City Council to Trinity Trees: Get Lost

God bless Wendy Davis. She tried. And what she got for her trouble was a scolding from the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mike Moncrief.

Sorry about that, Wendy. You deserve a lot better.

After the meeting, she tried not to cry, but she did a little. And I don't blame her, because I wanted to cry, too.

It wasn't just that the Mayor and the City Council washed their hands of the whole Trinity Trees issue. It was how they did it. "This kind of public rebuke from the Mayor is absolutely appalling," said one woman, who wished not to be identified. "This city has had no better advocate on so many issues than Wendy Davis."

Davis, the District 9 City Council rep who has worked hard to find a solution that would be acceptable to all parties -- Chesapeake, Union Pacific and the people of Fort Worth -- actually brought some good news to the meeting. She's meeting with the Chesapeake CEO on Friday, along with Marc Ott, the assistant city manager who is working on the Southwest Parkway. Chesapeake and Union Pacific have used the Southwest Parkway as the reason that the Trinity Trees must be sacrificed. 'Because of the needs of the Southwest Parkway, there's no way we can use any of the Union Pacific land for drilling.' That's the reasoning.

Davis is trying to cut through this nonsense by getting the right people in the room on Friday. Good you, Wendy. But she didn't stop there.

"This issue is a symptom of a bigger problem and District 9 [Davis' district] is the first to feel it," she said. "We need to be proactive about this. We need to ask the city manager and the legal department and discuss the drilling ordinance."

Davis gets it. She understands that the issue is larger than zoning and individual property rights, it's about safety and quality of life. It is about pipelines going across our land, water trucks wearing out our streets and compression stations that could pose safety and environmental issues in our city.

"Union Pacific and Colonial Country Club are not be asked to bear the burden," she said. "What are the alternatives?"

That's a good question. We are told that the CEOs of Union Pacific and Chesapeake are going to meet. But will the people of Fort Worth have a seat at the table? That remains to be seen.

But Mayor Mikey doesn't want to get involved in this issue, and he's definitely not revisiting the drilling ordinance. "I take exception to the idea that we have not been proactive on this issue," he said. "This is a very difficult issue."

"Had Chesapeake not bought that property, did you see the kind of things that could have been put there? Would you rather have a concrete plant on that property?"

No, Mr. Mayor, I wouldn't. However, your logic is awfully close to what Bud Kennedy wrote on Sunday. And, I'm sorry to break it to you, but Bud didn't share the whole truth with you or the people of Fort Worth in his column. "That is old railroad land," he wrote. "It was always set aside for heavy industry. City Hall planners zoned it K and MU-2 -- specific designations for industrial development. ... The city zoning map is easy to find. ... Check it before you take any chops at City Hall."

So I did. Sure, K is a heavy industrial development. But most of the land is zoned MU-2 (see image from the city Web site at right). That's mixed use, which includes some light industrial, but it also includes such non-industrial uses as kindergartens, day care centers, schools and museums. Funny, Bud didn't mention that, but he really should have. Take a look for yourself. In fact, most of the land around the Modern Art Museum is zoned MU-2 (see map below). I wonder what would happen if someone wanted to put a gas well on that property? Could they get a high impact variance? Do the people of Fort Worth have a right to take chops at City Hall over that?

Mr. Mayor, given the choice between gas well and museum, I'd choose museum. Maybe a Trinity Trees Museum?

The rest of the Council was either antagonistic or silent. District 7 rep Carter Burdette, a former attorney for oil and gas interests, is unmoved by any argument to save the Trees. "The only way you'll know they're gone is if you fly over them in a helicopter." District 4 rep Danny Scarth was similarly unmoved. His reasoning seemed to be not my district, not my problem. Of course, since he crafted much of the existing ordinance, he doesn't feel the need to go back and revisit it.

Basically, Wendy Davis is the only one of the City Council who is convinced this is a real issue, despite 1,300 signatures on Trinity Tree petition and a City Council chamber full of mostly Trinity Trees supporters.

One Mistletoe Heights resident told me, "I see more and more people in my neighborhood becoming concerned with this issue. It is not going away. It's only getting bigger." And she's right. People connected to the neighborhood association there say only around 10 percent of homeowners have signed lease agreements for their mineral rights. A drilling company needs 80 percent before they can drill. I'm told numbers in neighborhoods like Ryan Place and Berkeley have also been slow to sign. Because so many of the Trinity Trees people come from these neighborhoods, I could easily see this issue preventing people from signing.

