Reply #3: Part of the problem is the way TPWD is funded in general [View All]

[alarimer]

Their rationale is that "User Pay-User benefits" is the way to go. Most of the agency is paid for by the sale of licenses and from excise taxes on sporting goods. In theory, this is a good thing. It means that they are not as dependent on the largesse of the state legislature, which, as you know, is often lacking. But state parks are not self-supporting. They could not charge enough to make it self-support. If they did, it would be too expensive for most people to go to. Plus there are state parks that are not very heavily used but are vital because they protect some resource or historical site that deserves preservation.

Texas is 94% privately owned. There are not enough parks as it it near urban areas. A lot of them are in remote areas. The fact is we need a new funding structure specifically for parks and we need more parks. But the current regime at TPWD is not very interested in parks as a rule (though they claim to be).