Prairie Conservancy has issues with Parkway plan

Invites supporters to comment

David Crossley, Sep 02, 10.

The Katy Prairie Conservancy has published some negative comments about the proposed plan for Segment E of the Grand Parkway and today invited supporters to comment in like fashion.

In an announcement on the organization website, the Conservancy says “Segment E of the Grand Parkway will have a significant impact on the irreplaceable Katy Prairie,” and points to a letter it has posted to supporters. The letter, which has links to an “Alert” fact sheet and to Houston Tomorrow’s coverage of the Parkway, says:

The proposed roadway alignment will affect ecologically important prairie pothole wetlands on the Katy Prairie and also put increased development pressure on this significant and valuable natural area.

No wetlands mitigation is proposed on the Katy Prairie.

The revised plans: (1) assert that the roadway does not negatively impact as many wetlands as anticipated, thereby reducing the number of acres that are to be mitigated for, (2) fail to account for wetlands in the right of way or buffer zone of the road or stream impacts, (3) disregard any indirect, secondary or cumulative impacts of induced development, and (4) propose that all mitigation for the impacted wetlands be done at the Greens Bayou Mitigation Bank which, contrary to established practice, is out of watershed, out of kind, and out of ecosystem.

The fact sheet says,

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is requesting public comments on a proposed wetlands Section 404 permit No. SWG-1997-02901 (Rev.) for the one-half billion dollar Grand Parkway, Segment E, Toll Road (U.S. 290 to I- 10). This project will impact wetlands on the Katy Prairie and would be built by the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).

The Corps is requesting public comments so if you are concerned about this project, you MUST write now. Send your comments to the Corps via letter, fax, or email by September 8, 2010. Write what you think appropriate, but you may wish to:
1. Ask the Corps to hold a public hearing on the permit application.
2. No mitigation is planned on the Katy Prairie. Point out that the soundest environmental approach is to mitigate for the loss of native tallgrass prairie/prairie pothole wetlands on the Katy Prairie in the Cypress Creek Watershed, i.e., locally, not remotely. The Corps usually recommends that mitigation be conducted within the impacted watershed, in the impacted ecosystem, and of the same kind of habitat, in other words, where the loss occurs. The proponents of the permit have requested approval to undertake the wetlands mitigation at the Greens Bayou Mitigation Bank in northeast Harris County, out of kind, out of watershed, and out of ecosystem.
3. Suggest that the permit be revised to assess and compensate for stream and wetlands losses within the Parkway’s “buffer zone;” and
4. Emphasize that the proposed project will significantly and deleteriously impact the Katy Prairie. If you believe this loss should be avoided, then state that you oppose permit application No. SWG- 1997-02901 (Rev.) and request that the Corps withdraw and reject this permit application.

Comments are due by September 8, 2010
Comments should be sent to: Mr. Dwayne Johnson, Regulatory Branch, CESWG-PE-RB, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, Texas 77553-1229; or fax to 409-766-3931; or email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Sierra Club has also commented negatively and has begun to raise questions about the impact of the next proposed loop around Houston, the Prairie Parkway. The Sierra Club notes that

“If this proposed road goes forward it will strike like a second dagger into the Katy Prairie (the proposed Grand Parkway, Segment E, is the first dagger) and block the land acquisition program of the Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC).

This program has resulted in the protection of 18,000 acres of the Katy prairie.

The proposed Prairie Parkway will disrupt the KPC’s proposed link of protected land from Katy-Hockley Road to the west side of Waller County and the Brazos River.”

***Please note that submitting comments in the “Comments” box below will be published on the Houston Tomorrow site and are for discussion purposes only. Comments submitted in this fashion WILL NOT in any way be sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers***

Comments

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

Please, enough is enough! No more of these cement roads over the native grasses and bird habitats

Posted on Sep 07, 10 at 8:25 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

I have lived in Houston for over fifty years and grew up off of old Katy Rd. As a child my friends and I would ride our bikes out to Addicks Dam. My parents would take us out near Katy to watch the migrations of millions of waterfowl as they worked their way south. I will always remember the first time I saw one of those incredible flocks lift off and turn into the sun. The sunlight glistening on their bodies and the thrill I got when they flew over and lined up in their classic v shaped formations. It truly saddens me that a group of money hungry developers who do not care at all about the sprawl they are creating and the terrible effects the development will have on the city of Houston, with water runoff in the watershed, and more wasted energy.
At a time when we are trying to conserve, and to be more considerate of our natural resources this smacks in the face of all those things.
And for what? So some developers can divide and subdivide the last remnants of what was once a majestic site. Its time to stand up to these developers and politicians who are being funded by these developers i.e. political donations, and say no. I for one would like a better explanation as to why this road is really necessary. I read recently in a study that the number of people who actually live and work in that area is miniscule. This is just an example of greed, and the people who are pushing this proposal stand to make millions. Enough is enough.

Posted on Sep 08, 10 at 9:18 am

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