Bike Plan? What Bike Plan?

According to a City of El Paso insider, there seems to be no intention of implementing the Bike Plan. Waivers submitted by contractors are 100% approved so that they do not have to add bike lanes in their developments. 

Also, numerous people who ride bikes have expressed their frustration to me as they feel the bike plan is basically gathering the same dust as Plan El Paso going the way of the Tree City USA designation and the Resiliant City contract. Pretty much any plan that the City has ever put together, received awards and recognitions for has then been stuck on a shelf.

There are several speculations as to why plans are in essence and fact scuttled: 

• City plans only seem to get used when it's to the City's benefit, or when someone reminds the City about the plan.
• City staff does not need public meddling in issues where they "know best". Boards and commissions, like the plans, are just window dressing.
• City staff is lazy.

I have not been able to get hold of Alfredo Austin, the person in charge of implementing the Bike Plan.

Will the City of El Paso Destroy Cement Lake?

Cement Lake

The City of El Paso's apparent failure to address a critical drainage issue at the Top Golf construction site might very well destroy one of El Paso's rare gems, Cement Lake. Moreover, according to TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, the failure of the City to address the matter with the developer of Top Golf, EPT Land Communities, might also "overload the structure and compromise the stability of the embankment upon which I-10 sits.  This could have additional effects on the lake such as excess siltation."

Bielek also says that "it does appear that the developer is underestimating the contribution of the development to the overall runoff, and there appears to be insufficient retention on the developer’s site to adequately meter the flows in a way that will protect the embankment and the drainage structure."

The City of El Paso has apparently provided the developer with a permit to construct Top Golf but has failed to consult with TxDOT regarding drainage requirements including not just the embankment of the freeway but Cement Lake. The developer has furnished no credible plan to TxDOT.

Bielek told City Council about this problem last March. Elpasonaturally has asked him three times since then whether they have recived a credible plan. Mr. Bielek's last reply came nine days ago on July 24th in an email: "Still waiting on an acceptable design."

Bielek did contact the City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, months ago and yet there is still no "acceptable plan". It would seem that the City has permitted the developer to undermine the integrity of I-10 and destroy Cement Lake. Bielek says, "that we [TxDOT] will consider the City equally responsible for any damage to the I-10 embankment or our drainage structure because of this oversight."

El Paso Water, city environmental and open space activists have sought for many years to preserve El Paso's natural Cement Lake.

Monday Links on Tuesday

[Monday (or, in this case, Tuesday - again) is "Links Day" with links gathered over the past week to online "stuff" to read and sites to surf that impact us directly or offer information about our regional issues. Please feel free to send me links to any conservation, environmental, simple living, city planning, energy and water, etc. stories that you have come across online.]


Water:

Rio Grande runoff forecast: 44 percent at Otowi

Bus Shelters in Austin Will Harvest Rainwater in Pocket Park

10 Must-see water documentaries that provide insight into the future water crisis

Starbucks Wants You to Feel Good About Drinking Up California's Precious Water



Climate Change:

The Solution to Climate Change Right Under Our Feet


Fracking and Oil Spills:

Bill to limit Texas cities’ rules on fracking heads to governor

GOPer Slams Texas Guv For 'Pandering To Idiots' On Possible Military Takeover (and this is the idiot governor the anti-banning bill is going to)

Study: Gas Activities "Most Likely" Caused Texas Quakes

The Brief: New Studies Link Injection Wells, Earthquakes

Frack-Happy Texas Forced to Face the Reality of Fracking-Related Earthquakes

Fracking Chemicals Detected in Pennsylvania Drinking Water

Trading Paradise for a Pipeline


Resilient Cities:

City of El Paso Resilient City Roundtables

Clear Channel Wants More Light Pollution

[Tomorrow an ordinance will be introduced at El Paso City Council to grant an exception to the Dark Sky Ordinance of 2005 when it comes to signs. El Paso's billboard and digital sign advertiser, Clear Channel, is behind the request for a grant. A 2002 ordinance banned such billboard and digital lighting and the 2005 Dark Sky Ordinance gave all businesses 10 years to comply. Item 10.1 on the City Council agenda reads: "An Ordinance amending Title 18, Chapter 18.18 (Outdoor Lighting Code) Of the City Code by amending Chapter 18.19.310 (Nonconformance) to add an exception for upward directed sign lighting for off premise signs and by amending Chapter 18.18.120 (Externally Illuminated Sign Standards) to provide for an exception for upward directed sign lighting. The penalty being as provided in Section 18.02.111 (Violations And Penalties) of the El Paso City Code. [POSTPONED FROM 03-31-2015]"

Clearly Clear Channel wants light pollution, favors energy waste and does not want to protect El Paso's wildlife.

Marci Turner of the Mesa Hills Neighborhood Association has written the following open letter to City Council members:]

It’s sometimes difficult to remember what El Paso looked like a decade or more ago.  Back then we were trying to figure out the definition of an arroyo, and whether or not El Paso had any.  The concept of “open space” didn’t exist as yet in our community.  As early as 2002, in his apt description of our city's billboard pollution problem, Charlie Edgren of the El Paso Times asked whether El Pasoans even still cared about their city. El Pasoans did care in 2005 when the Dark Sky Ordinance was passed (Outdoor Lighting Code), and we did care in 2008-9 when digital billboards first appeared in our city and residents throughout El Paso were outraged at this blatant disregard of our city’s 2002 ordinance banning them:

 “20.18.300 Lighting.  Billboards which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent or moving light, or lights, to include changeable electronic variable message (“CEVM”), or LED technology, are prohibited.”  

