Growing up in Round Rock, I remember many days wandering the woods with my childhood friends having fun, enjoying endless days of summer climbing around and examining interesting bugs and creatures we’d found. The area of Brushy Creek will always have a special place in my heart and I would hate to see  any part of it destroyed.

As the city of Round Rock grows larger and larger it would make sense to lessen the driving congestion by building new roadways for suburban commuters. Unfortunately, the ethics and morals of the environmental aspects of progress have largely been overlooked or disregarded. Round Rock’s population has expanded so quickly that the city government has forgotten its roots as a natural haven for travelers along the Chisholm Trail. This small town and its serene, natural beauty are starting to crumble under the pressure. The city is pandering to new, incoming residents by trying to fix the problem with a band aid, instead of real solutions that are in keeping with preserving the beauty that the Texas Hill Country is known for, throughout the state. The roadway being proposed to alleviate traffic congestion is the Wyoming Springs Road Expansion. The goal is to kill traffic time, but the only thing they’re really killing is a habitat that provides thousands of animals a refuge in a suburb already being swallowed by the City of Austin. The area is one of the last larger green belts and if it were to be destroyed by the road, the animals of Dry Fork Creek  would have no place to go and would likely die in the process of deforestation or die trying to find a new home and end up as roadkill.  Since there are many species that reside in this sensitive zone, special attention needs to be afforded to a rare salamander, known as the Jollyville Plateau Salamander. This particular salamander should be a candidate for the endangered and threatened species list. It’s actually not on the list because it’s previously been an issue in other urbanization projects and teams of people were paid to try and prove this animal is not endangered. This isn’t the first time the law overruled basic morals. Consulting firms helped develop a conservation plan in West Texas aimed at keeping the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard off the endangered species list. The thing is-  the City of Round Rock knows that as long as the salamander isn’t recognized as endangered, then the environmental hurdle of developing the Wyoming Springs Extension won’t stand in their way.

Dry Fork Creek is not only a habitat to animals, but actually a historical site with small dwellings from the Tonkawa Native American Tribe. Putting this roadway in this sensitive location could greatly damage modern day living pieces of history. The team assigned to building the design for the roadway claims to have specifically said that they would take actions in making sure that this road would not be intrusive to the surrounding environment and take precautions regarding these concerns.The problem, and the thing they don’t seem to understand, is that any roadways are intrusive and sometimes it’s not just about the road, it’s about the people that are going to use the road. Putting faith in humans to be good people isn’t really an option. People litter and throw debris on the side of the road every day, even though they know this is not right. This all contributes to the death and decay of beautiful places. Instead of making this area accessible to humans, I believe it should be considered for the possibility of being established as a protected nature preserve for the longevity of the species that populate this haven within Round Rock. Without these ecosystems, our environment wouldn’t be a cohesive unit. Each piece of the puzzle is essential to preserving the balance that is created when humans and animals live in harmony. The balance in this area between all the species and humans is crucial to maintain because the animals were here first. It is our job to be stewards of protection for those that are unable to speak their needs. The joy that can be found by experiencing nature first hand is necessary to instill into the generations that will inherit this world. This is what I want my legacy to be, not encouraging another road that destroys one more precious habitat.

By signing this petition, you are establishing the idea of stewardship, that sets an example for generations to come. Please help protect a beautiful place from turning into an urban roadkill nightmare.