The Kirk Mitchell Environmental Law Fund is a $2,000,000 charitable fund founded by Kirk Mitchell in 2007. Approximately $1,000,000 has been donated to worthy chartable organizations since that time. The Environmental Law Fund is now joined by two other funds established in 2011: The Public Interest Investigative Reporting Fund, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Memorial Fund for Women in Environmental Leadership.
Recent grants of the Kirk Mitchell Environmental Law Fund:
Austin Bulldog, for investigative journalism in the public interest. The Austin Bulldog is an online news source founded by long-time Austin journalist, Ken Martin. The Fund has made a matching grant in recognition and of the Bulldog’s groundbreaking work in exposing open government law violations at Austin City Hall. Historically, the natural environmentlal suffers as a result of the backroom deals between government entities and deveoper special interests. This grant is to be jointly funded by the Kirk Mitchell Environmental Law Fund and the Kirk Mitchell Public Interest Investigative Reporting Fund. www.theaustinbulldog.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, to support water conservation research and education and legal advocacy against the City of Austin’s “Water Treatment Plant No. 4,” a $600 million dollar plant that will force the City to raise already high water rates and encourage water waste for decades to come in order to pay off the debt-financing for the plant. The plant is also located within endangered species habitat and the 10 miles of tunneling required to deliver raw water to the plant and treated water out of the plant threatens spring flows in the Bull Creek headwaters – the primary habitat for the endangered Jollyville Platea salamander. The effort addresses water conservation, affordability for citizens and local businesses, fiscal accountability, government transparency, and biodiversity. www.sosalliance.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, for a literature review and vetting of potential conservation efforts for American River eel and horned lizard populations in Texas. www.sosalliance.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, to fund fisheries scientists and aquatic ecologists to compile available data in support of a petition filed by WildEarth Guardians to list several Texas freshwater mussel species as threatened or endangered.www.sosalliance.org
Caddo Lake Institute for research on surface water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in watersheds that feed Texas' largest natural lake. www.caddolakeinstitute.us
Hill Country Alliance to support education of the general public and government officials on surface and groundwater issues in the Hill Country region. www.hillcountryalliance.org
Texans Together Education Fund for community education on and participation in the EPA’s remediation of the San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund site located in the San Jacinto River at the Interstate 10 bridge in the Houston area. www.texanstogether.org
Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance to support the work of GEAA Science Director, Dr. Tom Hayes, as in-house conservation biologist and science coordinator for a range of projects to preserve biodiversity in the Texas Hill Country/Edwards Aquifer region. www.aquiferalliance.org
Aquifer Guardians In Urban Areas to support AGUA’s legal efforts to protect the Edwards Aquifer from haphazard expansion of US 281 and Loop 1604, located over the aquifer recharge zone in northern Bexar County. www.aquiferguardians.org
Recent grants of the Kirk Mitchell Environmental Law Fund:
Austin Bulldog, for investigative journalism in the public interest. The Austin Bulldog is an online news source founded by long-time Austin journalist, Ken Martin. The Fund has made a matching grant in recognition and of the Bulldog’s groundbreaking work in exposing open government law violations at Austin City Hall. Historically, the natural environmentlal suffers as a result of the backroom deals between government entities and deveoper special interests. This grant is to be jointly funded by the Kirk Mitchell Environmental Law Fund and the Kirk Mitchell Public Interest Investigative Reporting Fund. www.theaustinbulldog.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, to support water conservation research and education and legal advocacy against the City of Austin’s “Water Treatment Plant No. 4,” a $600 million dollar plant that will force the City to raise already high water rates and encourage water waste for decades to come in order to pay off the debt-financing for the plant. The plant is also located within endangered species habitat and the 10 miles of tunneling required to deliver raw water to the plant and treated water out of the plant threatens spring flows in the Bull Creek headwaters – the primary habitat for the endangered Jollyville Platea salamander. The effort addresses water conservation, affordability for citizens and local businesses, fiscal accountability, government transparency, and biodiversity. www.sosalliance.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, for a literature review and vetting of potential conservation efforts for American River eel and horned lizard populations in Texas. www.sosalliance.org
Save Our Springs Alliance, to fund fisheries scientists and aquatic ecologists to compile available data in support of a petition filed by WildEarth Guardians to list several Texas freshwater mussel species as threatened or endangered.www.sosalliance.org
Caddo Lake Institute for research on surface water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in watersheds that feed Texas' largest natural lake. www.caddolakeinstitute.us
Hill Country Alliance to support education of the general public and government officials on surface and groundwater issues in the Hill Country region. www.hillcountryalliance.org
Texans Together Education Fund for community education on and participation in the EPA’s remediation of the San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund site located in the San Jacinto River at the Interstate 10 bridge in the Houston area. www.texanstogether.org
Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance to support the work of GEAA Science Director, Dr. Tom Hayes, as in-house conservation biologist and science coordinator for a range of projects to preserve biodiversity in the Texas Hill Country/Edwards Aquifer region. www.aquiferalliance.org
Aquifer Guardians In Urban Areas to support AGUA’s legal efforts to protect the Edwards Aquifer from haphazard expansion of US 281 and Loop 1604, located over the aquifer recharge zone in northern Bexar County. www.aquiferguardians.org
