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Conservation Easement, Petition, Water Improvement District

By now most all of you have heard that City Council last Tuesday (March 20^th) chose Dover Kohl’s Scenario #1 as its preference for a NW Master Plan. Scenario #1 includes development north and south of Transmountain but differs from the petitioners’ request to preserve land in a pre-defined rectangle. (Go here and here to see the different scenarios proposed by Dover Kohl.) Council’s choice was clearly a compromise although the compromise sought by Rep. Ann Lilly meant no development to the north but gave up a bit more land on the south. You can read about Council’s 5-3 decision at an elpasonaturally post and by reading Chris Roberts’ report in the El Paso Times.  What next?

Here’s the time line for moving the preferred scenario to an ordinance:

April 10th, City Council ordinance introduction

April 11^th, Tentative OSAB consideration of the conservation easement.
April 19th City Plan Commission hearing
May 1st, City Council public hearing

As I reported, the motion to adopt Scenario #1 included four caveats one of which was a conservation easement. It is this easement and how it is done that is the most concern to petitioners. I have spoken to a number of them now and most are disappointed with the selection of Scenario #1 but will call it a day if the conservation easement covers all of the open space in the new Master Plan and is a conservation easement not something else. Frontera Land Alliance, a non-profit land trust organization, has information online about such easements. EPWU spokespersons have made some rather misleading claims:

1.       Municipally owned lands can never be under a conservation easement. In fact, there are examples throughout the country and the State of Texas and in El Paso: Thunder Canyon.

2.       The concept of conservation easements came from the IRS. In fact, it comes from centuries old Common Law. It was in the 80s that Congress amended Section 170(h) of the IRS code to give tax credits to property owners for conservation easements.

3.       There is a difference between a conservation easement (for private land only if we are to believe the EPWU) and a “conservation covenant”. May be – but why re-invent the wheel unless the intent is to add an extra gear to control the wheel? For preservation to be in perpetuity, a third party is required. EPWU wants to administer a covenant. A fox would be glad to guard the hen house. Restrictive covenants do not work. Current best example: Blackie Chesher land which was given for the purpose of parkland and an attempt by EPWU/PSB to come up with the smoke and mirrors of this title and that title.  Two good reasons for a conservation easement: people don’t trust the government and the government doesn’t trust the government.

Bottom line: petitioners on the whole can live with the compromise. They will not abide anything but a conservation easement to preserve the land in perpetuity. Several (including myself) have said that, if there is no true conservation easement, new signatures will be gathered for an election immediately. At its Board meeting last Wednesday (March 21^st), the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition members said the same thing. We should know before May 1^st whether to call it a day or hit the streets.

More points to ponder: the City owns double the land north of the NW Master Plan. The development in Scenario #1 is probably just the tip of an iceberg that could go far north. Perhaps a new petition addressing these lands north of the NW Master Plan? One would think that the new Comprehensive Plan (Plan El Paso) will pull back sprawl toward the City center and less to the outskirts (including protecting East El Paso). So perhaps a very expensive Paseo del Norte will be a road to nowhere.

Another immediate concern is the expansion of Transmountain into a freeway-like four lane road. This expansion is a monster. How much open space will be left north and south of Transmountain in the NW Master Plan area after TxDOT plows habitats and environment into oblivion? A thin sliver. A thin sliver.

There is a much bigger issue here that is critical. El Paso owns more land than there is water. And, if the Reyes team (Silvestre and Chuy) have their way with the collusion of State Senator José Rodríguez, a handful of landowners will control the supply of water in our City and region and not hundreds of thousands of people (you and me) in this County and beyond.

In a nutshell this is how it came down: In 2005, Senate Bill 547 (sponsored by a Senator from San Antonio and not our own Senator Shapleigh) attempted to prevent “75,000 El Pasoans from being eligible to vote in all elections involving the management and supervision of the El Paso County Water Improvement District.” Shapleigh put the kibosh on the bill and it failed. Exit Shapleigh. Enters Jose Rodríguez seemingly currying favor with U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes (who is in a fight to keep his seat with Beto O’Rourke) and his brother, Jesus “Chuy” Reyes, General Manager of the El Paso County Water Improvement District #1. (The Water Improvement District owns 171,000 acre feet of water making it by far the largest water owner in El Paso. In fact, EPWID controls the water future of our region.) Also enters Rep. “Chente” Quintanilla who introduced a reincarnation of SB547 on the House side. Rodriquez introduced SB832 which passed the Texas Senate unanimously on 22 Mar 2011 and the Texas House unanimously on 14 Apr 2011.  Gov. Perry signed the bill 29 Apr 2011.  It became law on 1 Sep 2011. 

What does the law do? It disenfranchises 75,000 voters, requires voting registration just as onerous as many that have been recently proposed in State’s seeking to ID voters, and it puts the control of water in the District in the hands of a very few people. (See official EPWID voter information and registration.) What happens when supply is so narrowly restricted? I’ll bet many of you purchase some products and services that just go up and up in price. Why? Rather than many suppliers, you are now dealing with a very few or just one. We are already seeing (although the City and EPWU/PSB – which by the way endorsed SB832 – wear blinders) the effect of the Chuy Reyes EPWID Oligarchy – the Rio Bosque is going bone dry while down the river, reservoirs are full. Cost of your water in the future: Staggering. Keep your eyes on what’s happening with our water. We need a PSB that is a truly public board and accountable to the public and not one that marginalizes citizens. The issue of water supply and control has become more urgent with climate change. (There is a new PBS series on how people are coping with climate change.)

Remember that this Saturday (March 31^st) is the Annual Poppy Fest at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. See the full schedule of events. Parking with shuttle service will be at 9570 Gateway Blvd. North, the EPCC Northeast campus. (Map)

On Sunday (April 1^st) Scenic Sunday hours will change from 6 a.m. until 11 a.m.  As you know, Scenic Drive is closed to vehicular traffic on Scenic Sundays and it is a great time to walk, bicycle, jog or run this 4.1 mile roundtrip with spectacular views of El Paso, Mexico, the surrounding mountains and 500 million year old fossils.

Finally, please watch this video!

Control of El Paso Water Supply in Hands of a Few

Sponsored by El Paso State Senator Paul Rodriguez SB832 became law. As a result 75,000 people were disenfranchised from voting in the water district and the process for voting registration has become quite onerous. The supply and control of water in this region is quickly coming under the control of just a few families and their attorneys thanks to Rodriguez doing this favor for U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes and his brother, Jesus "Chuy" Reyes, General Manager of the El Paso County Water Improvement District.

Note also that "voters" are asked to designate in advance the polling station where they plan to vote. This application was only recently sent out and the last day to register is April 12th.  If the EPWID then determines that applicants have a right to vote, they will send them a registration card. The voter then needs to bring the EPWID registration card plus an identification card approved by the Secretary of State in order to vote. There are exactly two early voting stations. One of those stations is the EPWID main office itself where former Sheriff and now EPWID General Manager, Chuy Reyes, is sure to be looming.

