Reply #4: Heads-Up: School Land Board to Meet on X-Mas Mountains [View All]

[sonias]

Texas Observer blog 2/4/08
Heads-Up: School Land Board to Meet on X-Mas Mountains
February 4th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

The three-member School Land Board is scheduled to meet tomorrow at 10am on the Christmas Mountains. On their agenda is “consideration and possible action” on the two private bids for control of the 9,270 acre wilderness. The National Park Service proposal is not on the agenda. That means the Land Board can accept one of the bid proposals, turn them both down, or delay action. (I suspect the latter.)

You can watch tomorrow’s proceedings here.

Land Commish Jerry Patterson, the chair of the Land Board, has given no indication of what he may do. Keep in mind, however, that the other two members were responsible for temporarily halting Patterson’s privatization gambit. That gave the Park Service time to draft its proposal, and time for conservation groups, citizens, and editorial boards to light into Patterson.

I'm watching right now. Who will enforce the conservation easements? The pro-business sale people just keep chiming in that we basically can't protect the land.

The state should abide by their contracts.

Sonia