In 1963 the middle 67 miles of Padre Island was officially declared a National Seashore for the purpose of preserving the wilderness aspect and to protect fauna and flora in natural habitat. As future generations come to Padre to seek recreation, to hunt for oil, to fish, to dig for treasure, there always will be a seashore, assurance that some two-thirds of its total area will remain as nearly as possible in its natural state.

Scientists are coming to the island in increasing numbers to study unknown features related to its geology, marine life, oceanography and outer continental shelf. Archaeologists consider it a good place to search out secrets of the past and historians to complete some link in the story of civilization. The conchologist comes to Padre to find new shells, either washed ashore or brought in by shrimp boats. Ornithologists find Padre and environs a good place to study coastal birds and rare visitors in migration, such as the peregrine falcon.

The main emphasis on the flora of the island is in relation to its usefulness in stabilizing the sand. Since geologists say that Padre is "walking" toward the mainland, efforts are being made to protect existing dunes. Property owners are encouraged to plant grasses and salt-tolerant plants and shrubs. Once Padre had trees and a lush growth of grasses and other plants. Overgrazing, poor land care methods, storms and overzealous visitors with their dune vehicles-plus a lack of understanding by some developers of the sensitive nature of the island's ecology-have taken their toll. Today, civic groups from around the Valley take discarded Christmas trees to the dunes to help stabilize and rebuild them.

The beach itself is a teeming intertidal area. Some of the life forms have armor for protection; some have suction cups; others depend upon camouflage or poison tentacles to stay alive. Snails, littorines and periwinkles abound. In the high tidal zone live plankton, eggs, larvae, one celled plants, diatoms in varied shapes such as needles, chains, stars, spindles and tiny boxes.

Surf fishermen like to cast around the hulk of the old Nicaragua, a longtime landmark about halfway up the island. The sea has crept inland since the mystery ship was blown ashore in a storm Oct.16, 1912. Originally the Nicaragua rested on the beach, seemingly undamaged. Efforts at salvage were unsuccessful. Through the years the Nicaragua sank slowly in the sand but not before sightseers carried off almost every movable piece. Today only the boiler is above water to remind old timers of rumors that the Nicaragua was carrying contraband arms to Central America when it was wrecked and abandoned.

A comforting thought is the 67-mile long Padre Island Seashore where at present only visitors and personnel connected with the oil industry are permitted. The oil industry was there long before the Seashore and care is taken to keep danger of spills to a minimum. But drift from even a small spill from a tanker in the Intracoastal Barge Canal in Laguna Madre will kill crustaceans, so important to bird-life.

So a way of life goes on and Padre is enjoyed by many kinds of people. Fishermen are drawn to the nearby bays and far into the Gulf, as they have been since time immemorial. Fishing, for both sport and for a livelihood, is a multi-million dollar industry. And the fishing bonanza should get even better with new passes connecting Laguna Madre and the Gulf. The marshes, bays and estuaries serve as nurseries for the marine life in the Gulf. Fresh waters that come down from inland Texas and the saline waters from the sea form the lifeline for this teeming nursery. Both sources must be protected.

The International Fishing Tournament each August brings contestants from afar. Sailfish, marlin, red snapper, tarpon and other denizens of the deep challenge sportsmen. Ocasionally caught are jewflsh, manta ray, sharks and even barracuda. Sigsbee Deep, a canyon or gorge in the ocean floor 100 miles off Padre, is a boon to both commercial fishermen and sportsmen. Many claim that more large fish and more varieties abound there. It is also said that the extreme depth of the water explains its exceptional clearness and lends extra coolness to the balmy, pollen-free air blowing across Padre.

If the major threats to the ecology of this sensitive island are faced and solved wisely, Padre should always offer a retreat where man can refurbish his soul. The long skinny strip of sand that lay for centuries practically unknown has special significance for Texas generations in this new age. It should never be forgotten that the treasures of Padre Island are not limited to old shipwrecks and long-buried pirate loot.