From today's Houston Chronicle -
"Sometime early next year, National Park Service rangers expect to be managing more than the coyote and the rich array of wildlife found on the nation's largest seaside park. They will also be closely overseeing the drilling of five more gas wells on the same pad a mile behind the dunes by BNP Petroleum Corp., a Corpus Christi firm."
This long and balanced article not only describes this new development, but also covers some of the history of oil and gas development in natural areas, and contrasts the pro-drilling approach in south Texas, with federal buyouts in more ecologically minded areas such as the Everglades.
Click for full article.
Money quotes:
"In a perfect world, probably we wouldn't want any drilling here at all," said Padre Seashore park ranger Juan Rodriguez. ''But we have no choice because we don't own the subsurface mineral rights. ... We have to grant them (private leaseholders) the right to explore."
"In some cases, parks were created after a compromise was reached between conservationists and those who did not want to see curtailment of oil and gas production, a traditional cornerstone of the Texas economy."