PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO WATER IN TEXAS LAKES AND STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Rapidly increasing demand for recreational use of Texas' public waters is resulting in growing conflict between riparian landowners and the public. This paper examines the public access question, certainly one of the most poorly defined and understood areas of Texas water and property law. Since the appropriation acts of the late 1800's, most surface waters are owned by the state, and are held in trust for the benefit of the people. While there is no express statutory authority giving the general public the right to use these waters, there is extensive, if often conflicting, case law recognizing such rights on navigable streams. It is equally well established that the public may not gain access by crossing private property. Definition of public and private rights is complicated by the fact that Texas land grants (with their attendant property rights) have emanated from Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the state. Obstacles imposed by riparian landowners to public entry, use and passage, as well as spatial aspects of access, are also considered. Because public access rights are based on the peculiar circumstances of each case, it is difficult to establish general legal principles, and there is almost no reliable information to aid the recreation-seeking public. A clear legislative enunciation of public rights appears politically infeasible at present, the most immediately attainable goal lying in the area of better public education.     

Effect of public opinion on national park planning in Turkey: A case study

National park plans are mainly prepared by a central planning team of the National Parks of Turkey. In this article, a model is presented that proposes a different approach to preparing national park plans. The study is based on a questionnaire distributed among the residents of the villages just outside a selected national park in Turkey and the relevant local and general authorities who are interested in the national park in their region, to find out the effect of public opinion on national park planning. Four basic strategies that represent the four main alternative approaches to forming policies in the planning of the park were identified. Respondents were asked to choose one and to suggest their own ideas. As this is a first attempt of such a study in Turkey, the results of the survey have been very encouraging. Therefore, this paper suggests that the assessment of public opinion should be borne in mind throughout the planning process in Turkey.     

IDENTIFYING CRITICAL ISSUES IN RECREATION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT-RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP1

ABSTRACT: The “nominal group” process is a proven technique to systematically arrive at a consensus about critical information needs in recreation planning and management. Using this process, 41 managers who attended a 1983 conference on river management identified 114 specific information needs grouped under 11 general questions. Clearly, some concerns of administrators are researchable; many are not.     

After 35 years,have we made progress: A government perspective

The use of irradiation to improve the safety, protect the nutritional benefits, and preserve the quality of fresh and processed foods is a well established and proven technology. Over the past 35 years, the United States Government has invested in the science to confirm safety and in the technology to show application. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration have approved sources of ionizing radiation for the treatment of foods, and their application to most meats, fruits, vegetables, and spices. Despite the value of this technology to the food industry and to the health and welfare of the public, only minimal application of this technology occurs. This underscores the importance of increasing the public's understanding of radiation risks relative to other hazards. Accordingly, in 1995, the Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and Policy Coordination of the Executive Office of the President made recommendations for the creation of a centralized National Radiation Information Center that would work closely with Federal departments and agencies in responding to public queries about radiation issues and Federal programs. This article updates a commentary published in 1996 (Young 1996). In the past six years, some progress has been made, including the establishment of a government operated Food Irradiation Information Center, and the completion of final rule making by USDA, thus permitting the safe treatment of meats and poultry. Despite these actions, little progress has been made on the public acceptance of this technology. The need for an informed public and for a better understanding of risks, i.e., risk communication, is noted.     

公共卫生与城市内涝

为了研究城市内涝的公共卫生特点，本文分析了广西梧州１９９４年的抗洪经济：（１）城市内涝是一种特殊的暂时性的废水；（２）水质可在３－５天内恶化变臭，从而在中心城市造成严重的公共卫生问题：９３）应防止垃圾烘便及有毒化学物质污染水质，防止居民中毒和传染病发生。最重要的是迅速排除城市内涝废水。     

论环境的行政公益诉讼

中国尚未建立环境的行政公益诉讼,而传统诉讼制度的问题和缺陷日益显露,导致环境得不到很好地保护。根据环境法中关于环境权的理论、公众参与的原则以及公益诉讼的理论,中国应该尽快建立环境行政公益诉讼制度,赋予公众环境的行政公益诉讼资格,使作为公共利益的环境能得到切实的保护和改善。     

Incorporation of Recreational Fishing Effort into Design of Marine Protected Areas

