Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Presenter: Trey Vick

Action
Acquisition of Land - Harris County
Approximately 23 Acres at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
March 22, 2018

I.      Executive Summary: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has the opportunity to acquire a significant private inholding within the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.

II.     Discussion: The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site occupies much of the site where Sam Houston and an army of volunteers decisively wrested independence from Mexico and established the Republic of Texas on April 22, 1836. Land to commemorate the battleground was acquired beginning in the mid-19th century, and today the site encompasses more than 1,000 acres.

The landscape of the battleground was altered dramatically in the 1930s when the San Jacinto Monument and reflecting pool were constructed to commemorate the battle. A decade later, a berth was excavated and the Battleship Texas added to the site. Ten feet of land subsidence and a state highway running through the site further complicate interpretation of the battle. In recent decades, TPWD has made systematic efforts to acquire undeveloped lands that make up and that buffer the battleground and to restore the topography and vegetation of the site to conditions resembling those that existed at the time of the battle.

The San Jacinto Battleground Conservancy (SJBC) has been assisting TPWD in this effort over the years by acquiring available tracts of land for preservation. The organization currently holds and makes payments on two tracts immediately north of the Battleship Texas totaling about 23 acres. SJBC and TPWD desire the transfer of those tracts to TPWD ownership, to be accomplished by TPWD paying off the lien against the two tracts and covering some of the SJBC’s carrying costs. The acquisition would be a significant bargain sale, leveraging the equity in the properties for grant funding.

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

"The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes the Executive Director to take all necessary steps to acquire approximately 23 acres in Harris County for addition to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site."

Attachments – 3

  1. Exhibit A – Location Map
  2. Exhibit B – Vicinity Map
  3. Exhibit C – Site Map

Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit A

Location Map for San Jacinto State Historic Site - Harris County

Location Map for San Jacinto State Historic Site – Harris County


Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit B

Vicinity Map for San Jacinto SHS - 20 Miles East of Houston

Vicinity Map for San Jacinto SHS – 20 Miles East of Houston


Commission Agenda Item No. 8
Exhibit C

San Jacinto State Historic Site Map Subject Property Outlined in Red

San Jacinto State Historic Site Map Subject Property Outlined in Red

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