What's New
On November 6, Texas voters approved Proposition 4, a billion dollar
bond that includes funding for badly needed repairs at Texas state
parks.
Brief Summary
From the wetlands and beaches of
the gulf coast, to swimming holes filled with children, to the breathtaking
beauty of Big Bend Ranch, our state parks are a vital part of what makes us
Texan. Hiking, camping, fishing, or just relaxing in these diverse and unique
parks has been a Lone Star tradition for generations.
But for decades, our elected
officials have starved our state parks of necessary funding.
Years of budget cuts left many
parks in disrepair, lay-offs reduced access at some parks, and protection of
ecologically sensitive land threatened with development has been at a
stand-still.
That neglect is
starting to
change. This spring we convinced the Legislature to triple funding for
our
state parks and voters approved the final $52 million of that funding
on November 6. Now, repairs to our state parks can begin in earnest.
However,
it will take sustained funding over the next decade to restore our
parks to excellence. Environment Texas will continue to lobby the
Legislature to create a permanent funding source, including funding to
acquire biologically sensitive land to create new state parks.
