Policy UpdateCity of Dallas 2024 Municipal Bond
The Dallas City Council continues to consider the proposed projects for the 2024 bond, which could total up to $1.25 billion in infrastructure bonds to be listed on the City of Dallas’s May or November ballots. Dallasites will vote on a package of local improvements including critical facilities; streets and transportation; parks and trails; economic development, housing, and homeless solutions; and flood control and storm drainage. The Citizen Bond Task Force committee and city staff have presented project recommendations to City Council. Included in up to $350 million in park-related improvements proposed by the citizen Parks and Trails subcommittee is an investment in Trinity River Audubon Center facility improvements, including a remodel of the education hall and outdoor classroom. This investment for TRAC, including matching funds from Audubon supporters, would bolster economic potential, increase access and equity to greenspace, and build upon existing community connections in South Dallas. At their December briefing, City Council was unable to reach consensus on both the timing of the bond election as well as funding amounts. The Dallas City Council is scheduled to discuss the project recommendations on January 20th, at 2pm.
Urban Conservation Update Lights Out, Texas!
Fall 2023 illuminated the continuing threats for birds along with the opportunities we have to go Lights Out, Texas. The statewide, community-based outreach and monitoring program coordinated by Audubon Texas, alongside Audubon Chapters and partners in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, recovered more than 764 birds and 15 bats impacted by collisions in cityscapes during the fall migration season. American Woodcock, known for its great dancing skills, is a species found frequently injured or killed while migrating across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. At campus monitoring programs at Rice University and Texas A&M University-College Station, hummingbirds are a common fatal find. Audubon Texas appreciates the volunteers and partners who are out in the wee hours, identifying and collecting stunned birds and bats. Beyond monitoring, partners host events, lead programs, educate city council members, and more. To see a full update, please read the Fall 2023 Lights Out Texas Report.
Looking forward to how we can prevent future bird collisions in addition to human behavior change, the National Audubon Society, including the Audubon Texas state office, and partners work with building designers and developers in 2024 to encourage bird friendly architecture and urban design. The long-term goal is to make bird-friendly design market-driven and supported by policy makers. Now is the time for collaboration to make institutional changes that benefits birds, bats, and people! Do you work for a designer, architect firm, own a building, or have a connection with your local representatives? Contact Audubon Texas with your Lights Out connection so together, we can make change happen.
Bird City Texas
After studying and enhancing the program in 2023, Bird City Texas is open for applications! Audubon Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are excited to continue working with local communities across Texas in their efforts to make spaces where we live, work, and recreate “bird friendly”. Congratulations to Galveston, San Antonio, and Surfside Beach for recertifying your individual community as a Bird City! Communities have many exciting ways they support where birds live: Galveston implemented programming such as “Hotter than Hell Big Day”, San Antonio introduced a new Christmas Bird Count circle to the city’s southeastern neighborhood to increase participant diversity, inclusion, and equitable access to programs, and Surfside Beach is working alongside their local government to protect bird habitat. To learn more about each Bird City, explore the program and apply, visit the new website, hosted in partnership with American Bird Conservancy and Environment Americas.
Apply today!
Coastal Conservation Update
Throughout 2023 Audubon Texas enjoyed celebrating 100 years of formal coastal conservation with communities and partners! Looking back at the history of the coastal program was a fun and interesting journey. Both historical documents and untold stories were discovered, including highlights of dedicated staff and committed volunteers who helped turn the tide for coastal waterbird success in Texas. Countless partners, individuals, and donors helped build Audubon Texas during the last century! Audubon Texas’s Coastal Program is primed to continue our work protecting and managing coastal bird habitats. In 2023, the leased islands hosted 39,700 nesting birds from 21 species of waterbirds including Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Brown Pelican, Black Skimmer, Sandwich Tern, American Oystercatcher, and many other species.
Prairie & Grasslands Conservation Update
Throughout the last quarter of 2023, Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) developed habitat management plans with 5 properties throughout Texas and 1 property in New Mexico. These plans lay out how daily operations on the ranches would benefit birds and improve grassland habitat. Prior to final certification, the lands will undergo an audit by Food Alliance, verifying that land stewardship practices meet the overall standards to be labeled bird-friendly. Within the year, we expect to add these ranches, and more, to the list of currently certified operations, adding more than 125,500 acres of working lands dedicated to bird-friendly habitat and further expanding the availability of Audubon Conservation Ranching certified products.
ACR continued outreach in Texas and New Mexico, participating at the 2023 Quivira Regenerate Conference in Santa Fe. This space provided ample opportunities for connections with landowners and partners from across the nation. In the New Year, ACR will be focused on increasing ranch recruitment and outreach efforts across Texas. We will be especially focused on areas of critical habitat throughout the state, as Audubon Texas expects to broaden ACR program support in the coming years.
ACR is a voluntary program providing technical assistance to property owners across Texas to restore and improve bird habitat. In addition to personalized technical assistance, Audubon Texas is also preparing to officially launch the online Landowner Toolkit. This toolkit is an interactive webpage on the Audubon Texas website that helps users to navigate conservation resources within the state. Landowners will be able to explore options in Texas for conservation assistance, learn about their property, and participate in stewardship events. The tool will be live in late January and will continue with regular updates to reflect the dynamic space that is private lands habitat conservation.
Stay tuned for a week of ACR news from Audubon Texas, beginning January 29th! |
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