Big Thicket Bulletin, Number 13, Summer 1973 Page: 1 of 2
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B I G
0
TH'CK ET
B U LLET I N
No.13 BIG THICKET ASSOCIATION, SARATOGA, TX Summer, 1973
Welcome Pilgrims and
Th i oketeers...
You have come to a land of Big Thickets,
and we want to show you some of its best
features. A full program of field trips,
legislative reports, and ECO-lectures have
been scheduled for your visit.
We thought that this would be a good oppor-
tunity for conservationists throughout the
state to get to know some of our local
Thicketeers and vice versa, so this meeting
serves not only as a membership meeting for
the Big Thicket Association but also as a
pilgrimage for Texas conservationists, who
are doing so much to help save a represen-
tative portion of what once was a vast
wilderness.Unfortunately, there will be a few folks who
will not welcome you here. They are con-
cerned that they may lose their homes, or
that friends may lose their homes. It is
important for you to know that most of their
fears are unfounded. The National Park Ser-
vice recommendation (tentative) for a Big
Thicket National Biological Reserve contains
42 permanent dwellings, and Cong. Charles
Wilson has stated that he believes almost
half of these could be eliminated. The own-
ers of the few homes that may be included,
can elect to remain in their homes for their
lifetimes, or they can elect to sell their
property at a fair market value.
But REMEMBER! The objective is to save
WILDERNESS areas--not DEVELOPED areas.
It is possible that picketers will appear
at both Saratoga and Kountze. It is pos-
sible that they will try to start a debate
with you, prevent your passage, or, an
occasional one may even say something
abusive or vulgar. You should not judge
all area citizens by the few. Please make
allowances for the extremists, and be
thoughtful and understanding to everyone
you meet. We know you will.
BIG THICKET ASSOCIATION
GOLDEN TRIANGLE SIERRA CLUBCongressional
CountdownRecently, a "deadline" of June 30 was
reported for the submission of House
bills for the Senate calendar. It now
appears that the deadline applies only
to items for consideration before the
summer recess of Congress, and that the
bills could be considered when Congress
reconvenes.
Deadline or not--the prospect of Big
Thicket legislation lying dormant during
a long recess is abhorrent to those who
watch the Thicket disappearing. Action
now is a necessity!
We could make that deadline with a few
small miracles and a lot of hard work.
Letter-writing is not the most delightful
way to spend an evening, but one evening
,of your time could make a difference.
Write President Nixon and tell him of
your support for a Big Thicket National
Biological Reserve. He may not read it
personally, but his aides will keep him
informed on topics that interest his
correspondents.
Write Secretary of the Interior C. Rogers
Morton; National Park Service Director
Ronald H. Walker; and NPS officials like
Nathaniel Reed and Hdlmer Rouse. Ask
them to present their recommendations to
the House Committee on Interior and In-
sular Affairs.
Write the I and IA Committee chairman,
James Haley, and the Parks and Recreation
Sub-committee chairman, Roy Taylor, urging
them to hold hearings on NPS recommenda-
tions and to report the tneasure favorably
to the House floor for action.
Write your Texas representative and your
Texas senators and ask that they do every-
thing possible to expedite legislation.
DO IT NOW. If you fail, then you helped
hold the saw that felled those trees.
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Big Thicket Association. Big Thicket Bulletin, Number 13, Summer 1973, periodical, Summer 1973; Saratoga, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1654647/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.