Texas Forest Service is sending nearly 50 emergency responders to South Texas in preparation for Tropical Storm Alex, which is expected to make landfall as a hurricane early Wednesday morning.

The popular Redfish Bay area receives an extra measure of protection beginning May 1. On that date, a new regulation takes effect, prohibiting the uprooting of seagrass within the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area (RBSSA).

The shallow, highly productive body of water straddling the Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay systems in the Coastal Bend boasts the state’s northernmost extensive stands of sea grasses, highly evolved marine flowering plants that are one source of the area’s bounty of red drum and spotted seatrout.

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — The world’s longest bird watching competition is changing to a new “big weekend” format this year, marking the first year the Great Texas Birding Classic will hold the majority of competitive categories and events all on a single day. Also, thanks to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant, prize money for conservation projects has increased this year from $52,000 to $73,000.

State fisheries biologists have set a January series of public input meetings in Port Arthur, Dickinson, Port Aransas and Port Isabel to discuss possible changes to the way fishing and fisheries are regulated along the Texas coast.

Four projects designed to enhance boating access to Texas waters will share more than $1.4 million in matching federal grants through the State Boating Access Program.

Boat ramp facility improvement projects at Lake Buchanan, Cameron Park in Waco, Port Aransas and Surfside Beach were approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Jan. 24 meeting.

Winning teams in the 2008 Great Texas Birding Classic have awarded their conservation prize money to fund seven habitat projects totaling $73,000 along the Texas coast. Touted as the world’s longest birding competition, the Birding Classic has funded a total of $651,000 for avian habitat conservation since it began 12 years ago.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has scheduled a Coastal Fisheries Bay Team tournament targeting flounder for 6 a.m. until noon Nov. 15 at Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass.

The program, launched in 2005, is designed to recruit experienced anglers to assist TPWD with collecting brood stock for hatchery programs. The anglers receive t-shirts and fishing lures — and the chance to win hand-held GPS units, rods and reels and BOGA-Grip handheld scales — all while promoting conservation.

A new online tool created by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will help anglers find out where tarpon have been seen or caught in Texas waters, and will help biologists learn more about the "silver king’s" distribution and movements.

As we approach the peak of fishing season for one of the most sought-after saltwater species in Texas waters, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is encouraging anglers to report when and where tarpon have been spotted or caught.

Anglers can report sightings or catches using the online Tarpon Observation Network, maintained by the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division. Angler reports will help biologists learn more about the silver king’s life cycle, habitat use and migration patterns.

Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

High Plains Mallard Management Area: Duck hunting has been solid on playa lakes near Amarillo, Etter, Dumas and Spearman. Outfitters are reporting lots of ducks, with teal, pintails, wigeons and a few mallards comprising the brunt of the bag. Canada geese are plentiful, and that season begins Nov. 7. Crane numbers are just as good, with most hitting corn, milo and plowed ground (opens Nov. 7). Pheasants are everywhere. Water is plentiful. Prospects are very good.

The Texas General Land Office has been sending this message across the state for twenty-two years, and Texans have responded. Since the first cleanup in 1986, more than 382,000 Texas Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up more than 7,300 tons of trash from the Texas coast.