Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Presenter: Corky Kuhlmann

Action
Request for Recreational Trail Easement – Tarrant County
Inland Fisheries District Office
March 24, 2016

I.       Executive Summary:  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff has a request for a Right-of-Way Trail and Maintenance Easement at the Fort Worth Fish Hatchery property (the hatchery property), a former fish hatchery currently used as a TPWD Inland Fisheries District Office.

II.     Discussion:  TPWD has a request from the City of Fort Worth (CFW) for a trail easement along the eastern portion of the hatchery property along the West Fork of the Trinity River.

The CFW Parks and Recreation Department has plans to create a Lake Worth Regional Park, a linear park to encompass the lake and provide high quality recreational amenities and cultural hubs, as well as to connect communities, resources and amenities with pathways, greenways and trails. After considerable planning, the route chosen would cross TPWD property with the trail portion of the Lake Worth Regional Park.

III.    Recommendation:  The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission consider the following motion:

“The Commission adopts the Resolution attached as Exhibit A.”

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Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit A

A Resolution by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Regarding the granting of an Recreational Easement

Resolution

Whereas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) owns the Inland Fisheries District Office (IFDO) located in Tarrant County, at 6200 Hatchery Road, Fort Worth Texas 76114; and,

Whereas, this IFDO was a fish hatchery which was abandoned for hatchery use and allowed to return to its natural/native habitat; and,

Whereas, this IFDO is used by Inland Fisheries personnel for office space, equipment storage, and a staging area to work on area lakes; and

Whereas, Inland Fisheries personnel manage the abandoned pond area as a natural area and “kid fish” facility; and,

Whereas, the City of Fort Worth (CFW) Parks and Recreation Department has plans to create an approximate 5.6 mile Lake Worth Regional Trail Park; and,

Whereas, a portion of the trail was planned on a tract (tract) of land owned by the CFW, and situated between the IFDO property and the West Fork Trinity River; and,

Whereas, during final design and layout of the trail, it was discovered that the tract had largely eroded away with the new river bank being on TPWD property; and,

Whereas, the only feasible alternative to the continuation of the trail park is the use of TPWD property; and,

Whereas, the easement will have a reversion clause stating that the easement will cease to exist in the event that it is not used as a public trail or not properly maintained; and,

Whereas, the granting of this easement is compatible with the TPWD Mission regarding providing outdoor recreation opportunities; and,

Whereas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (the Commission) finds that as required by Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, notices of today’s hearing of this matter were published at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation which is published at least six days a week in the community nearest to the  tract in which such newspapers are published (Fort Worth Star Telegram) with the last day of publication being not less than one week or more than two weeks before the date of today’s hearing and that such notices specified the date and time at which the Commission would hear testimony regarding the grant of easement; and,

Whereas, the Commission finds, in accordance with Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 26, that there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use or taking of the tract for purposes of the grant of an easement as described herein; and,

Whereas, the Commission finds, in accordance with Section 13.009 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code that granting the easement is in the best interest of TPWD;

Now, therefore, the Commission authorizes the Executive Director to take all necessary steps to grant the City of Fort Worth a Recreation Trail Easement subject to the conditions described herein and in the motion approving this Resolution.

Adopted and approved this 24th day of March, 2016.

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Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit B

Location Map
Tarrant County

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Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit C

Vicinity Map
Fort Worth Fish Hatchery

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Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit D

Site Map
Fort Worth Fish Hatchery