20261021-003, Public Comment 3 — original pdf

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10/21/26, 1:32 PM Brackenridge Tract public comment: The Brackenridge Field Lab is worth more as a natural space than an urban development. - C… Postscript: I have attached a few images of activities at Brackenridge Field Laboratory with sources of the images linked below. Science Under The Stars Facebook Brackenridge Field Lab Shines in National Report Bioblitz at the Brackenridge Field Lab about:blank?windowId=SecondaryReadingPane22 2/3 10/21/26, 1:32 PM Brackenridge Tract public comment: The Brackenridge Field Lab is worth more as a natural space than an urban development. - C… CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT at "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov". about:blank?windowId=SecondaryReadingPane22 3/3 Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century 14 Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Biological Field Stations BOX 1-2 Invasive Fire Ants: The Hidden Value of Unwanted Guests Red imported fire ants and a Phorid fly. Photo Credit: John & Kendra Abbott/Abbott Nature Photography. In 1981, red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) invaded the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL) in Austin, Texas, and triggered a cascade of scientific inquiry that has expanded into a long-term research program on effects and biological control of invasive species. Fire ants, native to South America, are invasive pests in the United States, Australia, the Caribbean, and some eastern Asian countries. The United States spends an estimated $8 billion each year on fire ant control, damage mitigation, and medical treatment. Scientists at BFL have conducted extensive natural-history research, and the red ant invasion provided an opportunity to collect additional baseline natural-history data and track the effects of these invasive ants on the native arthropod community. Undergraduate students conducted some of the key initial studies of the ant invasion. A graduate student’s work that documented how parasitoid (phorid) flies disrupt the foraging activities of a different ant species at BFL led directly to a major national program that uses phorid flies as biological control agents for fire ants (Feener 1981). Today, the BFL research group forms a key hub in the international fire ant research network, which includes collaborations that span continents. BFL maintains partnerships with more than 100 private landowners and agencies for region-wide evaluation studies and has established teaching and outreach programs about the challenges posed by invasive species in natural settings. The fire ant study has resulted in more than $10 million in research funds over 20 years, more than 80 publications, and a broader expert research program on invasive species. Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Good afternoon, The Brackenridge Field Laboratory is an irreplaceable asset to the City of Austin and the University of Texas. I am appalled at the proposal to fast-track development on this tract without ample time for considered thought and public input. This field laboratory is home to decades of ongoing biological research, including UT’s entire research and biological control programs for both Invasive Fire Ants and the invasive Tawny Crazy Ant which have immense biological and economic impacts for the state. The Brackenridge Field Laboratory is the crown jewel in the University of Texas Field Station Network and its loss would be short-sighted and catastrophic for biological research in Texas. Development of this tract is not something to be rushed through in an ill-considered manner without time for thought and public awareness and input. I urge you to slow down this process and allow for the considered input that such project needs. If the City of Austin allows for this to be fast tracked, it will be making a mistake with far reaching consequences that cannot be undone. Thank you for your consideration. Christiane Krejs