As the next legislative session approaches, the battle lines of agency budgets are being drawn by the Legislative Budget Board. Each agency submits a Legislation Appropriations Request, or LAR, which asks the Legislature for funding for 2016-2017. The Lone Star Chapter recently submitted comments supporting specific funding for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for local park grants, wildlife diversity, park acquisition and development and invasive species control.
Comments submitted by Conservation Director Cyrus Reed and Conservation Chair Evelyn Merz, September 29, 2014
[Editor's note: If you want to read TPWD's entire 468 page LAR, click here.]
The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club has long been a supporter of adequate funding for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for decades. With some 20,000 members and 60,000 supporters, the Lone Star Chapter’s members and supporters are frequent visitors to our state parks and natural areas. Our local groups help organize Sierra Club outings that often visit state parks and local parks supported by TPWD. We work with inner city youth in Texas through our Inner-City Outings program to show school-age kids the wonders of Texas’ wildlife and natural areas. We also recognize the key role TPWD play not only in providing areas for camping recreation, hiking, birding, fishing and hunting, but also to support wildlife diversity and protect endangered and threatened species. We are generally supportive of the TPWD proposed budget, including the exceptional items.
Although the Legislature in certain sessions has risen to the occasion to provide additional funds to TPWD, in general our state’s allocation to the TPWD has not kept up with its needs, population growth and special challenges, such as invasive species and drought. We do recognize the important work in providing additional funds to TPWD due to the Bastrop fire. The Lost Pines area in Bastrop is a unique ecosystem that needs continued focus.
Specific Comments
The Lone Star Sierra Club would like to assure adequate funding for local park grants, wildlife diversity, park acquisition and development and invasive species control.
Local Parks Grants
It has been several sessions since the Legislature provided historical levels of funding to local parks.
In TPWD’s LAR, we are particularly supportive of Exceptional Item No. 5, which would restore funding to the Texas Recreation and Parks Accounts (TRPA) No. 467 & Large County and Municipality Recreation and Parks Account No. 5007 (both accounts are also known as the Local Park Grant Program) to the $31 million level, which represents the historic funding for these programs. Local park grants are vitally important to help match funding by municipalities and counties in both more urban and more rural environments.
Acquisition and Development
We are disappointed that TPWD did not request additional funding for acquisition and development of wildlife habitat and park areas. In particular, while Texas’ population has continued to rise, with more being present in urban areas, there continues to be a lack of funding for acquisition of new parkland and wildlife areas, and the development of this land. Thus, it appears in the present LAR, TPWD is only asking – within Exceptional Item No. 1 -- for $2.7 million from the sale of Eagle Mountain Lake – to help in the development of Palo Pinto State Park. Thus, years after the sale, TPWD is only asking for this money for Acquisition and Development. It is worth noting that in the present rider, TPWD is not authorized to spend this money from the sale of the Eagle Mountain Lake land, and only in the exceptional item are they asking for this additional funding.
During the 83rd Legislative Session, the Chapter lobbied hard for a minimal appropriation for A&D. Rep. Sergio Munoz, Jr. introduced a rider that would have appropriated $6.5 million for FY 2014-15 to A&D for Texas State Parks. It included $3.0 million for acquisition and $3.5 million for development of state parks. The rider was added to Article XI (aka “the wish list”) of the budget, but unfortunately, the rider was not moved into appropriations.
Thus, the Lone Star Chapter would suggest that in addition to the specific $2.7 million requested for the development of Palo Pinto Park, that the LBB suggest additional funds such as $6.5 million for the purchase of tracts to expand the boundaries of existing state parks and the development of state parks that have never opened to the public. There are several pieces of land presently owned by the TPWD or granted to the TPWD that have yet to be fully developed including the southern unit of Devils River, Davis Hill, and Chianati Mountains.
Wildlife Diversity
The other area we believe that continues to be underfunded is the Wildlife Diversity Program. This program is severely underfunded in comparison to the extent of its responsibilities. Additional options are needed to adequately fund its responsibilities. It would be prudent for TPWD to study additional options to fund the Wildlife Diversity Program. We recognize that specialty license plates are one important source of funding, and we do support Rider No. 10, which allocates funding to TPWD from new license plates such as the Save Ocelot license plates.
In many ways, non-game enthusiasts have not financially supported the programs that benefit non-game wildlife diversity, while there is a history of hunters and fishermen providing support to game wildlife programs. There is an opportunity to design special non-game opportunities to observe and photograph wildlife, perhaps through a pass or permit system that allows participation in special events or special access. After all, once upon a time there were no hunting or fishing licenses.
Control of Invasive Species
The Lone Star Chapter is supportive of riders and exceptional item requests to fund control of aquatic invasive species. That being said, we would also suggest that TPWD develop a pilot program to control invasive terrestrial species in state parks. It may be possible to develop the pilot program with the help of volunteers, though some funding will be needed. Beginning a pilot program with some limited amount of funding could be accomplished in the present legislative session.
As an example, Sierra Club’s Regional Houston group recently completed its seventh volunteer workday at Davis Hill State Park to control invasive tallow in the lowlands and yaupon in the pocket prairie on the hill. It can be amazing what a difference invasive species control makes in restoring habitat and landscape. At another local workday, we did tallow control at Lake Sheldon State Park. It is easy to find to find other examples of need throughout the park system.
In conclusion, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club is generally supportive of the LAR and exceptional item request by the TPWD. That said, we are particularly interested in seeing adequate funding for:
- Local Park Grants
- Acquisition and Development of Parkland
- Wildlife Diversity
- Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species Control
The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club appreciates the opportunity to provide these brief comments.