Below is the official registration information and application. Note the warning about perjury or giving false information inserted before the signature of the applicant.

Water Voting Application

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream

Watch this video! I got a taste of the Awakening the Dreamer symposium when I attended a presentation about it given by Sister Kathleen Erickson on March 18th. 

Decision makers need to consider ecosystem services and how they relate to public health when working on development projects

To varying degrees humans have already altered nearly half of the earth’s land surface. If current land development trends continue this number could easily reach 70% in the next thirty years. Scientists around the world are concerned about the many complex ecosystem services and natural cycles that will be affected including purification of air and water, decomposition of wastes, recycling of nutrients, and pollination of crops and the regulation of climate.

Natural areas surrounding cities like El Paso provide a vast array of ecosystem services that benefit all people including clean air, drinking water and recreational activities. These lands also sequester significant amounts of carbon, thereby reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases. Many species of wildlife including some of our areas most iconic wildlife species, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer and javelina, greatly depend on these wildlands for survival.

When air quality is addressed by urban development projects it is largely discussed in regards to transportation planning such as encouraging biking and walking trails, but there is often no or little attention directed to the a value of air quality ecosystem services provided by plants that filter the air for every person living in the area. Why is this so important to a community's well being? Take the problem of dust storms in El Paso as an example. According to a study of the respiratory effects of dust storms in El Paso County from 2000-2005 residents were 10.3% more likely to be hospitalized for a respiratory illness on a day with a synoptic-scale dust event than on a day without a dust storm. People who may be more vulnerable than others during these dust storms include infants, children and adolescents, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, people with heart disease and people with diabetes. According to the CDC from 1997-1999 an estimated 7.4 million people ages 15 and up reported an episode of asthma or an asthma attack with an estimated cost of $7 billion. Here in West Texas a 2007 report by the Texas Department of Health Services reported an 11.5 % (per 10,000) rate of asthma related hospitalizations.

Many urban development plans mention health concerns and how air quality emissions can be lessened by reducing vehicular emissions and their underlying cause, but there is often no mention of the value of natural vegetation in not only filtering our air, but also in capturing CO2 if large areas of natural vegetation and associated microbes in the soil are removed for development. Speaking of microbes a single tablespoon of healthy soil might contain over a billion beneficial soil microbes!!! How many microbes live in one acre of natural open space in El Paso is anyone’s guess. The number is too big for most of us to fathom. Microbes provide amazingly complex ecological services. In addition to decomposing organic waste materials into organic humus, microbes in the soil fix atmospheric nitrogen and help plants to grow in areas where nitrogen is scarce. Other minerals like sulfur and phosphorus require microbial transformation in the soil that surrounds the roots to make them more available to plants. They also improve aeration by loosening dense and compacted soils.

All across the country many cities take for granted the value of these services when making environmental decisions. To help cities address this critically important issue the Environmental Protection Agency is currently developing an Ecosystem Services Research Program that seeks to “effectively measure and communicate the type, quality and magnitude of services that humans receive from ecosystems in order that their true value is considered in decision-making.“ (EPA National Atlas for Sustainability, 2012)

I was very pleased to read in the recently approved Plan El Paso report on sustainability, a very hopeful sign that the Plan El Paso effort will help El Paso move towards more sustainable development. The report states that “the City should produce or commission a plan for biological corridors and habitat that identifies existing habitats and corridors and candidate sites and routes for restoration.” This statement alone supports the current citizen effort to protect natural open space along the Trans Mountain Road and if Plan El Paso is funded and implemented, a biological corridor plan would also help the city achieve important goals of the El Paso Liveable City Sustainability Plan adopted by City Council on September 15, 2009. Goals yet to be achieved in that plan include: 1. Achieve international recognition for successful preservation of our Chihuahuan desert natural heritage for all time, 2. Complete a biodiversity inventory by 2011 and 3. Identify and prioritize habitat that will be protected by 2012. All of the above will also help El Paso do something that is more than likely not a big agenda item in leadership and planning board rooms, protect ecoystem services essential to the survival of humanity.

Planners do a great job planning roads, walkways, parks, utilitiy easements, schools and more. But how often to you see an analysis of the impact of a development on ecosystem services? The answer is rather dissappointing, you don't see it. Why, because city planners are rarely required to understand or implement strategies to protect ecosytem services when working on development plans. Environmental impact studies are not required by law when developing many public lands and even rarely when it comes to private lands. What we need in this country is a national mandate for smart development, one that calls for ecosystem services to be considered at the same level of importance as safe roads and walkways and other critical development goals.

Plans like Plan El Paso will no doubt help our city become a more livable city, but what about those ecosystem services? Could we consider their value and and wait a bit longer before we unleash the army of bulldozers ready and waiting to destroy more of our natural open space? For those who are suffering from respiratory ailments and have inhalation aerosols by their side, I certainly hope so.

El Paso Hikers Letter: Hike Rodinia!

GPS of our exploratory hike up a Mountain Park arroyo last Thursday. Click image to enlarge. GPS tracking by Judy Ackerman

Many of you probably read this short article online: Piece of crust stolen from Texas found in Antarctica. Portions of that billion year old plus rift include the red bluff granite and Thunderbird formation on both sides of the Franklins. B-24 Crash Historian and avid hiker, Karl Putnam, has scheduled a return hike up the Red Rock Canyon. His hike will be exploratory and is described as strenuous. (Karl has been known to take off for the ridge wherever he may be in the Franklins.) In conjunction with that hike, another group will do a more moderate hike and climb up the gradually ascending red bluff granite canyon. Whichever hike you do, both begin together at 7:30 a.m. this Thursday, March 28^th. The meeting place is near the residence at 2501 Memphis.  And, no matter which hike you take, you will be going back in time about 1.126 billion years and see “pieces” of the super-continent, Rodinia.  Not bad for a couple of hours of hiking!

Check out and bookmark the El Paso Ridgewalkers.  Also join the  El Paso Hiking Meet-up and the Las Cruces Hiking Meet-up for schedules of hikes and for tie-ins to other great meet-up sites.  A new meet-up group has formed that you may want to check out and join: the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Meetup Group. Another geocache hike is planned for this Saturday with meet-up at 7:45 a.m. to carpool to the Switchback Loop Trail in the Sacramentos. Get info about this moderate to difficult 4.5 mile hike here. A geocache webinar is scheduled for this Thursday, March 29^th, from 7 to 8 p.m. Register online.

Also on Saturday is the Annual Poppy Fest at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. See the full schedule of events. Parking with shuttle service will be at 9570 Gateway Blvd. North, the EPCC Northeast campus. (Map)

Know that Turner Classic Movies will be showing Take the High Ground on March 28^th. Be sure to check for times. This is the 1953 movie that was shot on Ft. Bliss with our mountains (roughly above Diana to Transmountain) as a backdrop. (See two clips here.)

Excelsior!