Bernie Scheffler, who is running to replace Davis in District 9 when she leaves to run for the State Senate, was surprised that Chesapeake and Union Pacific won't ask the City to get involved and help find a solution. "We aren't telling you what to do with your land, we're asking you to get involved to help find a win-win solution for everyone," he said. "Here's your chance to be good corporate citizens. It's not a complex issue."

It's not a complex issue and it's not over either.

"We'll be OK," said Rick Collins with Save the Trinity Trees. "We'll be OK."

P.S.: If you'd like, send Wendy Davis an e-mail to say thanks. Or if you feel a little rowdy, send Bud Kennedy an e-mail and ask him to correct his misleading column from Sunday.

Interview: Jim Marshall and Rick Collins

I know I've been sounding like a broken record lately, but today's topic is -- once again -- the Trinity Trees. Two men who are part of the driving force behind Save The Trinity Trees, Jim Marshall and Rick Collins, granted me an interview about their efforts to save the grove that is home to some of the biggest and oldest trees in Fort Worth.

Jim and Rick are long-time Fort Worth residents and literally lifelong friends. We grew up together in the Meadowbrook Drive area of Fort Worth’s historic East Side. You might know Jim better as the former owner of Marshall Grain Company. Jim has actively been involved in trying to save the Trinity Trees since the day he first learned of Chesapeake Energy’s plans to bulldoze the 2.5 acre grove. His army of one gradually gained some supporters, one of whom was his childhood buddy, Rickey. They are both in this to win one for the environment, as well as for the thousands of Fort Worth residents who have literally grown up walking through this magnificent tree grove.

Many other volunteers have joined along the way. Among the most devoted are Jenny Conn, Don Young and Melissa Kohout. A list of numerous other volunteers and supporters can be found at www.trinitytrees.org.

Take a couple of moments to look at their comments. But most importantly, go to the city-sponsored Public Forum tonight from 6-8 p.m. at the Capstone Church on 1700 Rogers Road (see the map above). What is needed now is turnout -- bring your families and friends and show Chesapeake and the City of Fort Worth that a large number of people feel strongly that steps must be taken to save the Trinity Trees.

The Caravan of Dreams: Thanks for your time, guys. Could you briefly explain why you are doing this?
Save Trinity Trees: Trinity Trees is a coalition united around one common goal: Saving some of Fort Worth’s most beautiful, historic trees and green spaces from being destroyed and preserving these areas as critical environmental assets. This is about preserving a reasonable balance between economic and sociological issues. Most of all, this is about fostering a spirit of open dialogue and civic responsibility.

TCoD: I ride my bike through this area almost every day. I always thought it was city park land. If this is private property, why does the Trinity Trail go through there? Does the city pay for its upkeep?
STT: You, I and every trail user I have spoken to thought this area was a park. Here’s why we thought it was a park:

It looked like a park with park benches, two picnic tables and the Trinity Trail winding through it.

It was mowed and maintained by the Tarrant Regional Water District to a park-like appearance.

Up until July 22, 2007, there were three signs that said “PARK is closed from 11:30 P.M. to 7:30 A.M.

Our understanding is that the trail system uses an easement that goes along the river. I’m told that the easement starts at the top of the river bank and goes 100 feet inland. The easement will remain even if Chesapeake clear-cuts the 2.5 acres for the gas well pad site. The southern border of the proposed pad site appears to follow the 100 feet easement line.

TCoD: Some people would say, "So what. It's a few trees." How would you respond to that?
STT: Thousands of citizens who’ve enjoyed the Hike and Bike Trail over the years cherish this tranquil grove of old-growth trees. For many, this is the most beautiful stand of trees along the entire trail system. The “So what…it’s (just) a few trees” attitude is frequently expressed by the same types of people who said Katrina was just a hurricane or Global Warming is a left-wing conspiracy. The truth is indeed frequently an "inconvenient” one.

Furthermore, trees do a lot more for our health than just provide shade. Trees are an important part of what makes an urban environment livable. When we say that, we most often immediately think that they’re simply nice to look at, but the reality is that trees keep our community healthy. A major capital asset in a city, a grove of trees — in our case a mini-urban forest — can offset the effects of pollution by sequestering carbon and other heat-trapping gasses.

A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 pounds per year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings.