When the Dark Sky Ordinance was passed in the spring of 2005, the entire city was given 10 years to come into complete compliance.  May 7th, 2015, is the deadline.  These past 10 years have brought about a real change in the El Paso environment.  We no longer have corner convenience stores engaging in “light wars” – thinking that with brighter light comes more business.  In 2005 we were able to show City Council that this ordinance would not only provide our residents with a healthier, safer, calmer city but would also be economically beneficial to the city.  In 2005, the savings the city would realize in the course of one year was estimated at $2M.

Immediately after the ordinance was passed,  businesses both large and small invested time and money to come into compliance with this ordinance.  The entire landscape of the city has changed with the reduction of light pollution emitted from poorly planned fixtures crowding our sky with distracting and unnecessary light.  Prior to the passage of our Dark Sky Ordinance, a representative from McDonald Observatory in Ft. Davis remarked that the only thing they could see between there and the west coast was the light pollution from El Paso.  This is not true today.   The idea of “Dark Sky” is widespread throughout the world.  Visit online the International Dark Sky Association at www.darksky.org.    When El Paso City Council passed this ordinance we received national recognition for our determination to join other cities with this progressive legislation.  Looking out over El Paso you can easily see the difference, and you can also see with clarity which lights have not as yet conformed.

When digital billboards first appeared in our city residents city-wide banded together against this illegal act.  By requesting a seemingly innocent “electrical permit” from the city, the billboard company was able to squeeze around the code and convert already existing billboards to digital.  The ensuing fight between the residents and the company was agonizing, and the citizens lost the battle despite the fact that the company’s actions violated city ordinances.  No matter how dedicated citizens’ groups are, it’s difficult to successfully compete against a huge company that has so many more resources at its disposal.   Nevertheless, we did make some progress.  In 2009 our City Council voted for an ordinance that would prohibit the construction of new billboards, as over 1,500 cities in the US have done.  Unfortunately, three days later our mayor vetoed the vote.  

Again, this is not unique to El Paso.  Billboard companies have followed the same pattern throughout the country, and in fact, throughout the world.  "Billboard control improves community character and quality of life -- both of which directly impact local economies. In fact, despite billboard industry claims to the contrary, communities and states that enact tough billboard controls enjoy strong economic growth." Scenic.org. 

And here we are today, one month from the Dark Sky total compliance deadline of May 7, 2015, and our primary billboard company is requesting City Council to allow upward directed sign lighting. Compliance with the ordinance would mean that billboard lights would be affixed to the top of the billboard and shine down, not to the bottom and shine up towards the sky.

Instead of complying with the ordinance, as they promised to in 2009 when they were requesting more billboards, our primary billboard company is asking permission to change the bulbs on existing upward directed billboards to LED, rather than directing them downward and/or shielding them as is required by the 2005 ordinance.  LED lights produce the same amount of light pollution as the existing lighting, are less expensive to operate, and will save the company a great deal of money over a period of time. 

There is no legitimate reason why this or any other company should receive an exemption from the ordinance.  I’d like you to carefully consider the damage our community would suffer if this exemption is granted.  These lights would not only increase the night sky pollution we have almost succeeded in obliterating,  but such an exemption would also send the message to our community that if a company has enough power it can manipulate our City Council into voting against the will of the people who elected them. 

Clear Channel had 10 years to bring its billboards into compliance.  By allowing “upward directed sign lighting” you will completely defeat the purpose and intent of the Dark Sky ordinance.

In light of the information above, and the clear wishes of the residents of El Paso, I ask that you deny all requests for exemptions from our current Outdoor Lighting Ordinance.


Submitted by Marci Turner, Upper Mesa Hills Neighborhood Association

The Monday Links: Trees, Bad Legislation, Best council money can buy

[Monday is "Links Day" with links gathered over the past week to online "stuff" to read and sites to surf that impact us directly or offer information about our regional issues. Please feel free to send me links to any conservation, environmental, simple living, city planning, energy and water, etc. stories that you have come across online.] 

City of El Paso Government, Sprawling and Water:

Best council money can buy (I too missed out on developing our city's strategic goals. However, I'm being told that, as a member of the Open Space Board, I need to follow in lockstep with it.)


Another Reason to Keep the PSB:

Thanks to PSB for Rescue Mission solution


Trees, Smart Growth, Resiliency and Mental Health

Trees and Green Infrastructure Key to “Climate Smart” Cities (". . . using green infrastrucure to make communities 'climate smart,' which can also help improve resilience to natural disasters.) 

Living Near Trees May Reduce Antidepressant Use


Climate Change

Climate Change Indicators in the United States


Learn more:

Water in the Western United States (a free online course)


Get involved:

Restore the Rule of Law in Our Borderlands!
(Proposals in Congress could expand the border waivers. Click for a larger image. A small group of lawmakers have introduced militarization-only bills that would spend $10 billion building a massive industrial complex of walls, roads, towers, drones, bases and other unnecessary infrastructure in our U.S.–Mexico an U.S.–Canada borderlands. Please urge Congress to oppose this destructive proposal.) 

