---------­Anita
Reeves
(write in) ---------------­Bill
Sain
(write iJ1) ---------------­Patty
L. Pasztor
(write in) ---------------­Richard
L. Pipes
(write in)---'-----'---------­Bill
Woller
(write in) --------------,--­Claire
Drenowatz
(write in)
January 1995
"Contract with America"
Takings Provision Threatens
Taxpayers, Homeowners, and
Public Safety and Health
In September, Republican repre­sentatives
and candidates led by Newt
Gingrich (R-GA) issued the Contract
with America, a 10-point program out­lining
their goals for the 104th Congress.
One element of, this program, the
deceptively-titled "Job Creation and
Wage Enhancement Act," includes a
proposal-Title IX. Private Property
Rights Protections and Compensa­tion-
which would radically redefine
traditional American property rights.
Leaders of the 104th Congress have
vowed to have a vote on this and other
elements of the Contract within 100
days of the opening day of the new
Congress on January 4th.
Title IX is a budget ,buster which
would add tens-if not hundreds-of
billions of dollars in expenses to the fed­eral
budget.
Title IX would create a massive new
entitlement program for the benefit of
big business interests, at the expense of
the average Americans, including the 65
million homeowners whose property
values would go down, and whose
taxes would go up, if it were adopted.
Title IX would destroy well-estab­lished,
widely-supported public health,
safety, and environmental protections
that benefit all Americans, and would
cause serious new health and environ­mental
problems for millions of citizens.
The Proposed Bill
Title IX would grant some property
owners the right to public payments" for
... this type of legislation would
"write into law the dubious prin­ciple
that the government must
pay polluters not to pollute, pay
property owners not to harm
their neighbors or the public,
and pqy companies not to dam-age
the health, safety, or welfare
of others."
January 1995
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
any reduction in the value of property"
arising from a limitation on an other­wise
lawful use of property which is
"measurable but not negligible." The bill
defines any "reduction" in value of 10
percent or more as "not negligible."
Stated differently, the bill would re­quire
taxpayers to pay whenever a public
health or safety law meant that a com­pany's
profits would be 10 percent less
than they would be if the company
could simply ignore the law.
The proposed bill would allow a
property owner to file an administrative
claim for payment from the federal gov­ernment.
If a property owner rejected a
federal agency's offer of payment, he
could demand binding arbitration.
In addition, upon receipt of a re­quest
for payment, an agency would be
required to suspend its regulatory ac­tion.
In other words, for the cost of 29-
cent stamp, any company or individual
that objected to a regulation could block
its enforcement by filing a claim under
tl1e Act.
Analysis
!itle IX represents a radical depar­ture
from the compensation standard
for actual "takings" of private property
under the Fifth Amendment to the Con­stitution.
The Fiftl1 Amendment guar­antees
that private property shall not be
"taken" for public use without "just
compensation."
The courts have ruled that a "tak­ing''
claim must be decided based on a
careful evaluation of a regulation's eco­nomic
impact on the property owner,
the character of the regulation, the
owner's reasonable expectations at time
of purchase, and whether the regula­tion
helps protect neighboring property
owners and the community as a whole.
Under these standards, even some
regulations witl1 modest economic ef­fects
can result in a constitutional tak­ing;
on the other hand, very stringent
restrictions will not result in a taking if
the regulation protects other important
private or public values.
In contrast to the careful, balanced
analysis required under the Constitu­tion,
Title IX would focus solely on the
6
regulation's economic impact and re­quire
the public to pay in a great many
circumstances when no "just compen­sation"
is due under the Constitution.
On its face, Title IX would impose
an enormous new burden on the fed­eral
taxpayer. Businesses subject to pub­lic
regulation would receive a massive
windfall at the expense of every other
American.
The Congressional Budget Office
estimated that a "property rights" bill
defeated in the last Congress-which
would have redefined property inter­ests
regulated under the Clean Water
Act-would have cost upwards of $10
billion. Conservatively, it is fair to con­clude
that the Contract bill would im­pose
hundreds of billions of new costs
on Federal taxpayers.
Title IX is based on the extreme phi­losophy
that citizens and their elected
representatives have no role in regulat­ing
private property to protect neigh­boring
property owners, the conunu­nity,
the natural environment, or future
generations.
