Trinity Trees Controversy Growing

Caravan of Dreams covers the Fort Worth City Council meeting and reports that those proponents advocating preservation of the trees along the Trinity Trail received a cold reception.

And as the controversy heats up, it feeds a growing undercurrent of mistrust about drilling among local residents.

One Mistletoe Heights resident told me, "I see more and more people in my neighborhood becoming concerned with this issue. It is not going away. It's only getting bigger." And she's right. People connected to the neighborhood association there say only around 10 percent of homeowners have signed lease agreements for their mineral rights. A drilling company needs 80 percent before they can drill. I'm told numbers in neighborhoods like Ryan Place and Berkeley have also been slow to sign. Because so many of the Trinity Trees people come from these neighborhoods, I could easily see this issue preventing people from signing.

Bernie Scheffler, who is running to replace Davis in District 9 when she leaves to run for the State Senate, was surprised that Chesapeake and Union Pacific won't ask the City to get involved and help find a solution. "We aren't telling you what to do with our land, we're asking you to get involved to help find a win-win solution for everyone," he said. "Here's your chance to be good corporate citizens. It's not a complex issue."

Meanwhile, Bluedaze reminds us trees aren't the only resource impacted by gas drilling.