Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge Wants Your Input

The US Fish & Wildlife Service is hosting a public meeting December 15, 2009 and needs public input on a management plan for the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

The buffalo may not roam the area any longer and nature doesn't manage the land itself anymore, but the federal government does and they want to hear what local Canyon, Texas residents have to say.

Tuesday's meeting will help the government get input from locals and hear what they want to consider in the creation of a comprehensive management plan that is meant to guide the agency's leadership at the refuge over the next 15 years.

The refuge is made up of 7,664 acres along with deer, birds, turkey, owls, prairie dogs, marshes, woodlands and beautifully carved canyon walls.

The plan will include things like grazing, hunting, management practices and take into consideration existing plans. Wild turkey, mule and white-tailed deer are the most popular for visitors. However, other wildlife can be found, such as neo-tropical birds like tanagers, warblers, orioles, and flycatchers, which attract many bird watchers.

Over 300 species have been recorded at the refuge, some as awesome as the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and mountain plover.

There was a lake on the refuge land that began filling in the late 1930s, after a dam was built as part of a federal program. The lake waned as the water supply from Tierra Blanca Creek and other natural springs dried up. But a flood in 1978 filled the lake and the US Army Corps of Engineers declared it unsafe and had the lake drained.

Currently, management includes controlled cattle grazing and farming that leaves one-third of the crops growing for feeding the wildlife.

So, Canyon and surrounding area residents, this meeting is important to get feedback. You can easily attend and give your input. The meeting begins at 3:00 pm on December 15, 2009 at the Refuge headquarters, 1.5 miles south of Umbarger on 168 Farm-to-Market Road .

Realtor® Tom Kile - Canyon, Texas Real Estate

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