Our state parks system, already suffering from a $400 million backlog in needed repairs, got walloped along with the rest of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Ike. A total of thirteen parks remain closed due to damages, including Galveston Island and Sea Rim state parks which sustained catastrophic damage. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), "Structures and facilities at Sea Rim near Port Arthur appear to be a total loss. At Galveston Island, Ike caused heavy beach erosion and swept away the park headquarters building, restrooms, and shelters". Beyond the parks, the entire coastal ecosystem suffered massive damage "that could take a generation to heal".

Now, more than ever, TPWD needs significant funding to get back on its feet. But a legislative committee that was set up in 2007 to determine a stable and substantial funding system for our parks has not even had a meeting yet, much less come up with a plan. It shouldn't take them much time to come up with a plan, since funding is already available, but is being diverted to other purposes. 

Since 1993, the state of Texas has funded the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in part through a tax on sporting goods. Although this tax produces more than $100 million in revenues per year, legislators in 1995 capped the funding for TPW at $32 million per year - unadjusted for inflation. In 2007, the Legislature used mainly general revenues and new voter-approved bonds to almost triple funding for the parks for two years. However, they did not lift the cap permanently, deferring to an interim committee (The Joint Committee on Sporting Goods Sales Tax) to decide its fate.

Today, Environment Texas delivered more than 2100 petitions to Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst urging him to support a "long-term solution to give Texans the world class parks system we deserve". Dewhurst should support permanently removing the cap on the sporting goods tax and creating a major land acquisition program to meet the state's growing demand for outdoor recreation and to protect critical natural areas and water resources.

It's clearly a smart investment. According to a report released by the Comptroller today, our state parks generate millions in economic activity, create hundreds of jobs, and help mitigate environmental impacts such as pollution and storm water run-off.