TCoD: Could Chesapeake just replace or move the trees?
STT: The problem is not only the loss of the trees. It is the impact on the entire eight-acre site as a whole. There are very few areas left in Fort Worth like this. As Councilwoman Wendy Davis said at the picnic, for Fort Worth, this is an irreplaceable treasure.

If Chesapeake puts in their gas well pad site, the 2.5-acre core or heart of this treasure will be converted to a barren, vegetation-free industrial pad. And despite Chesapeake’s promise that after drilling the area will be landscaped to blend in with its urban environment, the 2.5 acre pad site will remain a gravel maintenance yard for the life of the wells — up to 50 years.

So even if Chesapeake moved or replaced the 142 old-growth trees it plans on destroying, irreparable damage will be done to the eight acres, to the environment and to the community.

TCoD: Isn't it wrong to paint Chesapeake as the bad guy? I mean, the previous owner wanted to put up office buildings and apartments on this site?
STT: That, too, would have resulted in a tragic loss of this special green space. Often the argument is made that the destruction that Chesapeake is planning is not as bad as what the developer was planning. However, it doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. There exists a third alternative. If you check our Web site you’ll see we have sent a letter to the Mayor and City Council proposing said alternative: Chesapeake decides to move its pad site to the already industrial area a few hundred feet to the north; the developer agrees that putting in its buildings is not the best use of the grove of trees; steps are taken to convert the eight acres to a public park. To make this happen, we need three things from all vested parties (including our city leaders): consent, cooperation and compromise.

We shall continue to request that none of those three things be unreasonably withheld.

TCoD: Is this an all-or-nothing deal? Is the only solution for the Chesapeake Energy NOT to drill on this site? Or could Chesapeake drill on the site and still maintain most of the existing trees?
STT: According to the Star-Telegram, (“Hundreds rally against planned well site,” September 4, 2007) Chesapeake’s plans for clear-cutting 2.5 acres will result in removing 142 of the 412 trees in the grove. This appears to be Chesapeake’s idea of maintaining “most of the existing trees.” Again, an alternative exists where all of the trees can remain, Chesapeake can still achieve its drilling goals for this area, and the leaseholders can still receive their financial benefits.

TCoD: Why not just drill on Colonial or Union Pacific land? I mean, they are the ones who stand to make alot of the money off this thing.
STT: Drilling on the Colonial maintenance area located to the west of the golf course has been suggested to Chesapeake. This may be an alternative, but the more logical choice appears to be Union Pacific land.

There are two or more areas on the Union Pacific property that seem like they would work just fine. These areas are already industrialized with no vegetation; are only a few hundred feet from the eight-acre site, are not currently intensely used and have a service road in place. It seems like one of these would make a very good alternative site.

TCoD: Ultimately, is this all kind of a moot point. It's private property and if the owner wants drilling, aren't they just going to go ahead and do it?
STT: The eight-acre parcel of land is private property owned by Chesapeake. As such, they have the right to do whatever they want to with the land and the trees within the limits of legal obligations. However, there should also be obligations to the environment, the community and the common good.

While recognizing and fully respecting the private property rights of Chesapeake, we also recognize that the community has the right to express its concerns and suggest viable alternatives that allow Chesapeake to conduct its operations and, at the same time, preserve valuable, limited green space.

Chesapeake may decide to go ahead with their plans. However, if the public outcry becomes so massive and they see that the potential negative publicity could outweigh the inconvenience of moving the planned site, a change could occur.

TCoD: Say somebody called you a treehugger? Is that an accurate assessment? Have you ever hugged a tree?
STT: We would not be ashamed to be called treehuggers, but we probably don’t fully qualify. Rick says we don’t hug trees so much as embrace the issues this particular dispute represents. We believe our positions and suggestions are more along the lines of looking for balanced solutions that can protect much needed urban green space while still allowing for businesses to achieve their goals. We would assume that pure tree huggers would take more of an extreme position to save trees at all costs.

Jim has hugged trees but not in an affectionate way. The hugging has occurred while trying to gauge the size of trees and to comprehend the enormity of these majestic giants.

TCoD: If someone wants to help out, what do you need most?
STT: What is needed right now is for people to come to the City-sponsored Public Forum. People should voice their opinions in other ways by contacting the City, Chesapeake, Union Pacific and the media.

