Summary: On 02 May 2023, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced a total of six new parks are scheduled to open over the next 12 to 15 years. Of the six, The Palo Pinto Mountains State Park will be just one hour west of Willow Park in Strawn, Palo Pinto County, TX. TPWD expects to open the Palo Pinto Mountains State Park by the end of 2024, with a soft opening later in 2023.
Latest Update: Tuesday, 16 May, 2023
Tags for more articles: #Parks #StateLegislation
Six New Parks Coming to Texas, one just an hour west.
On 02 May 2023, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced a total of six new parks are scheduled to open over the next 12 to 15 years. [3]
In 1993, state lawmakers passed a law that allowed the allocation of up to 94% of the money generated by the sporting goods sales tax to TPWD and other 6% to the Texas Historical Commission. Yet, since these allocations were discretionary, the following state legislative sessions curtailed them significantly
[2]
On 05 November 2019, Texas citizens voted and approved Proposition 5, constitutional amendment that will dedicate revenue from this existing sales tax so that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission will now receive 100% of the sporting goods sales tax every year, providing a reliable and sustained source of funding ─ without increasing taxes.[5]
And on 02 May 2023 "the Texas House... gave final approval to two bills, Senate Bill 1648 and Senate Joint Resolution 74, that would, with voter approval [in November 2023], create a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to invest $1 billion to buy more land for the state parks system. Advocates are calling it a “historic” and an “unprecedented” level of investment in the state’s park system, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. [1]
These Texas legislative moves give all Texas citizens extra incentives to register and vote during the November 2023 general election.
The six new parks include the following:
The Palo Pinto Mountains State Park will be just one hour west of Willow Park in Strawn, Palo Pinto County, TX. See above for a view of what will become the Palo Pinto Mountains State Park
Situated between Fort Worth and Abilene, TPWD expects to open the Palo Pinto Mountains State Park by the end of 2024, with a soft opening later this year, per the DMN.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, this former ranch of nearly 4,900 acres came partially under TPWD’s ownership in 2011. Since then, a great deal of work is being put in to establish a network of paths and routes for all kinds of outdoor recreation.
A number of RV sites and campsites will also be put in, as well as picnic areas and playgrounds.
Visitors will be able to enjoy spectacular views of vistas, canyons, and the 90-acre Tucker Lake.
While motorboats will not be allowed on the lake, other water recreational activities like fishing or swimming will be permitted. [4] New State Park to Open in North Texas, The Dallas Express, 30 January 2023
The Dan A. Hughes Unit of the Devils River State Natural Area near Del Rio
Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area near Boerne, 4.5 hours toward San Antonio
Powderhorn State Park near Port Lavaca
Chinati Mountains State Natural Area near Presidio
Davis Hill State Natural Area near Houston.
Willow Park Civics Research and Sources
1. Texas House approves bills to spend up to $1 billion to buy more state parkland, The Texas Tribune, 15 May 2023
2. Six New Parks Coming to Texas, The Dallas Express, 15 May 2023 Excerpts
New state parks are being planned across Texas for citizens to enjoy.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced on May 2 that a total of six new parks are scheduled to open over the next 12 to 15 years.
The organization previously announced the development of three of these new parks, Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, and Powderhorn State Park, all of which were made possible due to legislative changes.
“There is a need to provide more recreational opportunities for the growing population of Texas,” said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks, in a press release. “Until the recent passage of Proposition 5, we haven’t had the funds to develop some of the properties we have in our inventory. So, it’s exciting that we can build new state parks for future generations of Texans to enjoy.”
In 1993, state lawmakers passed a law that allowed the allocation of up to 94% of the money generated by the sporting goods sales tax to TPWD and up to 6% to the Texas Historical Commission.
Yet, since these allocations were discretionary, the following state legislative sessions curtailed them significantly. In the case of TPWD, just about $1 billion made it to its budget for park maintenance and expansion out of the roughly $2.5 billion generated by the tax.
This changed in 2019 when Proposition 5 passed and locked this tax revenue for the use of TPWD and THC only.
3. Six State Parks on the Horizon for Texans, Texas Parks and Wildlife, 02 May 2023
4. Three New State Parks Under Development, The Dallas Express, 01 May 2023
• New State Park to Open in North Texas, The Dallas Express, 30 January 2023
5. State Park Improvements, Texas Parks and Wildlife, November 2019, Excerpts.
Thank you, Texas!
Texans voted to approve passage of Proposition 5 in the November 5, 2019 election. Now 100% of the sporting goods sales tax will go to fund the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Historical Commission. This funding will help secure the future of local parks, state parks and historic sites for generations to come.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the people of Texas for voting to approve Prop 5.
On November 5th, Texas citizens voted and approved Proposition 5, constitutional amendment that will dedicate revenue from this existing sales tax so that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission will now receive 100% of the sporting goods sales tax every year, providing a reliable and sustained source of funding ─ without increasing taxes.
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