By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Texans have until the end of September to weigh in on a draft plan outlining the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) goals, objectives and strategies for the next 10 years.

“In fulfilling our mission, TPWD is committed to delivering effective natural resources stewardship and outdoor recreation programs that exemplify the highest standards of quality, service and professionalism,” Dr. David Yoskowitz, TPWD executive director, said. “We view the Land and Water Plan as a critically important tool used to guide and evaluate effectiveness of the agency in delivering our mission and ensuring our programs continue to meet the needs of the state and all Texans.”

The draft Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan outlines three goals for the department over the next decade:

  1. practice, encourage and enable science-based stewardship of natural and cultural resources;
  2. increase access to and participation in the outdoors; and
  3. educate, inform and engage Texas citizens in support of concerns and recreation.

“Embedded under those three goals are 14 specific objectives that cover those thematic topics,” Tim Birdsong, TPWD’s deputy director of Inland Fisheries, told the TPW Commission. “Under those 14 objectives are 104 specific strategies that really related more to the efforts of our teams and programs. Then, we added 671 measurable actions.”

The first of the 14 objectives is to “be an exemplary steward of the public’s lands and waters by using the best available science for ecosystem based management.”

“For the fiscal year ’24 and ’28 timeframe, under the fish and wildlife management thematic area, we’ll have conducted 60,000 fish and wildlife surveys (12,000 annually),” Birdsong said. “This relates to our surveys of waterfowl and other migratory birds, mule deer, bighorn sheep surveys and fisheries surveys that are conducted in reservoirs, streams and so on.”

The plan calls for TPWD to perform over 1,500 project-based consultations annually though state and regulatory processes to inform the conservation of fish and wildlife resources.

“So, 60,000 surveys would be conducted over that five year timeframe, 70 applied research projects that provide the science to help refine and inform our resource management decisions, 50 science communication events and 4,000 public seminars and workshops that center on fish and wildlife conservation management efforts,” Birdsong said.

Objective two is to “provide technical assistance, scientific tools and strategies to restore and protect healthy aquatic ecosystems.”

Birdsong said the plan includes “7,500 regulatory consultations with other state and federal agencies, engaging in processes like the Clean Water Act, permitting processes administered by the (Army) Corps (of Engineers) or other state and federal agencies, making sure there’s consideration of fish and wildlife resources in regulatory decisions.”

The plan includes a commitment to conservation status assessments for a number of in-peril and rare species.

“We’re committing to restore five species to a portion of their native range over the next five years,” Birdsong said.

TPWD’s commitments for public water center around continuing fish stocking programs and investing in fish habitat restoration.

“That includes restoration of oyster reefs, large scale management of aquatic vegetation in Texas lakes, management of aquatic invasive species, expanding access through paddling trails and new fishing access areas, maintaining our urban fisheries initiatives, updating our statewide assessment of ecologically significant streams, and we’re also committing to invest in voluntary water transactions,” Birdsong said.

Voluntary water transactions includes water agreements with voluntary landowner partners or river authorities to mange lake levels or river flows “in a way that benefits recreation and conservation of fish and wildlife resources.”

The third objective is to “maintain, restore and protect healthy ecosystems on public lands.”

“On public lands, there’s a commitment to develop a state park land acquisition strategy to design and construct five new state parks. That’s really a 10-year outcome,” Birdsong said.

Goals also include hosting 31.5 million park visitors, adding new trails, committing to maintain 1.4 million acres of public hunting lands and creating or improving local parks through a recreation grants program.

Objective four is to “foster conservation of healthy ecosystems on private lands.”

“On the private lands front, we will continue to invest heavily in tech guidance to private landowners to develop wildlife management agreements,” Birdsong said. “We’ll support 35 new conservation easements over the next 10 years, protecting 56,000 acres of private working lands through our Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program.”

The department is also committing to enhance the scope and functionality of a database and GIS (geographic information system) framework the wildlife division maintains to track investments and incentives such as through made through the Landowner Incentive Program or Grasslands Restoration Program.

Other objectives are:

  • maintain the highest level of scientific validity and credibility.
  • restore, recover, and protect Species of Greatest Conservation Need, including state and federally listed species.
  • establish and enforce regulations to conserve fish and wildlife resources.
  • protect and interpret cultural resources.
  • anticipate and plan for emerging conservation issues.
  • provide a variety of high-quality, nature-oriented outdoor recreational opportunities on TPWD sites.
  • encourage people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to experience the outdoors.
  • encourage nature and heritage tourism.
  • cultivate support for the conservation of natural and cultural resources.
  • increase awareness of the value of urban and suburban ecosystems.

TPWD will continue to invest in Hunter Education, angler education, shooting sports programs and the Texas Outdoor Family Program.

Texas Game Wardens will continue to invest in enforcement of fish and game laws, as well as boating laws.

“We also have committed to conduct assessments of our laws and regulations and enforcement surrounding two key issues,” Birdsong said. “One is fish and wildlife habitat protection. The other is related to aquatic invasive species management. Those assessments would likely result in potential regulation changes to better protect fish and wildlife habitat and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.”

To develop this draft plan, TPWD solicited public and targeted feedback of TPWD’s performance and priorities earlier this year.

TPWD then presented an initial draft plan to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in August.

The plan, including strategies and actions for each objective, is available here.

The public can comment on the plan through Sept. 30.

After the public comment period closes, TPWD will review the information received and address those items.

TPWD staff are expected to present a final version of the Land and Water Plan to the TPW Commission for consideration in November.