It was reminiscent of school days at finals time: Reports, evaluations, and where
do we go from here, and then we were out for the summer until September,
the next meeting date.

Pat Suter, Chair, reported $11,240 in the treasury. Some of that money goes into
producing and mailing the Coastal Bend Chapter Newsletter, which costs about $5.00 a
year per member. Pat asked: Who reads the Newsletter? Is that the most effective way to
connect with members? What about e-mail? Pat said that the Alamo Chapter (San Antonio)
sent out 4,000 quires asking for comment re paper or e-mail contact. They got 41 phone
calls. About one-fourth of their members have e-mail. Speaking of members, Pat said that
Kathy Griffith, Membership Chair (not present) reported that the membership list of
CB Sierra is up to date.

Eco-tourism: The Coastal Bend Tourism Alliance has taken on the posting of eco-tourism
information sent to them at their website: www.cccv.org (Reckon the Corpus Christi
Tourist’s Bureau might be encouraged to convince the City’s website to post eco-tourist
information on its website? )

Venice Schuerich, Conservation Chair, reported that, as of Friday, May 14, a total of 14
Kemps ridley turtle sites had been documented. The latest sites were one at Boca Chica
Beach, one near Bob Hall Pier, and another at South Padre. She said that those who wish
to check on turtle release dates can call the Turtle Hot Line at 949-7163. Venice
commented that very recently a turtle on the Padre Island National Seashore had been
saved by an employee of the BNP Petroleum Corp. (Ed. Note: National Sierra Club is
asking all Sierra members to write state senators and representatives to request
President Bush to allocate federal funds for a buyout of the mineral rights, or gas rights,
beneath the Padre Island National Seashore in order to ban drilling, thereby taking away
trucks and equipment, etc. that otherwise will for another thirty years endanger the animals,
scar the beach and dunes, deter visitors, etc. That would terminate this gentleman’s job.)

Presidential politics took over. Hal Suter, Representative to Lone Star Excom, said that the
consensus as of now is that the Presidential race is "pretty well deadlocked" in popular and
electoral votes. National Sierra has endorsed Kerry, as have all other environmental
organizations that endorse.

The meeting ended with Lois Huff‘s remarks on the multi-group Oso Workshop. She
passed out a three page handout that was headed with this statement:

OSO VISION 2020

For the Oso Creek Watershed to provide effective storm water and effluent management,
improved water quality, an extensive system of large world class parks and greenways, an
integrated, planned, multi-modal transportation system, and improved and preserved
reserved riparian and other wildlife habitat through an efficient system of inter-governmental
management and effective tools to encourage environmentally responsible development
while respecting private property rights. Meeting adjourned.

SCHOOL’S OUT! NO MORE MEETINGS UNTIL SEPTEMBER!