A Source of Pride
Hello from Padre Island National Seashore. If you have a chance to walk on a pristine beach at sunrise, I recommend this one. There is a National Park Service visitors' center with information programs, and next week there will be a release of Kemp Ridley sea turtles which have produced so far at leat 148 nests, a growth that is bringing back from near extinction this distinctive species.
In the earlier days of conservation, Senator Ralph Yarborough introduced legislation to make the Padre Island area a National Seashore, and met with a great deal of opposition on the grounds that it would take a great source of revenue, hunting and fishing grounds and oil development, away from the state of Texas. His battles went on until 1962 when he was able to push the legislation through while some of the main opponents were away.
Of course, the stories about his battles are part of the usual Texas myths, but having been offered a small park which would be named after him, my much admired Senator refused and pushed on for as much territory he could save for public enjoyment as possible.
This morning at sunrise I was all alone on the beach - except for the gulls, the pelicans, the piping plovers, the stilts, the oyster-catchers, the coyote, the ghost crabs, the Portugese Men O' War and a great blue heron among some of the species I can recognize.
When I went to work for him, el Senador had gone through the hardest part of getting the original bill passed and signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. I had the privilege of working for the funding to develop the park in the legislative offices in that wonderful Old SOB (Senate Office Buidling, of course).
Next week the Kemp Ridley sea turtle I adopted for the friend whose place on the beach I'm visiting now will be released. She will pick a name for it and keep me posted on whether it returns or not, or what progress may be reported for it.
I so hope that such a spirit of public service can occur again and that I can help elect some one with the stature of a Senator Yarborough. I'll be working in a campaign to return this kind of achievement to one congressional seat, trying to elect Dr. Glenn Melancon to represent, in the real sense of the word, the 4th District of Texas.
More Kemp Ridley sea turtles. All of us need this seat in Congress to return to honest dedicated representatives, just as we all need Barack Obama to begin returning this country's functional government and pulling us out of the pit we've been pushed into.
I recommend a long walk on the sand in the early morning on Padre Island to know what that means.
In the earlier days of conservation, Senator Ralph Yarborough introduced legislation to make the Padre Island area a National Seashore, and met with a great deal of opposition on the grounds that it would take a great source of revenue, hunting and fishing grounds and oil development, away from the state of Texas. His battles went on until 1962 when he was able to push the legislation through while some of the main opponents were away.
Of course, the stories about his battles are part of the usual Texas myths, but having been offered a small park which would be named after him, my much admired Senator refused and pushed on for as much territory he could save for public enjoyment as possible.
This morning at sunrise I was all alone on the beach - except for the gulls, the pelicans, the piping plovers, the stilts, the oyster-catchers, the coyote, the ghost crabs, the Portugese Men O' War and a great blue heron among some of the species I can recognize.
When I went to work for him, el Senador had gone through the hardest part of getting the original bill passed and signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. I had the privilege of working for the funding to develop the park in the legislative offices in that wonderful Old SOB (Senate Office Buidling, of course).
Next week the Kemp Ridley sea turtle I adopted for the friend whose place on the beach I'm visiting now will be released. She will pick a name for it and keep me posted on whether it returns or not, or what progress may be reported for it.
I so hope that such a spirit of public service can occur again and that I can help elect some one with the stature of a Senator Yarborough. I'll be working in a campaign to return this kind of achievement to one congressional seat, trying to elect Dr. Glenn Melancon to represent, in the real sense of the word, the 4th District of Texas.
More Kemp Ridley sea turtles. All of us need this seat in Congress to return to honest dedicated representatives, just as we all need Barack Obama to begin returning this country's functional government and pulling us out of the pit we've been pushed into.
I recommend a long walk on the sand in the early morning on Padre Island to know what that means.
Labels: Election 2008, Endangered Species, The Environment
posted by Ruth at 2:00 PM
2 Comments:
Oh, jeebus...look what I just found in today's Federal Register:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Supplemental Oil and Gas Management Plan, Environmental Impact
Statement, Padre Island National Seashore, TX
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Oil and Gas
Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, for Padre Island
National Seashore, Texas.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service is preparing a
Supplemental Oil and Gas Management Plan, Environmental Impact
Statement, for Padre Island National Seashore, Texas. This will
supplement the Oil and Gas Management Plan, Final Environmental Impact
Statement completed on October 12, 2000.
The major change in the Supplemental Oil and Gas Management Plan,
Environmental Impact Statement, will be a revised reasonably
foreseeable development scenario. Minor revisions will include new
information on some resources in Padre Island National Seashore.
Bastards.
This is a lovely post, Ruth, and the above comment only serves to emphasize the urgency of installing some sane leadership at the federal level. Thank you for all your past, present and future work!
Post a Comment
<< Home