Environment
Friday, August 27, 2021 by Seth Smalley
Environment
Environmental commissioners brush up on tree preservation 101
On Wednesday, the Environmental Commission revisited heritage tree ordinances, general preservation efforts going on around Austin and the rules for protecting and building around trees, with city arborist Naomi Rotramel and Community Tree Preservation Division Manager Keith Mars. Austin’s original…
Friday, August 13, 2021 by Seth Smalley
Environment
County to turn off lights in summer and fall to protect songbirds
The Travis County Commissioners Court passed a resolution Tuesday that will mandate county buildings to turn off all nonessential lights from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. during key migration periods for migrating songbirds. The Lights Off initiative will be in effect annually…
Thursday, August 5, 2021 by Jonathan Lee
Environment
Attempted tree removal creates cul-de-sac conflict
A saga that stretched a year and a half and pitted neighbor against neighbor ended last week when the Planning Commission prevented North Austin resident Patrick Fulker from removing a cottonwood tree in the public right of way. Neighbor Krenda…
Friday, July 9, 2021 by Seth Smalley
Environment
County plans to lower emissions to comply with Clean Air Act
At the June 29 meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Court, commissioners discussed strategies to reduce particulate matter emissions with Jon White, director of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, and Adele Noel, the environmental project manager for air quality. “We’re…
Friday, July 9, 2021 by Amy Smith
Environment
Watershed Protection makes departmental changes
In response to the retirements of key personnel, and to better respond to Austin’s growth while retaining the city’s environmental identity, the Watershed Protection Department has undergone a staff reorganization, Director Jorge Morales told the Environmental Commission at its Tuesday…
Thursday, June 24, 2021 by Sean Saldaña
Environment
City begins blue-green algae mitigation at Red Bud Isle
Since 2019, dog-lovers in Austin have had to worry about cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, when stories came out of several dogs dying after swimming in Lady Bird Lake during the algae bloom. A particular area of concern…