Tell Congress: Reject the “No More National Parks” Bill

Environmenatally damaging border security legislation (Hat tip to Professor Liz Walsh for sharing this info sheet with many links)


Visit, bookmark and surf these sites:

Common Dreams


I Love Parks.com

If they can't handle a tree, how can they handle a lake?

If they can't handle a tree, how can you expect the City of El Paso to handle a lake - Cement Lake in fact? That was the rhetorical question that a friend posed to me earlier today. His point is well taken seeing the city's negligence with the beloved Holiday Christmas Tree in San Jacinto Plaza.

When TxDOT purchased the land on which Cement Lake lies, there was still the possibility of the City taking possession and preserving it as a wildlife area. TxDOT Engineer, Bob Bielek, told Dr. Rick Bonart that, if the City wanted to discuss the lake, just send him a letter saying so. The letter could have come from anyone - the Mayor, a City Council Rep, Tommy Gonzalez, anyone. Dr. Bonart even went before Council and informed them about Bielek's offer. The City's response? The perfect vacuum - something that no one thought existed in nature. Thus, the inspiration to lease it to the Boy Scouts.

The lease agreement between the Boy Scouts and TxDOT is now I understand a done deal. I have two friends who have persisted in their defense of the Scouts and their ability to preserve the land. I have my doubts and I certainly would never get any pleasure out of saying "I told you so". We will just have to see and I hope that I have to eat my words.

I don't trust the people behind the deal. On the other hand, I do admire their committment to Scouts and the fact that some of them were Eagle Scouts especially Ted Houghton who has three sons all of whom are Eagle Scouts. That's something to be very proud of.

Time will tell. I still hope that the Scouts (and TxDOT) will, at the least, make a good faith effort to use local wildlife and ecology experts when developing a conservation plan for their Cement Lake camp. At the most, they could enter into a conservation easement agreement with a third party ensuring that the land is preserved and well managed rather than merely mining and exploiting the land's resources.

Save El Paso's Christmas Tree

It's insane but true. The City of El Paso is planning to cut down the tall Mondel Pine in San Jacinto Plaza which has served for years as the annual Christmas tree. As everyone knows the Plaza is being completely re-done. Rumors first surfaced that Rep. Cortney Niland wanted the tree pruned and re-shaped to resemble a more triangular tree. Now it seems that the City is looking for a company to take down the tree. Only problem is that the City (its, Manager, Mayor, City Council representatives) are violating city ordinances regarding the removal of such trees.

When the pine was trans-planted at the park, Texas State Urban Forester, Oscar Mestas, wrote about it:

"The new 50’ tall Christmas tree, a Mondel Pine (Pinus eldarica), was transplanted by Environmental Designs of Tomball, Texas. Mrs.Corrine Boyce of El Paso provided the tree in memory of her late husband Chuck Boyce. It was moved from her front yard in the Upper Rio Grande Valley of El Paso to San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso. The tree was moved on the 9th of September 1998 at a cost of $19,000. In the past the El Paso Parks Department used to send a crew each year to harvest five trees where they would use the branches to construct a 70’ tall artificial Christmas tree at the plaza. This new tree should save the City of El Paso approximately $60,000.00 a year, in labor, equipment costs, travel, materials and supplies, according to Richard Garcia Parks, Maintenance Supervisor. The new living tree is decorated with 3500 lights, and 1000 new ornaments donated by the El Paso Community Foundation. The old artificial tree was flocked, so it is taking a little time for El Pasoans to adjust to the natural green color. The tree is only 25 years old, so it is expected to add on another 20+ feet in height and should live at least another 50+ years. Let’s not forget to mention the other benefits of shade, oxygen, beauty, and pollution control, that this tree will be providing during the rest of the year. If you haven’t seen the tree, take a trip downtown it is worth the trip.The new 50’ tall Christmas tree, a Mondel Pine (Pinus eldarica), was transplanted by Environmental Designs of Tomball, Texas. Mrs.Corrine Boyce of El Paso provided the tree in memory of her late husband Chuck Boyce. It was moved from her front yard in the Upper Rio Grande Valley of El Paso to San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso. The tree was moved on the 9th of September 1998 at a cost of $19,000. In the past the El Paso Parks Department used to send a crew each year to harvest five trees where they would use the branches to construct a 70’ tall artificial Christmas tree at the plaza. This new tree should save the City of El Paso approximately $60,000.00 a year, in labor, equipment costs, travel, materials and supplies, according to Richard Garcia Parks, Maintenance Supervisor. The new living tree is decorated with 3500 lights, and 1000 new ornaments donated by the El Paso Community Foundation. The old artificial tree was flocked, so it is taking a little time for El Pasoans to adjust to the natural green color. The tree is only 25 years old, so it is expected to add on another 20+ feet in height and should live at least another 50+ years. Let’s not forget to mention the other benefits of shade, oxygen, beauty, and pollution control, that this tree will be providing during the rest of the year. If you haven’t seen the tree, take a trip downtown it is worth the trip."

Mestas wrote the above in 1998. Based on his expertise that tree should have another 34 years of life and service to El Paso. 

