Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Several elected and community leaders joined Casa De La Cultura Executive Director Lupita de La Paz and Nora Padilla of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Friday to welcome the county’s new TPWD district biologist, Austin Stolte.
Stolte was introduced during an informal, build-your-own chalupa lunch at the Casa De La Cultura.
In addition to De La Paz and Padilla, County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez, District III City Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon and Amistad National Recreation Area Superintendent Chris Ryan attended, as well as other Amistad National Recreation Area, TPWD and Casa staff and volunteers.
Padilla welcomed everyone, noting the TPWD’s partnerships with the National Park Service, Casa and the county and city.
After the welcome, Padilla recognized the outgoing biologist, Ryan Schmidt, who will stay with the department to serve counties north of Val Verde.
Schmidt led efforts in recent years to monitor and sometimes corral black bears wandering through the county and city and to work toward a resolution of the chronic wasting disease issue in area white-tailed deer.
Schmidt said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was able to hire additional biologists after it began charging a fee for its managed lands deer program, which helps landowners manage their deer herds.
“The program has been around for 20 years, but when we started charging the fee, it allowed us to hire new biologists,” Schmidt said.
He noted tens of thousands of Texas landowners now participate in the program.
Schmidt said some 15 new biologists were initially hired using the new revenue stream.
Schmidt then introduced the new biologist.
“Austin Stolte comes to us from Brewster County. He’s not a stranger; he’s worked for TPWD almost as long as I have, and he’s willing to take on this new challenge. I love Del Rio, love coming down here. Austin and I talked about that as we drove over here, the diversity, the culture; I’m really going to miss that, because I’m going to be staying up in the highlands,” Schmidt said.
“I won’t be a stranger, though, and I’ll try to help Austin as much as I can, as we continue with our chronic wasting disease check stations, and any time he needs any help dealing with bears,” he added.
Stolte thanked De La Paz and her volunteers for the lunch and said he is originally from San Antonio and grew up hunting and fishing in Texas.
He said he started with the TPWD immediately after college, working in Sanderson.
“I’ve been in Alpine the last four years or so,” he said.
Stolte said he interviewed for the Val Verde County position when he learned it was open.
“I really like this county. Growing up, I spent a lot of time on the lake, and now my parents actually live here full-time,” he said.
“I love this county because of its diversity and ecosystems, as Ryan and I were talking before, the rivers, the habitats and all the different wildlife populations. It’s a really cool place to be a biologist. I’m really happy to be here,” Stolte said.
He said the bulk of his job will involve working with local landowners under various TPWD programs, but added his passion is working with outreach conservation programs for young people.
“That’s what a lot of my background is, taking kids and getting them outside. I think that’s a pretty big deal in today’s world, and I really, really enjoy doing that, and the avenue I use is taking them hunting or taking them fishing,” he said.
Stolte said he looks forward to working with Padilla and other community members.
Ryan welcomed Stolte and said he “looked forward to having a great working relationship.”
Calderon said, “Welcome to Del Rio, and anything the city can do for you, please reach out to us.”
“On behalf of the county, anything we can help you with or work together on with you, please call,” Vazquez said.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
