Preserving Texas In the News

AUSTIN — The Christmas Mountains in West Texas could be donated to Big Bend National Park and permanently managed as a backcountry area, the National Park Service says in a formal proposal to state officials.

The 9,270-acre parcel should go to Big Bend at no cost, the proposal states, because the property was purchased and given to the state of Texas 17 years ago with an understanding that it would end up with either the National Park Service or the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department if the state lost interest in managing it.

The future of the property turned contentious last year after Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson proposed selling it to private individuals as long as they guaranteed public access.

The School Land Board, on which Patterson serves, delayed action on private bids for the property last fall to give the National Park Service time to make its pitch.

"The National Park Service has submitted a well-thought-out document. It will take some time to review and seek additional information," Patterson said Friday.

The Virginia-based Conservation Fund gave the land to Texas in 1991 after buying it with a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The National Park Service "is the only viable option" if state officials decide they don't want to manage the tract, Conservation Fund President and CEO Larry Selzer said.

It would be more efficient for the state to transfer the land to the parks service, he said, but the organization would consider buying the property a second time and donating it again.

"In spite of the fact that we have already acquired this property once for conservation, we believe it's important enough to maintain the integrity of this donation for the future of Texas ... and for the future of this magnificent piece of land, that we would be prepared to step forward," Selzer said.

The School Land Board will meet Tuesday to consider two private bids for the mountainous land, which has a mile-long border with Big Bend National Park.

The Christmas Mountains property near Terlingua does not have any legal access to it.

An easement that the Conservation Fund placed on it when donating the land to the state prohibits new road construction and utilities. The only building allowed is a caretaker's cabin.

Those restrictions make the property difficult to manage, Patterson said, who believes private individuals could be worthy stewards.

Patterson declined to speculate on the board's likely reaction to the park proposal and competing bids from the private sector. The board will discuss the National Park Service plan on Tuesday but cannot take action because it's not included on the meeting agenda.

"Right now, there are a lot of wheels turning out there on this issue and a lot of loose ends to consider," Patterson said. "My goal is to select the option that provides the best perpetual public access and the best stewardship for this property. There are several ways to do that."

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who has taken a keen interest in the property, said it makes sense to honor the Conservation Fund's original intent by such a transfer, since the state has no financial investment in the land.

"It just so happens that it fits better in the plan of the National Park Service and the Big Bend," he said. "I would urge these decision-makers to do the right thing and put this to rest and on a winning note."

Patterson has been reluctant to allow the property to end up in the national park system unless hunting and firearms are allowed. Federal rules prohibit hunting in national parks.

"Hunting would require special legislation to establish the Christmas Mountains as a preserve," according to the National Park Service proposal, which also says the land contains between 46 and 61 deer and only a small number of harvestable bucks.

More than 10,000 Texans have signed a petition to Patterson's office protesting sale of the land to an individual, said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, which supports the National Parks Service plan.

The agency offers interpretative services, archeologists, search and rescue capabilities and other professional assets, Metzger said.

"Hands down, it's the best proposal," he said.

gscharrer@express-news.net