It's a beautiful tree.

Please sign the online petition to save the tree.

El Paso lags far behind peer cities for biking and walking

Click on image to enlarge.

Here's a press release from Ben Foster of VeloPaso:

Nationwide study on biking and walking shows El Paso lags far behind peer cities 

El Paso ranked among deadliest city for bicyclists and pedestrians, lowest levels of biking and walking, least amount of bicycle infrastructure

"El Paso ranks among the highest in bicycle-pedestrian fatality rates, lowest in bicycling and walking levels, and dead last in bicycle infrastructure per square mile, according to the latest benchmark report on Bicycle and Walking in the United States which collects and analyzes data on the country's 51 largest cities. (See attached excerpts from report.)

“El Paso's leading in all the wrong indicators,” said Victor Cordero, vice president of the Velo Paso Bicycle-Pedestrian Coalition. “Behind these numbers we find a mom who can’t bike down the street with her family or let her kids walk to school without feeling like she’s endangering their lives. It's unacceptable and entirely preventable."

The report is published by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, a nonprofit based in Washington DC that initiated the Benchmarking Report Project, in 2003, in order to improve access to biking and walking data. The benchmark report analyzed uniform national data sources from public agencies and organizations, as well as state and local surveys, collected in 2011 and 2012.

As data collection methods become standardized and more refined, the benchmark report is able to show how biking and walking impacts a whole host of factors previously too difficult to measure.

Health: Lower levels of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity were found in cities with higher shares of commuters who bike or walk to work.

Safety: Lower bicycle-pedestrian fatality rates were found in cities with higher shares of commuters who bike or walk to work.

Economy: Increased sales for businesses, higher commercial and residential property values and lower vacancies were found in locations with enhanced walking and biking facilities.

Bicycle and pedestrian advocates see this as a sobering wake up call and an opportunity for El Paso to make great strides in a short amount of time.

“I expect to see a reversal in these trends through the Bike Advisory Committee and renewed efforts by private and public leaders to address these urgent problems,” said Scott White, Velo Paso’s policy director and member of the City of El Paso's Bike Advisory Committee. “Doing nothing is no longer an option because we can see that the old way of building roads, streets, and development led us to a dead end. A bikeable and walkable El Paso is good for our economy and good for the general health of our community.”

The first step, according to advocates, is to implement the recommendations developed by the League of American Bicyclists during their on-site assessment in February 2014. The recommendations range from “connecting a network of bike lanes and bike boulevards with sharrows and appropriate signage until protected bike lanes can substitute” to “reduce speeding through street design, public information campaigns & enforcement especially near schools and commercial districts.”

The next step is to attend TxDOT’s Texas Transportation Plan 2040 open house at the El Paso Multi-Purpose Center Ballet Room 9031 Viscount, El Paso, TX 79925, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Advocates call on TxDOT and El Paso DOT to move away from building capacity strictly for cars to prioritizing safety and accessibility by building roads for all modes of transportation.


See the full report here: http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/storage/documents/reports/2014BenchmarkingReport.pdf"

Note where El Paso ranks with bicycle infrastructure:

Click on image to enlarge.

Of the 52 largest U.S. cities, El Paso is 44th in commuter bicycling and walking but in the top 10 (number 8) for highest pedestrian/bicyclist fatality rates. When it comes to people getting recommended physical activity, El Paso has no current data in spite of setting a goal of reducing obesity and diabetes - a goal it must be said that was mere window dressing.

As you DRIVE around El Paso (perhaps enjoying some of those hardscape eye-candy features brought to you by TxDOT), how often have you seen any of this specialized infrastructure?

Click on image to enlarge.

El Paso puts cars before people

The City of El Paso will spend $8.8 Million to "beautify" overpasses and pillars near downtown. TxDOT will do the work. This is according to a report filed by Denise Olivas of KVIA: Latest freeway beautification project to focus on downtown. In other words there will be more eye candy. But will there be better transportation?

In other words, El Paso will put cars before people. 

"Nationwide study on biking and walking shows El Paso lags far behind peer cities. El Pas has among the highest bicycle-pedestrian fatality rates, lowest biking and walking levels, dead last in bicycle infrastructure per square mile."

Where are our priorities?

Why Bike Share for El Paso

Why Bike Share for El Paso

Click on icon in lower right hand corner to enlarge.

Electric Vehicle Owners: "Electric" up at a City of El Paso station near you

NEWS RELEASE

August 15, 2013

Contact: Marissa Monroy, City Development Coordinator

(915) 479-2647 or MonroyME@elpasotexas.gov

El Paso Grows Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Fleet

El Paso, Texas – The City of El Paso is excited to announce the official commissioning of the electric vehicle charging stations, which will now be available for public use. These stations are located in various areas across the city including several Sun Metro terminals and the El Paso International Airport. The City of El Paso, in partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College and the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP), used a $256,000 state grant from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office’s Transportation Efficiency Program to install 32 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city. UTEP has also used additional funding to install various other stations throughout the UTEP campus.