City Council Chooses Scenario 1

Click to enlarge.

Today El Paso City Council chose the first of three Dover Kohl proposals for developing the NW, preserving the Transmountain view shed, and reaching a compromise between the old 2005 PSB master plan and the petitioners request for preserving nearly 800 acres in perpetuity. Representative Niland made the motion and Representative Noe seconded it. The motion also carried four Open Space Advisory Board caveats:

1. A conservation easement be used to preserve open space
2. Bridges not box culverts be used to cross arroyos
3. More pocket parks considered and not large neighborhood or regional parks
4. Encroachment into arroyos be minimized to the extent possible by lining with linear parks and that arroyos not be lined with concrete.

A fifth caveat added by OSAB at its special meeting last week (that Paseo del Norte not be connected to Transmountain provided that the Fire Department can provide safe access to the neighborhood without that connection) was not included.


A no-build option was the favorite of most of the people at Council from the environmental community. Scenario 2 was seen as an acceptable compromise by many of them and was the preferred option by Representatives Lilly, Byrd and Ortega. In fact, Ann Lilly courageously championed 2 or a hybrid of 1 and 2 for this land which is in her district. In the end by a vote of 5 to 3, the motion for 1 with the caveats passed.


Many leaving Council today were unhappy. Struck by that reaction I told a KFOX reporter that I believed that the petition will probably go forward. No-build or at best Scenario 2 were the only real options.  The Board of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition will meet tomorrow evening and, no doubt, decide whether to go forward with a petition to put the matter before voters in a referendum. 


As a member of the environmental/conservation community, the author of the petition and co-Chairman of OSAB, here are my initial reactions:


I too would be very happy that all land is preserved or just a bit developed with nothing developed north of Transmountain. For many reasons (preserving the beauty, encouraging eco-tourism and recreation, preserving more natural space and habitat, gaining the benefits (services) of natural open space, sustaining our water future - the most important and more soon on that), no-build or Scenario 2 made the most sense to me. 


However, I also think that we petitioners should declare victory and go home as they say. All 3 plans preserve the view shed. The motion called for a conservation easement. Smart growth prevailed. We wouldn't have even gotten to where we did today without the petition. Besides, development above Transmountain and the extension of Paseo del Norte may never in fact occur. Future action can curtail it.


Which means, of course, we can't really go home. Vigilance is always, always necessary. First, there is a need to be sure that all of the i's are dotted and all of the t's crossed on today's decision. Second, animal corridors must be secured as well as safe access to the State Park. As Dr. Bonart rightly pointed out today, an access road  above Transmountain as clandestinely (and we found that out today) planned by the PSB in concert with TxDOT cannot be a reality for 15 years! In less than 2, people will have to cross freeway type traffic to enter or exit the park! Another access must be found and there are alternatives. Finally, we must stay vigilant about development north. 


There were many other positives about today and about the process which led to today. City Planning Director, Matthew McElroy, said to me after the meeting that the debate today was among 3 smart growth plans. A year ago the debate would have been about conventional development. Conservatives such as Carl Robinson voted for a smart growth plan. Representative Lilly really stepped up to the plate and the environmental community should not only thank her but reconsider (as I did months ago) our stance on this past election. Ann is just a fine, fine lady.


The entire process has made Council members realize that they must re-evalutate their relationship with the PSB and that probably the City and not the PSB should do land planning. Without going into detail, the EPWU leadership and the PSB (which has no accountability to the public) has lost a great amount of capital with this one. Eyes are opened. Things won't be the same. A non-accountable PSB is not good nor is it good that the zeitgeist of that Board is typified by the pompous arrogance of Dr. Schoephoerster's stance that those with a difference of opinion from his own should be disenfranchised. It was this arrogance that Lilly mentioned at Council today. (My Quaker forebears could not serve in Parliament because they were non-conformists; women once could not vote; people of color were enslaved.)


Representative Byrd is right. People just don't want to build there and it is the voice of the people that should count. This is an issue that won't go away. Nobody could state today any advantage for building north of Transmountain. Many pointed out the disadvantages - higher taxes and rates for additional City services and infrastructure maintenance . . . scarcity of water and the threat that only a few will control supply of water in the future - a particularly nasty threat without a PSB that is either accountable or has a clue. So, vigilance means watching any attempts at future development north of Transmountain in the future. A plan and a scenario are just that - a plan and a scenario. It will be good to declare all the land inexpedient so the City has total say about a Conservation Easement and not the EPWU/PSB.


I'm counting blessings.


I'm also thinking about the rest of the City owned land north of Transmountain. 

FMSP April 2012 Hiking Schedule

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

A Subversive Plot: How to Grow a Revolution in Your Own Backyard

OSAB Recommends Plan to Preserve Scenic Corridor

In its latest report on the NW Master Plan and Scenic Transmountain Corridor, Dover Kohl and Partners suggested three scenarios for development. In an earlier draft proposal, a no-build option became a de facto fourth scenario after El Pasoans gave input at a January charrette.  (See the Dover Kohl report embedded on an elpasonaturally post.  The scenarios are shown on pages 24 and 25. A map of the 2005 master plan is on page 5.) OSAB yesterday voted nearly unanimously to recommend to City Council the no-build option; and, of the 3 scenarios suggested by Dover Kohl, to recommend Scenario #2 since OSAB members wanted to respond to Council’s request to find a resolution between the differences of the old 2005 NW Master Plan and the area prescribed for preservation in the successful petition.

A packed crowd attended the OSAB meeting and a number of citizens voiced their desire to keep the land preserved. In my last e-letter, Plan El Paso Passes, I reported that, sadly, Richard Schoephoerster, a member of the PSB and the Dean of Engineering at UTEP, had marginalized the group of citizens who participated at the charrette because they were, in his words, “against construction”. In a post today, I point out that this group is not anti-construction per se, but has, for the past ten years, called for preserving the unique scenic beauty of the Transmountain corridor as it abuts the state park. It is dismaying that someone who sits on a public board should have a dismissive attitude toward those with opposing views. Moreover, I am shocked that a Dean of Engineering should have so little regard for facts and details as he revealed when he declared a dirty vacant lot in the middle of development to be natural open space.  You can watch a video clip of his declaring that those who want to preserve open space in northwest El Paso as a group with a conflict of interest.

To see the great value of natural open space, watch this excellent promotional video for El Paso.

Upon adopting Plan El Paso, kudos for the City began coming in. Do watch ABC-7’s Maria Garcia interview of Representative Steve Ortega. Past Council Representative and candidate for U.S. Congress, Beto O’Rourke, played a large role in bringing smart growth to El Paso. But the real unsung hero is Representative Susie Byrd.  She has been a true visionary on El Paso's City Council on Smart Growth and sustainable development. As the Representative of a great deal of El Paso’s traditional core, she understands the qualities that go into building complete neighborhoods and how suburban sprawl is a poor substitute. She also understands that as a city, the traditional core cannot continue to lose over 1,000 residents per year.  It is this mix of design understanding and the transition facing the core that makes her such a gifted advocate.

