Finance Committee

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
9:00 a.m.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Commission Hearing Room
4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX  78744

Commissioner Antonio Falcon, M.D., Committee Chair
Gene McCarty, Committee Liaison

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

  1. Update on TPWD Progress in Implementing the TPWD Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan
    • Internal Affairs Report
    Staff:  Carter Smith
  2. Financial Overview
    • FY 2012 Financial Update
    • Bastrop State Park Recovery and Restoration Needs
    • Request to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) regarding Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Issues (Action Item No. 2) WITHDRAWN
    Staff:  Mike Jensen, Gene McCarty, Brent Leisure
  3. Game Bird Stamp Budget Overview
    Staff:  Clayton Wolf
  4. Implementation of Legislation during the 82nd Texas Legislative Session – House Bill 1300 Relating to the Proposed Rules for Official Corporate Partners and State Park Passes –Recommended Adoption of Proposed Changes (Action Item No. 10)
    Staff:  Darcy Bontempo
  5. State Parks Revenue Shortfall Issues/Public Awareness Campaign Update
    Staff:  Gene McCarty, Lydia Saldaña
  6. Capital Construction Program Update
    • Overview of Capital Construction Program
    • Update on Capital Construction Project Portfolio
    Staff:  Rich McMonagle

Committee Agenda Item No. 1
Presenter:  Carter Smith

Finance Committee
Update on TPWD Progress in Implementing the
TPWD Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan
January 25, 2012

I.      Executive Summary:  Executive Director Carter Smith will briefly update the Commission on the status of the agency’s efforts to implement the Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan (the “Plan”).

II.     Discussion:  In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature directed that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) develop a Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan (Tex. Park & Wild. Code §11.104).  In 2002, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (the Commission) adopted the first Plan.  A revised Plan was adopted by the Commission in January 2005.  In November 2009, the Commission approved a new Plan effective January 1, 2010.  The 2010 Plan is available on the TPWD web site.  Executive Director Carter Smith will update the Finance Committee on TPWD’s recent progress in achieving the Plan’s goals, objectives and deliverables as they relate to the Finance Committee.

The Plan consists of the following four goals:

  1. Practice, Encourage and Enable Science-based Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Resources
  2. Increase Access To and Participation In the Outdoors
  3. Educate, Inform and Engage Texas Citizens in Support of Conservation and Recreation
  4. Employ Efficient, Sustainable and Sound Business Practices

Committee Agenda Item No. 2
Presenters:  Mike Jensen
Gene McCarty
Brent Leisure

Finance Committee
Financial Overview
January 25, 2012

I.       Executive Summary:  Staff will provide the Commission an overview on the following issues:

  • Financial Update on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
  • Bastrop State Park Recovery and Restoration Needs due to the Bastrop County Complex Wildfires in September 2011
  • A letter to the Legislative Budget Board regarding the Full Time Equivalent Cap to be approved by the TPW Commission

II.      Discussion:

  • Staff will update the Commission on revenue collected by TPWD for the first quarter of FY 2012, including state parks receipts, boat titling and registration revenue, and license sales revenue including the number of licenses sold
  • Staff will review the revenue collected by fund (Game Fish and Water Safety Fund, State Park Fund, Local Park Fund, and Other)
  • Staff will compare the FY 2012 budget to FY 2012 expenditures for the first quarter and summarize budget adjustments

Committee Agenda Item No. 3
Presenter:  Clayton Wolf

Finance Committee
Game Bird Stamp Budget Overview
January 25, 2012

I.       Executive Summary:  Staff will provide the Commission an overview of fund balances and the apportionment of Migratory and Upland Game Bird Stamp funds in the Wildlife Division Budget.

II.      Discussion:  In 2005 the 79th Texas Legislature enacted legislation establishing Migratory and Upland Game Bird Stamps in lieu of the repealed White-winged Dove, Waterfowl and Turkey stamps.  The passage of this legislation gave the department greater flexibility to use funds to target management activities at habitats and suites of species, in addition to individual species.

Annual game bird stamp fund budget amounts have varied through the years depending on research and management needs, available appropriation authority and availability of other funds to include federal funds.  Beginning in Fiscal Year 2011, the Wildlife Division began utilizing game bird stamp funds to support strategies in the respective game bird strategic plans that had heretofore not been supported by stamp funds.  In most fiscal years game bird stamp revenue has exceeded expenditures resulting in the accumulation of fund balances.  The department expects fund balances to increase at a faster rate during the 2012-2013 biennium due to reductions in appropriation authority.


Committee Agenda Item No. 5
Presenters:  Gene McCarty
Lydia Saldaña

Finance Committee
State Parks Revenue Shortfall/Public Awareness Campaign Update
January 25, 2012

I.              Executive Summary:  The Texas State Parks system relies heavily on the revenue brought in from state park visitor fees — this revenue source funds about half the $69 million operating budget for the state park system, subject to legislative appropriations.  In the last legislative session, the Legislature authorized a budget strategy for Texas state parks that included an additional $3 million in revenue from state park fees and $1.6 million from the optional vehicle registration donation program that became effective January 1.  Those two items total $4.6 million.  The park system budget for FY 2012 includes that contingent amount, but the money is not there because visitation and revenue are down due to drought and wildfires in 2011, and the vehicle registration donation program has just gotten underway.  In a proactive effort to raise awareness of the issue with the public and drive additional park visitation and donations, TPWD launched a multi-pronged awareness campaign in early December and is also working closely with the Foundation to increase individual online donations and corporate gifts.

II.      Discussion:  Deputy Executive Director Gene McCarty will update the Commission on the revenue situation in state parks, and Communications Division Director Lydia Saldaña will outline the awareness campaign elements and results to date.


Committee Agenda Item No. 6
Presenter:  Rich McMonagle

Finance Committee
Capital Construction Program Update
January 25, 2012

I.              Executive Summary:  Staff will provide an overview of the Capital Construction Program and an update on the Capital Construction Project Portfolio.

II.      Discussion:  The briefing will provide an overview of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Capital Construction Program as well as an update on the Capital Construction Project Portfolio, to include a discussion on funding from general obligation bonds and other sources.