To: The Texas State House and The Texas State Senate
Don't close Texas' State Parks!
Texas Legislature: Stop raiding the parks fund and keep all our state parks open and protected.
Why is this important?
From camping under the stars at Big Bend Ranch to exploring the cypress swamps of Caddo Lake, our state parks make life better here in Texas. They protect the clean water we depend on and provide a home for some of Texas’ most wondrous wildlife, from the black bear to the leatherback sea turtle. They're also a major economic engine for the state, generating more than one billion dollars in economic activity for local communities.
But budget cuts may force the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to close twenty state parks, cancel critical repairs, and fail to restore Bastrop State Park after devastating wildfires.
We can do more to keep our parks safe and open. In fact, our parks already have a dedicated funding stream—sales taxes on sporting goods—but for too long, the Legislature has raided the fund, diverting the money for other purposes and leaving just the bones for our cash-strapped parks system.
But budget cuts may force the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to close twenty state parks, cancel critical repairs, and fail to restore Bastrop State Park after devastating wildfires.
We can do more to keep our parks safe and open. In fact, our parks already have a dedicated funding stream—sales taxes on sporting goods—but for too long, the Legislature has raided the fund, diverting the money for other purposes and leaving just the bones for our cash-strapped parks system.