As a group of State Attorneys Gen­eral
recently wrote in a letter to Con­gress,
this type of legislation would
"write into law the dubious principle
that the govemmentmustpaypolluters
not to pollute, pay property owners not
to harm their neighbors or the public,
and pay companies not to damage the
health, safety, or welfare of others."
Contrary to the label attached to it,
tl1is bill would actually undermine the
property rights of most Americans.
Zoning laws, environmental regula­tions,
and restrictions on the siting of
new industry protect the property val­ues
of the 65 million American home­owners.
The value of a family's home is
largely dependent on the health and
attractiveness of the surrounding com­munity.
If the enforcement of basic laws
that homeowners rely on to protect
their property values were saddled
with enormous new costs, homeowners
would see property values go down.
By contrast, the handful of wealthy
corporations and individuals who own
- cotttittued next page
Bexar Tracks
the bill would require taxpayers
to pay whenever a public health ·
or safety law meant that a com­pany's
profits would be 10 per­cent
less than they would be .if
the company could simply ig-nore
the law.
- CWA, continued
the lion's share of undeveloped land in
this country would benefit handsomely
from the Act.
The Practical Implications
Title IX would destroy or impair a
wide variety of protections which
Americans now enjoy. For example:
• A developer could claim a right to
payment if he were required to
avoid developing 15 acres of wet­lands
out of a parcel of 100 acres,
even when the wetland filling
would contribute to flooding of
downstream properties.
• An agribusiness operator co~ld de­mand
payment if it were banned
from using a dangerous pesticide
and its crop yield declined.
• A timber company would have to
be paid not to destroy critical habi~
tat for an· endangered species, re­gardless
of whether it could still
earn a reasonable return from tim­bering
other portions of the land.
It is imperative that you let your
congressional representatives know
that you find this bill unacceptable.(See
Susan Hughes' article on pages 2 and 3 for
addresses and phone numbers.)
For further information on this and
other takings is~ues, contact me or
Sharon Dennis at (202) 547-9009.
.:John Echeverria
NAS Geueral CoultSel
Oimate Note
Earth relies on the sun for all its heat
and light. As a matter of fact, if the
amount of sunlight that reaches the
e~rth was cut by 10%, the earth would
become so cold its oceans would be­come
ice and all life would die.
Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ,
Confused by "Wise Use" Movement Rhetoric?
' Here•s a Handy Decoder
What They Say What They Really Mea11
Wise use of our natural
resources
Lockup of our natural re­sources
Decadent, over-n_1ature
forest
Healthy and thrifty forest
The range lands of the
West are in better condi­tion
today than in my
grandpa's time.
The war against the West
Easterners
Socialists/communists
Environmental terrorism
Those people who think
animals are more impor­tant
than people
Hippies on food stainps
who don't know what it
means to work
, Playgrou~d for Eastern­ers
Enviro~1mental terrorism
A working river
Maybe, like the dino­saurs,
it's a species that
just can't adapt.
Species that can adapt
They're trying to take
my property.
7
Any 'extractive use of natural products, especially if ·
the extraction makes lots of noise, uses motors, or
goes "tnoo"
Reliance on nature's ways. Use of the natural environ­ment
without obvious human modification or degra­dation.
An an~ient forest (old-growth) with a balance of
young, old and dead trees
A tree farm
Things are better than duringtl1e dust bowl days.
The battle within the west over reform Of public land
use.
Anyone, anywhere, i(l the United States who lives in
a town with more than a couple thousand people
People who want to reduce government subsidies to
western mining,logging'and grazing
Lawful appeal of a timber sale or filing a lawsuit
Those who think that people who like animals other
than livestock should have their wishes considered
too.
Environmentalists
Any place in the Western United States used for
· recreation by folks from outside the county.
Lawful appeal of a timber sale, or filing of any lawsuit
to enforce environmental regulations
A river with its entire flow committed to irrigation, or
alternatively, a stream that has been rendered fishless
due to pollution ,
- Tom Gray, Mo11ta11a (from I11ternet)
The species in question can't leap over dams, thrive
on freeways, or make a living in a cow pasture.
Livestock
I have a scheme that will h!lnn you/your property and
I don't want any government regulations tostop me.
