Texas Parks & Wildlife Public Reefing meeting.

[chairmanTARAC]

I have been informed that the department will be taking public input concerning operating procedures on private reefing options. Meetings will be 6/6 Dickenson(Houston) 6/8 Corpus Christi, 6/12 Brownsville. Will post times and places as I get Them.

 

[Debraw]

June 6 is good for me in Houston!

 

[ReefHound]

June 6 is good for me in Houston!

Funny, the people in Houston are complaining that Dickinson is too far from Houston.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Wow, totally ignore the North Texas dive shops.

That bites

 

[archman]

Wow, totally ignore the North Texas dive shops.

That bites

You folks won't use the resource as much. Driving distance is too far. Texas coastal resource managers usually bias stakeholder input towards the coastal counties, as those populations have a much greater "stake".

We're the only coastal state in the U.S. where most of the population doesn't live anwhere near the ocean. It makes our coastal management strategies kinda weird to figure out sometimes. :06:

 

[ReefHound]

Wow, totally ignore the North Texas dive shops.

That bites

Here in Houston we are not happy about that or willing to let it happen. We know we're gonna need the support of divers all across the state to get anything done and we will not let TPWD divide and conquer.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I have been informed that the department will be taking public input concerning operating procedures on private reefing options. .

Ok, so what does this mean. What operating procedure. Whose private reefs? As a Texas diver I think I am a stakeholder. No matter where I live in Texas.

TwoBit

 

[Debraw]

You folks won't use the resource as much. Driving distance is too far. Texas coastal resource managers usually bias stakeholder input towards the coastal counties, as those populations have a much greater "stake". <SNIP>

I think we have a greater impact that what you think we will have. I for one think there should be a meeting in the North Texas area and that way we can get Abilene, Midland, Waco, and all shops in the Metroplex involved. North Texans travel and spend money just like everyone else. Heck even here on Scubaboard, just take a look at the threads on the Texas Swamp Diver forum. We dive...A LOT! Our shop alone runs 10 or more dive trips a year to the Gulf Coast and I can't even count the number of runs the dive shops make to Florida and that's further!

We do need a meeting in the North Texas Area, BUT I will travel if necessary to show my support for a public/private reefing project. It's time for me to put up or shut up at this point.

 

[Lukiedukie]

I think we have a greater impact that what you think we will have. I for one think there should be a meeting in the North Texas area and that way we can get Abilene, Midland, Waco, and all shops in the Metroplex involved. North Texans travel and spend money just like everyone else. Heck even here on Scubaboard, just take a look at the threads on the Texas Swamp Diver forum. We dive...A LOT! Our shop alone runs 10 or more dive trips a year to the Gulf Coast and I can't even count the number of runs the dive shops make to Florida and that's further!

We do need a meeting in the North Texas Area, BUT I will travel if necessary to show my support for a public/private reefing project. It's time for me to put up or shut up at this point.

I agree completely with everything above but it looks like I am not going to make the meeting. I have only been able to dive the local ponds for now but I have some plans to see alot of salt in the future. I also go flyfishing in the gulf alot so I would think they might want to consider the northern half of the state. I do not even want to think about the money I ahve spent in Houston/Galveston fishing shops, or hotels or resturants. Hey if my money does not matter to TPWD I can always drive a little further and get my fishing in Lousiana or Florida. I guess I need to see how much the fishing license go for out of state

 

[archman]

Ok, so what does this mean. What operating procedure. Whose private reefs? As a Texas diver I think I am a stakeholder. No matter where I live in Texas.

Public meetings are almost always sited in close proximity to the resource in question. It's standard op in natural resource management, for obvious reasons.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised there's even a public meeting scheduled in Corpus. I would have expected south Houston/Galveston and Brownsville ones only. Lots of people always say they're going to commit to a public meeting, but in most realities only a fraction actually show up. Of course, these things do tend to be boring as heck...

Here in Houston we are not happy about that or willing to let it happen. We know we're gonna need the support of divers all across the state to get anything done and we will not let TPWD divide and conquer.

What on earth are you talkin' about? Divide and conquer? What? This is a generic public preliminary input and informational meeting, not a public support rally. The two are radically different.

As I know firsthand how bloody hard it is to get private citizens to ever go to these things, I am wondering if any of you guys have a clear idea about how these meetings work. Think of it more like an extraordinarily lightweight brainstorming seminar, led by a small group of cautious but polite government officials that will supply limited amounts of information. That's it. Think PTA meeting.