Rough Draft Jacque, Forward it around give me your comments Dr Peter Cragg Panther Creek Pet Clinic 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive Suite A-135 The Woodlands, Texas 77381 Ted Hollingsworth, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744. Dear Mr. Hollingsworth, I am writing this letter to protest: The plan that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has to trade the Devils River State Natural Area, plus 8 million dollars in cash for a smaller tract of land further down the Devils River know as the Devils River Ranch. There are some major problems that I see with this land swap Part II - Land Issues: 1) The state would be losing, rather than gaining land. > From the current 19,988 acres down to 17,600 acres). And, while the state would be getting more waterfront (approximately 5 miles of "riverfront" and 5 miles of lakefront that is owned by the Lake Amistad Recreation Area) compared with the 1.5 miles of riverfront in the Devils River State Natural Area) most of that waterfront would be flat water that is adversely affected by the winds coming off Lake Amistad. It should also be noted that the Devil's River Ranch is adjacent to the Amistad National Recreation Area which owns about five miles of lake front which is 58,500 acres in size, and contains numerous opportunities for primitive camping, hiking, boating and other outdoor activities. I have been on the Dolan Falls State Natural Area (DRSNA), and have been on the property opposite the Devil's River Ranch (DRR) on the north west side. The DRSNA is prettier, much better quality, more varied with hills draws and flats with better pasture, contains more wildlife and more variety of wildlife,*and there is more land!* 2) It is 10 miles of lake front. True, but it is also false, The Lake is already owned by the Amistad Recreation Area (Federal Government) so the access is there, just no road. The federal government owns 100 contour feet above lake (conservation level) level to the Devils River Ranch, and and controls access to the lake on the south side of DRR. So this would mean that if there are cliffs and there are lost of cliffs, the Parks and wildlife property would start on the top of the cliff. On the intersecting draws, the DRR and the Parks and Wild proposed property would be as far as 1 - 3 miles away - 100 contour feet above lake (conservation level) level. This property would also be in the flood plain. Occasionally it rains in Val Verde County. The ranch across the river got 8 inches of rain from a tropical depression this summer. 3) More money. The 8 million dollars of additional money that the state will have to pay to conclude this "swap" will use up all of the land acquisition money available to the TPWD and still leave a shortfall of 2 million dollars. We have been told that TPWD has 4 million dollars of land acquisition money, they will get an anonymous gift of 2 million dollars (*sounds like a rebate from the broker and landowner to me*) if they swap this land, and they will need to find the remaining 2 million dollars somewhere. * Who is getting what deal to push through this "swap"*. 4) Financing. Even if the state can come up with the 8 million dollars to acquire this property, they will still need to find monies to complete a management plan (approximately $650,000) and construction and maintenance funds for this new park. There are simply better ways for the state to spend its limited resources. 5) Don't buy, swap the land. Why should we as taxpayers pay "welfare" to this land owner. The land owner can not sell it at the current price. *Why would the TPWD want to TRADE this excellent piece of property for a property that is 2,000 acres smaller plus pay 8 million dollars for.* * The state of Texas is currently in an 18 BILLION dollar shortfall,* and you want to waste taxpayers money on this foolish land swap. -- We must not change the Word of God, it must change us! Peter Cragg, DVM HopePointe Church, (Anglican Mission in the Americas) Panther Creek Pet Clinic Troop 889, Former Scoutmaster Red Cross Instructor - Basic Flat Water Kayaking Instructor - Basic Kayaking, Essentials of River Kayaking Instructor - Rolling a Kayak, with Touring or White Water Kayaks INTJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Nov 01 2010 - 04:50:52 PDT
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