The Environmental Commission voted Wednesday to form a working group to delve into how Austin can live up to its “Bird City” title by creating bird-safe buildings. The near-unanimous vote, with Colin Nickells abstaining, followed a presentation by Heidi Trudell, who researches the prevention of birds colliding with human-made structures and who prepared her report […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Watson focuses on how to finance city’s environmental goals
City Council on Tuesday received its first briefing on what is expected to be a painstaking journey toward developing and implementing an investment strategy for funding Austin’s Climate Equity Plan. A public hearing is set for today on the creation of an investment plan – one of the steps outlined in a resolution that Council […]
Posted inEnvironment
Smog got you down? Here’s why air quality in Austin has been so bad this spring.
This spring has been a challenging one in Central Texas weather-wise. There was punishing heat, destructive hail and a thick yellow-gray haze that blanketed the region. But, of these three apocalyptic-feeling weather phenomena, the smog stands out as particularly unique. It’s been worse this year than many can remember. Why? The answer starts with seasonal agricultural fires in […]
Posted inWater
Leaking city pipes appear to be drought-proofing some Austin trees
Austin loses an estimated 21 gallons of water per person every day, mostly through leaks in the city’s water distribution system. Last year that totaled 8.6 billion gallons lost. Those leaks waste more than water; they drain energy and cost money. But there could be a small silver lining to the big problem of leaks: […]
Posted inEnvironment
Memo outlines the high cost of planning for Austin’s environmental future
With the city already facing a budget deficit exceeding $13 million in the 2025 budget year, a recent staff memo with cost estimates for funding an array of environmental initiatives may be causing sticker shock in some circles. Yet proponents of financing the city’s climate goals view the projected costs as an investment that could […]
Posted inParks
Council members are looking into need for increased funds for parks maintenance
Austin’s parkland acreage is growing along with the population – however, staffing for maintenance of those parks has not kept pace, according to a report discussed Wednesday among City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. After comparing the number of parks maintenance workers in 2014 to the current number, analysts at the Parks and Recreation Department […]
Posted inWater
Water quality plan draws opposition from Reed Park neighbors
A water quality improvement project slated for a West Austin neighborhood park has sparked controversy among Tarrytown neighbors opposed to the prospect of losing an informal ball field to a biofiltration pond for stormwater runoff. Reed Neighborhood Park, given to the city in the 1950s by the late Roberta Crenshaw, an Austin environmental doyenne for […]
Posted inParks
Travis County will turn family’s ranch into 1,500 acres of public parkland
Travis County commissioners plan to add about 1,500 acres to the county’s wilderness parklands, protecting the pristine land from development and setting it up as a future destination for hikers and bicyclists. The $90 million deal to purchase a privately owned ranch in southwest Travis County was made possible by voters passing a bond proposition last […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy dialing in to climate protection plan
After pausing to rethink its approach, Austin Energy is revisiting its update to the 2030 Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan with a series of workshops set to begin next month. The first of four workshops, scheduled for June 7 at the utility’s Mueller headquarters, will focus on the fundamentals, bringing newly participating stakeholders up […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental report points to the city limits and parkland challenges ahead
The 2023 “State of Our Environment” report from the Austin Watershed Protection Department presents a mix of positive and negative findings, but optimistically underscores the city’s proactive efforts in addressing the impacts of urban development and climate change. As in previous years, the annual report tracks Austin’s air, land, water and tree canopy to gauge […]
Posted inParks
ACL Fest shows $499M economic impact, with $8.1M donated to parks improvements
The 2023 edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival generated nearly half a billion dollars in economic impact for the area, according to results of an analysis released Monday. The fest’s $499.9 million in financial activity represented a 12 percent increase over the impact of the 2022 festival, with that figure equaling 3,766 full-time […]
Posted inEnvironment
Development and climate change continue to threaten Balcones Canyonlands creatures
Stewards of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve checked in on the status of its most vulnerable residents at their last meeting. Debra Scott, who is the environmental project manager for Travis County, filled in members of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee on species that are “up and coming on the endangered species list.” In […]