Cemex Has Much More Mountain to Destroy

Click on image to enlarge.

This past Monday I posted KTSM's outstanding news story from last Friday about the destruction of the eastern face of the Franklin Mountains by CEMEX. The big question that the story raised was just how much of the mountain can Cemex eat up. What is the limit?

If you look at the 2014 aerial above with the superimposed map, it looks like CEMEX has much more mountain that they can destroy. 

Here's a look at the damage that they have already done:

Click on image to enlarge.

I asked Dr. Cesar Mendez, the Superintendent of the Franklin Mountains State Park, about the boundaries between the park and CEMEX and whether there had been any encroachment that he was aware of. He replied that he is concerned about "any potential encroachment, as well as the changes in the landscape. But there is not much we can do if they are working legally and within their boundaries."  He added that "for now we are neighbors and respect each other." He and his team keep their focus on protecting the land within the State Park as well as potential land that they might annex.

CEMEX pays a royalty to the State of Texas General Land Office because the land that they own is "Mineral classified land" sometimes referred to as Relinquishment Act Land. Although the landowner may do whatever they like with the land, since the State owns the mineral rights, the landowner must pay a royalty to the GLO if they extract minerals such as sand, gravel, rock, oil, gas, etc. All of this is to say that no one should expect the State to buy back the land to give to the State Park. 

Cemex posts this statement about themselves: "CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries throughout the world, and we maintain trade relationships in over 100 nations. We work hard to develop and deliver the best solutions in cement, ready-mix, and aggregates...so we can transform ideas into reality."

Who To Blame for the Stormwater Fee Going Up

You have probably heard that your stormwater fee will go up 11 percent. If that makes you angry, don't blame the Public Service Board, blame the City Council. 

David K hits the nail on the head. Read Demands made by posturing politicians always cost a lot of money. 

So, the next time Cortney Niland stomps her feet and raises her voice and sanctimoniously wants you to think she is looking out for you, don't believe it. It's another one of her cya's - something she does better than anyone else.

One more point. Real efforts to keep stormwater where it falls either to water the landscape or eventually recharge the aquifer, is also something that the City Council must do and not the PSB. Only Council can change landscaping, building and grading codes. You can also blame some homeowners. Where swales are required, builders at their cost put them in, only to have the owner cover them up afterwards. Council should create a new class of code violations and give out severe financial penalties.

One final question and this goes under the John Kennedy rubric "Ask not what your country can do for you . . . ". What have you done or are you doing to keep stormwater on your own property or even on what you might just lease or do you always expect government to come to the rescue and, if they don't, blame them?

Should We Worry about PSB Agenda Item 15?

Item 15 on tomorrow's Public Service Board agenda reads:

"Discussion and action on direction received from the El Paso City Council, made on March 18 2014, for the City Manager to coordinate with the Public Service Board to determine the feasibility of selling property in 100 acres parcels or less, for property located in the Northwest Regulating Planned area." 

Anytime anything comes up about the Northwest Master Plan, some in the environmental/conservation voice concerns. They should. The questions are always the same: Will the arroyos be preserved? Will bridges be used and not culverts? Will smart code be followed? All as agreed upon following a successful petition to preserve the land.

City Council asked for a study to determine the cost of the development if divided among smaller developers versus the cost should just one developer do the entire planned area. URS was contracted to do the study.

The URS study found that one developer is the best way to go. City Planning recommends this finding and my sources tell me that the PSB will do so also.

EPWU/PSB General Attorney, Lupe Culler, said that the item will not circumvent the Master Plan.

Must See Video: The Face of the Franklin Mountains

Special Report: The Face of the Franklin Mountains

[If  you receive elpasonaturally by email, you will not be able to see the video. Go to www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com to view it.]

Thank you KTSM-9 El Paso!

WTUFC Contributes Apple Tree to Community Garden

On hand were Jim Tolbert, President of WTUFC, El Paso City Council Representative Emma Acosta, Brent Pearson , Oscar Mestas and members of the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association

The West Texas Urban Forestry Council (Los Tree Amigos) and the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association celebrated Texas Arbor Day today by planting a tree in the Community Garden of the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association. Oscar Mestas, Texas A&M Urban Forester, and Brent Pearson, City of El Paso Arborist, demonstrated the correct way to plant a tree. 

City Arborist, Brent Pearson, finishes planting the apple tree.

On hand to help plant the tree were City Council Representative, Emma Acosta, WTUFC Board President, Jim Tolbert, and WTUFC Treasurer, Joanne Burt.

Jim Tolbert, Brent Pearson, Emma Acosta

Arbor Day was founded in 1872 in  Nebraska. By the 1920s, each state in the United States had passed public laws that stipulated a certain day to be Arbor Day. In Texas, Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the first Friday in November, the best time of year to plant trees in our climate. The customary observance of Arbor Day is to plant a tree. On the first Arbor Day, an estimated one million trees were planted.

Trees produce oxygen and clean the air. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. Trees act as a giant filter that cleans the air we breathe. Trees absorb carbon dioxide which promote climate change.

It is the mission of Arbor Day to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

The Friday Video: Texas Arbor Day 2015 [The proclamation is well worth listening to.]


For more information:

West Texas Urban Forestry Council (especially tree care page)

EPWU Desert Plant List

City of El Paso Tree Care Manual

Register by Tomorrow for Discounted Price for Sun Country Landscape Conference

Los Tree Amigos of the West Texas Urban Forestry Council are bringing you 3 great opportunities to learn about trees in your community.

2015 Sun Country Landscape Conference is near.

Thursday November 19,  All of the presentations on Thursday will be in Spanish.

Friday November 20, is the professional day, with presentations geared more for the Arborist, Urban Forester, Landscape Architect, Architect, Engineer, Planner, Landscape contractor and other Natural Resource Professionals.    ISA CEU’s  5 CA, 1 BCMA Sci, 4 BCMA Mgt, 1Utility, 1 Muni, & 1 TW Climber.

Saturday November 21, is the homeowner’s  turn to learn how to keep their homestead green and lush while conserving water and our desert resources.

Please save these dates and please pass this on to anyone whom you think would be interested.

Register at   www.wtufc.org

Click on images below to enlarge.

Improve Connectivity at FMSP Soon To Start

TxDOT calls it simply "Improve Connectivity at FMSP". It's an animal corridor and a separate hike and bike trail. It is the means to connect the south and north sides of Franklin Mountains State Park at Tom Mays Park now cut off by Transmountain Road. 

The project has been a possibility for a long time. The problem has been funding but it looks like the funds are now there.

TxDOT opened bids yesterday and there were six. Three of them came within the acceptable 10% range above estimate. The lowest was 1.07% over estimate. Regional Engineer Bob Bielek reports: "Without doing a complete review for an unbalanced bid, 1.07% over is very close to the estimate.  Absent any abnormalities with the bid I would think that a contract will be awarded to the low bidder at the next Commission meeting.  In fact, the three lowest bids are all within, or close to, the 10% that we typically look for.  That said, given the time to get the contracts signed, etc. and the upcoming holidays, I would expect a construction start shortly after the first of the year."

Former PSB member, avid mountain bike rider and a major driver throughout the years for this project responded: "Very Cool! Woohoo!"

Very cool indeed.