- Adde11da by Richard Luehrs, De11ver
January 1995
[
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Needed: A New Messenger Rush Was Wrong
Many of the international and na- If so, where do we go from here? New satellite data provide condu-tional
environmental organiza~ions One way is to reflect on our begin- sive evidence that annual ozone holes
shellshocked by the recent elections, nings and to return to our roots. In over the South Pole are caused by chlo-
;; which appear to deprive the environ- those days, we believed-and sub- rine from industrial chemicalsJ not from
mental movement of its once-consider- sequent successes proved-that effec- naturally-occurring sources, NASA sci-able
political clout, must now analyze tive campaigns can be waged and won entists said on December 19.
the new political landscape and chart a from the hinterlands of America. Previous measurements have con-new
and probably very different course Through local and regional con.fed- vinced most scientists that the ozone
from the past. erations of common-interests groups, destruction is caused by chain chemical
As a movement, it is time to look we can collectively resist-by a number reactions involving chlorine. But the
back in order to discern our right turns of legal means-the expected legisla- source of the culprit, chlorine, has re-from
our wrong turns in the last two tive offensive against existing environ- mained somewhat controversial.
decades, and to use the past to gain new mental laws and regulations. A treaty was ratified in 1987 to
perspective on where we go from here. The most crucial element of any gradually eliminate worldwide produc-
The overall map of the environ- progressive movement is a local press tion of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs,
mental movement can be deceiving in that passionately supports concepts the chemicals believed responsible for
that there are the big green outfits (Si- such as environmental equity and jus- the destruction of the ozone layer.
erra Club, Audubon, Wilderness Sod- tice, sustainable development, and bio- But some scientists and political
ety, National Wildlife Federation, etc.), logical diversity and is not afraid to do conservatives have argued that chlorine
sustained by a membership of largely- some radical reporting. in the stratosphere might come from
inactive white-middle-class types, and The local press must be convinced volcanoes.
flanked by neo-liberallitigation-driven that it is in the interests of the conunu- Talk-show host Rush Limbaugh
(lawyer types) organizations like the nity for the media to name local corpo- has said that talk of ozone depletion by
Environmental Defense Fund, Legal rate environmental sinners, call the CFCs is a "hoax."
Defense Fund, and the Natural Re- bluff of political figures on environ- But NASA scientist Mark Schoeberl
sources Defense Council, with no sig- mental sellouts, and provide concise and others said that the latest data col-nificant
popular support base. analysis of controversial issues for local lected by satellite convince them that
Then there are the "out-there" consumption. about five-sixths of the ozone-destroy-grass-
rqots and militant groups ranging Another str<!tegy involves the use ing chlorine in the stratosphere comes
from Earth Firsters to Save America's of litigation or'the threat of litigation from CFCs.
Forests inside the Beltway. The "out where health, safety, and discrin1ina- The conclusive finding, they said,
there" group may seem diminutive tion (environmental justice) are signifi- was the presence of fluorine, the
compared to the enviro nationals and cant elements of an issue. It may even "fluoro" part of the CFC molecule, in
internationals, but it is where the near be possible to eventually gain a legal amounts that correspond to chlorine in
and mid-term future of environmental- status for such concepts as biological the atmosphere.
ism in America will be determined. diversity, resource-lin1its analysis, eco- "There is no natural source of fluo-
For the last three decades main- system protection, and environmental rine," Schoeberl said.
stream environmentalism has been equity. Anne Douglass, deputy project sci-closely
allied with the Democratic Party. "Overall, the core strategy for local entist of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Re-
While this has produced a mixed bag of and regional common-interest groups search Satellite program says "This nails
successes and failures, the grass-roots is to provide a practical plan that can it. There is no other possibility."
membership of the large green organi- utilize the pent-up sense of alienation Schoeberl said that the amount of
zations has felt increasingly left out of and powerless1ess that many people CFCs in the atmosphere has stopped
the process of national policy planning feel." (The Nation, December 19, 1994) increasing, but that the chemical has a
and decision making (e.g. Audubon's This whole story can be summed long lifetime.
recent problems at the national level). up in the findings of a recent poll con- As a result, he said, the global ozone
Recent capitulations by the Clinton ducted by American Forests magazine, layer will continue to be affected until
administration on a number of environ- which showed that "timber interest sci- at least 2020, ·when the CFCs are ex-mental
issues, combined with the shock entists" are now more trusted by people pected to return to 1979 levels.
