Topics

tpwd_license_plate_deer--

What is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department?

Background

Regan Templeton of KUT News researched and reported this article.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas. TPWD seeks to provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

TPWD regulates and provides licenses for fishing, hunting, and boating. The department has authority to manage fish and wildlife resources under the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1983. The department also manages state parks.

TPWD is headquartered in Austin. Carter Smith has been the executive director of TPWD since 2008.

Latest Posts

KRTS: Public Access to Chinati Mountains State Natural Area Secured

The Chinati Mountains State Natural Area in south Presidio County finally has public access, according to Corky Kulhmann, senior project manager for land conservation for Texas Parks and Wildlife. This is news given exclusively to KRTS. For eight years, Kulhmann and his team have been working to gain public access to 39,000 acres donated to [...]

How Illegal Fishing Costs Texas And Mexico Millions Each Year

From Houston Public Media:  Most of the fisheries are managed in federal waters and represent a $14 billion dollar industry. But pirate fishing hurts commercial fishers, like Scott Hickman of the Charter Fisherman’s Association. He told the Gulf Coast Leadership conference that it’s getting hard to make a living competing with those who skirt around [...]

Don’t Pick Up Aquatic Hitchhikers: New Texas Boating Rules Start Today

Zebra mussels have been stealthily hitching rides between Texas rivers and lakes for several years, but new rules to combat their spread take effect today. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is requiring that boats be drained and checked for mussels and prohibiting transfer of personally-caught live bait between water bodies. Zebra mussels, invasive [...]

Here Are 5 Challenges to Texas Water That Might Surprise You

With nearly 70 percent of the state still stuck in a drought that has dragged on for years, there’s been plenty of talk about how to strengthen water supplies in Texas. A multi-billion-dollar water fund (the passage of Proposition 6 last election) is in the works that will help fund projects like reservoirs, desalination and conservation. And there’s ongoing [...]

Drought Possible Culprit in Massive Fish Kill on Gulf Coast

Researchers suspect drought is the cause of a massive fish die off in the Galveston Bay where millions of shad, also known as skipjack, have washed ashore there in recent days.  They’ve been found primarily around the communities of Kemah and Seabrook. “We’ve never seen one to this scale in this location,” Texas Parks and [...]

As Zebra Mussels Spread in Texas, Boating Rules Will Apply Statewide

Update: Fishing and boating enthusiasts take note: you’re probably going to need a little extra time as you head out on the lake this year. Rules to prevent the spread of the invasive zebra mussel will be going into effect statewide. “All boats operating on public fresh water anywhere in Texas be drained before leaving or approaching [...]

In Texas, Less a Duck Dynasty than a Duck Dilemma

Mottled ducks in pond at Brazoria National WIldlife Refuge in Brazoria County

It can be tough being a duck these days in Texas. Next door in Louisiana, they’ve got cable TV’s big reality hit, Duck Dynasty. But in Texas, there’s less a dynasty and more of a dilemma, at least for  one breed called the Mottled Duck. “If you look at the composite of things they all [...]

Experts Fear Impacts of Oil Cleanup on Texas Gulf Coast

MATAGORDA ISLAND, TX — Recovery efforts continue weeks after a barge accident in the Houston Ship Channel dumped tens of thousands of barrels of oil into Galveston Bay. That oil kills wildlife and damages the environment. But some are worried the cleanup itself could also disturb the ecosystem along the Texas Gulf Coast. Nowhere is [...]

This is What the Oil Spill Looks Like on Matagorda Island

Weeks after a large oil spill in Galveston Bay, it’s still having an impact on sensitive wildlife habitats along the Texas Gulf Coast. On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took reporters to see the impacts on Matagorda Island, an important wildlife refuge for migratory birds and several endangered species. Workers are now busy cleaning up [...]

Here’s What The Galveston Bay Oil Spill Looks Like

Responders are scrambling to contain the slimy mess left by an oil spill in Galveston Bay. After a barge carrying tar-like heavy fuel collided with a vessel in the Houston Ship Channel on Saturday, cargo exports and imports have been put on hold. That’s raised concerns about the impact on Texas’ oil-dependent economy. The Coast Guard says [...]

About StateImpact

StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »

Economy
Education