Member Spotlight: SAVE Burnet

SAVE Burnet started just over 2 years ago when a group of concerned local residents came together to stop a new quarry from threatening their community and our beautiful Inks Lake.  Their concerns include environmental health risks, pollution, wildlife disruption, increased truck traffic, and groundwater depletion.

United by their deep love of community and determined to protect our lakes and local ecology, the group formed a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the natural beauty, clean water, and quality of life in Burnet County and the surrounding Hill Country.  Their mission is to educate, unite, and empower the community to stand against industrial developments—such as rock quarries and crushing facilities—that threaten our state parks, wildlife, water resources, and local heritage.​

The organization launched their website, SAVE Burnet, as a place to gather and share research and launched a weekly newsletter to provide the community at large information and ongoing updates around the rock quarry and other environmental impact projects in the area.

Part of SAVE Burnet’s public outreach is the launch of a series of public meetings with key speakers and open forums for the community to come together for discussion and debate, to promote collaboration with local and state agencies and to provide a forum for active citizen engagement.  Their next meeting is Tuesday, May 5th at the Burnet Agri-Life Center.  Doors open at 5:30 PM and the meeting starts at 6!   Their speaker for this meeting is Craig Clark.  Craig and his wife Donna are long term residents since the 1990s and own a local ranch.  Mr. Clark was a recent inductee in Texas A&M Engineering Academy of Distinguished Graduates, and he recently retired from the oil and gas industry.  Crucially, Mr. Clark also served two terms as an elected official in Harris County as a Water Board Director for Municipal Utility Districts in the greater Houston area. He will be sharing his personal experience living next to a quarry and his professional opinion on the specific impacts this project will have on our Burnet County aquifers.​

SAVE Burnet also partners with other local non-profits like Hill Country Land & Legacy Alliance to ensure locals have information about other projects that will impact property values and have environmental impact on people and animals’ safety.

As a reminder to all, today is the last day to intervene in the Bell County East to Big Hill 765kV Transmission Line project, docket control #59475.   You must submit a motion to intervene by 5 pm today!   Click here for a written walk through of how to submit a motion to intervene.   For more information on the 765kV Transmission Line Town Hall, click here.  Click here for more information on PUC of Texas Interchanger Filerwhere you can submit your motion to intervene.

To learn more about SAVE Burnet, to see ongoing Air Quality Maps and for all reference materials and research gathered by SAVE Burnet please go to their website at https://www.saveburnet.com.

Click here to subscribe to their newsletter to stay informed on current research, upcoming meetings and other pertinent local information.​

Click here for more information on how to Take Action.  SAVE Burnet needs donations and volunteers including researchers, fundraisers, event coordinators, photographers, videographers and anyone from the general public who has a vested interest and concern in taking part.