of the November elections, make many in the Northwest than environmental- The ozone problem will correct it-environmentalists
wonder if we've ists. But 48% of the same people also self, said Schoeberl,"''if we stick to what
reached the limits of the legislative sys- support an end to all logging in the we plan" in the world-wide reduction
tem in tepns of protecting the environ- public forests. of CFC use and production. \
ment in the near future. -Richard L Pipes -Austill America11 Statesma11, 12/20
January 199$ s Bexar Tracks
' ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
NAS Strategic Planning
As we approach the year's end, I
would like to report on both the status
of NAS and the strategic planning proc- ·
ess in which we are presently engaged.
On 14 November 1994, the NAS
Board of Directors met in Ft. Myers, FL.
The meeting included a report on the
finances of the organization, and a brief­ing
on the strategic planning process.
The membership of NAS has recov­ered
to approximately 550,000, but I
question whether the most recent cam­paigns
($20 and a backpack) are to be
credited with this membership rise.
Have we replaced long-term $35
members with $20 magazine subscrib­ers
who will be seduced away by the
next glossy publication to hit the racks?
Encouragingly, the projected
budget deficit has diminished from $1.8
million to $500,000, mainly due to the
recovery of memberships. However, we
still face a shortfall next year, and fur­ther
scaling back may be necessary
without additional revenue increases.
Chairman Donal O'Brien intro­duced
the consultants who have been
chosen to direct the strategic planning
process-McKinsey & Company. Jack
Dempsey of the finn presented a de­tailed
discussion of the proposed proc­ess.
McKinsey will oversee the process
through completion, and have offered
their services pro bono.
The planning process will proceed
in phases, with NAS presently in the
initial phase zero. During phase zero,
members, chapters, councils and all in­terested
parties are being asked to com­municate
concerns, suggestions~ or is­sues
that need to be considered to the
following:
In the NY office, Vicky Shaw,
(NAS), or Martha Blue (McKinsey), 700
Broadway, NY, NY 10003; phone 212-
979-3094, fax 800-636-4443, Internet
p lanning@aud ubon.org).
Chairman O'Brien and Cindy
Dunn will co-chair the strategic plan­ning
process on behalf of tl1e Board.
Phase zero may well be the most
important step in the planning process;
it will enable the organization and con-
Bexar Tracks
sultants to summarize lhe major issues
and problems that need to be ad­dressed.
If you wish to contribute to this
critically important proceeding, then
please forward your comments and rec­ommendations
as soon as possible.
If you wish, please send me a copy
ofyourcommentsso that I may develop
a feel for how the region would like to
see Audubon transfom1ed.
In addition to compiling comments
and recommendations, McKinsey will
be conducting interviews and focus­group
discussiohs throughout the
country.
NAS and McKinsey also conducted
a strategic planning session at the con­vention.
The following questions were
considered by six break-out groups, and
the recommendations were compiled
and distributed by the end of the con­vention.
I would like everyone in the region
to have the opportunity to respond to
these same questions, so please reply to
the following and send your recom­mendations
to me as soon as possible:
1. What is NAS's "Unique Value"
proposition? What does Audubon do
best? How does that differ from other
national or local organizations?
2. What should be Audubon's ma­jor
roles and priorities? The three most
important roles; three least important?
3. What is the realistic develop­ment/
fund-raising outlook for
Audubon and its chapters? Can we raise
significantly more money? If so, from
whom and how?
4. What are the four or five major
activities by which Audubon should
carry out its mission? How do they
work today? How can they be im­proved?
5. What services can/should the na­tional
organization supply to the·chap­ters/
regions? What role(s) should there­gions
play and what services should
they provide to chapters?
6. How can cooperation and team­work
be improved between the chap­ters
and the national organization (list
five or six specific ideas)?
9
War Against the Greens
Death threats, dog killings, shoot­ings,
arsons, rape, bombings and as­saults
have become the price many en­vironnl.
entalists are having to pay for
speaking out in defense of the earth,
according to a newbook, The War
Against the Greens (512 pp. Sierra. $25).