Electric vehicle stations for public use can now be found at the following locations (in some cases, there are more than one charging stations at each location):

·         El Paso International Airport, Short-Term Parking, 6701 Convair Road

·         City Municipal Service Center, 7969 San Paulo Drive

·         Sun Metro Westside Terminal, 2^nd level, 7535 Remcon Circle

·         Sun Metro Mission Valley Terminal, 9065 Alameda Avenue

·         Sun Metro Glory Road Terminal, 2^nd level, 100 E. Glory Road

·         UTEP Schuster Parking Garage, 500 W. Schuster Avenue

·         UTEP Academic Services Building Parking Lot, 501 W. Schuster Avenue

·         UTEP Sun Bowl Parking Facility, 2522 Sun Bowl Drive

·         UTEP Union Building East Parking Lot, 275 W. University Avenue

·         El Paso Community College Valle Verde Campus, Advanced Technology Center, 919 Hunter Drive

·         HACEP – Tio Cooper, 5301 Suncrest Drive

·         HACEP – Paisano Green Community, 4000 E. Paisano Drive

·         HACEP – Eisenhower Community, 5628 Eisenhower Avenue

·         HACEP – Williams Community, 314 Resler Drive

·         HACEP – Central Office Loading Dock, 5300 E. Paisano Drive

·         HACEP – Central Office Guard Shack, 5301 E. Paisano Drive

·         HACEP – Westfall Community, 10700 Vista del Sol Drive

“We realize that the real key to encouraging electric vehicle use in this community is to provide the infrastructure so drivers are not stranded without power,” said Marty Howell, Director of Economic Development and Sustainability for the City of El Paso. “That’s exactly why the City of El Paso, along with its partners, has committed to providing an increasing number of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city.”

The City of El Paso and the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso will host a news conference on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. at the Paisano Green Community, located at 4000 E. Paisano Drive., right across from the El Paso Zoo. The public will get the opportunity to learn how electric vehicle charging stations work and how the stations benefit the entire community.

Click here for a map of electric vehicle charging locations.

Attached are images of the electric vehicle charging stations and information about how to sign up for a Blink Network account to access the stations.

Other Resources:

Plug-in Electric Vehicle Handbook for Consumers

Blink Mobile App

Keystone Heritage Park Threatened by Proposed City Industrial Development

Click image to enlarge. All of the color blocks are the new proposed development. Keystone Park is in the upper left side of the diagram. On the diagram, you can see both the wetland and the Garden. The archeology site is above the garden. 

The orange colored block, labeled CCS (in small letters) is a recycling site. Sanitation trucks, city buses and city work trucks will be a constant coming-and-going presence. Note that the entire site will be either roofs or pavement which estimates suggest may add as much as 10 degrees of heat in the summer. As you approach the garden, the recycling trucks, buses and city trucks will be in your line of sight and to your right. 

The City of El Paso is proposing a concentrated heavy industrial area directly next to the archeology site and Botanical Garden of Keystone Heritage Park.  To say the least, this will not be beneficial to Keystone - its gardens, bird sanctuary/wetland and archaeology site. 

Ketystone board members, benefactors and supporters believe that the presence of buses, sanitation trucks and other heavy city equipment will be a detraction to the serenity and beauty of the  Garden and discourage the eco-tourism that Keystone is trying to develop. The plan can proceed without the approval of City Council. 

The Keystone Board requests that people please contact those they know at the City – staff or elected representatives – and ask them to help protect the Park. Time is of the essence! 

Persons to contact:

Jane Shang, Deputy City Manager, shangj1@elpasotexas.gov
Matthew McElroy, Director of Planning, McelroyMX@elpasotexas.gov
Carlos Gallinar, Deputy Director of Planning, GallinarRC@elpasotexas.gov
Joyce Wilson, City Manager, WilsonJA@elpasotexas.gov
Your Mayor and/or City Representative

You can provide a link to this post in your message.

The Board of Keystone Heritage Park is charged with preserving and protecting all 52 acres of the park and for providing a sanctuary for the birds and animals.  The additional  noise and heat created by this development will have a negative impact on the birds that count on the wetland as a breeding area and may drive away some the rare species that have been spotted there. 

One wonders whether the City has done the necessary studies to understand the impact of the additional heat, vibration, air pollution and potential run-off on the 4000+ year old archeological site. This nationally recognized site has enormous historical potential and all El Pasoans should be actively engaged in its protection.  

"This is an agriculture drain and not a habitat"

"I am not interested in replanting native vegetation. The drain will be maintained the proper way, the way the City of El Paso and EPWU are required to do so, this is an agriculture drain and not a habitat." - Chuy Reyes

The quote above is in response to my message to Chuy Reyes just a while ago asking him about mitigation of the vegetation along the drain: "In a previous email I asked you if you would be interested in mitigating the clear cutting of the drain/canal by replanting native vegetation.  You have not responded. I look forward to your answer." His email was marked at 4:33 p.m. 7/8/2013.

I suggest that many of us request that the drain be mitigated now that he has destroyed habitat, killing animals and destroying nests.  Neanderthal attitudes such as Chuy's must be eradicated from El Paso culture.  His email is jreyes@epcwid1.org.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi again: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

CDEC to Re-Landscape City Hall

Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition to launch Healthy Families Live Outside the Box education initiative with wildscape project at El Paso City Hall

Volunteers needed Friday and Saturday May 11 and 12

The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition (CDEC) is in need of dozens of volunteers to help with a new native plant wildscape at El Paso City Hall. (Map) CDEC Director Dr. Gertrud Konings has been working with a small committee and city officials in planning the wildscape since late 2011. The project is part of a City of El Paso’s Think Tank project called "Healthy Families Live Outside the Box" presented to the City Manager by El Paso Zoo Education Curator Rick LoBello in March of 2011. 

