This year, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the Texas State Parks system. One positive development in this year's Texas Legislative Session is the constitutional amendment, Proposition 14, that will create the "Centennial Parks Conservation Fund", subject to voter approval on November 7. The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter, Environment Texas, Texans for State Parks, Texas Foundation for Conservation, and Texas Travel Alliance are groups that registered support for the amendment.
The Texas Legislature approved measures to invest $1 billion in the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which would come from the state's current budget surplus. This Fund would be dedicated to purchasing new lands for state parks, and the development and improvements of state parks.
In recent decades the state-wide population of Texas has grown enormously along with related urbanization and development. But state appropriations for the Texas State Parks system did not keep up, particularly with regard to the acquisition of new lands, and the development of new parks. In fact, the Texas State Parks system has owned some properties for decades but lacked the necessary appropriations to develop and open those as new parks for public access. Passage of Proposition 14 will be a critical step to secure future funding for new state parks and preserving more of the state's most important remaining natural areas. It is vitally important that the Texas State Park system have adequate funding to protect and preserve sufficient public open space in the face of ever-increasing development pressures.
The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter urges citizens to support this important Proposition 14, that will create the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.
General election day is Tuesday, November 7. Early voting should begin on Monday, October 23.
This is the actual language that will be on the ballot for Proposition 14:
"The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks."
Additional details on the Proposition can be found here:
Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to be Proposition 14 (environmentamerica.org)
For questions or comments, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com