Only on 13: Group says prairies are under threat from proposed 36A North highway

WALLER COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Coastal Prairie Conservancy is asking residents to email TxDOT ahead of a Friday deadline to give feedback on 36A North, a proposed highway connecting parts of Waller County.

Coastal Prairie Conservancy conservationist Wesley Newman said the more than 19,000 acres of grass and wetlands in the Katy Prairie protect vulnerable skunks, turtles, and plants that used to take up much of southeast Texas.

It's a natural resource, he said, that also provides much-needed natural flood prevention.

"It provides habitat for whole lots of different things, not the least of which is people," Newman said.

But the conservancy's CEO, Mary Anne Piacentini, said the land and its inhabitants could soon be at risk of road runoff, noise and light pollution as the Texas Department of Transportation plans to build 36A North, a highway that would connect I-10 west of Katy to US-290 west of Waller.

Five routes are currently being considered, and the Coastal Prairie Conservancy said four of the five routes bring too much impact to the land they are trying to protect.

The group said the proposed Route 1 slices through newly acquired conservation land, and Routes 3, 4 and 5 come within half a mile of the Katy Prairie.

Route 2 would be about three-quarters of a mile from the Prairie and is the route the conservancy group finds the least impactful to nature.

"There needs to be a balance between what we do in protecting these important natural resources and getting people where they need to go," Piacentini said.

According to TxDOT's webpage, the state analyzed traffic noise, wetlands, wildlife, and more when designing the different routes.

As Houston continues to push outward, Piacentini said she knows development is coming but she wants to make sure Texas nature has a place in it.

"If these lands aren't protected, sooner or later pavement is going to be the last crop, and I don't think anyone wants to live in a part of the counties that are just rooftops and roads," Piacentini said.

Residents have until July 31st to give TxDOT feedback on the suggested 36A North routes. If protecting Texas prairies is important to you, you can find an email template on the conservancy group's webpage.

ABC13 reached out to TxDOT, who said, "We have spoken with Coastal Prairie Conservancy and understand their concerns. As part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, we will continue to evaluate and refine the project's alternatives to minimize and mitigate impacts to the natural environment and surrounding communities wherever possible."