Lost Pines Changes Location and Time of End Op Hearing

There are several new developments we need to inform you about.  Please help us spread the word.
1)  There is a change in the DATE and LOCATION of the End Op hearing.
2)  The Manville hearing will be held along with the regular Lost Pines Board of Directors meeting as previously announced.
3)  Environmental Stewardship has provided a letter to the Board with its rationale in support of the Bastrop Commissioners Resolution.  
Item 1)  Lost Pines GCD announced recently that the End Op hearing will be held:

April 18, 2013 at 6:00 pm 
American Legion Hall 
1502 Highway 77 
The Board of Directors WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU … SO PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND.  We sure would like to see Judges Pape and Fischer along with the Commissioners from both Bastrop and Lee counties turn out to represent us at this very important Lost Pines hearing.
THE BEST VOICE OF THE PEOPLE …
IS THE FACE AND TESTIMONY OF THE PEOPLE.
BE THERE!  
Item 2)

LOST PINES GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
will hold the Manville Hearing and vote on the Forestar, LCRA, and Manville
permits at their regular Board Meeting on 
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2013, 
Regular Board Meeting 7:00 P.M.
Giddings City Hall, 118 East Richmond St., Giddings, TX 78942
click her for the agenda
Item 3)  Environmental Stewardship has provided the Board with our concerns and reasoning for supporting the Bastrop County Commissioners Court Resolution and our rationale for managing these permits in compliance with the District’s Management Plan. “We are very much in agreement with the resolution passed by the Bastrop County Commissioners Court earlier this week. We, too, greatly appreciate the cautious and careful management of the groundwater resources that the District has exhibited in the past and urge you to continue your efforts to be a conservative guardian of our water resources. Your Mission Statement in your Management Plan demonstrates your commitment to sustainability of the aquifer.”
“Why, we must ask, did we go through the DFC and MAG process if these carefully estimated values are not being used in the permitting process to restrain permitting to a level that balances the “highest practicable level of groundwater production” against “conservation, preservation, protection, recharging and prevention of waste of groundwater?  In short, we believe the District has more than enough basis to make a determination that these permits should be proportionately reduced, or reduced according to some other equitable, non-discriminatory method, so as to achieve the mandated balance going forward.”
“We urge the Board to once again follow its collective conscience, as you have most recently in establishing the moratorium, and constrain the District’s permitting to reasonably considered volumes that are defensibly defined by the DFC and MAG.”
“Last week, our counsel Mr. Eric Allmon provided you with a letter that discusses more specifically the deficiencies that we have identified in the recommendations of the General Manager and the District’s permitting process.  This was provided to the Board respectfully, as a means of demonstrating that there are other options available to you in this process. Specifically, we urge that you remand the recommendations back to the General Manager with instructions to apply the District’s management plan along the lines described in this letter, not only with respect to application of the MAG but also with respect to the other four factors required by §36.1132 in order to provide a new recommendation to the Board with respect to each application.  A finding by the Board of such irregularities in the recommendations as they now stand should be sufficient grounds to warrant tabling a vote on the pending permits until this work has been done.”
“And as our counsel’s letter also put forth, Environmental Stewardship still believes there is additional need for scientific and technical studies to determine to what extent pumping impacts surface waters and surface water permits, and that such studies will support the District’s basis for managing these precious resources.  As such we stand ready to assist in finding and providing outside funding to facilitate such studies.  Thank you for the opportunity to provide our comments and we hope that we are able to work with the District to balance these competing needs.”

 

ACT TODAY by provide your support for the resolution and concerns in writing to your County Judge and County Commissioner.  Click on the email address below to make your comments directly.  If you wish, please copy Environmental Stewardship at steward@environmental-stewardship.org.
Judge Paul E. Fischer
200 South Main, Room 107
Giddings, Texas 78942
Phone: 979-542-3178
Fax: 979-542-2988
Click here for list of Lee County CommissionersJudge Paul Pape
804 Pecan Street
Bastrop, TX 78602Phone: (512) 332-7201
Fax: (512) 581-7103
Email: paul.pape@co.bastrop.tx.us

Click here for list of Bastrop County Commissioners

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Click here for NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING (March 20 meeting, 4 pages)
Click here for NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING (April 17 meeting, 2 pages)
You are encouraged to TAKE ACTION NOW to let your voice be heard by the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors, County Judges and Commissioners.  Attend the meeting on Thursday evening and/or send an email expressing your concerns.  If you share our concerns, please tell the Board so they know that we have your support too. 

Finally, we need your financial assistance.  Unfortunately it takes money to get legal opinions and to keep you informed.  Please consider making a generous contribution today.  See the side-bar below “Please Donate Now!” to get more information on how you can help.  Thank you.