This educational initiative is designed to get people outside while encouraging them to help restore wildlife habitat loss by development.  The idea is to get people outside planting backyard desert landscapes in hopes that in doing so they will connect with our desert by learning about plants that use little water and provide habitat for wildlife.  People who invest in a few desert plants will help (1) to provide habitat for wildlife like birds and butterflies that have displaced by development, (2) experience lower water bills and (3) hopefully become more active outdoors by discovering natural areas like Franklin Mountains State Park and Rio Bosque.

The first step in launching this important community project is putting in a demonstration habitat on the front steps of El Paso City Hall.  What a great idea thanks to the input from one of our education partners.  He said to me that if you want the community to get on board with this effort you need to start in the heart of the city where our elected representatives work.  I hope you will agree that this effort is an important step in helping our community become more aware of our natural environment.  We need your help in volunteering on Friday and Saturday morning, May 11 and 12.   You can learn more online at www.chihuahuandesert.org. 

Volunteers are needed for two hour shifts on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 to help replace non-native plants in the current landscape with native plants of the Chihuahuan Desert. Details for the two day project are below.

Friday and Saturday, May 11-12, 2012
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers will remove shrubs and weeds and replant some plants in a different area. Soil and rocks will be moved to a cactus garden.

Volunteers need to bring shovels or a pickax, knippers, gloves, plastic bags, buckets and have a hat and water.  Volunteers who can provide a pickup truck are also needed to go to the plant recycling location on Doniphan Drive and pick up plants at a local nursery.

Once the landscape has been completed, plant ID graphics will be added and a new webpage will be launched with information on how residents can landscape their front and back yards with drought-tolerant native plants. For more information and to sign up to volunteer, contact Rick LoBello at lobellorl@elpasotexas.gov or by phone at 915-217-4233. 

Rainwater Harvesting in the El Paso Region of the Chihuahuan Desert

Rainwater Harvesting in the Chihuahuan Desert

Copyright 2012, John Walton, UTEP. Presentation given to the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 9, 2012

City and PSB Ignore Open Space Master Plan Priorities

The City of El Paso and the PSB are on an unfortunate course of rapidly building park ponds while neglecting valuable natural open space assets. The PSB recently approved $2.5 million expenditures from the 10% of your stormwater fee to go to park ponds, the lowest items on the priority list set by Open Space and Stormwater advisory bodies. In fact, as already mentioned, an additional $400,000 from that fee that should only be set aside for natural open space was spent on 4 acres of vacant land (the Johnson Basin) with no connectivity to natural open space other than a two block arroyo fragment which exists on land owned by the military not by the City of El Paso. It is walled-off from the view of El Pasoans by a rock wall topped with barbed wire. You can see pictures of Schoephoerster's perfect example of natural open space online – the same space EPWU official, John Balliew, bold-faced proclaimed “natural” to a December meeting of the Open Space Advisory Board.

PSB/EPWU officials claim that Jim Shelton of EPWU has not had the time to pursue other open space assets. I would argue that he has not been tasked to do so.

Johnson Basin may be a drainage asset and a potential location for a good neighborhood park. Creating that recreational/drainage space should come from the other 90% of the stormwater fee not set aside for acquiring natural open space . . . or from the Parks and Recreation budget which seems to have an additional $2.1 million for park ponds but not a penny for open space and trailheads.

The problem with park ponds is how they are designed. The Parks and Recreation Department sees them as traditional turf parks. Without seeking the advice of her Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Department Director Nanette Smejkal, has plowed ahead now that she has made away with $2.5 million of open space money for 8 park ponds which were the lowest priorities on the open space master plan. Unfortunately, that leadership style does not take advantage of the kind of expertise she could have tapped into for the design of her parks. Park ponds should be designed for passive rainwater harvesting. UTEP Professor of Engineering and Hydrologist, John Walton, explains:

“The ‘park ponds’ should not be seeded with turf because this commits the City of El Paso to long term waste of water as well as high maintenance costs. Instead stormwater areas should be designed to employ passive rainwater harvesting. Passive harvesting of stormwater flowing down drainages occurs when small depressions are placed within the flow path that capture a portion of the passing water and infiltrate it into the subsurface. The infiltrated water is stored passively in the soil and used to water trees and shrubs. Even in the desert climate of El Paso the technique produces dense green shade trees with no need for artificial watering. Passive stormwater harvesting also reduces the peak storm discharges leading to lower flooding potential.”

Read a Master Thesis about this methodology.

Just for established turf (not newly laid sod or seed), AgriLife (your Texas Agricultural Extension Agency) experts calculate about 1.3 million gallons of water per acre per year or 27 or 30 gallons of water per square foot of turf. Warm seed turf grasses can go as much as 58 gallons per square foot. Taking into account our desert climate and not to mention a drought, what were PSB members thinking when they agreed to take $2.5 million of open space money (a cash account) and give it to Parks and Recreation for park ponds? Again note that El Paso’s Parks and Recreation Department spends zip, zero, nada on any kind of natural open space.

