BREAKING NEWS
Texas’ battle against deer disease threatens breeding industry
Read full article: Texas’ battle against deer disease threatens breeding industryTexas has seen a record number of chronic wasting disease cases this year. The state is looking for new ways to contain the spread without driving deer breeders out of business.
Texas greenlights negotiations with SpaceX for Boca Chica State Park land exchange
Read full article: Texas greenlights negotiations with SpaceX for Boca Chica State Park land exchangeMonday’s vote lets Texas Parks and Wildlife staff begin negotiations to swap 43 acres in the park for 477 acres next to a federal wildlife refuge.
Texas could swap land in Boca Chica State Park with SpaceX
Read full article: Texas could swap land in Boca Chica State Park with SpaceXThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to vote in March on a deal that environmental advocates, the Esto'k Gna Tribal Nation of Texas and local officials oppose.
State abandons effort to take back Fairfield Lake State Park land
Read full article: State abandons effort to take back Fairfield Lake State Park landThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stop pursuing eminent domain to take over the former park property south of Dallas. A private developer plans to turn it into a luxury subdivision.
Texans may approve billions for energy, water, parks and broadband on Nov. 7
Read full article: Texans may approve billions for energy, water, parks and broadband on Nov. 7At stake in next week’s constitutional amendment election is $13 billion in infrastructure spending. Supporters say it’s an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime investment.
“We’d lose one after the next”: Texas bats face a pandemic of their own
Read full article: “We’d lose one after the next”: Texas bats face a pandemic of their ownWeeks before the COVID-19 pandemic swept into Texas, a biologist found a dead bat covered in a white fungus — the state’s first official case of white-nose syndrome. Now, scientists are on a mission to understand how many bats have been lost.
Dallas developer starts construction at former Fairfield Lake State Park despite threat of land seizure
Read full article: Dallas developer starts construction at former Fairfield Lake State Park despite threat of land seizureTodd Interests, which plans to turn the former park into a high-end subdivision, has a week left to respond to the state’s final offer for the property.
Amid extreme temperatures, Texas state parks can be a respite — or a heated hindrance all their own
Read full article: Amid extreme temperatures, Texas state parks can be a respite — or a heated hindrance all their ownMore than 1 million people visited Texas’ 89 state parks in June. In locations without bodies of water, park officials warn attendees not to overdo it as three-digit temperatures persist.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opts for eminent domain to save Fairfield Lake State Park
Read full article: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opts for eminent domain to save Fairfield Lake State ParkWith only three days left on the state’s lease, the agency unanimously voted to condemn almost 5,000 acres in Freestone County in an effort to keep the park open to the public after developers purchased the property to build a gated community.
Texas parks officials want to buy Fairfield Lake State Park land after losing their lease
Read full article: Texas parks officials want to buy Fairfield Lake State Park land after losing their leaseTexas parks officials said they are taking “all necessary steps” to purchase the land and save Fairfield Lake State Park from being turned into a luxury gated community and golf course.
Texas House approves bills to spend up to $1 billion to buy more state parkland
Read full article: Texas House approves bills to spend up to $1 billion to buy more state parklandThe Texas House paved the way for a billion-dollar investment in state parks, which one advocate said would create “a new golden age” for the park system. Texas now ranks 35th nationally in state park acreage per capita.
Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies
Read full article: Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agenciesMany state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.
“We’ve come to say goodbye”: Visitors flock to Fairfield Lake State Park on its last day
Read full article: “We’ve come to say goodbye”: Visitors flock to Fairfield Lake State Park on its last dayFor decades the park has sat on leased land that the owner recently decided to sell. As the staff closed the gates Monday night for the last time, visitors and staff held out hope that the state could find a way to save the park.
When showing up at the Texas Capitol made a difference
Read full article: When showing up at the Texas Capitol made a differenceReaders sometimes ask us if the outcomes in governing are predetermined and whether civic engagement makes a difference. There are plenty of examples of Texans influencing lawmakers’ decisions.
Prescribed burn gone wrong likely sparked wildfire in Bastrop County, officials say
Read full article: Prescribed burn gone wrong likely sparked wildfire in Bastrop County, officials sayControlled burns, used to prevent catastrophic wildfires, are typically safe and rarely get out of control. Experts warn that burns gone awry can scare residents and compromise the critical fire management tool.