CANYON – At his March 1933 inauguration amid the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for the creation of a “forest army” to staff a massive conservation and public recreation program that included the development of state and local parks. By July, 274,000 men between the ages of 17 to 25 had joined the Civilian Conservation Corps.
AUSTIN – In the late summer of 1963, the most popular show on television was “The Beverly Hillbillies,” a gallon of gas cost 29 cents, the University of Texas Longhorns were headed toward their first national football championship, “My Boyfriend’s Back” was the top hit on AM radio and Texas had a new state agency called the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
CEDAR HILL—Ordinarily, the miles of scenic hike and bike trails of the 1,500-acre Cedar Hill State Park are a welcome retreat for nature lovers seeking respite from surrounding urban sprawl. But this weekend, those same wooded paths along the shores of Joe Pool Reservoir in the southern DFW Metro area will play host to a series of running events, including a unique triathlon format of the Eco Lone Star Adventure Race series and the XTERRA Trail Run 5k and 15k.
DALLAS — Almost two years after a devastating wildfire, signs of new life and activity are springing up once again at Bastrop State Park, thanks in part to the generosity of donors like The Meadows Foundation, which recently awarded the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation a $150,000 grant to help restore the fire-ravaged park.
AUSTIN – Channel your inner Ansel Adams or Wyman Meinzer this spring by heading to one of more than 90 Texas state parks and historic sites to photograph your friends and loved ones, wildflowers, wildlife and revered state landmarks. Snap away just for fun or record your best images to enter in the Texas State Parks Photo Contest.
AUSTIN—Elected officials and numerous students from around Texas packed the State Capitol of Texas rotunda to honor Caprock Canyons State Park and its ongoing efforts to preserve the Texas State Bison Herd, as park superintendent Donald Beard received the Service of Achievement Merit Award on this the 167th anniversary of Texas’ statehood.
CORPUS CHRISTI – Park Superintendent Damon Reeves announced today that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Mustang Island State Park during February or March. The burn is expected to be conducted and completed in two to three days.
AUSTIN – Hundreds of miles of dirt, caliche, crushed granite and paved bike trails wind through Texas State Parks, offering both easy and challenging rides in safe and scenic environments. February is a great time to join a scheduled ride, tackle an ambitious biking event, or better yet, take an unguided cruise on your own schedule with your family and friends.
LAJITAS—The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will partner with Terlingua-based outfitter Desert Sports to present the third annual Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest, February 14–16, in the Lajitas/Terlingua area.
AUSTIN — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Thursday meeting passed a resolution approving the transfer eight acres of Franklin Mountains State Park property in El Paso to facilitate the construction of a new, safer park entrance off of State Loop 375.