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. I am a avid paddler, former scoutmaster, and a friend of the Del Rio, Val Verde County and Lake Amistad area. I have hunted and fished in its natural environment since 1970. I have camped at Bakers Crossing, Seminole Canyon, as well as Lake Amistad for 20 years. As a amateur naturalist, I have driven over most of the roads in the county, mostly at night photographing - snakes, lizards, mice, bobcat, badger, rabbit, jack rabbit, deer, porcupine, ring tail cat, raccoon, coyote, fox, blue quail, hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons. My son and I have paddled from Dolan Falls (Devils River State Natural Area) to the private take out in the Blue Sage Subdivision. I have paddled from the Rough Canyon Recreational area north to the Devils River Ranch on Lake Amistad and camped for several days. Also I have been on the Ranch opposite (north west side) the Devils River Ranch on the Devils River as a guest of the land owner. Enough about me and my qualifications to discuss this issue - Paddling Matters Part 1. The loss of the Devils River State Natural Area will mean that fly-fishermen, canoeists and kayakers wishing to run the Devils river will lose the only public campsite that currently exists between Bakers Crossing (Hwy 163) and Lake Amistad. At this time, paddlers can launch early in the morning at Bakers Crossing and make it to the primitive camping area at the Devils River State Natural Area (about 15 miles by river) before dark. Currently, paddlers can use the Devils River State Natural Area as a put in (it could be used as a take out as well, with a change in policy) to run the ten-mile section of river from the Devils River State Natural Area to the private take out in the Blue Sage Subdivision. It is about another 15 to 22 miles from Devils River State Natural Area to the Devil's River Ranch and possibly primitive camping on the Lake Amistad Recreational Area. Under your TPWD proposal, for those wishing to paddle from Bakers Crossing, (losing the Devils River State Natural Area), would now have to travel an total of about 30 to 37 miles depending where the "park" in located on the Devil's River Ranch. The property on either side of the Devil's River (Spanish Land Grant), and rocks poking out of the water, are private property. Necessitating the paddlers camping and trespassing on private property. *It is poor public planning by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to give paddlers access to the Devil's river and then give them no where to camp.* * The state of Texas is currently in an 18 BILLION dollar shortfall,* and you want to waste taxpayers money on this foolish land swap. Yours -- We must not change the Word of God, it must change us! Peter Cragg, DVM 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/ ***************************************************************************
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