Much of the City's progress on building better places can be traced to Byrd’s insistence on better design. She pushed for the adoption of the Smart Code, a new Rapid Transit System, incentives for smart growth, smart code planning for PSB land and land sales, the ITE manual for Walkable Urban Thoroughfares, and a bold new urban comprehensive plan (Plan El Paso) already being called the best smart growth plan in America. The end result will a more sustainable, economically competitive city with a quality of life that rivals any other place in the Southwest.  Thank you, Susie Byrd!

City Council will take up the NW Master Plan and Scenic Corridor on Tuesday (March 20^th). It is Item #10B on the Agenda.

The new Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition newsletter is available online with information about the upcoming Poppy Fest, Party for the Planet at the Zoo, the calendar of events at the Museum of Archaeology and an appeal by the Sierra Club of El Paso as it does legal battle with the behemoth, TxDOT.

Two events this Sunday afternoon:

Awakening the Dreamer, a program about “the acceptability of a sustainable and just world” takes place March 18, from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. at All Saints Catholic Church Parish Hall, 1415 N. Dakota. (Map)  The presenter Kathleen Erickson is a long-term border activist, founder of the Women's Intercultural Center in Anthony. She now works on a national level, but is back on the border this week, leading a delegation of university students. 

Also on Sunday March 18^th, "El Paso's Hueco Tanks" TV documentary premiere and fundraiser begins at 2 p.m. at  the Scottish Rite Theater, 301 W. Missouri. You will tour Hueco Tanks like never before on TV and see El Paso's oldest and  largest art gallery.  A $3 minimum donation at the door will go to Hueco Tanks Legacy Fund,  Scottish Rite Theater, and the El Paso County Historical Society.   Filmed over 8 years, this 52-minute TV documentary is called "El Paso's Hueco Tanks."  This film takes a new approach to the many groups, such as hikers, Native Americans, rock climbers, the picnic and party set, and the State of Texas, who all claim Hueco Tanks as theirs.  A professional artist looks at the 3,000 rock images, and artist Debra Cool-Flowers draws new conclusions that impress Ph.D. anthropologists who welcome her findings.  For more information, call 533-3603. By the way, the documentary is the work of Newman Park Legacy, Jackson Polk. This film will also be shown for free at the Poppy Fest on March 31, 2012 at the Archaeology Museum at 1:15 p.m.

Finally, you may want to consider getting outdoors for some yard work,  gardening or a romp in the park. Getting dirty may be great for your mental health.

Schoephoerster Marginalizes El Pasoans

In a recent elpasonaturally e-letter, I reported the following:

"Sadly, PSB member, Richard Schoephoerster, revealed an attitude that is too clearly a part of the fabric of a Board with no accountability to the people of El Paso. When discussing the Scenarios presented by Dover Kohl for development (or no development) in NW El Paso, Schoephoerster, the Dean of Engineering at UTEP, stated that those who participated in the charrette had a conflict of interest. What was the conflict of interest? They happen to have been people who care about our environment. In other words, those with whom Mr. Schoephoerster disagrees have a conflict of interest and, therefore, have opinions and interests that should not be entertained when it comes to setting public policy." 

Below is the video of Schoephoerster's marginalizing El Paso citizens with whom he disagrees:




I'm sorry that the picture is blurry. It is the best that we could do working off the poor EPWU technology. Dick Schoephoerster is the second person (bald blur) on the right. Dr. Richard Bonart, who challenges his statement, is just to Schoephoerster's right.


Schoephoerster misses the fact that for over ten years many El Pasoans have worked to preserve the scenic beauty of El Paso's northwest particularly the scenic corridor along Transmountain adjacent to the Franklin Mountains State Park. These same people did not oppose development in Northeast El Paso. Most want infill. They are not opposed to construction per se - just construction there. And, even if they oppose all construction everywhere, their opinions should bear the same weight as anyone else's to someone who sits on a public board. But, again, the PSB really has no accountability to the people. It is not a people's board - it is a board of the elite, by the elite and for the elite with just two apparent chinks now: Richard Bonart and Katherine Brennand. 


Schoephoerster's remark also reflects badly on the University of Texas at El Paso where he is Dean of Engineering. Is it UTEP's stance to minimize and marginalize citizens of El Paso? Since Schoephoerster easily declared a dirty vacant lot in the midst of development as natural open space upon seeing a cropped map, can his engineering judgement be trusted? Engineers above all others must be punctilious with facts and details. If UTEP wants to be a Tier One University, it may want to consider how it is represented on a public board by someone so cavalier with the facts and so dismissive of the opinions of others.

Special OSAB Meeting Called for Thursday

The Open Space Advisory Board has called a special meeting for tomorrow, Thursday March 15th, at 2:00 p.m. with one key item on the agenda: a reconsideration of the Northwest Master Plan. The special meeting has been called so that OSAB can have the opportunity of being on record for recommending a more conservation/natural open space friendly scenario to City Council rather than having their previous decision assumed by Council members as their final recommendation. That decision was based on a draft and not the more detailed presentation given to the PSB.

Why reconsideration? It was best said by a citizen at the special PSB meeting last week: “Why did OSAB choose a plan that develops more open space!?” Here’s what happened.  Not long after the NW Master Plan and Scenic Transmountain Corridor design charrettes in January by Dover Kohl, OSAB jumped the gun and endorsed the draft proposal of a scenario that developed land south and north of Transmountain! This was a draft proposal without all of the facts and not a more complete report from Dover Kohl.  OSAB did place some caveats on that recommendation: the arroyos had to be preserved, there could be no large parks in any development, animal corridors had to be built, no major roads (e.g., Paseo del Norte) through the arroyos – there had to be bridges and no box culverts. PSB selected the only scenario that the top brass of EPWU (Ed Archuleta and his lieutenants) let them see: Scenario #1 which has development north and south of Transmountain. The PSB also said "no" to all of the OSAB caveats and Mr. Archuleta made it clear that arroyos would have to be hybridized and concreted. 


Although 3 scenarios are shown in the presentation (embedded below), some EPWU representatives said that they only saw #1. However, these same people were present and saw Dover Kohl's Work In Progress presentation in January. All scenarios were given at that time. Why then did the top brass of the EPWU choose not to reveal this information to members of the PSB?

There were 3 scenarios presented by Dover Kohl in their latest NW Master Plan document. However, they have stated that, in fact, no-build is an option - scenario 4 if you will. Here is the presentation that Dover Kohl gave to the PSB on March 5 which is more detailed than the draft that is currently available at Plan El Paso:

PSB 3-6-12 in Progress


Particularly look at the scenarios on pages 24 and 25. It will be these scenarios along with the option for no-build that OSAB will look at tomorrow. Note the number of protected acres versus developed acres in each case.

