It’s time for the TX Legislature to stand up for our parks

Tomorrow, inside this building, the House of Representatives will vote on a budget which would make massive cuts to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. HB 1 would cut funding for parks by 25% for the 2012-2013 biennium. These cuts could force the closure of at least seven state parks, eliminate funding for local parks and playgrounds, end leases for almost one million acres of public hunting land and hurt wildlife management efforts. 

Tomorrow, inside this building, the House of Representatives will vote on a budget which would make massive cuts to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. HB 1 would cut funding for parks by 25% for the 2012-2013 biennium. These cuts could force the closure of at least seven state parks, eliminate funding for local parks and playgrounds, end leases for almost one million acres of public hunting land and hurt wildlife management efforts.  

Our parks are a big part of what makes Texas great. They’re the kind of thing we stand up for, even when times are tough. Texans love the great outdoors, and for good reason. From the wetlands and beaches of the Gulf coast, to hill country swimming holes, to the breathtaking beauty of Big Bend, our state parks are a vital part of what makes us Texan. Hiking, camping, fishing, and horseback riding in these amazing places has been a Lone Star tradition for generations, something our parents shared with us and something we will share with our children. And of course, there’s the crucial role our parks play in keeping our drinking water supply pure and stable by collecting rainwater and allowing rivers to flow through pollution-free on their way to the reservoirs.

Our state parks were visited more than 7.4 million times last year, and when people come to the parks, they spend money in the local communities. According to the Comptroller, out-of-state visitors to our parks spent $283 million in the local community in 2008. And a study by the Texas Coalition for Conservation found Texans spend upward of a billion dollars every year when they visit a park. A lot of that money is also going to the state revenues.

Sales taxes on sporting goods like bicycles, fishing tackle and camping gear bring in 120 million dollars a year. These funds are supposed to be dedicated to our parks, but HB 1 would raid 73% of those funds and divert them to other purposes. In addition, thousands of Texans pay an extra $30 for conservation license plates to “help fund conservation efforts right here in Texas,” yet 50% of those funds would also be diverted.

And while that money is diverted, natural treasures like Blanco and Lockhart State Parks will be shut down and services drastically reduced at many other parks. The local parks grant program will receive no money at all. Tourists from other states and countries will think twice before spending their vacation time and money in Texas. Cutting parks funding doesn’t make sense, and it’s just plain wrong.

It’s time for the Legislature to stand up for our parks. The legislature has promised to use the funding from parks & wildlife supported activities to fund parks and wildlife programs and we are asking them to keep that promise.