“Unless…”
It is amazing to me how much power one word can have. I remember the first time I ever read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss… That book, that word, ignited a fire inside my tiny soul that to this day still burns – and is the reason I am here today taking part of this environmental leadership program – hoping to inspire others in my community and affect lasting positive change.
There was a time when green spaces were abundant and easily accessible to the masses. Those days seem to get further and further away as we lose our precious parks and trails in the name of the almighty dollar. Urban sprawl is defined as the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas, and that is exactly what we are witnessing – urbanism unleashed – right in our very own city. An average of 110 people are moving to the Austin area every single day(US Census Bureau), and contractors can’t keep up with the demand. It is imperative we conduct more research and identify the effects of urbanization so we can better plan future development and improve the existing relationship between urban and natural areas. While it may not seem like a big deal that several acres of trees in one area are tore out to make way for a gated community or a shopping center, it could have a potential devastating impact on the wildlife in the area. The removal of their habitat completely or by creating the edge effect through land fragmentation can be detrimental to many species of both plants and animals. Over time as more and more areas become fragmented and urbanized, the effects become even greater and make serious impacts on ecology and human health. Some ways this can happen is through changes in the watersheds in the area, which include the amount and quality of water we use everyday, as well as the plants and animals that live on or near these areas. We also need to consider that as urban sprawl spreads, trees are being cut down at increasing rates. These trees are important because they scrub carbon dioxide that is produced from factories and cars, and produce much needed oxygen for our atmosphere. Last but not least, the increase of concrete and the decrease of green areas can drastically affect temperatures in the area, and the last thing we need is for our community to get any hotter.
Since Texas laws focus more on consumerism than on conservation – parks, trails, and previously untouched natural lands which are vitally important are becoming quick casualties of this expansion. My focus this semester is on the effects of urban sprawl on our local ecology, and how the conservation of important local green spaces is vital to the continued health of the community. The example I am setting as the cornerstone of my research this semester, is the fight to save Brushy Creek Trail.
Brushy Creek Trail is a major part of the Brushy Creek Corridor, which is an area that extends through a massive part of Williamson county. It encompasses Cedar Park and Round Rock, with expansions planned all they way across north Austin into Hutto. Currently the trail is 6.75 miles long and has extensive habitat and wildlife biodiversity.(BCRT Williamson County) It has been identified as the major spine and regional trail in the area, and has dozens of connecting trails and untouched wilderness which serves not only as a home to many different species of wildlife, but a great way for people to connect with nature.(Strategic Recreation Management) Containing massive spans of trees, swamps, lakes, streams, grassland, caves and karst ecosystems, it is home to a wide variety of species ranging from the common deer and coyotes to the endangered Cave Bone Harvestman spider. These different ecosystems are all working together to provide a stable biotic community, and if we start removing pieces from the puzzle, it will weaken the entire system. For example, surface plants support the the karst ecosystem function both directly and indirectly through nutrient input and providing a buffer from changes to temperature and precipitation in the area.(Pine, Robert T.) If the plants and trees in the area are removed for whatever reason, both will suffer long term effects and possibly collapse.
Simply put, this trail is special, and there isn’t anything quite like this found in the area.
(Fig. 1. Current map of Brushy Creek Regional Trail)
Yet, due to the growth in our region, there is a need to transport more electricity to the Cedar Park and Leander areas. Two new substations are being built in Leander and the LCRA has proposed connecting them to the existing station in Round Rock. The Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) requested the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to study possible routes, with the end product to be a set of alternative routes to take to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). One route being proposed would run along the Brushy Creek Regional Trail system – from the Brushy Creek Lake Park, along Champion Park, through Olson Meadows Park, down Hairy Man Road, and past the end of the existing trail. The 140 foot towers will require that all trees and vegetation within 60-100 feet be cleared.(SaveBrushyCreekTrail.com)
Here are some photos to put into perspective the size of the towers we are talking about here, and how much it would harm the habitat for our local ecology.
(Fig. 2. Example and scale of the proposed transmission towers)
(Fig. 3. Example of the clear cutting required for proposed transmission towers)
Sadly, the situation with Brushy Creek is not a unique one, and many of our local, state, national, and even global ecological treasures in varied protective statuses are still falling victim to being cleared out for a variety of reasons ( farm land, logging, mining, electrical lines, urban sprawl, etc). I want to spend my semester in this environmental leadership program investigating the effects of urban sprawl, and what steps we can take as individuals – as well as a community – to help further protect these critical areas. For the finale of the semester, I will being going to Costa Rica to investigate and research what communities there do to protect their lands, and hopefully be able to bring some of that information and knowledge back to Austin. I endeavor to use what I learn to help empower our community to heed the words of the Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s Not!”