Protect North Palo Duro Canyon

The northern portion of Palo Duro Canyon in Randall County, Texas, is a deep and narrow portion of the Palo Duro Canyon, lying adjacent to and just north of the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

It is an extremely unique and scenic 8-mile stretch of privately owned canyon, which is home to a diversity of wildlife, including threatened and protected species such as the Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagle, the Texas Horned Lizard and the Palo Duro Mouse. This 8-mile stretch of canyon also has a rich history.

In the late 1800s, Colonel Charles Goodnight's brother-in-law, Leigh Dyer, wintered his cattle in the canyon and established the T Anchor ranch. Clashes with the Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne Indians in the region occurred during that time, and the canyon holds many artifacts from that time period, as well as other time periods.

On August 7, 2009, Sharyland Utilities sent out notices to landowners that Sharyland and their consultant, PBS&J, had determined possible routes for a 345kV transmission line to run from a proposed station in Carson County to a proposed station in Deaf Smith County. Two of the proposed routes cross this unique portion of the Palo Duro Canyon.

A transmission line of this nature would destroy the canyon terrain, the historical and the scenic value of the canyon, and would also put the wildlife and vegetation at risk from fires in the canyon which cannot be extinguished or contained.

Please join us in a petition to the Texas legislature in a request to pass a law to prevent Sharyland Utilities from placing a transmission line across the northern portion of Palo Duro Canyon and permanently destroying this treasure.