Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Outreach and Education Committee
Nov. 2, 2011
Commission Hearing RoomTexas Parks & Wildlife Department Headquarters Complex
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
BE IT REMEMBERED, that heretofore on the 2nd day of November 2011, there came to be heard matters under the regulatory authority of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in the Commission Hearing Room of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Headquarters Complex, to wit:
APPEARANCES:
THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION:
- Margaret Martin, Boerne, Texas, Committee Chair
- Ralph H. Duggins, Fort Worth, Texas
- Antonio Falcon, M.D., Rio Grande City, Texas
- T. Dan Friedkin, Houston, Texas, Chairman
- Karen J. Hixon, San Antonio, Texas
- Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Beeville, Texas
- Bill Jones, Austin, Texas
- S. Reed Morian, Houston, Texas
- Dick Scott, Wimberly, Texas
THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT:
- Carter P. Smith, Executive Director, and other personnel of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
PROCEEDINGS 21 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: Thank you, 22 Chairman Falcon. We'll now move on to Outreach and 23 Education Committee. Chairman Martin, would you please 24 call your committee to order. 25 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Thank you. First Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 169 1 in order is I'd like to -- an approval on the minutes 2 from the previous committee meeting held on March 30th, 3 2011, which have already been distributed. Do I have a 4 motion for approval? 5 COMMISSIONER HIXON: So moved. 6 COMMISSIONER SCOTT: Second. 7 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: So moved by 8 Commissioner Hixon, seconded by Scott. All in favor, 9 say yeah. 10 (A chorus of ayes) 11 COMMISSIONER DUGGINS: I never can get 12 that right. I'm part pirate or something. 13 COMMISSIONER FALCON: Yeahs. 14 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: And those nay? 15 Well, after that how can anyone say nay? 16 Committee Item No. 1, update on the TPWD 17 progress implementing the TPWD Land and Water Resources, 18 Conservation, and Recreation Plan. Mr. Smith. 19 MR. SMITH: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Do you want to make 21 your presentation? 22 MR. SMITH: Thank you, Madam Chair. Just 23 a couple of things that I want to share with all of you. 24 You know, last weekend was the 5th Annual Toyota Texas 25 Bass Classic there on the shores of Lake Conroe. A Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 170 1 wonderful partnership that we have thanks to the 2 generosity of Toyota. 3 You know, over the course of those five 4 years, Toyota has donated over a million dollars to help 5 support programs to get people out and fish, your 6 neighborhood fishing program, and free fishing in State 7 Parks and it's become a great weekend event. I gather 8 their turnout last week was particularly good, given the 9 weather and certainly the culmination with the big 10 sudden-death fish off was at least as exciting, if not 11 more so, than the World Series. So it ended with a 12 great bang and another successful event and a very 13 generous $250,000 donation from Toyota to Texas Parks 14 and Wildlife and going to support the "Take me Fishing" 15 trailer and the State fish art contest and lots of 16 programs to get kids in the out of doors and so God 17 bless Toyota. 18 So, yeah. Thank you, Chairman, for you 19 and your team. It's been great to work with on that 20 front, so I wanted to share the good news there. 21 Anything you want to say on that or... 22 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: No. Thank you, 23 it's nice to hear. Appreciate it. 24 MR. SMITH: Good stuff. A couple of 25 weeks ago, too, we took another step forward with the Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 171 1 management of the State bison herd there at Caprock 2 Canyon State Park. I think as we had informed y'all, 3 the management of the State herd had been transferred 4 from the Wildlife Division over to the State Park 5 Division. And one of the things that our team and State 6 Parks and Wildlife worked on was moving the bison from 7 outside of kind of the 300-acre pen that they had been 8 in, into a larger area in the State Park. 9 The ultimate goal is to try to get the 10 State bison herd, you know, grazing throughout the 11 entirety of the 15,000 acres on the park. We would like 12 to -- you know, in a perfect world, we would love to 13 emulate the historic grazing regime of the bison and 14 have them kind of moving freely throughout the park 15 where visitors could enjoy them and see them as they're 16 coming to the park and this was another kind of first 17 step in that direction. There was a real celebratory 18 event up at Caprock Canyon State Park that was very, 19 very well attended and lots of renewed enthusiasm in 20 support for the State bison herd, which has a lot of 21 history and heritage. So I wanted to share that with 22 you. 23 So again I think, Madam Chair, in the 24 interest of time I'm going to just stop there and let us 25 keep going. Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 172 1 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Great. Thank you, 2 Mr. Smith. And I would like to make a comment. Thank 3 you, Chairman Friedkin, for a spectacular event. I 4 wasn't there this year, but it's always happy and great 5 and there in spirit; but it's nice to have these events 6 that are all positive and happy and good. 7 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: Well, thank you. 8 It's nice to hear, but it really is a terrific 9 collaborative effort between the Department and 10 obviously all the folks at Toyota and everyone else 11 who's involved with the tournament. So we appreciate 12 all the efforts of everyone. Several of you here, 13 obviously, Lydia, all your help with everything and your 14 team's help and it's been a great relationship; so 15 thanks. 16 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Thank you. 17 MR. SMITH: And Dave Terry on the Inland 18 Fisheries side worked very, very hard on this. 19 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: Yeah, absolutely. 20 That's right. 21 MR. SMITH: He's in the back, so I'm not 22 going to let him sit back there quietly. 23 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: He's hiding 24 behind Ann there, but I got a couple of his e-mails this 25 weekend. So, Dave, thank you. Absolutely. Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 173 1 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Great. We'll move 2 on to Committee Item No. 2, the Youth Sporting Clays, 3 Ms. Nancy Herron and Mr. Charlie Wilson. 4 MS. HERRON: Good afternoon, 5 Commissioners and Mr. Smith. I'm Nancy Herron. I'm the 6 Outreach and Education Director and I'm very pleased to 7 introduce Charlie Wilson, our mobile shooting range 8 coordinator who will brief you about our introductory 9 shooting sports programs. 10 You know, when we talk about hunter 11 recruitment and shooting recruitment and retention, the 12 first thing we need to talk about is how do we get them 13 started and that's where Charlie comes in. These are 14 programs that are safe and fun and successful, that 15 ignite an interest in the shooting sports, and they are 16 some of our most successful outreach programs. And with 17 that, I would like to introduce our pied piper for the 18 shooting sports, Charlie Wilson. 19 MR. WILSON: Thank you. Good afternoon, 20 Commissioners. My name is Charlie Wilson, and I will be 21 briefing you this afternoon on the mobile shooting 22 sports program that we have in the state of Texas. 23 Commissioner Martin, I would like to thank you for 24 coming to several of our events in the past few years. 25 We certainly did enjoy having you there. Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 174 1 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: It was certainly my 2 pleasure and honor to be there, thank you. 3 MR. WILSON: Thank you. On the monitors 4 you'll see the 40-foot trailer that was purchased in 5 1996 from the National Sporting Clays Association. The 6 program actually began with a partnership between the 7 National Sporting Clays Association and Texas Parks and 8 Wildlife. At the end of that partnership, Texas Parks 9 and Wildlife purchased this trailer and it's been on the 10 road ever since for Texas Parks and Wildlife solely. 11 Inside the trailer there are seven 12 automatic clay traps and all the accouterments that it 13 needs to go to an event and put it on. We've got some 14 great partners in this trailer as you can see -- Beretta 15 Firearms, McBride's, Polaris is a great sponsor, and the 16 traps came from Laporte. So this trailer, I traveled 17 about 40,000 miles a year across the state. This last 18 year, I did 48 different events across the state of 19 Texas. 20 We also do a lot of special events. The 21 Keep Texas Beautiful event that takes place out at Texas 22 Disposal Service every year. The Legislative 23 Sportsmen's Caucus, Operation Game Thief events, and 24 several selected community events. One that I've become 25 all familiar with and work with has been one down in Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 175 1 Kingsville every year. It benefits the Caesar Kleberg 2 Institute. Takes place every year in January. And also 3 for Life Flight -- Halo Flight, excuse me, in 4 Kingsville. 