How will our state parks fare in the upcoming session of the Texas legislature? After years upon years of neglect and decreasing budgets, the dismal condition of our state parks system finally received major attention last summer, thanks, in part, to the four-way gubernatorial campaign. But will that recent attention translate into actual dollars next year? Or will state parks, once again, get pushed aside by other priorities and the GOP ideology of privatization?
Perhaps the Texas State Railroad's example provides an outlook into what will happen with the rest of the park system. Three weeks ago, the Dallas Morning-News reported:
To the relief of many East Texans, the death knell for the Texas State Railroad was temporarily silenced Tuesday [November 28] when state park officials announced that additional funding will continue operations for a few more months.
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But the long-term future of the popular tourist railroad is still precarious, depending on whetehr legislators decide to fund future operations, convert the engines and cars into a static display or arrange for private operations.
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Still, the emergency funding identified by Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and speaker of the House Tom Craddick in a letter to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is "wonderful news for the railroad and the state of Texas and our local community," said Steve Presley, a Palestine city councilman who chairs the Texas State Railroad Preservation Task Force of the emergency funding.
"Everyone will be extremely pleased that we've got it temporarily saved -- that was our first big hurdle to jump. The next big hurdle is for us to get that legislative support to save it long term."
Could this additional funding for the State Railroad be a presage of things to come for the rest of the state parks system during the upcoming legislative session? Rep. Sid Miller (R-Stephenville) has already filed a bill to allocate all of the revenue from the sporting goods tax, about $100 million per year, towards state and local parks. Currently, the legislature has the amount of this revenue used for parks capped at a mere $32 million per year, and the actual amount allocated for parks recently has been significantly less than even thatr reduced amount.
If this bill is passed, it would amount to a much needed cash infusion into our parks that would go a long way to re-building a system that Texans can be proud of.
From 1990 to 2003, according to the report of the State Park Advisory Committee earlier this year, spending on Texas state parks dropped from 0.40% of the state's operating budget to 0.15%, leaving Texas 49th in the nation in per capita spending on state parks. The direct results: "layoffs, partial closings," reduction of maintenance and curtailment of park programs." The indirect results: "significant economic hardships on local communities and regions," and "a lack of confidence in the quality and availability of the park system that is impacting our tourism industry."
Here in San Antonio, Government Canyon State Natural Area was finally partially opened to the public a year ago, after at least six years where its opening was supposed to be a year or two away. Even now, it is still closed Tuesday through Thursday, camping is not available, and Friday to Monday hours are only from 8 AM to 6 PM. And this is a large, stunning, showpiece park immediately outside a major population center.
This bleak situation may be about to change, fortunately. The Waco Tribune wrote on Friday:
Few agencies made the switch from fleeting afterthought to high priority for the legislative session in January as fast as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which expects a major funding boost for the first time in many years.
Indeed, Rep. Miller is optimistic about the restoration of the full allocation of the sporting goods tax to parks, according to a late November interview at the blog Capitol Annex: “We’re going to do it. I don’t know if it will be my bill or someone else’s, but we will do it."
Until they do 'do it,' however, the crisis continues. According to the State Park Advisory Committee's report, "Every day that passes without action leads to further deterioration of park infrastructure, loss of historic resources and dissatisfied customers. The time for action is now."
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