El Paso Hikers Letter: Exploratory Hike Tomorrow

Remember: the Mountain Park North Exploratory Hike is tomorrow. The hike will begin near 2780 Gunnison Drive in Mountain Park on the east side of the mountains. (Map) Expect an easy to moderate hike for two hours beginning at 7:30 a.m. The temperature will be a delightful 53° with just a wisp of a breeze at 2 mph ENE.  Sunrise begins at 7:15 a.m.  In short, a perfect morning for a hike. This will be a good hike to see some good geological formations, the old Knapp quarries, and some fossils besides just having a great time.  Trail Master sui generis, Tom Robinson, will be our hike leader.

On Saturday, March 17^th, do a ridge hike in the Organ Mountains from Bar Canyon to Achenback Canyon. The hike is difficult and will be mostly off trail with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet or so. The distance overall is 6 to 8 miles so expect a 6 to 7 hour adventure. Meet at 7 a.m. at the customary Shell Station/Dairy Queen at I-10 and Transmountain. There’s no fee but, if you carpool, do help with the cost of fuel.  Carol Brown is the hike leader and you can contact her at 915-630-1424. Bring plenty of water, snacks, a sack lunch and wear sturdy hiking shoes and check the weather beforehand and wear appropriate clothing. The alternative meeting place is the Bar/Soledad Canyon parking lot.

On Sunday do a geocache hike at Dripping Springs. Check out details.  Learn more about geocaching and register at geocache.com.

If mountain biking is your thing, do a 15 mile virtual race with your GPS. This race is brought to you by our friends at GeoBetty.

Scenic Drive is closed every Sunday morning from 7 to Noon. (6 to 11 a.m. beginning April 1.) It’s a 4.1 mile hike from one side to the other. This walk takes in a dazzling panorama of El Paso and Juarez and a display of 500 million year old fossils! It’s a good recreational walk and can be done in an hour and a half.

Know that Turner Classic Movies will be showing Take the High Ground on March 28^th. Be sure to check for times. This is the 1953 movie that was shot on Ft. Bliss with our mountains (roughly above Diana to Transmountain) as a backdrop. (See two clips here.)

Finally, Bob Medley (who prefers the title “Web Slave” over “Web Master”) sends out a terrific e-letter with information about hikes and much more. You can see the current letter and, if you aren’t doing so already, subscribe here. Check out and bookmark the El Paso Ridgewalkers.  Also join the  El Paso Hiking Meet-up and the Las Cruces Hiking Meet-up for schedules of hikes and for tie-ins to other great meet-up sites.

Excelsior!

Here's an email that I just sent out to some of the natural open space advocates many of whom took part in the NW Master Plan charrettes in January. Remember this group was labeled by PSB member and UTEP Engineering Dean, Richard Schoephoerster, as having a conflict of interest. One attendee at the special PSB meeting when Schoepherster made this condescending remark said that the group was labeled biased "because they did not want any development, and that they were therefore unreasonable and their input should be disregarded."

"Please make every effort to attend a special Open Space Advisory Board meeting this Thursday, March 15, at 2 p.m. in the 8^th Floor Conference Room of City Hall. There is one key item on the agenda: a reconsideration of the Northwest Master Plan. Let me explain why it is critical for you to be there if you can and also plan on returning to City Hall next Tuesday morning, March 20^th. Why reconsideration? It was best said by a citizen at the special PSB meeting last week: “Why did OSAB choose a plan that develops more open space!?” Here’s what happened.  Not long after the NW Master Plan and Scenic Transmountain Corridor design charrettes in January by Dover Kohl, OSAB jumped the gun and endorsed the draft proposal of a scenario that developed land south and north of Transmountain! This was a draft proposal without all of the facts and not a final report from Dover Kohl.  OSAB did place some caveats on that recommendation: the arroyos had to be preserved, there could be no large parks in any development, animal corridors had to be built, no major roads (e.g., Paseo del Norte) through the arroyos – there had to be bridges and no box culverts. PSB selected the only scenario that the top brass of EPWU (Ed Archuleta and his lieutenants) let them see: Scenario #1 which has development north and south of Transmountain. Not only that, but the bobbing heads of the PSB said “Nyet” to all of the OSAB caveats and Mr. Archuleta made it clear that arroyos would have to be hybridized and concreted. They also proposed an option for conserving the land by some means other than a conservation easement – a means yet to be fully worked out but one that would give the PSB/EPWU more control with the flexibility to tear up natural open space in the future. This coming Tuesday, City Council will begin the process for the new NW Master Plan. They will have four scenarios to choose from: ·         Build north and south of Transmountain·         Build only south of Transmountain in limited areas (2 options)·         No Build The special meeting of OSAB has been called so that OSAB can have the opportunity of being on record for recommending a more conservation/natural open space friendly scenario to City Council rather than having their previous decision assumed by Council members as their final recommendation. OSAB and City Council need to see you – many numbers of you – and hear from many of you.  OSAB should choose a plan that develops less not more open space! Please, please try to come on Thursday. Wouldn’t it be great if the 8^th Floor Conference Room is packed with people who want to save the Scenic Corridor, preserve arroyos, rescue animal habitat and corridors . . . keep open space open? Just as soon as I have more details about next Tuesday’s City Council meeting and agenda, I will email you again.  Do me a favor now: forward this message out to all your friends and all you know who love natural open space! Let’s pack the conference room on March 15^th at 2 p.m."

Meetings for your calendar:


March 15th, 2 p.m. Open Space Advisory Board
March 20th, City Council
April 10th, City Council ordinance introduction
April 19th City Plan Commission hearing
May 1st, City Council public hearing

El Paso Hikers Letter: New Exploratory Hike

Hike to Aztec Cave. Click to enlarge image.

You can now see the Franklin Mountains State Park March Hiking Schedule.  Ladies, take note of the Women’s Only First Time Hike on March 22^nd.

Carol Brown is leading a hike this Saturday, March 10, to Aztec Cave, then to the ridge above the caves, to Mundy’s Gap and over to East Cottonwood Springs and back. There is an elevation gain of a 1,000 feet and the round trip distance is 5 miles. Therefore this is rated a moderate to difficult hike although the hike to Aztec Cave and then above it to the ridge is about the most difficult part. It’s a beautiful hike and you will enjoy some spectacular views to the west and to the east of the mountains. Expect to be hiking about 5 hours. Bring plenty of water and snacks and wear sturdy hiking shoes. There is a $4 per person entrance fee into the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP unless you have a Texas State Parks Pass or Bluebonnet Pass or mention that you are with the El Paso Ridgewalkers or El Paso Hikers and get in for the $1 per person group rate.  Meet at the Aztec Cave parking area beginning at 8 a.m. Hike will begin promptly at 8:20 a.m. For more information, call Carol at 915-630-1424. This hike is posted online at the El Paso Hiking Group site.