In The War Against the Greens author
David Helvarg, an award-winningjour­.
nalist and private investigator, travels
across America to document how anti­environmental
violence, designed to si­lence
or intimidate" tree-huggers" in ru­ral
and low-income communities, is one
of a range of tactics being used by a
small but militant cadre of anti- envi­ronmental
organizers who call them­selves'
either "Wise Use" or "Property
Rights" activists.
"These extremists have projected
fear into the political process," the book
quotes Chuck Clarke, former director of
Washington State's Department of
Ecology, now a regional director for
EPA. "A few hundred people with a
canned speech and canned concerns
can have an impact."
"Helvarg demolishes the fiction
that anti-environmentalism is a grass­roots
movement by demonstrating its
massive corporate underpinnings. This
powerful investigative reporting
should find wide readership," says Pub­lishers
Weekly.
Kirkus Review agrees: "His investi­gation
reveals that Wise Use/Property
Rights activists are few in number and
need to resort to intimidation and vio­lence
to be effective in local confronta­tions
.... A thought-provoking and
timely expose." .
Before the next NAS Board meeting
in March, we should have ample time
and opportunity to discuss these mat­ters.
I thank each of you for your con­tinued
interest and support.
- Ted lee Eubanks
Regionally-elected Director,
Southwest Regio11
3400 Bissomtet, Suite 268
Houston, TX 77005
. 713-666-2669 fax 713-666-1963
January 1995
BIRD TALES
Murphy Was a Birder
"Whatever can go wrong, will."
Murphy's Law. As profound as Ein­stein's
equations, as fundamental a
shaper of our personal lives as the laws
of the physics are of the universe.
Immutable, unshakeable, undeni­able,
incontrovertible. Ask anyone who
has ever tried to plan a yacation, re­model
a house, fix plumbing, grow a
garden, raise a child, find a life bird ...
"Find a life bird?" Murphy's law
appies to birding?
Of course it does, as surely as grav­ity
keeps your boots on the ground.
And, like gravity, you take it for
granted, rarely think about it. But Mur­phy's
is always there affecting your ac­tions,
confounding your plans, a per-petual
monkey on your back. .
In our combined experience of over
60 years of birding, the authors have
deduced some of the many implications
and corollaries of Murphy's Law as they
apply to those who pursue the feath­ered
folk with binocular and camera.
What follows cannot purport to be
a complete enumeration of all the
glitches and nuances inherent in such a
powerful principle, but it is a start. .
Like all such universal truths, Mur­phy's
Laws of Birding are things you
knew already, but just did not think
about-or tried not to think about. We
are sure all birders, whether novices or
hardened veterans, can add their own
insights to these natural and exasperat­ing
phenomena.
Herewith, then are Murphy's Laws
of Birding and Bird Photography. They
are as binding on the participants in the
sport as the laws of relativity are bind­ing
on space, time, matter, energy--Or
standing knee-deep in a swamp, for
that matter.
January 1995
Murphy's First Law of Optics
Birds always disappear in that split
second when you take your eyes off
them to raise your binoculars.
Corollary #1 (The Diver Dilemma).
Loons, grebes, and alcids always
dive when it's your turn at the scope.
They surface beyond the scope's range.
Murphy's Law of Motio11
A moving bird tends to remain in
motion in a straight and predictable
line~until you try to focus your binocu­lars
on it.
Murphy's Law of Attractio11
When you squeak or pish to bring in
an unknown bird, all other birds in the
neighborhood come to the call-but the
object of your attention splits.
Corollary #1: (Like Begets Like).
When the life owl you need finally
responds to your tape, it's another
birder with the same tape.
Murphy's Law of Listi11g
That "staked" bird that everyone
says you can't miss-you will.
Pri11ciple of Photographic Frustratio11
A bird will wait patiently for you to
set up your camera and tripod, attach
the lens, and get focused-then leave
just as you take "fhe picture.
Murphy's Law of Prepared11ess
Birds are the most cooperative
~hen you have left your camera and
long lens in the car.
Addendum #1:
The degree of the bird's coopera­tion
increases in direct proportion to the
distance you are from the car.
Prillciple of Delayed Cooperatio11
A bird will strike its best pose just
after you have run out of film.
Murphy's Law of Lighti11g
The sun always goes behind a
clouds just when you are ready to trip
the shutter.
