Corpus Christi, Texas – These hikes, camping, hunting and fishing know drills.
If not, somewhere along the coastal bend, we saw signs of Texas parks and wildlife. The department oversees 89 state parks and 50 wildlife management areas.
“Look at me doing it right. They took a glance. They know how to do the job. They saw it right,” said fisherman Kevin Marin.
Texas Parks Wildlife Games Guards Guaranteed Compliance. They have the same authority as the sheriff – something Chris Rodriguez knows.
“They asked us if we had a license and checked our license and checked the fish,” Rodriguez said.
But regulating and enforcing commercial and recreational fisheries laws is just a small part of what Texas parks and wildlife are doing for the state.
“We frequently work together on a variety of issues, including water management, flood planning, wildlife conservation, wildlife planning and more,” said David Cortez, director of the Sierra Club.
The Sierra Club is one of the largest and oldest grassroots environmental groups in Texas. Cortez spoke with nearby news reporter Victoria Valderama about the possible abolishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service.
“I would like to say that this bill by Pat Curry, HB 4938, will eliminate the parks and wildlife sectors as we saw at the federal level and put it in the hands of other state agencies,” Cortez said.
According to the bill, authorities will be sent to the General Land Bureau, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Safety. The bill also spends departmental funds on those agencies.
“Removing the department completely is a bad decision and there are other issues that need attention,” Cortez said.
If it passes, House Bill 4938 will come into effect on September 1st.
