Lake Texoma news

Austin | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

With hunting season right around the corner, it’s time to get your hunter education certification.

To hunt legally in Texas, anyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must complete a hunter education training course or purchase a one-time ‘deferral’, good for one license year. Because the minimum age of certification is 9 years old, hunters under the age of 9 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter in the field. Hunters ages 9 through 16 must either complete hunter education courses or be accompanied while in the field. Deferral purchasers must also be ‘accompanied’ which means to be within normal voice control of a licensed hunter 17 years of age or older who has completed hunter education or who was born before Sept. 2, 1971. Hunters 17 and up must complete hunter education courses.

To make this process easier than ever, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department now offers the option of completing training courses completely online for Texas residents 17 years and older.

However, TPWD also offers three other convenient methods of getting certified: the basic, enhanced and advanced courses, which involve classroom and/or field time.

The basic hunter education course is designed for novice and young hunters ages 9 and above and requires six hours of classroom instruction. The enhanced hunter education course is a combination of an online home study program and up to five hours of field training. The advanced hunter education course requires more than six hours of instruction and includes more content than the basic and enhanced courses.

Each of the courses costs $15, and the passing grade for all courses is 75 percent.

Since mandatory hunter education first started in 1988, the number of hunting accidents and fatalities has declined to fewer than 3 per 100,000 hunters. Incidents involving those who had completed hunter education courses are only in the single digits each year.

To help improve hunter safety, choose from one of the many flexible options to get your hunter education certification now. For more information and to register for hunter education programs, visit http://www.tpwd.texas.gov/outdoor-learning/hunter-education.

The certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces.

Some federally controlled areas require all hunters using that site to have hunter education certification. In Texas, this includes Corps of Engineers property and most military reservations. Check with the specific area prior to going hunting.

Renew Expired Hunting Licenses Online

Don’t miss any hunting seasons this year because of an expired license. All licenses purchased in the last year, before Aug. 15, expired on Aug. 31. Renew your license online or over the phone by calling 800-895-4248, or in person at your nearest license retailer.

Hunting and Fishing on Lake Texoma

If you would like to book a combination hunting and fishing trip on Lake Texoma be sure to check out our directory of Hunting and Fishing Guides.

Preston Volunteer Emergency Services, Inc. announces the groundbreaking for its new Emergency Medical Services Station will be held on Friday July 17, 2015 at 10:30 a.m.

The groundbreaking for the EMS station will be held just east of St. Hwy. 289 on the north side of County Road 406.   The station will continue to provide emergency medical service to its 96 square mile service area that includes Pottsboro, Locust, Flowing Wells, Mill Creek, the Georgetown and Tanglewood areas and the entire Preston Point area. In the past, the EMS service has been located at PVES’ current EMS/Fire Station located about three miles north of County Road 406 on St. Hwy. 289.

When the station is completed, the EMS Service, our medics, EMTs and two ambulances, along with all of PVES’ life-saving equipment, will be relocated to there. The new station is more centrally located to cover PVES’ entire medical service area and will allow PVES to have more balanced response times, with quicker service to certain higher traffic areas, and will position PVES to better handle future growth.

The new station is being funded by generous donations from many individuals and companies in the community through the PVES Foundation’s Boot Scoot’n Ball and directly to PVES. In addition PVES also has received and continues to apply for additional grants to help fund this project.

The EMS station is being constructed to be very energy efficient and economical to operate and maintain. Completion is expected to be around year end.

At the same time, PVES is undertaking to remodel its Fire Station No. 1 and anticipates completing that remodel project this year, also. That station’s community room and kitchen, used by many groups for meetings and other events, will be completely redone. Because of the size of these efforts, PVES continues to seek additional donations, either in funds or in-kind, to help fund both efforts.

These important capital improvements have only been possible thorough the generosity of the individuals and companies who have donated funds and made in-kind contributions. PVES, its directors, officers, employees and volunteers extend a huge “THANK YOU” to those who have donated. PVES also invites everyone in the area to come to the groundbreaking. The groundbreaking’s location is at the new EMS Station’s location, about 50 yards east of St Hwy 289 on CR 406 on the north side of the road. There is a sign showing the design of the station located there and there is parking in the field.

PRESTON VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICES, INC.

P.O.BOX 518 – 85584 N. STATE HIGHWAY 289

POTTSBORO, TX 75076

EMERGENCY 911 – NON-EMERGENCY 903-786-3010

The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, has announced plans for two informal public workshops for discussion of the Master Plan revision and scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Lake Texoma.

The Tulsa District is initiating a review and revision of the master plan (MP) FOR Lake Texoma, Oklahoma and Texas. The Master Plan is the strategic land management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all project recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of a Corps lake project. It is a vital tool for efficient and cost-effective management, development, and use of project lands. The general public is invited to comment and participate in the review and revision of the Master Plan for Lake Texoma.

A master plan does not address issues associated with private boat docks or permits for shoreline vegetation modification. These issues are specifically addressed in the Shoreline Management Plan for a lake project. The Shoreline Management Plan for Lake Texoma will be reviewed and revised at a later date. Private dock and shoreline vegetation modification permits will be addressed at that time and not in the current Master Plan revision process. Also note that a Master Plan does not address water control plans, water releases, or issues related to lake levels.

The first workshop will be held from 6 – 8 pm on June 22, 2015 at the Pottsboro High School, 901 Highway 120, Pottsboro, Texas. The second is scheduled for 6 – 8 pm on June 23, 2015 at the Kingston High School, 403 N.E. 3^rd Street, Kingston, Oklahoma. Both workshops will be come-and-go formats with no formal presentation.   The public is invited to attend either or both of these workshops anytime between listed times, visit the information tables, and discuss Master Plan issues with the staff. Comment forms will be provided at the workshops or you are welcome to submit comments in any form throughout the Master Plan revision process.

Questions should be directed to Mr. Joe Custer, Texoma Lake Manager, 903.465.4990 or e-mail Joe.Custer@usace.army.mil.