|
IN THIS ISSUE: Thursday, May 15th - Join Us for the Statesman PUD Hearing Stand Up for Our Endangered Species Saturday, May 17, SOS + The Long Time, Sandlot Baseball Benefit Stop the Water-Guzzling CloudBurst Data Center in San Marcos May and June Eco-tours at Barton Springs  SOS In Court This Thursday to Defend Lady Bird LakeJoin us this Thursday, May 15th at 2:00 p.m. at the Travis County Courthouse for a court hearing in SOS Alliance v. Watson, et al., our Texas Open Meetings Act challenge against the Austin City Council's unlawful approval of the Statesman PUD. The hearing will take place in person and is expected to last 3 hours. Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility 2:00–5:00 p.m. 1700 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701 10th Floor, Courtroom 10(C) (Judge Soifer) This case focuses on governmental transparency and accountability. It's also about guaranteeing a participatory democracy by allowing the public a fair chance to express their views on Council votes on matters of significant interest to the community (i.e., one of our members was limited to just 12 seconds per zoning item). The process for approving the Statesman PUD ordinance (and related items) was deeply flawed. It did not inform the public about the full scope of what was being approved, including dramatic changes at 3rd reading to increase the heights on the property to 725 feet (taller than the Jenga Tower). Under the guise of a "zoning" amendment, the Austin City Council approved the relocation of the Hike and Bike Trail, eroded environmental protections of the Lady Bird Lake shoreline, and approved the removal of almost 100 mature trees along the trail and lake. Your presence in the courtroom will send a clear message that Austinites expect transparency, accountability, and protection of our lakefront, not backroom deals. Parking and Transit Options:
 Join SOS This Saturday at The Long TimeJoin us at The Long Time this Saturday, May 17th for an afternoon of sandlot baseball, live Cajun music, cold plunges, and good times! Nestled in east Austin, The Long Time is both sandlot ballfield AND community event space. This year, The Long Time selected Save Our Springs Alliance as their featured nonprofit for the Steppin’ Up to the Plate campaign in honor of the critical work we do in Central Texas! Game Day Lineup: 11:00 AM: Nashville Dollys vs. Austin Grackles 3:00 PM: Austin Moon Towers vs. Your Texas Playboys Live Music: 2:15 PM: Charles Thibodeaux & The Austin Cajun Aces 4:30 PM: Hayride music set All Day: Left Field Flea Market, local drinks & yummy food, cold plunge stations from our friends at MeltWell starting at 1PM (bring a swimsuit & towel or purchase one at the general store) Location: 5707 Dunlap Road North, Austin, TX 78725 For every $10+ donation, you'll up your chances to win a raffle with prizes like a Barton Springs season pass (+ free parking), gorgeous artwork by Roger Paul Mason, and a gift basket brimming with local treasures. Come for the fun, stay for the cause -- protecting our waters. See you there!  Dangerous Rollback on Endangered Species' Habitat Protections - Speak Up Now The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to weaken one of the most important tools we have to protect endangered wildlife. A proposed rule change would strip away federal protections against habitat destruction by redefining what it means to “harm” an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). You can read more about the proposed change HERE.This change would be devastating for species like the Barton Springs salamander and the Golden-cheeked warbler, both listed as endangered because their habitats are being destroyed. For over 50 years, the ESA has safeguarded America’s most vulnerable wildlife. If this change goes through, it will open the door to unchecked development and ecological collapse across the entire country. We can’t let that happen. Submit a public comment by May 19 Speak up before it’s too late. You don't have to go into detail, even a simple comment makes a difference. Tell them you oppose this change to habitat protection! How to submit a comment:
Let Senators Cruz and Cornyn, and your Congressional rep know you oppose this rollback. Share this alert Forward this to friends, neighbors, and everyone who cares about keeping Texas wild. Now’s the time to act. Let’s stand up for the species that can’t speak for themselves.  Hays County: Speak Out Against the Proposed CloudBurst Data Center
We’re in the midst of a water crisis. Hays County is currently facing a Stage IV Exceptional Drought, the most severe classification, and prolonged periods of intense drought have become our new reality. While we struggle to conserve our rivers and aquifers, a new threat looms—water-intensive data centers are being proposed throughout our region, ignoring the limitations of our already strained water supplies. The proposed data centers on Francis Harris Lane in southern Hays County, including the massive CloudBurst AI data center, exemplify the imminent danger to our water resources. These facilities would consume hundreds of thousands of gallons of water daily for cooling. When combined with the water needed to cool the power plants for their extreme energy usage, the ultimate water consumption of these data centers could rival that of small towns. With our aquifers and rivers already under immense stress due to severe drought conditions, these data centers will exacerbate our water crisis. Climate experts warn that droughts will only worsen over time, making this type of water-intensive development not just reckless but irresponsible. It’s time to act. Join us on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Hays County Commissioners Court (Downtown San Marcos, Third Floor) to voice your concerns. Sign up at the door before 9:00 a.m. to demand transparency about the project’s water sources, emphasize the ongoing drought, and advocate for sustainable, water-conscious development that safeguards our future. We need our elected leaders to sound the alarm now, before irreversible harm is done. This is our moment to protect Hays County’s water for generations to come. Show up, speak out, and help stop this disaster in the making, before it’s too late. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
May 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
Save Our Springs Alliance
|
Quick Links |
SOS is a 501 c3 non profit and your donation is tax deductible