Keeping all of this in mind, it is much easier to see why the Johnson Basin purchase is even more egregious.  Open Space Advisory Board Chairman, Charlie Wakeem, wrote in an email that Johnson Basin “meets none of the criteria for Opens Space preservation.”

Wakeem says that “OSAB agrees that Johnson Basin is a drainage asset and could also be a park asset that ought to be acquired” but not with the 10% of your stormwater fee (on your water bill) that goes into a cash account to buy ecologically sensitive land. There are several criteria for open space (none of which Johnson Basin meets in spite of Mr. Shoephoerster’s and Mr. Balliew’s claims). Wakeem enumerates by quoting the Open Space Master Plan:

·         "Open Space is any area that has not been developed or that currently has no significant structures on it.  These spaces have some combination of natural scenic beauty, natural resources that are deemed worthy of preservation, or have a cultural or historic significance to the area or region."

·         What is Open Space?:  "The common thread in all definitions of open space is the notion of lands that have not yet been substantially altered by man, or that preserve some vestiges of the natural environment in the urban area that surrounds them."

·         The Amount of Undeveloped Land Remaining in El Paso:  "Land for open space must be preserved today, or it will be consumed over the next 20 to 40 years."

·         Mission (in part):  "....El Paso's Open Space Trail Network will be attractive and easily accessible to all.  It will be the site of many kinds of healthy recreational activities, and provide numerous opportunities for educating the public about the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems."

·         The Plan for El Paso & Plan El Paso:  "Goal:  Protect and promote ecologically sensitive areas, such as aquifer recharge zones, hillsides, bosques, arroyos and wetlands." 

It would have been better to fund park ponds (and all agree that dirt holes should be better rainwater/drainage/recreational assets for the City) incrementally with other funds since they are at the bottom of open space priorities. The 10% of the stormwater fee for open space goes into a cash account at the rate of about $117,000 per month – not enough cash flow to afford the purchase of open space from a cash account unless allowed to build up over time. Just the Palisades cost $2.5 million. With the $2.5 million raid by Parks and Recreation, the fund is now just above $100,000. Because it is a cash account with insignificant cash flow, expenditures for projects such as park ponds will always have the advantage. In short, one wonders if any other natural open space acquisitions can be made especially since Master Plan priorities are ignored by City politicians and PSB technocrats.

The fact that the open space account is a cash account goes under one of Mayor Cook’s favorite rubrics: “No good deed goes unpunished.”  Why is the stormwater/open space account cash? Recall that it was established post-2006 flood. There are two reasons.  First, architects of the fund didn’t want people to feel that open space advocates were taking advantage of the situation and costing them the extra debt service just to buy amenities. And, secondly, the revenue was leveraged by the Storm Water utility.  It allowed Storm Water to have an additional $4 million up front to do a more urgent CIP project that would have been postponed too many additional years. The result of the good deed: you, your open space, your natural open space priorities, sensitive eco-systems, etc., etc. are getting (to put it bluntly) screwed.

Enough said . . . for now.

How It's Done Right

Pay attention City of El Paso law enforcement:

Elpasonaturally did several posts on the killing of a mountain lion in downtown El Paso. One post highlighted videos that revealed that law enforcement failed to manage the crowd and, in fact, contributed to the chaos which ultimately led to the death of the animal from gun fire.

Watch and see how it is done properly:

Read the full story about the safe tranquilization and removal of a mountain lion from the Colorado University at Boulder campus. Note that from the very beginning, the matter was handled tranquilly and professionally rather than as an hysterical Keystone Cops tragic slapstick as what happened here in El Paso.

A hat tip to David Cristiani, The Quercus Group, for this story.

15 Percent!

Beginning in 120 days 15 percent of property areas in new and redevelopments must be landscaped according to an ordinance passed today at City Council. Currently the percentage is just 7.5%.

Planning and Development has worked hard for several months now to put together this new landscape ordinance which puts El Paso on the same par as other comparable southwestern cities such as Tucson and Albuquerque. The plan had been vetted through a number of meetings with all stakeholders. As a member of both the Open Space Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board as well as the Chairman of the Tree Sub-Committee of PRAB, I had been part of two teams of people who recommended that the landscapable area be set at 15% with trees on the parkway at spaces of 30 feet and more trees in a parking lot.

Of course, the El Paso CCC (Chamber of Commerce Cheapskates) opposed the increase in landscapabe area. City of El Paso staff struck a compromise of 9% with them. However, in their presentation to City Council given by Matthew McElroy, staff showed a matrix that revealed the current 7.5%, the compromise of 9% and the OSAB and PRAC (including Tree Sub-Committee) recommendations of 15%. McElroy made it clear that the 15% would simply put us on par with other southwest cities.

CCC (Chamber of Commerce Cheapskates) moaned that businesses would suffer burdensome costs and developers would pass the expenses onto businesses, etc., etc. One CCCer argued that the ordinance would discourage infill and promote sprawl as if CCCers ever opposed sprawl. (Their championship of development in NW El Paso along the TxDOT super highway "Transmountain" and the future new Mesa Avenue to be known as Paseo del Norte has sprawl written all over it.)