TCoD: When will something be decided on this? What is D-Day for these trees?
STT: That’s an excellent question that we don’t have the answer to. Chesapeake has applied for an urban gas drilling permit. There is a public information meeting regarding the permit on September 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Avenue.

We assume the trees will not be cut before the information meeting, but we don’t know that for sure. The hearing will be another opportunity for concerned citizens to show up in large numbers.

TCoD: Thanks, Jim and Rick. Thanks for your time and thanks for what you are doing to try and save an important part of Fort Worth. Keep up the fight!

Save The Trinity Trees Picnic

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from yesterday’s Trinity Trees picnic -- a bunch of people hugging trees and eating tofu while listening to folk music?


Well, there was folk music, courtesy of The Ackermans, but the crowd looked surprisingly non-revolutionary, just regular folks. But there were a bunch of ‘em – looked to be at least 250 or 300, which was a pleasant surprise. If you can that many people out to support a couple of acres of trees and the heart of conservative, button-down Fort Worth, maybe those trees have chance after all.


I don’t get to see these trees in the daylight too often. Most often I’m riding through them before dawn. The trees are quite impressive and form a canopy that offers cool and shade even on a warm late summer day. One of the trees had a sign tied around it: “Burr Oak: 250 Years Old.” It would be a tragedy to lose a tree like that.


Of course, the Chesapeake Energy folks were there trying to put lipstick on the pig. I’ve had some crappy jobs before, but they all look pretty good compared to “energy company apologist who attends angry neighborhood meetings.”


There were speakers aplenty. I was most interested in seeing my main man Bernie Scheffler (above) do his thing. His speech was short and too-the-point – he is the only candidate running for the District 9 City Council seat who opposes gas drilling. Period.

It doesn’t get any plainer than that – if you want a voice on the council who will protect the health and safety of people in Fort Worth and not just give the drilling companies whatever they want, he’s your guy. If you happen to like rubber-stamp government and giving gas drilling companies a blank check, you have six other candidates to choose from.

Former City Council member Clyde Picht and soon-to-be-former member Wendy Davis said the same thing – the council could have done more in the past to protect the trees if they had written a better ordinance. Picht also suggested the possibility of a land swap. We’ll see where that goes.

Attorney Liane Janovsky (right) spoke powerfully and persuasively about what is at stake. “Natural gas drilling in an urban setting has never happened before on this scale. We are the guinea pigs. We must demand that the city and the gas drilling companies do what’s right so we can live in a safe, clean environment.”

Janovsky also spoke about the Tarrant Appraisal District going back and re-assessing land values in the wake of people signing drilling leases. “You are going to see the land under your house get taxed at rates never before seen.”

Probably the hottest topic for people in the Ryan Place neighborhood are the high-impact variances which would allow companies to drill within 600-feet of a residential area. Some of the proposed drilling along Eighth Avenue could come within 250 feet. Gas drilling companies say it’s safe – but gas drilling companies also say it’s normal to have gas wells spew acrid fog over your house. Yeah, I ain’t buying that one either.


One of the more amusing moments came when another District 9 candidate Chris Turner spoke. The Republican political consultant has the unique ability to talk for 10 minutes yet say absolutely nothing. Is he against urban drilling? He didn’t say. His message seemed to be this: corporations are people, too. Evidently, if we just talk to them, the gas drilling companies will do the right thing. Guess he’s never had an acrid fog over his house.

Of course, it’s only fair to give the other side a chance to speak, and Chesapeake trotted out one of their flunkies to spout the party line. Except things went terribly, terribly wrong. The Chesapeake flunky stepped in it when he said something about global warming, then tried to quickly backtrack by saying, “Of course, we don’t know if global warming really exists.” I’m sure you could have heard the groan of the crowd at Ol South Pancake House. Sorry pal, maybe the folks at Chesapeake don’t side with 98 percent of the world’s scientists, but you could bet the ranch everyone you are speaking to about the Trinity Trees does.

It went south from there with the Chesapeake guy getting into a shouting match with one of the other speakers. Note to Chesapeake: this is not how you win friends in Fort Worth.

But that wasn’t the only Chesapeake gaffe. To show what good corporate citizens they are, they placed little signs showing where they would plant replacement trees. However, the only thing that succeeded in doing was showing the edge of their proposed drilling site. And that line goes pretty close to the river. Lots of people were shocked to see just how many trees would get the ax.