Murphy's Law of Daylight
The most photogenic birds assem­ble
in front of your camera just as the
light level falls below the ASA rating of
your film.
-Eric V. ]oht~so11, Laurie vo11 He11dy,
Martha ]a11e Arnold, a11d Gary Guliasi,
from WildBird, March 1989
10
Flamingo Watch
In an unprecedented World of
Audubon special, millions of flamingos
will soar through the African skies and
across your television screen live, when
National Audubon Society Produc­tions,
TBS Superstation and the BBC
Natural History Unit join forces to bring
you a unique, real-time broadcast of the
world's most beautiful, fascinating and
graceful airborne wildlife spectacle.
Using satellite technology,
Audubon, TBS and the BBC will trans­mit
one of the world's most resplendent
African wildlife spectacles to classrooms
and homes throughout the US and
Great Britain. As three million flamin­gos
converge at their feeding grounds,
World of Audubon will be there.
Nineteen cameras will cover the
fifty miles of Kenya's Great Rift Valley
to photograph the three feeding
grounds of the flamingos, Lake Bogoria,
Lake Nakuru, and Lake Elementeita.
Flami11goWatch, airing Sunday,
February 5 at lOpm (ET) on TBS Super­station,
will enable millions of viewers
to witness this phenomenal natural
event live, as it's happening.
Before the premiere of Flamill­goWatch,
from February 1-3, Turner
Educational Services, Inc., in conjunc­tion
with Audubon Adventures, offers
a live, interactive tluee-day electronic
field trip for schoolchildren as part of
the Turner Adventure Learning series.
As live flamingo images are trans­mitted
into classrooms across the coun­try,
students will be able to conduct an
Internet dialogue with a team of wild­life
experts assembled by the National
Audubon Society.
This Internet exchange will provide
students with an opportunity to learn
about birds and wildlife in the region, as
well as about the history and culture of
Kenya, the unique geologicalfeatures of
the East African Rift Valley and conser­vation
efforts in the National Park.
Schools interested in the Flamilt­goWatch
electronic field trip and In­ternet
dialogue are encouraged to call
800-344-6219 to involve their schools in
this unique wildlife event.
Bexar Trades
~
l
l
BIRD TALES
A Fable for the Gull-ible Haiku
I had the opportunity to buy into a
Western Japanese market downtown
along the Gullf. Profits were Lesser,
they were no longer in the Black, debts
were Backed up, and they were
anGray Headed for bank­rupcy.
I felt Greater sales ~-..;,_:'"~"'
could put it Backed in the
Black and keep it from going
Bellied up. ~~;;:=;~
I had been Sabine ~
up and finally had al- ~-""
most enough Silver. My • A
Hartlaub-ered at the thought of becom­ing
a moGull in business, and I was all
a Glau-cous of the possibility, although­!
had a lump in my Gull-et. I was sure
this was a Domain-l-ean succeed at and
I had to RingBill to ask for his Kelp.
Although he can be Gullible, was
I-vory concerned that he cRoss's each
bridge as he comes to it? You bet. He's
a Relict and a Little deaf so I had to
Yellow ver and over that I Footed the
bill for the call, and loud enough to
make the Kittiwake and Mew.
When he answered I had to Thay"er
you hard of Herring? Can't you Heer-
Falcon Update
Effective October 5, 1994, the US
Fish and Wildlife Service has removed
the Arctic peregrine falcon from the en­dangered
species list. The species has
shown evidence of recovery, due to a
decr~ase in levels of certain pesticides in
the environment.
The population will continue to be
monitored for at least five years follow­ing
the delisting, to ensure that species
populations remain_ stable.
Bexar Tracks
man? Franklin, why don't you stop
Laughing and Kum-lien the couch,
drink a Scoursby's (Common in my re­frigerator),
and we'll shoot the Buller
something? I had to Cal-if-ornia
to get your opinion, but I don't
want to haGull. Ande-an
Simeon are both interested, but
Ol'Rog couldn't clear his Slat-y
backed out feeling
\"HJP. #A.. Gullty, and I would
,~ Lava have you. You
-~ ~don't want Temminck­ing
on the dotted line without you."
