Irvin and Karla Welch of Hebbronville were honored with the TWA Friend of Wildlife Award. The award was presented to the Welchs in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the statewide organization and to wildlife and wildlife habitat in Texas.

TOP groups led by Chairman Kirby Brown of Texas Wildlife Association and Coastal Conservation Association lobbyist Joey Park worked extremely hard with Speaker Joe Straus, Lt .Gov. Dewhurst, Sen. Kip Averitt, Reps. Jim Pitts and John Otto to ensure that salaries for the fisheries and wildlife staff would be increased to stem the loss of long-time, excellent staff and enable the department to hire the best and brightest to work with landowners and sportsmen.  Sportsmen’s groups also want to thank Governor Rick Perry for his leadership and continued support in these times for our objectives.  Governor Perry still has through June 21 to sign, veto or allow bills to pass into law.

The Texas Wildlife Association youth education program L.A.N.D.S. (Learning Across New Dimensions in Science) recently held two Teacher Workshops in Houston and McAllen. The goals of the workshops were to inform teachers about the importance of nature, wildlife, and land stewardship in the classrooms.

Meaningful eminent domain reform was this session's top TWA legislative priority. Thanks to the efforts of TWA members and supporters and other allied groups, SB 18 by Sen. Craig Estes appeared poised for passage heading into the final days of the 140-day session.

SB 18 by Sen. Craig Estes, the bill that would have provided eminent domain reform, was a victim of the "chubbing" by Democrats over Memorial Day weekend.

Learn from leading experts on the hows and whys of rivers and riparian function at several riparian workshops scheduled in May. Participants will learn basic riparian dynamics: the interaction of hydrology - vegetation - erosion/deposition.