Don't let Texas sell off the Christmas Mountains

In 1991, the Conservation Fund and the Richard King Mellon Foundation donated more than 9000 acres of land to the state of Texas to "be made available to the general public for hunting and other recreational uses". The land contained the ruggedly beautiful Christmas Mountains and is adjacent to Big Bend National Park.

Now, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is auctioning off the land to private interests. He says he's doing it to raise money for the Permanent School Fund, but selling off Texas' natural heritage is a short-sighted and irresponsible way to fund our schools. And there are no guarantees that development restrictions on the land will be monitored and enforced or that the new owners will allow public access.

Tell Commissioner Patterson to stop the sale of the Christmas Mountains.

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Letter	Dear Commissioner Patterson, Please don't auction off the Christmas Mountains Ranch. The sale is an insult to the land's donors, who intended the land to be used by the general public for recreation, and could cause future donors to think twice before donating land to the state. It's also unclear how the development restrictions on the property will be monitored and enforced and whether the public will have access. Sincerely,
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Preserving Texas

Don't let Texas sell off the Christmas Mountains

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