Here's what the CCCers don't get: investments in the quality of life of the community attracts new people and better jobs to the City. In turn, these new people and better jobs means bigger markets for their goods and services which, in the long run, means more profit for themselves and greater wealth for the community and its citizens. Invest a little now for more later. Instead, they can only see today's bottom line profit and a need to compete for the paltry few dollars in a community where wealth is not expanding in and to every household.

Fortunately today the City Council by a vote of 6 to 2 saw it differently. It was retiring Council representative, Beto O'Rourke, who made the motion to accept the 15% as recommended by OSAB and PRAB - a percentage made abundantly clear by Mr. McElroy's presentation. "We can aspire to be mediocre or to take steps to be a great City," O'Rourke said as he made his motion. Only Eddie Holguin and Carl Clueless Robinson voted against it.

McElroy's leadership in this whole matter is shared with City Attorney Lupe Cuellar, City Planner Fred Lopez, Planner Shamori Whitt and many others including citizen volunteers who tirelessly serve on boards and committees. Today El Paso won. Perhaps many who currently pay for memberships in the CCC will spend their money more wisely or vote to have Chamber leaders who have the vision of an O'Rourke, an Ortega, a Fred Lopez, Matt McElroy or Charlie Wakeem. For the sake of the commonwealth of the City and the greater profitability of its businesses, let us hope so.

No Crowd Control in Murder of Mountain Lion

We have more details. The EP Times had a front page story this morning. Although it was slanted toward the view that the animal was aggressively dangerous and the policeman's (and TABC agent's) actions were justifiable, it still gave the salient facts: male lion, 4 years old, shot and killed at the H&H Car Wash by an El Paso police officer and a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Agent. (What was he doing there? Drunk lion?) The after-killing justification was that shooting the animal beyond the boundaries of the car wash could have meant ricocheting bullets that could have endangered people.

So, if people were in danger, why didn't El Paso police control the crowd? Reportedly there were dozens of people on the scene. See the KTSM video again. A longer video published by KVIA reveals little effort to disburse the crowd. The lion appears hungry, tired . . . and scared but not aggressive.

As officials waited for the first tranquilizer to take effect, crowds gathered hanging off the car wash chain gates trying to get pictures and video of the mountain lion stressing it out further and creating the very public safety hazard that the killing of the lion would later be blamed on. Remember - the videos show little or no effort to disburse the crowd or cordon off the area. It was a carnival atmosphere and the police (and I guess the TABC) did nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

A police officer and a TABC officer shooting their guns not far from a school seems to be a far greater public safety risk than a drugged mountain lion who would have been asleep in just another minute before being gunned down. I still want to know what the heck the TABC agent was doing there - did he have jurisdiction?)

Once again, it was just a few seconds after a second "stick" of tranquilizer hit the cat when a police officer and the TABC agent opened fire. All videos show an animal trying to avoid people and not an animal being aggressive. The words of the State Veterinarian ring true: "Ugh you idiot! No need for this!"

We can only hope that the City of El Paso, its police department, and others will turn to wildlife experts now and develop better ways to deal with similar situations in the future.

Both the police department and the TABC need to be investigated. How are officers trained? Is there a protocol for encountering mountain lions or other wild animals or do we just shoot to kill when wildlife experts are in the process of tranquilizing the animals? What jurisdiction did the TABC have? Why didn't police cordon off the area? So many questions.

At the end of the KVIA video, an officer is being admonished: "Don't talk to a reporter. Get back here." The cover-up had already begun.

El Paso Policeman Murders Mountain Lion

Officials believe that police panic led to the death of a mountain lion at H&H Carwash yesterday. Texas Department of Health Veterinarian, Ken Waldrup, had administered a second tranquilizer only 30 seconds before a police officer killed the cat. A minute more and the cat would have been asleep.

Dr. Waldrup is nationally respected and vastly experienced. Tranquilizing an animal - especially one with lots of adrenaline running - must be done carefully so as not to overdose the animal. The animal had exhibited no aggressive behavior toward people even though she had plenty of opportunities to do so. This was not an aggressive animal - but a fearful one. As soon as the lion was murdered, a videotape shows a very angry and distraught, Dr. Waldrup, screaming at the police, "No need for this!"

Here is the link to the KTSM video. If later on I can get the embedding code, I'll put it up on this blog.

Writer, environmental advocate, research scientist and currently Education Curator at the El Paso Zoo, Rick LoBello made this comment:

"Lions need low elevation areas during time of drought to seek water from springs. Here in El Paso we are losing these areas of habitat at an alarming rate, hurting lions and hundreds of other species of wildlife. Perhaps this mountain lion was looking for a drink or simply hungry. I would say she was an adult lion at least 5 years old. All of her life she had done her best to avoid our species. Today she came to know us first hand and now she is no more."

Sierra Club activist, Bill Addington, recalls an incident 3 years ago when a police officer responded to a cat by shooting at it. Fortunately, that shot missed. The attitude then as now is "Shoot it. It's a danger."

I have made an open records request asking the police for the incident report, a copy of documents showing what kind of training the officers receive to deal with this kind of situation, and documents showing the current Mountain Lion Protocol. We shall see what they give me.

There will be more later.