U.S. Rep. Hensarling discusses Lake Fastrill, health issues in Rusk
Congressman says refuge vs. lake issue should be decided locally

Robert Gonzalez, general manager of Oldies Radio 97.7 FM, interviewed U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling last Thursday on the recent lawsuit filed by the City of Dallas and Texas Attorney General's office to stop the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's plans to build a wildlife refuge on the Neches River between Cherokee and Anderson Counties.

The City of Dallas wants to construct Lake Fastrill on the same footprint of land to meet their water needs in 50 years.

Q. The refuge has been declared by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and now Gov. Perry and some of the people in the city of Dallas - where you are from, where you are living, where a good percentage of registered voters in Dallas County are - are saying, "Hold on a minute. We don't want a refuge there. We want the water." What do you think is going to happen there? A. I don't know what's going to happen because it is tied up in the courts. I come from the legislative branch of government, not the judicial branch of government. I thought this had all been settled. I have not seen the lawsuit by the State of Texas, so I don't know on what grounds they are suing.

Fourteen or fifteen months ago, I was approached by the Cherokee County Commissioners Court, the Jacksonville City Council and the Jacksonville Independent School District, and they said, "Could you ask Fish and Wildlife to give us time to have input and to get a feasibility study done on a reservoir?" I asked them (USFWS) if they would hold off and allow everybody to have input because people didn't think they had had input.

That time has gone by. I'm satisfied that everybody had an opportunity to have their input. And the Fish and Wildlife declared there would be a refuge. I was satisfied with the process. I was satisfied with the results. I don't know what grounds the lawsuit is being brought. And again, once it hits the courts, it is out of the legislative branch of government into the judicial branch of government and I'll be watching it with interest. But no, I can't tell you what's going to happen.

Q. Certainly from a standpoint of the local people, and certainly there are a good number of people who feel they would much rather have the refuge than the lake, and you also have to weigh it against the needs of the people and especially the City of Dallas, whether or not they actually need the additional water.

A. As I said from the beginning, Robert, my concern was with private property rights. Something as big as this essentially needs to be decided locally. I was decided that the process had worked. Early on I'm not sure everybody had an opportunity to put their two cents worth in. They did. And now, after all this time, you seem to get some people coming in on the tail end of the process. They've had 18 months to weigh in. So I don't quite understand that.

Now, listen, there's a place for wildlife refuges, there's a place for reservoirs. But I thought this process was already done and I don't really know what the lawsuit is about. But it will be taken care of in the course.

Well, thank you very much. You have to go to another meeting, but we appreciate you taking the time. You have always been very gracious with your time, and we thank you very much. Congressman Jeb Hensarling, District 5.