AUSTIN – Starting Sept. 1, anglers must have special authorization through a random draw to harvest a large alligator gar from a section of the Trinity River and follow new regulations when fishing for the state’s largest and long-lived freshwater fish in public waters statewide.
AUSTIN – The Bird City Texas Program (BCT), a new community-focused conservation program designed to support critical bird habitat, is empowering towns to make meaningful changes in how they maintain and build public spaces.
AUSTIN— Beginning Sept. 1, the operation and maintenance of six Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) sites will be transferred to the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The 86th Texas Legislature approved House Bill 1422 which transfers operational control of these sites to the THC.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reminding hunters and anglers that all current year Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except the year-to-date fishing license) expire the end of August, and new licenses for 2019-20 go on sale Thursday, Aug. 15.
AUSTIN – Established, reproducing populations of invasive zebra mussels have been discovered at two new lakes in Central Texas, Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) in the Colorado River basin northwest of Austin and Lake Pflugerville northeast of Austin.
LA PORTE— The Battleship Texas State Historic Site will close to the public Aug. 26, allowing staff and contractors full accessibility to the ship ensuring they can safely perform the necessary preparation work ahead of a repair project. The last day the public will be able to explore the Battleship Texas will be Sunday, Aug. 25.
TERLINGUA— The interior of the Big Bend Ranch State Park Complex will be closed for the safety of park visitors during wildlife surveys Aug. 19 – 27. During the surveys, staff will be counting desert bighorn sheep by helicopter and dispatching non-native aoudad (barbary sheep) when encountered.
The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department welcomes the latest addition to the Texas Paddling Trail. The new Nueces River Paddling Trail — George West launches at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Live Oak County Park Boat Ramp off of Airport Road.
EL PASO— The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is performing a feasibility study geared toward determining the future of the Wyler Aerial Tramway. A public meeting hosted by the El Paso Community Foundation will be held July 24 at 6 p.m. This is an opportunity for residents of El Paso to provide input on the project in person.