Historical Context
On March 11, 2006 the Big Thicket Association (BTA) established the Thicket of Diversity (ToD) program for conducting an All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory of the Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP) and ecological significant lands and waters in the Big Thicket region. An Executive Council with sub-committees was established to manage this program. For many years the program functioned with finance, education and outreach, technology and science committees to build the program and accomplish results.
This initial charter was created on October 10, 2008. Revisions of this document were completed in October 2013 and on April 19, 2016.
In January 17, 2016 the BTA signed a Work Plan under a Friend’s Agreement with the Big Thicket National Preserve identifying projects, roles, and a schedule to be undertaken by the organization. The Work Plan is revised annually. The Work Plan includes goals and deliverables for the ToD program. The Big Thicket Association supports the goals and objectives of this Work Plan to achieve successful implementation in a timely manner.
In 2018, the Board of Directors re-evaluated the ToD program, management needs and commitment to fulfill the National Park Service Work Plan. On April 14, 2018, the BTA Board voted to disband the Executive Council of ToD and manage the project as a separate Committee as one of the many committees of the BTA.
The ToD Committee will guide, support, and assist in the development and implementation of a thorough inventory of the biodiversity and ecology of life forms in the Big Thicket region.
The Charter for the Thicket of Diversity
The full charter describes the authority, structure, duties, and subcommittees for the Thicket of Diversity program.
Read the Thicket of Diversity Charter