5 Other special events we do, we call them 6 youth shooting days that we do on our wildlife 7 management areas, such as the Chaparral, the Neasloney 8 Wildlife Area, which is just outside of Austin here 9 around Luling, the Matador and out at the State Park at 10 Nails Creek. This is an opportunity for these kids to 11 come out of their schools. Most of the time, they come 12 out of the agricultural classes and they get to 13 experience shooting a shotgun, shooting a bow and arrow, 14 archery, long rifles, .22s, and they get to hone their 15 skills on live trails, exercises that we do. 16 And we give them a program about what the 17 areas are and the work that goes on and reassure them 18 that these are not our areas, but it belongs to them. 19 That they can come out at any time, enjoy viewing the 20 wildlife, and to take part in any of the activities that 21 are going on such as our youth hunts that go on or get 22 on the draw hunts and come with their parents. 23 Here it is. This next slide -- I think I 24 went too far. Let me back up. This slide right here is 25 an event that we do. It's called Becoming an Outdoor's Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 176 1 Woman Program. This is an opportunity for ladies to 2 move out of their comfort zones and come experience new 3 and exciting things, such as shotgunning, archery, 4 rifle, and physical backpacking, camping, canoeing. If 5 it's to be done outdoors and in the State Parks and so 6 forth, we try to teach them and give them a good base 7 foundation so that they can go out and enjoy it with 8 their families. 9 We see a lot of people come through here 10 that are single mothers that are wanting to experience 11 different things with their children, and so this gives 12 them the opportunity to know a little bit more than 13 their children do about it. One of the most successful 14 programs that we have is a partnership with the Texas 15 4-H Shooting Sports Program. Kids join the 4-H Shooting 16 Sports Program every year and they get to come out learn 17 their safety, learn how to handle a firearm, and hone 18 their skills. 19 It's just not about shooting. This is a 20 lifelong opportunity and a lifelong experience that we 21 give them and a skill. We see nearly 7,000 a year that 22 come into the program every year. Just new kids that 23 are joining to try their hand at this. When I first 24 started, I did three events. We got started a little 25 late in the shooting sport's year, and I did three Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 177 1 events; but I recognized the depth of talent and the 2 wealth of talent that we had and I wanted to do 3 something that was -- so we could showcase these kids. 4 So I got with Terry Erwin and Steve Hall 5 and Scotty Oliver and we developed a program that we 6 called Whiz-Bang. These kids compete from February all 7 the way through the end of the 4-H shooting year in 8 July. And at the end of that, we invite the 15 top kids 9 to the championship shoot off. This past weekend, we 10 held that in San Antonio in conjunction with the 11 National Sporting Clays Championship where through 12 partnership with Texas Hunter Education Instructors 13 Association, we gave away a little over $36,000 worth of 14 prizes to 15 deserving kids across the state. We gave 15 away six firearms, we gave away three lifetime hunting 16 licenses, three lifetime memberships to the National 17 Sporting Clays Association, 60 cases of ammo, things 18 that these kids can use all throughout the year to 19 further their endeavors. 20 The other program that we have that's 21 growing by leaps and bounds is the Wildlife Fisheries 22 and Ecology Management Course that is in conjunction 23 with the FFA in the state of Texas. We call it Ag 24 Clays. Since 1988, the hunter education curriculum has 25 been in the FFA program. It was called Ag Clays 381 at Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 178 1 that time, but they've changed the name now. 2 And you saw the kids earlier on these 3 youth shooting days. Well, I got to listening to these 4 kids and they wanted to go Laredo wants to challenge 5 Carrizo Springs, Carrizo Springs wants to challenge 6 Crystal City. So I was listening to them and I said, 7 huh, let me see what can I come up with. So that's how 8 the program started. 