July 10, 2007

Floods, Track Damage Halt Texas State Railroad Train Runs

RUSK, Texas — State park officials have indefinitely suspended all train operations at the Texas State Railroad State Park, following a flood which washed out a section of the train tracks.

June 28, 2007

Game Wardens Urge Caution Around Water as Rains Continue Across North and Central Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens are urging Texans to exercise extreme caution in low-lying areas, around lakes and reservoirs and at stream and river crossings as rain continues to fall across a broad swath of North and Central Texas today.

June 25, 2007

TPWD Internship Program Trains Future Conservationists

AUSTIN, Texas — All across Texas this summer, 147 student interns are getting their hands dirty and feet wet in the real world of wildlife conservation, environmental law enforcement, state parks and other aspects of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Marina Owner Offers Iraq Vets Free Fishing on Lake Fork

ATHENS, Texas—Joe Axton spent nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he’s heard stories of Vietnam veterans being treated poorly on their return home. Now the owner of Axton’s Bass City on Lake Fork, Axton is doing what he can to see the same thing does not happen to military service men and women returning from duty in Iraq.

June 11, 2007

TPWD Director Robert L. Cook Announces Retirement Plans

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Robert L. Cook today announced his intention to retire Aug. 31. Cook has been executive director since February 2002 and has spent the majority of his professional career at the agency.

June 1, 2007

Legislature Approves Additional Park Funding

AUSTIN, Texas — The 80th Texas legislature has approved HB 1 and HB 12, which provide significant new funding for state parks. HB 1, the appropriations bill, and several related provisions in HB 12 will provide approximately $182 million in additional funding for state and local parks in the 2008-2009 biennium.

May 28, 2007

Texas Ships Bass to Mississippi for Hurricane Recovery

ATHENS, Texas—When two massive hurricanes severely damaged the freshwater fisheries throughout Mississippi in 2006, Ron Garavelli, Director of the Mississippi Fisheries Bureau, did exactly what anyone in a disaster situation does—he turned to his neighbors for help.

May 21, 2007

Monahans Sandhills State Park Celebrates 50 Years

MONAHANS, Texas — The year was 1957. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. The Russians launched Sputnik. The most popular movie was The Ten Commandments. Texas A&M’s John David Crow won the Heisman Trophy. And, Monahans Sandhills State Park opened to the public west of Odessa.

Wildlife Conservation Center Opens at Gus Engeling WMA

TENNESSEE COLONY, Texas — For more than half a century, the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area in Anderson County has been dedicated to wildlife research and habitat conservation.

Lufkin Doctor Named to Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

ATHENS, Texas—The late William B. (“Doc”) Shelton of Lufkin has been elected to the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.