If you want to do some birding on Saturday, then join the Audubon Society for an easy to moderate hike and birding at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, McKittrick Canyon and Frijole Ranch.  Meet at 7:00 a.m. in front of Evergreen Cemetery, 12400 E. Montana, 1/4 mile east of Loop 375. (Map)  Car pool from there.  Bring water, lunch, hiking shoes and binoculars.  There is a nominal entrance fee to get into the Park.  If you have a National Parks Pass, please bring it.  Nonmembers and beginners are always welcome.  Contact Mark Perkins at 637-3521 or mperkins4@elp.rr.com for more information.

Next Thursday, the El Paso Hikers will do an exploratory hike from the Mountain Park area north. The hike will begin near 2780 Gunnison Drive in Mountain Park on the east side of the mountains. (Map) Expect an easy to moderate hike for two hours beginning at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.  Yes, folks  this Saturday night before we all go to sleep we will set our clocks one hour ahead.  Time springs forward as they say.  So on the 15^th sunrise begins at 7:15 a.m. (Civil twilight begins at 6:51 a.m.) This will be a good hike to see some good geological formations, old Knapp quarries, and some fossils besides just having a great time.  The incomparable Trail Master himself, Tom Robinson, will guide us.

The magnitude 2.5 earthquake that struck East El Paso this past Monday night generated some attention.  UTEP Dean and Professor of Geology, Diane Doser, is a seismologist and you can replay her live chat on the subject with the El Paso Times.

Do keep in mind that Scenic Drive is closed every Sunday morning from 7 to Noon. (6 to 11 a.m. beginning April 1.) It’s a 4.1 mile hike from one side to the other. This walk takes in a dazzling panorama of El Paso and Juarez and a display of 500 million year old fossils! It’s a good recreational walk and can be done in an hour and a half. A friend and I usually walk it from the east side (Richmond and Kentucky) beginning at 7 a.m. Email me and say you will join us.

Finally, know that Turner Classic Movies will be showing Take the High Ground on March 28^th. Be sure to check for times. This is the 1953 movie that was shot on Ft. Bliss with our mountains (roughly above Diana to Transmountain) as a backdrop. (See two clips here.)

Excelsior!

How El Paso Ended Up With America's Best Smart Growth Plan

How El Paso Ended Up With America's Best Smart Growth Plan

Real Adventure Is Still Alive in El Paso

Note how often outdoor recreation in natural open space is included in this promotional video. Shouldn't we preserve our natural open spaces for a number of reasons including their attraction to others to visit El Paso? Concreting our natural arroyos won't bring in millions in tourist dollars. Concreting our natural arroyos will cost us millions for maintenance and upkeep perpetually. It's too bad that the unaccountable Public Service Board just doesn't get it.

FMSP March 2012 Hiking Schedule

Click on image to enlarge.

New Facebook Page: Save the Franklin Mountains

Check out this new Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SaveTheFranklinMountains.

Plan El Paso Passes!

Plan El Paso Passes!

That should have been the bold front page headline for the El Paso Times this morning.  Instead we got “60-mph gusts to make driving difficult today”. This time of year that can be the headline for just about any day. The excellent Chris Roberts story, Council Oks plan for Smart Growth got shoved to an awkward place on the first page of Borderland overshadowed by Moody’s plan to take on Margo – an important race but one that will not have the long-term impact on El Paso as the new Comprehensive Plan. On the Times web site, you have to search for the Roberts story.

Okay – elpasonaturally is not written to criticize the journalism of the El Paso Times. It is worth noting that probably the most significant event for decades to come hardly got the attention that it deserved in the local rag.  Plan El Paso was facilitated by one the best (if not the best) City Planning consulting firms in the country (or even world) – Dover Kohl. The Plan was developed collaboratively with thousands of El Pasoans working with Dover Kohl and expert City Planning staff over a period of nearly two years in a 100 meetings and 20 hands-on sessions. The Chamber of Commerce took part as true El Pasoans – team members to the end. And, although the powers to be at EPWU tried to be the devil in the details, they were largely unsuccessful. At the end of the day, and it was a very long day especially for very dedicated members of City Council, the Plan was approved unanimously.

There are plenty of people to thank but let me tell you my heroes in all of this: First and foremost the Dover Kohl people led by Victor Dover, Jason King and Bill Spikowski and a cast of very smart, very creative professionals. I got to see firsthand their agonies, their angst and their getting to what was for El Paso a true Yes-Yes-Yes. Through all of this  I have come to respect, appreciate and admire deeply our City Planning staff especially Matthew McElroy, Carlos Gallinar and Fred Lopez. What an extraordinary talent it is to be able to stick to your principles while managing to bring people with differing views on board. El Paso is in good hands with this team.  Cortney Niland – Goddess! She just wouldn’t let go of her insistence that the final document tell the truth – the PSB is a land manager and not a trustee. Words are important and those words should help the current Council and City Councils of the future make right decisions when it comes to our City land. Niland also rightly insisted that the developing industry be rewarded more with park credits when they help to preserve hillsides and arroyos.  My heroes also include Rick Bonart and Steve Ortega (and by extension the great Chuck Kooshian) by keeping the Kooshian 2005 Arroyo Inventory in the Plan. Finally, I want to acknowledge Richard Dayoub,  the President and CEO of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. I know that as a conservationist, environmentalist, “tree hugger”, I don’t always see eye to eye with the development industry of El Paso. But Dayoub saw to it that the Chamber interact in the Plan El Paso process as a team player. His words at the end of the day yesterday were very fair. The Chamber reserves the right in the future to disagree with some of the planning. He explained the toughest thing for the business community: much of the pace of the progress being made today by City Planners is hard for many businesses to follow. Like any good business person, Dayoub wants to see how changes help not hinder the bottom line. That’s fair and, if Plan El Paso is to be a living document for decades, there must be efforts to learn more and more about the advantages of Smart Growth and how to make that work for all El Pasoans. The conversation and collaboration should continue.

Of course there is a much longer list of people to thank including Larry Nance and all of the people on CPC and CPAC, Charlie Wakeem, Chairman of OSAB, City Council members (particularly Ann Lilly who personally participated in the sessions and my Representative Susie Byrd), Joyce Wilson and many more. Plan El Paso Passes! We El Pasoans should really be proud of ourselves.

Unfortunately, let’s move to the not so good news starring our old friends at EPWU/PSB and, in doing so, transition to the NW Master Plan and Scenic Transmountain Corridor.  At its special meeting this past Monday night, the PSB voted to recommend only one scenario to City Council – the one in which building takes place on both sides of Transmountain. (I’ll get into the details of this more in the next e-letter.) More egregiously, Ed Archuleta via Risher Gilbert and Pat Adauto is crafting a different “conservation strategy” than the tried and true Conservation Easement. They are calling their yet to be unveiled product a “Restrictive Conservation Covenant”.  Seemingly by announcing this “product” on Monday along with their attempts to set their own definitions for arroyos and their own rules for land management was a very clever attempt to torpedo Plan El Paso’s effectiveness when it comes to EPWU control and any real permanent preservation of natural open space in the Scenic Corridor. Archuleta insisted that arroyos will have to be hybridized and concreted and Gilbert acknowledged that their “Restrictive Conservation Covenant” will allow for “changes” on the land. She used horse riding and horse manure as examples although she should have been forthright enough to say that they are really talking culverts and pipes and tanks. (By the way, necessary utility infrastructure in land preserved by a Conservation Easement can be allowed. It is plain that where Risher Gilbert and Ed Archuleta are going is the arbitrary re-taking of land from its natural state over a period of time.  Witness Blackie Chesher Park – another matter to be given its own attention soon.)