9 These kids raise their own money. They 10 have barbecue cookoffs. They sell picnic tables. They 11 weld together barbecue pits. Whatever they can do to 12 help them shoot and buy their ammunition and pay their 13 State fees. The banners that you see, remain with the 14 school. They are provided by the Texas Chapter of the 15 National Wild Turkey Federation and the Texas State 16 Rifle Association. The medals, I felt like that we 17 needed to -- those kids needed to have something that 18 they can take home with them, so that's why we give the 19 medals. We give three banners and three medals -- 20 bronze, silver, and gold. That's how that program 21 started. 22 We started with 60 kids four years ago, 23 and six schools from across the state. This last year, 24 the program had 474 shooters and 41 schools. The video 25 you're about to see was shot and released as a VNR and Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 179 1 it also has appeared on our YouTube channel here in the 2 Department. 3 (Video is played) 4 MR. WILSON: You know, I've probably seen 5 this video several thousand times since it's been shot; 6 but it just dawned on me that I can name all those kids 7 and all of the parents that are in that program right 8 there. One of the boys that you saw in this video, you 9 wouldn't recognize it. He's my hero. This young man 10 has cerebral palsy. He broke 51 out of 100 that year, 11 and he was a tough individual; but he was game. So we 12 do not exclude anyone in any of our programs. That was 13 one of the things that I made specifically clear to all 14 the ag teachers. If these kids are qualified, I want 15 them to come. I don't want them left at home. 16 One of the boys you saw in there was a 17 young man from up in -- he comes from west of Lubbock. 18 First one to volunteer to help pull the curtains on the 19 one act plays, to paint scenary, to set up tables and 20 chairs; but he didn't excel real well in academics or 21 nor was he very athletic. That young man medaled that 22 year and his coach saw him later that night walking down 23 the hall with his medal still on and he says, "Coach 24 Rutledge, this is the first medal that I have ever won." 25 And so that changed that young man's life right there. Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 180 1 One of the other stories that I tell and 2 I ask to tell this story at the end because sometimes I 3 don't make it all the way through. At one of our youth 4 shooting days, I meet the buses as they come in because 5 I want to see the frame size of the kids that are 6 coming; so if I have to pull out some shorter stocked 7 firearms, I can. I carry mostly standard equipment, but 8 I do have some smaller stuff. 9 A young lady got off the bus and she had 10 a white cane and I thought, okay, this is good. But I 11 watched that young lady and she was very attentive to 12 all the programs that Chip Ruthven was giving that day 13 and we broke and went to our respective shooting areas 14 and I would watch her and see her from time to time, but 15 she sat and she listened and she watched while all the 16 other kids were taking part in the activities. 17 So when she got down to my shotgun 18 station, I asked her assistant, I says "Do you think 19 that Amanda would like to shoot?" 20 And she said, "Well, let me ask." 21 So I did or she did and I went over and I 22 said, "Amanda, my name is Charlie Wilson and if you 23 would like to shoot, I would be very proud to help you." 24 She says "Oh, I would love to, Charlie. 25 I said, "Okay." I said, "As soon as Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 181 1 everyone else is through, I will come back and get you 2 and we'll go do our thing." 3 She says "All right." 4 So after the other kids had shot, I went 5 back over to her and took her a pair of safety glasses 6 and I said, "I want to put these safety glasses on you." 7 And she goes "Well, you know, I am 8 blind." 9 And I said, "Well, yes, I do; but you 10 have very pretty eyes and we don't want anything to 11 happen to them." So we put them on. We walked out to 12 where we could get a good comfortable stance and she 13 broke four out of five that day. 14 Two years later I ran into her and her 15 mother in Crystal City in the grocery store. I was 16 shopping and I recognized her, of course, and I walked 17 over and I said "Amanda," and the minute she heard my 18 voice, she turned around and she said, "I remember you 19 from the youth -- from the Chap. days." 20 And I said, "Yes, ma'am," and so we 21 visited a little bit. So those are little things that I 22 like to share with people. 