Steve,

 

It is vitally important that we do not let this BMRA mapping project slide. The April 20-22 dates are our best chance for the foreseeable future (this year) to attempt this. We WILL have sufficient folks to make this class happen. We WILL have TMTC BOD participation and we WILL have local BMRA BOD participation. We have put the word out to our organized constituents. The Friday classroom session may see fewer participants but that is only to be expected. TMTC and BMRA will do everything necessary to insure the success of this session (even bribing participants).

 

There are several reasons we need this class and TPWD’s professional help with this project.

 

First, mapping BMRA and its trail system was a goal the membership of TMTC gave it a priority of 2. That’s correct the only thing that the membership of this organization wants more than a second park in Texas is … a decent map of the trail network at BMRA. These votes took place in the last quarter 2002 and in 2003. Almost 5 years later and after several valiant individual efforts … we may finally have a chance to achieve this goal.

 

Second, we have found the lack of a detailed map of our boundaries, trail network to be a severe limitation to proper management of the property entrusted to our care. We have wasted resources by not knowing our exact boundaries (and building bridges on neighboring property). We have inadequate means to “point out” specific locations on the property to those not already familiar with it, limiting our ability to facilitate the work of first responders (fire, law enforcement, haz- mat). While certainly we do our best to discourage the excessive propagation of new trails by trail blazing, bypass abuse and trail merging it is almost impossible to truly manage the trail network at BMRA with out a good trail inventory. The ability to superimpose that trail inventory against aerial photographs is a management tool TMTC must have to do our job.

 

Finally, our physical plant while limited has already began to become “lost”. Due in part to the nature of TMTC being a volunteer enterprise there is a constant turn over of personal. Water lines and sewer lines have already been “lost and found”. We desperately need to inventory the physical plant of BMRA not only including the aforementioned the pipelines but electrical lines signage and buildings. Not only will this help use protect the resources we have but help us plan for the future efficiently as well.

 

Steve, we must not let the April dates slip we will have willing and eager participants. This is our best chance so far .. Let’s Go For It.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jack B. Slack,

TMTC VP

 

 

               

 

   

 

  

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Thompson [mailto:Steve.Thompson@...]
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 6:29 PM
To: Gary Hazel; tmtc_bod@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Jack Slack w/ TMTC; Jimmy Jones w/ TMTC; John Harris; Laura White w/ TMTC; Leslie & Vic Ramirez; Mike Haynes w/ TMTC; Rick Hawkinberry; Stacy Newman w/ TMTC; Steve Smith w/ TMTC; Tom Mitchell w/ TMTC ; Tony Eeds w/ TMTC; Alan Hatcher w/ TMTC
Subject: RE: SWECO TRAINING & BMRA mapping

 

BOD Folk,

 

There will be ~ two weeks (including 3 weekends) of SWECO training.  TMTC staff can train during the week or on the weekends.  You don’t have to be there for all the training, but you’ll learn more by being there more.  This training would be expensive if you had to pay for it.  TMTC will be getting it for free as we’re already setup to do the training for the USFS.  There’s a limit of 3 persons per dozer at one time during training.  I’ll get the exact dates soon.

 

I still need to finalize the BMRA mapping project.  I have it penciled in for 4/20 thur 4/22, but I don’t know if we have enough people committed to all three days.  I’d guess we need a minimum of 4 to 5 ATV/MC riders and 3 to 4 “Jeep” drivers to get the mountain mapped in two days.  I need to know we have enough people committed to make it worth the time and expense for me to bring our GIS specialist (Craig Scofield) up for three days of training & mapping and two days of travel.  I’ll do this for TMTC for no charge, but I can’t afford to do it if we don’t have enough people to get the whole mountain mapped properly.  Craig will be in my office tomorrow, if this is important to TMTC, I have to schedule Craig’s time (& mine) ASAP.  Please pass this info along to Tom, John & Doc or other interested volunteers.

 

Please send any emails for me to my TPWD eddress, as the TMTC BOD email gets rejected by our new spam filter and I never see it.

 

All the BEST, Steve T.

 

 

 

All
I talked with Steve about this and told him that I would have to get the BOD blessing.
We would able to send our people down to get training also. 
Steve
It sounds like you are talking about more than a week is that true??
All
this training will also cover maintenance on the SWECO
I think it would be something we should do
Gary

Have you and Cam worked out the exact dates (as much as it is possible to set exact dates) for SWECO training in the Sam Houston?  I spoke to Gary Hazel (TMTC Pres) about the potential to bring the TMTC SWECO down to Conroe and get some TMTC staff trained to operate and maintain their dozer.  Gary likes the idea and wants to participate in the training.  I need the dates of the weekdays and weekends when the training will be conducted and also the date when the TMTC SWECO needs to be on site and when it will be returned.

 

Cam, When I spoke to Gary he said they have a trailer for the SWECO but no tow vehicle.  So, we will have to take you up on your offer to pick and return the TMTC SWECO to Barnwell Mt.  Also, sorry to be a PITA, but send me that MOA!