Control has always seemingly been the raison d’être for Archuleta’s policies. Now his style of leadership is being seen increasingly as arbitrary and unreasonable by a growing number of people.

Sadly, PSB member, Richard Schoephoerster, revealed an attitude that is too clearly a part of the fabric of a Board with no accountability to the people of El Paso. When discussing the Scenarios presented by Dover Kohl for development (or no development) in NW El Paso, Schoephoerster, the Dean of Engineering at UTEP, stated that those who participated in the charrette had a conflict of interest. What was the conflict of interest? They happen to have been people who care about our environment. In other words, those with whom Mr. Schoephoerster disagrees have a conflict of interest and, therefore, have opinions and interests that should not be entertained when it comes to setting public policy. (If conflict of interest really concerns Schoephoerster, then he should look no farther than fellow board member, Maria Teran, whose business with the EPWU was a huge ethical lapse.)  Remember that it was Schoephoerster who pronounced the Johnson Basin to be natural open space. (See the video with Schoephoerster.) What several people are beginning to ask is whether the Dean of UTEP’s College of Engineering is a bad representative for UTEP as a member of the PSB. Does UTEP’s culture value those who discount the opinions of others in a free debate? Is it good to have the one who is head of engineering be so unconcerned about the facts and details of a piece of land in question and so quickly accede to the claim of another? Attention to facts and details must be critical to an engineer and future engineers must have this trait above all others.

So we head next to the hearings about the NW Master Plan and the Scenic Transmountain Corridor – issues there because of a successful petition. Just to be very clear – no permanent preservation of the land – no deal. Petitioners will begin to get enough signatures to put the matter to El Pasoans whose votes, if not opinions, PSB members cannot discount as a conflict of interest.

Master Naturalist E-Letter 03-06-12

It’s time to clean-up the river! Well, not all of the river but a section along the Rio Grande. We will meet this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and pick up trash and debris along the Rio Grande. Plan to meet at West Borderland Road at the river levee. (Map) Bring gloves and wear sunscreen and a hat. Wear good hiking/walking shoes. Open toed footwear may be dangerous to your health. Bring a grabber if you have one. Bags will be provided. Remember water. The river is bone dry (and not for long). It is a good time to look for the shells of Corbicula fluminea, the Asian Clam.

Shake, rattle and roll . . . or maybe just shake . . . just a bit and softly.  A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck El Paso Monday night. There have been several earthquakes in the past year in our region. Why? We live in the Rio Grande Rift – a place where the earth’s crust is being pulled apart. We don’t really see how deep the rift is.  However, if you started digging up the sand in east El Paso near the airport, for example, you would go 10,000 feet before hitting bedrock! The highest peak in the Franklins is just under 7,200 feet high. The Rio Grande Rift in our area is not visible because sediment from the ancient Lake Cabeza de Vaca has filled it from rim to rim.   Sediment is clearly visible along I-10, the bluffs above El Paso High and along Alabama Street.

The Rio Grande River did not create the rift.  It’s the other way around. Because of the rifting, a series of basins and low areas were formed from Colorado southward through our region. The ancestral Rio Grande didn’t carve the flat valley through which it now flows, it took advantage of the low areas created by the Rift. In “modern” geological times the river’s flow has caused erosion: the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos being the most obvious. However, the ancient river did move back and forth between the Sierra de Las Uvas and the San Andres flowing at least once through Fillmore Pass between the Organ and Franklin Mountains into the Tularosa Basin where it emptied into a shallow lake which now accounts for a large portion of the water supply of El Paso, Texas.  About 2 million years ago a single river formed from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico.  

Last Thursday at our Chapter event many of you heard a super presentation by Naima Montacer, Education Specialist and Zoo Adventure Coordinator at the El Paso Zoo. Not only did she talk about how our zoo is helping to educate people about conservation measures, but she gave some very valuable information which requires specific actions and change of behavior by all of us. Did you know that 30 to 50% of our household water usage comes from flushing the toilet? By merely filling up a water bottle and adding it to the tank, we can cut down consumption. Did you know that each hour Americans throw away about 2.5 million plastic bottles or that one gallon of water goes to process a quarter pound of hamburger? Just some food for thought . She told us about an exciting program called Terracycle, a program that recycles usually unrecyclable materials. The Zoo has a number of Action Items that any of us can participate in to help conservation efforts around the world.  Master Naturalists can volunteer for the Spring Break Zoo Camp, March 12 – 16, from 9 to Noon each day. You can volunteer for a specific day or for the whole week. Classes include Nature Art, Geocaching, Nocturnal Animals, Backyard Wildlife and Tracks and Scat. Just contact Naima at 915-521-1894 or montacernj@elpasotexas.gov.

Mark your calendars now for our next Chapter event – a presentation by Franklin Mountains State Park Parks Interpreter, Adrianna Weickhardt, on April 5 at the El Paso Garden Center, 3105 Grant Avenue. (Map)  Chapter meetings are the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. with a focus on the presentation and your announcements. All presentations count for advanced training.

Also, the new 2012 Training Class is in full session. Next class is tomorrow evening from 6 to 9. Meteorologist, John Fausett (aka The Singing Weatherman) will talk about the weather and climate of this region and Dr. Ray Bader will discuss El Paso soils. All are invited to attend. Watch a KVIA interview of Fausett with a focus on our windy season which is now getting underway again. Also see and hear why John is called the Singing Weatherman.  Visit his music store.

Check us out on Facebook. If you are on Facebook, please “like” us. That will help your Trans-Pecos Chapter of Master Naturalists become more easily identifiable and effective.  Also, check out these other great pages on Facebook: Share El Paso with Native Plants and Animals and El Paso Permaculture.

The Master Naturalist© is written and published by Jim Tolbert who takes sole responsibility for the content of the letter.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, just reply to this letter or email jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com.

"A million tax-free dollars would probably tempt me to divulge your email address.

However, know that your privacy is safe with me . . . Nobody has offered me the million yet.”

Seriously, your email address will not be shared or sold.

This is Volume 1 and Number 3 published on March 6, 2012

Harvesting Native Foods in the Southwest

Texas Supreme Court rules landowners also own groundwater | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Texas Supreme Court rules landowners also own groundwater | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Action Nears on Plan El Paso; Preservation of Scenic Corridor Next

We are down to two meetings about Plan El Paso, the City’s Comprehensive Plan Re-Write:

Public Service Board (PSB)

Monday, March 5, 2012, 5:00 p.m. 1154 Hawkins Blvd. (Map)

Not only will they discuss the Comprehensive Plan Re-write (Plan El Paso) but the NW Master Plan/Scenic Corridor issue.

