AUSTIN – Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been discovered in a free-ranging 8 ½-year-old mule deer in Lubbock County, marking the first positive detection of the disease in the county. In coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is working to develop a containment & surveillance zone in the area.
AUSTIN – Communities in Texas will be healthier and more engaged with their natural surroundings thanks to grants awarded through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP). This opportunity will create 10 grant partnerships, totaling $290,000, supporting community-based conservation and outdoor recreation activities throughout the State.
AUSTIN — Ahora que la primavera está muy próxima a llegar, los Texanos estarán buscando donde pasear y estar al exterior. Los Parques Estatales de Texas ya se están llenando con reservaciones para los sitios para acampar y los Pases por Un Día para los meses de primavera y verano, por lo que se recomienda mucho a los visitantes que estén planeando una aventura en un parque estatal para estas vacaciones de Spring Break, que hagan sus reservaciones tan pronto como les sea posible.
AUSTIN — With Spring Break around the corner, Texans will be looking to explore and get outside. Texas State Parks are already seeing day passes and campsites filling up for the spring and summer months, so visitors planning a state park adventure this Spring Break are encouraged to make their reservations as early as possible.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is now taking public comment on the following proposed changes to the 2021-2022 Statewide Recreational Fishing Proclamation:
AUSTIN – Changes to length and bag limits for blue and channel catfish statewide and at specific locations highlight this year’s list of proposed freshwater fishing regulation changes. The proposed changes also include minor modifications to passive gear float dimensions.
AUSTIN- The Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), with assistance from the Law Enforcement Division, continues to assess the fish kills along the Texas coast due to the recent winter weather. Freezing events along the Texas Coast are rare, but extreme cold temperatures can be a natural cause of fish kills. If fish do not make it to refuge in deeper, more temperature stable water in cold weather, they may die when water temperatures reach a certain threshold. For example, spotted seatrout experience more mortalities associated with freezing weather than other common game species.
AUSTIN – Recent snowfall and freezing temperatures affected many fish and wildlife species throughout the state and now Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is asking for the public’s help in reporting any animal mortality events they observe on their property, ranches, or in their neighborhoods through this project on the iNaturalist website. Citizens are encouraged to report observations so that biologists can better understand the impacts of Winter Storm Uri to natural resources.
AUSTIN — As much of Texas has experienced historic winter weather, native wildlife populations throughout the state have also felt the impact. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds the public that many native wildlife species will be able to survive short durations of historic low temperatures and snow events. However, long-term impacts on a variety of wildlife and their habitats, especially on vegetation, may not be known for weeks.
AUSTIN- Texas coastal waters will close to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps for 10 consecutive days beginning Friday Feb. 19. This is done annually to facilitate the removal of abandoned crab traps from Texas bays. Since the beginning of this coordinated effort to remove abandoned traps from the bays in 2002, over 38,000 traps have been removed with the help of nearly 4,000 volunteers coastwide.