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Preserving Texas In the News
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Texas land boss may still sell Christmas Mountains
- My San Antonio News (new window)
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2010-04-09 |
| "No guns, no hunting, no deal," Patterson said in February in an e-mail to Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, a group that has opposed the sale of the 9,200 acres of wilderness to a private landowner. | |
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Ike To Storm The Texas Legislature
- KUT NPR News (new window)
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2008-09-26 |
| Luke Metzger of Environment Texas sent 2100 signed petitions to Lt. Gov David Dewhurst. "Fighting erosion on our beaches is an important and worthy goal, but we need to find other funding for that program. State parks rely on the very limited funding that comes from the sporting goods tax and Texans are counting on legislators to stop raiding that fund for other purposes." | |
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S.A. refiners say expanding offshore drilling
- San Antonio Business Journal (new window)
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2008-07-11 |
| Luke Metzger, director of Austin-based Environment Texas, says more offshore drilling is not the answer to energy independence for America. Environment Texas is a nonprofit citizens group that advocates at the state and federal level for clean air, clean water and open spaces. "If you compare Texas beaches to the pristine Florida beaches, there's your answer," Metzger says. "Drilling has had a serious impact on beach quality and water quality. Increasing drilling will only exacerbate that." Metzger says the key to helping the U.S. be more dependent on itself for energy is to look at alternatives such as Congress raising fuel mileage standards for vehicles, hybrid technologies for vehicles and alternative fuels like ethanol. "We are never going to drill our way to energy independence," he says. "If we are going to be serious about solving our energy problems, we need to invest in those alternatives." | |
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State opens Christmas Mountains to public for first time
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2008-04-11 |
| The announcement was greeted as good news by the environmentalist who has led efforts to keep the Christmas Mountains in public hands. "This marks the first time since the state has owned it that the public will be able to go on it," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas. | |
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West Texas land deal takes small step forward
- San Antonio Express News (new window)
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2008-04-03 |
| Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger faults Patterson for inventing concerns, believing that he simply wants to sell the land to private interests. "Firearms and hunting, of course, only became an issue when NPS expressed interest in the land," Metzger said. "Even though there is tremendous public and legislative support for having NPS permanently protect the Christmas Mountains, it appears Commissioner Patterson is going to take his ball and go home if he doesn't get his way." | |
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Groups ask for results of Blanco land study
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2008-02-10 |
| AUSTIN -- The Texas General Land Office should immediately disclose the results of an environmental study it conducted on potentially sensitive land that it wants to sell to a private developer, watchdog groups are urging. | |
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State land board rejects private bids for Christmas Mountains
- Dallas Morning News (new window)
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2008-02-06 |
| AUSTIN – The state-owned Christmas Mountains won't be sold to a private bidder, land officials decided Tuesday, opening the door for a federal or state agency to acquire the embattled West Texas property. | |
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Land board chief still wants hunting on Christmas land
- Houston Chronicle (new window)
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2008-02-06 |
| AUSTIN — The state of Texas will keep the Christmas Mountains, at least for the time being, while Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson looks for options that allow hunting on the 9,270-acre parcel in West Texas. Chances of the rugged West Texas tract ending up as part of Big Bend National Park improved slightly Tuesday when the School Land Board voted unanimously to reject two private bids for it. | |
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Two bids are rejected for Christmas Mountains
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2008-02-06 |
| AUSTIN -- The pristine Christmas Mountains in West Texas will remain in state hands, at least for now. On Tuesday, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the School Land Board -- a three-member panel over which he presides -- rejected competing bids from two private interests to buy the 9,269-acre tract. | |
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Board rejects bids to buy Christmas Mountains
- Associated Press (new window)
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2008-02-05 |
| AUSTIN — A state land board on Tuesday rejected two private bids to buy about 9,200 acres of rugged West Texas wilderness. State Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who first pushed the sale, said he'll now explore ways to get the Christmas Mountains under federal control. | |
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Ranch land along Blanco River on verge of sale
- News 8 Austin (new window)
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2008-02-05 |
