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Texas Parks & WildlifeTPW website at Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
| Click here for an update regarding the passage of Parks Bill HB 12. |
MissionTo manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA)
Purpose: The Texas Parks and Wildlife administers the TRPA and manages 114 State parks and historical sites in Texas. TRPA provides matching grants to political subdivisions for parks and recreation projects such as planning, acquisition and development of local parks, recreation and open space. The $623 million dollar funds, to date, have funded 1,029 projects of the 2,851 submitted over the last 25 years.
Go to TRPA for more information.
TRPA Funding History and 80th Texas Legislature Action
The annual funding in the TRPA prior to the 78th Legislature was $15.5 million but was reduced to $8.1 million annually during the 78th Legislature and to $5 million by the 79th Legislature. The 80th Legislature, through the passage of HB 12, will now credit:
- The State Parks Acccount with 74% of the proceeds credited to the TPWD under Tax Code, sec. 151.801
- The Texas Recreation and Parks Account with 15% of the proceeds credited to TPWD under Tax Code, sec. 151.801, each biennium and redefines the account to provide grants to a county or municipality with a population less than 500,000; and any other political subdivision that was not a county or municipality
See 80th Texas Legislature HB 12 for more in-depth analysis.
According to a December, 2006 study conducted by the Perryman Group entitled Sunshine, Soccer and Success: An Assessment of the Impact of Municipal Parks and Recreation Facilities and Programs on Business Activity in Texas, the study comprehensively shows that local parks across the state lead to the creation of 45,623 jobs, in addition to the incremental net fiscal revenue of $171 million to the State government from local parks activity. See 2 page Executive Summary of The Sunshine, Soccer and Success or go to www.tprfoundation.org for the full report.
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