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Public hearing: youth brigades praise TPWD; residents oppose rock‑crushing near Longhorn Caverns; livestock and wildlife stakeholders press for screwworm tools
Summary
The annual public hearing brought youth brigades, hunting‑heritage supporters, park neighbors opposing a proposed rock‑crushing plant, and livestock and feed interests urging stronger screwworm preparedness before the commission.
The Commission’s annual public hearing Aug. 20 included more than 100 public commenters addressing a broad array of topics, with recurring themes around youth conservation programs, a proposed quarry/rock‑crushing site near Longhorn Caverns/Inks Lake and preparations to respond to the new‑world screwworm threat.
Texas Brigades, a youth leadership and conservation program, opened public comment with a group of student speakers and the group’s executive director, Ally Alcorn. Alcorn said the program trains more than 200 high‑school‑aged youth and partners closely with TPWD staff who serve as instructors and mentors. Several cadets testified on how the program improved their public speaking and conservation skills.
Representatives of hunting‑heritage programs and the Texas Wildlife Association thanked the commission for ongoing partnership support for the Texas Big Game Awards, the Texas Youth Hunting Program and adult learn‑to‑hunt opportunities.
A large contingent of residents and park users urged TPWD to oppose a proposed asphalt/rock‑crushing plant near Hoover Valley Road (Burnet County), which opponents say is within three miles of Longhorn Caverns State Park, Inks Lake State Park and Camp Longhorn. Public speakers — including camp staff and local elected officials — described concerns about blasting vibrations, dust and silt runoff into springs and cave systems, possible effects on bats and the fish hatchery, impacts on campers and park visitation, and what they said were insufficient environmental reviews in other permitting processes. Several asked TPWD to coordinate with TCEQ, the LCRA and other agencies and to press for additional studies or denial of permits that could affect park resources.
Multiple speakers from hunting, feed and ranching communities pressed the commission about preparedness for a potential new‑world screwworm incursion. Representatives from feed manufacturers and ranch groups described proposals to deploy oral ivermectin in wildlife feed as a scalable host‑based barrier to buy time while sterile‑insect production scales up; others urged prioritization of monitoring, surveillance and legal controls. Speakers from conservation groups and wildlife advocates asked for coordination across agencies and transparency in chronic wasting disease (CWD) monitoring and enforcement.
The hearing also included an update from Palacios Marine Agricultural Research (PMAR), which reported production of tens of millions of oysters and collaboration with TPWD on restoration.
No formal commission action was taken during the public hearing; the meeting concluded at 3:26 p.m.