23 Successes, you might remember this young 24 lady. She was the last one I think you saw in the 25 video. Her name is Drucilla Meier. The first time I Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 182 1 ever saw Drucilla, she was too short to reach over the 2 safety bar in the shooting stages that we had, the 3 shooting cages; and she turned around and she said, 4 "Daddy, I can't do this." 5 And I said, "Wait a minute. We'll fix 6 it." We got a target pallet, slid it into that cage so 7 that we could just get her up about six inches so that 8 she could get over that cage and shoot. And as you can 9 see right now, she doesn't need that cage -- she doesn't 10 need that pallet anymore to see over the cages. 11 The gentleman on your top left is a 12 gentleman by the name of Clay Hart. This picture was 13 taken in Cairo, Egypt, where he was shooting in a World 14 Cup. I started Clay on the road when he was 10 years 15 old. He went all the way through the 4-H program. He 16 was six times U.S. Olympic Junior Shooting International 17 Skeet Champion. This is him accepting his medal from 18 Coach Lloyd Woodhouse, his sixth time that he won that 19 medal. Clay continued on and joined the United States 20 Army and become a part of their marksmanship team and he 21 shot for the United States Army shotguns. He walked 22 right into a position after he got out of boot camp and 23 basics. Those are just a few of our successes that 24 we've had. 25 What's new? A new partnership has been Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 183 1 formed with the Texas High School Rodeo Association. 2 Just this past year, we held our first championship 3 shoot that they had. It was in Clyde, Texas. I was 4 contacted by their marketing director and asked if I 5 could help her put something together and she said, "How 6 long will it take?" 7 And I said, "Oh, about 15 minutes." 8 And she said, "Are you sure?" 9 And I said, "Yes, ma'am. I'm pretty 10 sure." So I said, "Call me back." 11 So I called Drucilla's dad in Clyde, 12 Texas, and I said, "I need to have the range on June the 13 11th. Here's what I'm doing, and I need the range." 14 He said, "Well, whatever we got, you have 15 it." It's one of the ranges through our range grant 16 program that we've helped get started. I called her 17 back and said it's a done deal June the 11th. She goes, 18 "Okay, you handle it." 19 And I said "Yes, ma'am. I will." And 20 what this does is it opens up a whole new audience for 21 us. Anyone can join this organization and be eligible 22 to shoot and win a spot on the state high school rodeo 23 team that advances to the National High School Rodeo 24 finals ever year. This next year they'll be in 25 Colorado. So that's just several of our successes. Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN 184 1 I would like to thank you for your time 2 today and if you have any questions, I would be willing 3 to answer any that you have. 4 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: That's wonderful. 5 Thank you. It's terrific. It really is. 6 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Mr. Wilson, thank 7 you. Thank you for your enthusiasm and support with 8 these kids and the program. And I have attended your 9 events and they are fun and the way you I think really 10 encourage all the students and the kids there is 11 spectacular and I'm sure you've changed many lives in 12 that program. So thank you. Thank you for your 13 commitment, to the Department, too, for this program. 14 Nancy, as always, you're amazing. Thank 15 you for all that you do. 16 MR. WILSON: Thank you for your time. 17 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: Thank you. 18 COMMISSIONER MARTIN: Chairman Friedkin, 19 at this time this Committee is done. 20 COMMISSIONER FRIEDKIN: Thank you very 21 much. Mr. Smith, this Commission has completed its 22 business and I declare us adjourned. 23 MR. SMITH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 24 Thank you, Commissioners. 25 (Meeting adjourns)
1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 STATE OF TEXAS ) 3 COUNTY OF TRAVIS ) 4 I, Paige S. Watts, Certified Shorthand 5 Reporter in and for the State of Texas, do hereby 6 certify that the above-mentioned matter occurred as 7 hereinbefore set out. 8 I FURTHER CERTIFY THAT the proceedings of such 9 were reported by me or under my supervision, later 10 reduced to typewritten form under my supervision and 11 control and that the foregoing pages are a full, true, 12 and correct transcription of the original notes. 13 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my 14 hand and seal this Turn in date _____ day of 15 ________________, 2011. 16 17 18 19 __________________________ 20 Paige S. Watts, CSR, RPR CSR No.: 8311 21 Expiration: December 31, 2012 Firm Registration Number: 87 22 1016 La Posada Drive Suite 294 23 Austin, Texas 78752 Job No. 95402 24 25 Sunbelt Reporting & Litigation Services HOUSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH CORPUS CHRISTI AUSTIN