Abstract:  Theoretical models of marine protected areas (MPAs) that explore benefits to fisheries or biodiversity conservation often assume a dynamic pool of fishing effort. For instance, effort is homogenously distributed over areas from which subsets of reserves are chosen. I tested this and other model assumptions with a case study of the multiple-use Jervis Bay Marine Park. Prior to zoning of the park I conducted 166 surveys of the park's recreational fisheries, plotting the location of 16,009 anglers. I converted these plots into diagrams of fishing effort and analyzed correlates between fishing and habitat and the effect of two reserve designs—the draft and final zoning plans of the park—on the 15 fisheries observed. Fisheries were strongly correlated with particular habitats and had negatively skewed and often bimodal spatial distribution. The second mode of intensely fished habitat could be 6 SD greater than the fishery's mean allocation of effort by area. In the draft-zoning plan, sanctuary zone (no-take) area and potential subduction of fishing effort were similar. In the final plan, which was altered in response to public comment, the area of sanctuary zone increased, and the impact on fishing effort decreased. In only one case was a fishery's most intensely targeted location closed to fishing. Because of the discriminating manner with which fishers target habitats, if simple percentage targets are used for planning, sanctuary location can be adjusted to avoid existing fishing effort. According to modeled outcomes, the implication of this may be diminished reserve effectiveness. To address this, reserve area should be implicitly linked to subducted fishing effort when promoting or modeling MPAs.     

WTO框架下重构农村公共服务体系的探讨

我国已经加入WTO后,由于在谈判过程中我国在农业方面的让步比较大,如果不利用“绿箱政策”加强农村公共服务体系建设,农业和农村经济的竞争力必然大大下降．“绿箱”政策是一种问接式的保护政策,不在《农业协议》限制之列,而且“绿箱”政策中许多条款都涉及到保护本国农业的可持续发展能力,得到了各国的一致赞同．因此,我国有必要对农村公共服务体系的改革与发展历程进行一次系统清理,在此基础上认真总结正反两方面的经验和教训,重新构筑农村公共服务体系。     

空气污染的健康经济损失评价研究进展

空气污染严重危害公众健康及社会可持续发展,空气污染的健康经济损失评价是环境相关部门开展成本-效益分析的基础.为理清研究现状,为后续研究提供参考,从空气污染健康经济损失的评价对象、评价方法以及空气污染因子的选择对文献进行了分析.结果表明:健康经济损失评价的热点对象主要集中在我国等空气污染较严重的新兴经济体国家,得益于我国监测数据的日趋完善,运用连续多年数据评价区域健康经济损失动态变化的研究开始增多.评价中经常采用的方法有人力资本法、修正人力资本法、患病失能法、支付意愿法、疾病成本法、统计寿命价值法、情景分析法等,每种方法有各自的适用范围与优缺点,评价中常综合使用多种方法以提高结果的可靠性.评价使用的空气污染因子已由SO₂、CO为主,逐渐转向以PM₁₀与PM_2.5为主、O₃为辅,加强PM_2.5、O₃、CO₂的协同治理已经成为共识,并在部分区域付诸实施.研究显示,空气污染的健康经济损失评价领域涉及内容较广,需要多学科研究人员的参与以提高研究质量及促进学科交叉融合.      

杭州市公共场所内空气中PBDEs污染特征及暴露

为评估杭州市典型室内公共场所空气中多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）的污染现状,2016年5~8月和9~12月期间,采用空气被动采样技术（PUF-PAS）在17家室内公共场所总计采集54个空气样品,经样品预处理和GC-ECD分析后,结果表明,5类环境空气样品中∑₁₄PBDEs浓度均值大小依次为网咖（2470.43pg/m³）>建材市场（1119.87pg/m³）>电子市场（660.84pg/m³）>商场（478.37pg/m³）>图书城（182.18pg/m³）.最主要的特征单体均为BDE-209,占总量的36.79%~56.21%,BDE-47、BDE-99、BDE-153、BDE-183也是PBDEs在空气中较主要的同系物,其最高浓度分别占7.77%,7.56%,6.32%和7.73%.评估PBDEs人群暴露水平的结果表明,网咖内暴露水平最高,图书城则为最低,其浓度分别为570.10和44.79pg/（kg×d）.室内空气中,对人群PBDEs总摄入量贡献最高的特征单体是BDE-209,平均水平为18.44~323.70pg/（kg×d）,最低的则为BDE-183,平均水平为1.75~20.05pg/（kg×d）,目前杭州市各典型室内公共场所PBDEs人群暴露水平相比美国环境保护署（EPA）提出的参考剂量较低.