I could picture Hempriching up his
ears. In my iMagellanation it sounded
like he Gullped and was about to Bel­cher
something.
Then I was interrupted by my
Dusky Gray cat1 all Sooty and 'Black­headed
from playing in Aden, tearing
my dog's Bonaparte with its pAu douin
the damage, and my dog running in
circles trying to Swallow his Tail. My
drink spilled with lceland-ing on the
floor and my baGull ending on my lap.
-Rich Armstro11g, Austitt
Via l11temet
Ghost geese calling out,
Unseen in white and blurred blue;
Sound without substance.
-Richard Luehrs
Dettver Audubo11er
Wanted
Contributors of stories about bird­ing
trips, or the birds in your yard, or
poetry, or ...
I'm sure we have many chapter
members who have had experiences
others would enjoy reading about.
. It's easy to get a story to us. Mail it
to the BAS post office box, or fax it to me
at 599-3545, or email it to me via Com­puServe
73232,506.
A Place to Start
Beginners Bird Walk by San Antonio Audubon Society at the Judson Nature
Trails area next to Alamo Heights swimming pool, on the second Saturday of every
month, at 8 am, is the place to get started in birding.
It is useful to have a little skill at using binoculars, but many local birds can be
identified without them.
Geo~gina Schwartz (342-2073) and others from SAAS offer this outing to
anyone interested. You don't have to be a member.
The different habitats represented ill the nearby Ohnos Basin area offer an
opportunity to find up to thit:ty species in an atmosphere of relaxed learning and
instant verification, which makes it fun. It usually takes around three hours to cover
the territory, if we find enough birds, but you can leave whenever you wish.
Come and get ready for next year's Christmas Bird Count. Other outings are
open, too. Call the SAAS tape at 733-8306 for more information.
- Georgi11a Schwartz, SAAS
(Editor's note: Yes, there is another Audubon group in San Antonio. SAAS is
the elder, but is not a chapter of National Audubon-it's an associate, which would
take too much space to explain here. Suffic~ to say we'r~ glad to have their
invitation! My thanks to Georgina for letting us know we'd let this opportunity slip
off the calendar.)
(Second editor's note: There was a nice write-up of SAAS's Chrishnas Bird
Count in The Northeast Sun, one of the San Antonio Express-News' area newspapers,
on December 28. If you haven't given your paper to the. recyclers yet, you might
want to look it up.)
II January 1995
WINTER PlANNING CALENDAR
* Bexar Audubon Event
§ More Information Inside
TCP Texas Conservation Passport or fee
JANUARY
7 First Saturday, 9-1 I. General guided
history hike in Friedrich Wilderness
Park, free. 698-1057 for reserva­tions.
7/28 Every Saturday, lower Edwards Pla­teau
Ecosystem Tour, 9- I I, Honey
Creek SNA (fCP). leisurely 2-mile
walk: interpretation of cultural and
environmental history of the hill coun­try,
and a little geology and botany.
I 0§ last public meeting for comments on
the San Antonio/Bexar County Bicy­cle
Mobility Plan, Metropolitan Plan­ning
Organization, 7:00pm, River .
Room, Valero Energy Building, 530
McCullough. Avenue
12:j: BAS Board Meeting, 7pm.
14:j: Second Saturday, 9- I I. Walk with ur­ban
forester Mark Peterson of Texas
Forest Service and explore Friedrich
Park in its winter splendor. Free.
698-105 7 for reservations.
I 4 Guadalupe River SP. Flintknapping
workshop for interested beginners, l-
4pm, at Amphitheater, weather per­mitting.
Call210-935-4012, enter.
I 5 on voicemail to find out. Instruc­tor
Allan Bettis.
I 4§ Second Saturday Beginners Bird .
Walk, San Antonio ..Xudubon Society,
Judson Nature Trails, next to Alamo
Heights swimming pool. Free, open
to anyone. 8-1 I . Georgina
Schwartz, 342-2073 for more info.
19:j: BAS General Meeting. Dr. Woody
Saunders, Trinity University Urban
Studies Department.
2 I §:j: Audubon Weekend, Houston
OFFICERS AND BOARD
24 Native Plant Society of Texas;
speaker Elizabeth Hughes, Education
Coordinator, SA Botanical Gardens.
