County faces persistent threats to environment, health, public safety, social equality

According to the recently published report from the Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project, the rapidly growing region that includes Bastrop County continues to face persistent challenges that threaten its economy and environment.

Kevin Anderson, coordinator for the Center for the Environmental Research (CER) for the Austin Water Utility has been a board member of the CTSIP since 2003, representing the environment.

“The CTSIP is the only group focused on looking holistically at sustainability for the five county region,” Anderson said. “We are the longest running sustainability indicators program in the country.”

The CTSIP is a non-profit organization that has provided data on inter-related areas, including social equity, the economy, the environment, health, public safety and land use. They have issued seven reports since 2000 covering the Central Texas region including Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.

The report examines the state of the region using 40 indicators in nine topic areas from 120 different data sources, which are collected and analyzed by the CTSIP.

“The report is a condensed overview of all areas of sustainability and is meant to be a tool for decision makers and citizens, pushing them to recognize the interdependence of all aspects of society,” Anderson said. “We want data to inform collaboration, engagement and public awareness of sustainability.”

The 2009 report shows a profound impact from the national recession, but also provides glimpses of improvement and growth in civic philanthropy, higher education and recycling.

Red flags in the report result from inequities in race and ethnicity and Austin’s progressive reputation for tolerance is not supported by the trends.

Indicators also show that family income and educational advancement are becoming more evident, as are crime patterns and public health, possibly due to the recession.

The environment continues to be cause for alarm and trends indicate an immediate need for action to change habits and policies that negatively affect air, water, waste stream, land use and mobility, the report shows.

“Environmental sustainability is a regional issue. Our political boundaries give the illusion of separation between counties and are barriers to collaboration,” Anderson said. “All the environmental issues that are currently perceived as Travis County/Austin issues are heading towards Bastrop as development accelerates in the county.”

Anderson said the key to sustaining the ecosystems in the region is through collaboration.

“Unfortunately, unlike Travis County and Austin, you do not have the governmental infrastructure of environmental policies and professional staff to be prepared for the impacts of development,” Anderson said.  “Thus, water quality and quantity, air quality and solid waste are all at risk in Bastrop County.”

Despite the challenges, the report also states that Central Texans remain hopeful and value the unique aspects of life in the region and are willing to sustain them.

“The Indicators Report is designed to help all of us pay close attention to the nature and pace of regional change, not just in the urban areas, but also in rural communities” said Philip Ruiz, chair of the CTSIP board, in a press release. “It gives us an opportunity to learn what’s happening not only in the issues we know best, but in those we know least. Having that broad knowledge is critically important to maintain and promote our sustainability.”

The 144-page report can be found at www.centex-indicators.org/index.html