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Texas State Parks "Getting Better All the Time" (All regions)

Improvements Reflect Support From Voters, Legislature

Texas State Parks are “getting better all the time” thanks to increased funding provided by state lawmakers and voters. More than 200 new state park employee positions have been filled or advertised. Repairs of long-neglected facilities have begun. Campgrounds that closed two years ago due to limited funds have reopened, and days and hours of park operations have been extended. Park visitors are not only noticing better maintained facilities, but they’re also seeing expanded interpretive programming such as ranger talks and school visits, plus better customer service. The 80th Texas Legislature passed House Bills 1 and 12 that provide $25.6 million for state park operations during the 2008-09 biennium. Lawmakers also appropriated roughly $52 million in bond authority to fund major state park repairs, sending the measure to voters for approval as required by law. Last November, voters approved Proposition 4, which allocates $25 million to dry-berth the Battleship Texas to ensure its long-term preservation and another $27 million for major infrastructure repairs at state parks across Texas.  

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