Choosing, growing, and propagating
ferns in South Texas. lions Field Club­house,
2809 Broadway. 21 0-6~ 1-
6543 for info.
26/27 Water for Texas: Research leads the
Way, a conference focusing on the
contributions research plays in solv­ing
complex water problems facing
Texas. Driskill Hotel, Austin. For
more information, call Texas Water
Resources Institute, 409-845-1 851,
fax 409-845-8554.
28/29 Texas Endangered Species Sympo­sium,
Glen Rose. 817-897-2960 for
more information.
FEBRUARY
3/4§ Third Annual Cranefest, Big Spring.
Chamber of Commerce, 915-263-
7641, or Pat Simmons, 915-263-
4607 for more info.
4 First Saturday, 9- I I. Guided general
natural history hike at Friedrich Park.
Free: 698- I 05 7 for reservations.
4/25 Every Saturday, lower Edwards Pla­teau
Ecosystem Tour, 9-1 I , Honey
Creek SNA (fCP). 2-mile walk with
interpretation of the cultural and envi­ronmental
history of the hill country,
and a little geology and botany.
9:j: BAS Board Meeting, 7pm
I I :j: Sec~md Saturday, 9-1 I. Hike with ge­ologist
Dr. Robert Garza of SAC; ex­amine
the geology of Friedrich Park.
Free, 698-1 05 7 for reservations.
I I Second Saturday Beginners Bird
Walk, San Antonio Audubon Society,
Judson Nature Trails, next to Alamo
Heights swimming pool. Free, open
to anyone. 8-1 I. Georgina
Schwartz, 34 2-2073 for more info.
Susan K. Hughes President 532-2332; fax 532-2023
Marge Lumpe Vice President 657-1665
Betty Minyard Treasurer 344-612 8
Anita L. Reeves Secretary 308-92.54
Patty Leslie Pasztor Board Member 82 4-12 3 5
Richard Pipes Board Member 2 81-2452
Bill Woller Board Member 696-3186
Jim Garriott Board Member 695-9520
Bill Sain Board Member 408-7731
Backyard Habitat
Conservation
Earth Day Liaison
Education
Hospitality
Membership
Outings
Programs
Publicity
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Barb Deluca
Richard Pipes
Harriet Wiygul
Betty Minyard
Harriet Wiygul
Dan & Kristy Davis
Patty Leslie Pasztor
Chris Dullnig
Susan K. Hughes
Bill Sain
492-4291
281-2452
647-5356
344-6128
647-5356
609-5678
824-1235
828-4017
532-2332
Ways & Means 408-7731
Bexar Tracks Editor Claire Drenowatz 599-4168 fax599-3545
We wdcome contributions. Submissions may be edited. 1
We bdieve info herein is acctM"ate at January 2. = o.adlin• is the Saturday after th• g ...... al meeting. SOY INK
Printed on acid-fr .. , 50% post-conso.n<r waote paper.
Bexar Audubon Society
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 7 8209
Address Correction Requested
16:j: BAS General Meeting, Peggy
Prather, Holistic Resource Manage­ment
of Texas
25 Honey Creek SNA, 9-11:30. Preda- •
tor-Prey Relationships and the Food
Chain, 2-mile hike. Walt Schumann
will guide, and afterwards introduce
a couple of reptile friends at the Rust
House.
25 New Braunfels Old Town Cemetery, ·
2:30pm. Necrogeography: regional­ity
of burial practices. Join Penny So­lis
to spend a few hours looking back
at the culture and history of our fore­fathers.
210-935-4012 for more in­formation.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are
held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:30pm, at the Ruble
Center, 419 East Magnolia. BAS board meet­ings
are generally held on 2nd Thursdays at
7:00. Outings are usually the Saturday follow­ing
general meetings.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers
many nature activities for annual Texas Con­servation
Passport Holders ($25 per year). Call
for event listings: 800-937-9393.
San Antonio City Council Meetings, I :00
Thursdays.
National Audubon Society's Actionline. Dial
202·547-9009, ask for Actionline. After
· hours, press 4 on a touch-tone phone.
Other conservation organizations: please add
Bexar Audubon to your mailing list if we're not
already on it, and we'll be glad to include your
events in our calendar each month.
Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
San Antonio, TX
Permit #590
Personal information redacted