City Council

Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 8:30 a.m., 2^nd Floor City Hall

Some final tweaking is going on but it looks like final passage by the City Council is better than just a good bet.  Still it is very important that supporters of new urbanism for El Paso attend the PSB meeting this coming Monday and then the City Council meeting on Tuesday morning. It is very important to attend Monday evening’s PSB meeting because they will, along with taking action on the Comprehensive Plan, recommend a course of action for the NW Master Plan and the preservation of the Scenic Transmountain Corridor. (Monday’s PSB Agenda)  More on this in a moment.

Plan El Paso should be adopted because there are clear economic advantages to be had by all El Pasoans including developers.  Additionally, the Plan favors the preservation of natural open spaces and encourages downtown revitalization and infill over sprawl. Simply looking at building vacancies in El Paso makes the argument for infill over sprawl.  There is some question about language added to the document that suggests that the PSB is Trustee rather than just a land manager. The overwhelming evidence suggests that the PSB not only is not a Trust but, under Texas State Law cannot be a trust. Trust or No Trust – that is the question.

City Council will probably take action to adopt Plan El Paso at its meeting on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it is Item #13 on the Agenda so it is hard to predict exactly what time Council will get to it.  Nevertheless, those who favor the new plan should plan to attend if able. Nothing should be taken for granted. If I hear anything new before Tuesday, I will post it at elpasonaturally.

A tentative schedule for taking action on the NW Master Plan and the Scenic Transmountain Corridor is now available. Mark your calendars. That schedule includes Monday’s special PSB meeting – a critical/must attend meeting beginning at 5 p.m. Elpasonaturally has learned that Mr. Archuleta has been actively opposing preservation and wants to build, build, build on both sides of Transmountain. One can only hope that PSB members will keep just a few things in mind. No-build was clearly the unanimous choice of those who participated in January’s hands-on session led by Dover Kohl. This is no small group. The PSB itself contributed one-half of the cost for Dover Kohl to do an update of the NW Master Plan and to recommend scenarios that include preserving the Scenic Transmountain Corridor. That was a significant but well-made investment. Members of the PSB are bright people. They can see that land sales are a tiny portion of revenue and really have nothing to do with rates. They can also see what the elephant in the room really is: El Paso has more land than water and conserving land along the Scenic Corridor will only tend to increase the value of the lands that they will continue to manage.  The land in question is inexpedient. It is not useful to the functions of the utility namely water and/or waste water. El Pasoans do not gain by further sprawl – in fact, they lose financially because of the ongoing expenses that they will be burdened with: maintenance on infrastructure, essential services such as fire and police, schools and so forth. Adopting a plan that preserves the Scenic Corridor in perpetuity makes good sense.

Bottom line: keep your eye on the ball. As we transition from action on Plan El Paso to action on the NW Master Plan and Scenic Corridor, stay positive and vigilant.

Finally, not really a brag but a word of humble gratitude: I was given the Conservation Award by the Trans-Pecos El Paso Audubon Society. I received that award because I stand on the shoulders of/and cheer lead for giants who tirelessly work for conservation: John Sproul, Charlie Wakeem, Richard Teschner, Judy Ackerman, Phil Goodell, Maria Trunk, Chuck Kooshian, Lois Balin, Helen Bigelow, Peter Best, Wynn Anderson – and others who have received the award.  These are the real heroes and I am so proud that I may call many of them friends.

Dates Set for Action on NW Master Plan and Scenic Corridor

As we approach the end of action on the City's Comprehensive Plan Re-Write, Plan El Paso, a schedule of meetings to finalize action on the NW Master Plan and the Scenic Transmountain Corridor has been tentatively set:


March 5 - Presentation to PSB for final development scenario
March 20 - City Council presentation of final development scenario
April 10 - City Council Ordinance Introduction
April 19 - City Plan Commission hearing
May 1 - City Council Public Hearing


Remember that the PSB at their special meeting on Monday, March 5, at 5 p.m. will also be considering Plan El Paso (Agenda) and that City Council takes up the matter the next morning after 8:30 a.m. (Item #13 with attachments - See Agenda.)

Archuleta's Authoritarian Style Causes Growing Alienation

More frequently now I am hearing from others that Mr. Ed Archuleta, CEO of EPWU/PSB, is alienating growing numbers of people because of an authoritarian style increasingly unreasonable and out-of-control. Let me give the latest example.


Last June, City Council approved a plan to establish hike and bike trailheads into the Franklin Mountains State Park. This approval followed research done by  Parks and Recreation staff and members of the Open Space Advisory Board. I participated and remember well our spending a whole day stopping at each of the many areas all around the perimeter of the Franklins currently used by hikers and mountain bikers for trailheads. Council agreed to begin on seven trailheads and asked Parks and Recreation to work out MOUs for each. Chairman Wakeem asked that PRAD staff give an update on the trailheads at last Wednesday's Open Space Advisory Board meeting. Marci Tuck gave a short to-the-point briefing.
Trail Heads


Mr. Rudy Valdez was on hand as usual from the EPWU/PSB at the behest of Mr. Archuleta. He said that Mr. Archuleta wanted a letter from OSAB explaining what exactly was being asked for regarding the trailheads. Everyone was dumbfounded and flabergasted. Some were clearly angry. Eyes in the audience rolled. City Attorney, Lupe Cuellar, explained that OSAB couldn't write the letter and that City Council had already provided direction and any discussion to be had should be between Parks and Recreation staff and EPWU staff. All agreed. 


Mr. Archuleta's insistence on a "letter" when City Council gave instruction last June 21, 2011 is simply another roadblock to OSAB and others.


Let me give you a short litany of other such roadblocks:


Hunt would like to sell some arroyos in the Franklin Heights area for Open Space. They would be excellent open space areas and they do have storm water applications. Hikers currently begin hikes from these areas. The hold-up: Ed Archuleta.


A good fix for water for the Rio Bosque would be a direct line to the Bustamante Wastewater Plant. At the PSB's strategic planning meeting last September, Mr. Archuleta said that providing water to the Bosque would be easy. Since then, OSAB has invited EPWU staff to discuss the water situation and how to fix it at the Bosque, a very vital part of El Paso's natural open space with huge eco-tourism potential. Time and again the item has been tabled at OSAB because nobody from EPWU has been available to discuss it. The hold-up: Ed Archuleta.


Of course, the most egregious disrespect of the priorities set by El Pasoans regarding purchasing open space was the decision to spend $2.5 million on park ponds before top priorities. The person in control: Mr. Ed Archuleta.


There are other incidents. But it cannot go without notice that City Council in their February 14, 2012 Executive Session passed this motion:
EX 1 Motion From 2-14-2012

I bet there is one reason above all others to re-examine the relationship between the City and the PSB: Mr. Ed Archuleta.