I don’t know if these trees can be saved. Chesapeake owns the land and they can do what they want. But I believe that attitudes are changing against urban drilling. People aren’t liking what they are hearing about the experiences of people in Oakhurst and East Fort Worth who signed years ago. People aren’t trusting the drilling companies and they are starting to ask hard questions and dig in their heels.


Please stay tuned – there’s more coming up. If you are able, please attend the City sponsored Public Forum this Thursday, September 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Capstone Church, 1700 Rogers Road. Also, take some time to send a letter to the Mayor and the City Council to voice your opinion.

Lunar Eclipse This Morning

A lunar eclipse this morning
running muddy red to smoke gray
tracked across a black sky
and an earth so dark
that you couldn't see a thing
by looking at it
only by looking near it.

Riding my bike in the morning
is the only time I really feel
in the moment
during the whole day.
I focus on my breathing
and my pedaling
how do my legs feel?
what's in front of me?
That's the way life
should be
all the time.

(Totally cool lunar eclipse photo from TurboSpaz on Flickr.)

Save the Trinity Trees

I ride my bike through here every day. This beautiful, eight-acre wooded parcel of land along the Trinity Trail near Rogers Road, which most people thought was a park, is now owned by Chesapeake Energy. Plans are being finalized by Chesapeake to destroy 2.5 acres of the trees to be used as a gas drilling site.

The trees are located in Fort Worth along the Trinity River Hike and Bike Trail just upstream from the Rogers Road bridge and north across the Trinity River from Colonial Country Club. Click here to view a slide show posted on WFAA.com Wednesday, August 8, summarizing the Trinity Trees issue.

What can you do to help?

Spread the word.

Attend the Trinity Trees Picnic: Labor Day, September 3, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, along the Trinity Trail by the grove of trees.

Attend the City sponsored Public Forum: Thursday, September 6, 6:00-8:00 pm, Capstone Church, 1700 Rogers Road.

Go to TrinityTrees.org to learn more, register for updates, post comments on our various blogs, download printable fliers and petitions, and/or donate.

Fort Worth News Items

Check out the Stash Dauber for the schedule of event before the Wreck Room rides off into history. Someone needs to get a camera crew together. There's a documentary in this a la Last Night at the Alamo

Ken also reminds us that Fred's is now open on Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. So adjust your schedule accordingly.

A couple of things from the Panther City Boys: 1) A Labor Day Bike Ride is on the board so air up your tires. 2) There is a community meeting scheduled for Sept. 6 to discuss the impact of Barnett Shale drilling on the Trinity Trail. City staff and Chesapeake Energy reps will be there. And so should you.

Kevin reminds us that Lili's is still delicious.

The Fort Worthian points out that Texadelphia by TCU is no more. And Cafe Express is also no more.

Tammy Gomez got blurbed in the D(a)MN.

The Startlegram lists the contenders for Anna Mowery's old state house seat.

Early Morning Ride on the Trinity

One of the best things I've gotten out of blogging is the opportunity to meet some great people around Fort Worth that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

There's Ken, who I aspire to be like when I grow up. There's Bernie, who I aspire to be like when I lose sixty pounds and keep up with him on a bike. And there's Pete, who is the Mac ninja I can probably never be.

Pete and I hadn't met until this morning when he joined me for my morning death slog along the Trinity. I am, of course, gassed. Pete, the former Marine, was barely winded. So we talked, ate bugs and dodged joggers before ending up at Starshmucks for coffee and more convo. He's got one of those sweet iPhones and I gotta say I've got a serious case of phone envy. Pete's a great guy and I encourage those of you who haven't checked out his blog to go over to Cowtown Chronicles and poke around.

Let's do it over beers next time, Pete.

Random Thoughts From The Trinity Trail

Things I was thinking about while riding the Trinity Trail at 6 a.m.:

How many pounds of bugs do I eat a day?

Biking into the wind is hard.

How many chemicals are in the fish that the river birds are eating?

Old ladies who smoke cigarettes make me laugh.

Am I slow because I am fat and out of shape? Or am I slow because I'm riding a mountain bike on the trail? Or both? I need to ask Bernie about that.

Why do people on the trail not want to stay on the right?

I am going to feel a lot better when this is over.

Why do people still have W stickers on their cars? Isn't it a little embarrassing at this point?

Biking with a tailwind makes you feel like Mr. Schwinn-fucking-Armstrong.