| Environmentalists are concerned about what will happen to the land if the sale goes through. Luke Metzger, of Environment Texas, said some areas just should not be developed. "We want to have responsible development close to the cities and instead the land office is encouraging developments in areas, like over the aquifer, that shouldn't be developed," Metzger said. Part of the Blanco River land is over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. | |
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General Land Office near sale of tract on Blanco River
- Austin American-Statesman (new window)
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2008-02-05 |
| Some environmentalists say the land office is using its advantages — such as its ability to pay cash — to snatch up important land and sell it for investments. "They're abusing that power to buy sensitive land to sell off to developers," said Luke Metzger, director of the nonprofit Environment Texas. "We think that's very inappropriate for the state to encourage sprawl." | |
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High end community may land in Kyle
- Austin Business Journal (new window)
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2008-02-04 |
| Luke Metzger, director of the conservation group Environment Texas, says it's inappropriate for the state to sell that land to developers because it is environmentally sensitive. "We're seeing a pattern of [the GLO] buying up sensitive land and selling it to developers," Metzger says. "We don't think the state should be encouraging sprawl." | |
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Agency criticized for land deal talks
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2008-02-04 |
| AUSTIN -- In an under-the-radar deal by the Texas General Land Office, about 2,000 acres of potentially environmentally sensitive land along the Blanco River in Central Texas could soon go to an undisclosed buyer. | |
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Feds suggest Christmas land go to Big Bend
- Houston Chronicle (new window)
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2008-02-02 |
| AUSTIN — The Christmas Mountains in West Texas could be donated to Big Bend National Park and permanently managed as a backcountry area, the National Park Service says in a formal proposal to state officials. More than 10,000 Texans have signed a petition to Patterson's office protesting sale of the land to an individual, said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, which supports the National Parks Service plan. The agency offers interpretative services, archeologists, search and rescue capabilities and other professional assets, Metzger said. "Hands down, it's the best proposal," he said. | |
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Senator backs putting off Christmas Mountains sale
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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2007-12-07 |
| Opposition continued mounting Thursday to state Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson's plan to sell the state-owned Christmas Mountains to private interests. | |
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Craddick orders review of land office's power to buy, sell property
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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2007-12-07 |
| Jerry Patterson's General Land Office will come under legislative scrutiny in the coming months -- a move welcomed by some conservationists who have complained that the Republican land commissioner has sacrificed good land stewardship in his zeal to make real estate deals. | |
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Big Bend bidder promises public access
- Houston Chronicle
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2007-12-01 |
| If he succeeds in buying the Christmas Mountains, a Houston businessman said he would provide public access to the property, build hiking and biking trails connecting to Big Bend National Park, and offer limited hunting. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on Friday released the two bid proposals for the 9,270-acre property, which the state received as a gift 16 years ago. | |
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Christmas Mountains sale gets reprieve
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2007-11-07 |
| "Yesterday, Commissioner Patterson ... gave an ultimatum to the National Park Service to change their policy on hunting or lose their right to try to add the property to Big Bend National Park -- [and] that did not happen," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas. "Clearly the other two board members are not comfortable with this deal. ... We look forward to working with the School Land Board, the National Park and Congress in the coming months to find a final solution that will keep the Christmas Mountains in public hands and that will maintain the integrity of Texas' word." | |
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Deadline set in West Texas land dispute
- Houston Chronicle (new window)
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2007-11-06 |
| The National Park Service wants the Christmas Mountains property. Officials at Big Bend National Park did not return a phone call for response to Patterson's offer. However, they recently described Patterson's hunting provision as problematic because none of the national parks allow hunting. "He's still holding this property hostage over a narrow ideological agenda, and Big Bend National Park is paying the price," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, which has collected 6,300 petition signatures opposing the sale of the Christmas Mountains to the private sector. | |
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Delay sought on state's sale of mountains
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2007-11-06 |
| Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, said he had petitions with more than 6,300 signatures calling for the School Land Board to delay the sale. He said Monday that he was unimpressed with Patterson's offer to delay the transaction because it's unlikely that the National Park Service would get an act of Congress to change its policy on firearms. "He is holding the property hostage" over the issue, Metzger said. "We're calling on the state of Texas to keep our promise and keep the Christmas Mountains in public hands." | |
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Texas land commissioner offers U.S. chance to bid on Christmas Mountains
- Dallas Morning News (new window)
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2007-11-06 |
| The groups, including the Sierra Club and Environment Texas, say it's too much of a management burden and don't believe the parks service will go for it. Earlier Monday, the groups presented petitions with more than 6,300 signatures to Gov. Rick Perry and other state leaders, urging them to step in and delay the sale. "Nothing's changed," said Luke Metzger of Environment Texas, who called the announcement a "surprise punch to the head." "He's not backing down on putting his narrow ideological agenda ahead of the broader public interest." | |
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Hunting provision urged for sale of Christmas Mountains
- El Paso Times (new window)
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2007-11-06 |
| Critics worry selling the land could prevent future donors from giving land to Texas. "We're slamming the door in the face of philanthropists," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas. | |
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Sides Battle Over Use of Christmas Mountains
- Lone Star Outdoor News (new window)
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2007-11-05 |
| uke Metzger, director of Austin-based Environment Texas, argued that the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Conservation Fund donated the property to Texas with the stipulation that it never be developed. Metzger said he has heard that an official for the Mellon Foundation stated Texas should not look to his organization for future help if the sale goes through. Metzger said his group has gathered an anti-sale petition with 4,000 signatures that he will present to Gov. Rick Perry on Nov. 5, one day before the School Land Board was scheduled to review bids for the property and possibly approve one. | |
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Opposition to mountains sale growing
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2007-11-05 |
| AUSTIN -- Opposition continued mounting Thursday to Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson's proposed sale of the pristine Christmas Mountains in West Texas -- despite an earlier pledge from his predecessor that the property would remain in public hands, and despite interest in the property by the National Park Service. | |
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Texas greens want AG, Gov. to stop sale of mountains
- LegalNewsline.com (new window)
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2007-10-31 |
| AUSTIN -- An environmental pressure group is trying to push Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to intervene in the contentious sale of a mountain range near Big Bend National Park. Environment Texas (ET) launched an on-line petition drive earlier this month calling on Abbott and Governor Rick Perry to direct their appointees on the deciding land board to vote down the sale of the west-Texas Christmas Mountains. | |
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A dubious Christmas sale
- San Antonio Express-News (new window)
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2007-10-30 |
| Environment Texas, an Austin-based advocacy organization, is petitioning Gov. Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott to exert pressure on their appointees (Barth and Hermann, respectively) to cancel the sale. The 1991 gift deed says the state cannot transfer the property to any party other than the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department or the National Park Service unless it receives written consent by the grantor. | |
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Texas Official Bars Land Sale Over Gun Rights
- NPR All Things Considered (new window)
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2007-10-22 |
| In Texas, the land commissioner has stirred a huge public outcry by refusing to sell a stretch of state-owned badlands to Big Bend National Park. The commissioner says the Christmas Mountains won't go to any entity that would ban firearms and hunting, as every national park now does. | |
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This land is your land
- Austin American-Statesman (new window)
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2007-10-20 |
| Environment Texas, an advocacy group, has launched a campaign to stop state Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson from selling off almost 10,000 acres of the Christmas Mountains Ranch that were donated to the people of this state. | |
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Group opposes sale of West Texas mountain range
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram (new window)
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2007-10-18 |
| On Wednesday, Austin-based Environment Texas launched a petition drive calling upon Perry and Abbott to direct Barth and Hermann to block the sale. "We have a great opportunity to add to one of Texas' most valuable natural treasures: Big Bend National Park," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, who is leading the petition drive. "Commissioner Patterson is unreasonably blocking this conservation effort, so it's up to Gov. Perry and Attorney General Abbott to show leadership and save the Christmas Mountains." | |
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