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Fort Bend, Brazoria collaborate on Brazos River Project

Posted Monday, May 5, 2008

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On a recent early spring day, Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert and Brazoria County Judge Joe King sat together at a little out-of-the-way café between the two counties, and agreed to work together on a project that proposes to augment and improve the features of the much-maligned Brazos River, for the enjoyment of generations to come. That meeting set the stage for a grassroots effort of the counties, along with the Houston Wilderness organization, that will eventually produce a river’s edge greenspace comparable to The Spring Creek Greenway, unveiled this past February in The Woodlands.

Hebert extolled its virtues as he noted, "The Houston Wilderness initiative is something that every citizen should take the time to become aware of. Properly executed, it can have a lasting positive impact on the quality of life and place within Fort Bend County." The two were pleased to join forces with Houston Wilderness on the effort, and King spoke for both when he stated, “We in Brazoria County are delighted to partner with Fort Bend County and Houston Wilderness to showcase the possibilities of the Brazos River Corridor.”

A small group of elected officials, dignitaries, business persons, and media from both counties are expected to congregate on the banks of the Brazos in Brazos Bend State Park on May 15 for the official announcement and inauguration of the project. The highlight of the festivities will be the launching of canoes that among others will carry the two Judges on a brief excursion of that area of the river.

The Sam Houston Trail and Wilderness Preserve is a proposed 600-plus-mile “emerald necklace” of multi-use trails and greenspace that includes portions of the Brazos River in Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties. The collaborative project will link the natural beauty and unique biodiversity found within the 24-county southeast Texas area through a network of wilderness preserves, parks, waterways, nature centers and trails.

Fort Bend and Brazoria counties share the Brazos River and its uniquely important Columbia Bottomlands ecoregion. A ribbon of protected and restored Columbia Bottomlands will provide residents with a rich array of recreation choices: boating, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, bicycling – as well as quiet places to relax and reconnect with nature. The economy of the region will be positively impacted as businesses attract and retain employees whose priorities include quality of life. And, like the western segment of the 650-mile Sam Houston Trail and Wilderness Preserve, it is predicted to attract nature tourism and spur the type of economic development that comes with having a world class destination. The entire southeast Texas area will benefit from the vast array of year-round recreational opportunities provided by this endeavor.

The Columbia Bottomlands is also a critical habitat for an estimated 239 million birds that rest and refuel during spring migration. Unfortunately, it has dwindled from 1,000 square miles to only about 250, while neotropical songbird migration has decreased by about 50% since 1979. A direct benefit of the efforts of this project will be a contiguous linear connected wildlife habitat plus support and preservation of some of the region’s most significant natural and historic assets. Other potential advantages include improved water quality and a reduction in flooding damage, as well as economic development opportunities associated with ecotourism.

The Sam Houston Trail and Wilderness Preserve project is being facilitated by Houston Wilderness, a broad-based alliance of business, environmental and government interests founded in 2002 to protect, preserve and promote the unique biodiversity of the region’s precious remaining ecological capital. The Houston Wilderness network of government, research and education centers, conservation organizations, business and private individuals recognize the importance of the region’s natural assets to its cultural history, economic vitality and future well-being.

Both counties are assisting with the organization of the May 15th event, along with Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, the Rosenberg-Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria County.

For more information about The Sam Houston Trail and Wilderness Preserve, contact Houston Wilderness at (713) 524-7330, or for event information, contact the Rosenberg-Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce at 281-342-5464.

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