Overall Rating	Bronze
Overall Score	43.72
Liaison	Karen Marin-Hines
Submission Date	March 1, 2022

STARS v2.2

Texas Tech University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Jessica Bunyard Analyst BIMAR

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

"The Llano River, a clear, spring-fed perennial river and major tributary of the Colorado River, is a true gem of the Texas Hill Country. The Upper Llano River, which includes the North and South Llano rivers and the springs that feed them, supports several unique plant and animal communities and provides constant flows downstream to the Llano and Colorado rivers, Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) and other Highland Lakes, which are especially critical during times of drought. It is one of the few major watersheds containing a genetically pure population of Guadalupe bass, the Texas state fish. It is recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as an Ecologically Significant Stream, having high water quality, exceptional aquatic life, high aesthetic value, and diverse benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities.

Texas Tech researchers assist in the protection of burrowing owls on property adjacent to Pantex (NE of Amarillo). Dr. Clint Boal will lead a team that will track and monitor the bird’s movements in and around area wind farms."

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

Guadalupe Bass, Burrowing Owl

Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

Riparian zones of streams and rivers are recognized critical zones for watershed health. In the Upper Llano, these critical transitional areas between the water and upland systems comprise 19,431 acres or 1.6% of the watershed area

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Surveys, which include the riparian and river habitat and fish and macroinvertebrate populations, effectively evaluate the health of the river. Faunal surveys increase the likelihood of detecting the effects of pollution on aquatic communities (such as episodic events, cumulative pollution or other impacts that chemical tests do not detect).

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

"Burrowing Owl - Texas Tech researchers assist in the protection of burrowing owls on property adjacent to Pantex (NE of Amarillo). Dr. Clint Boal will lead a team that will track and monitor the bird’s movements in and around area wind farms.Boal and his team will capture burrowing owls at the Pantex energy facility near Amarillo and at the Reese Technology Center west of Lubbock. Then they will fit the owls with GPS transmitters, from which data will be downloaded weekly. That will allow researchers to track the owls and their movements on a year-round basis while also tracking their seasonal movements, habitat use and survival. WPP - To proactively address these threats and improve the sustainability of the Upper Llano, development of a WPP was
initiated on the Upper Llano River watershed above the confluence in Junction. Since watersheds cross jurisdictional/political boundaries, a watershed approach incorporates the entire landscape instead of management through
predetermined boundaries.
The WPP was developed through a locally led process in which local stakeholders, represented by the Coordination Committee, develop a holistic strategy to restore and/or protect the quantity and quality of surface water and
groundwater resources through voluntary, non-regulatory watershed management strategies. "

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

*Please refer to the Watershed Protection Plan
https://today.ttu.edu/posts/2019/07/Stories/boal-burrowing-owl https://www.depts.ttu.edu/junction/lrfs/Documents/WPPEntire.pdf

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

---

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://today.ttu.edu/posts/2019/07/Stories/boal-burrowing-owl

Additional documentation to support the submission:

Upper Llano WPP 2.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

---