Per-person entry fees, ranging from $1-5, began on May 1. Most parks will be charging $2 per person; children 12 years old and younger will be admitted free. Also new for this year: The popular Conservation Passport is now available in two package deals: A $50 annual Gold Texas Conservation Passport grants unlimited park entry to passengers traveling in the same vehicle; a $25 annual fee Silver Texas Conservation Passport allows carloads of visitors to visit wildlife management areas at certain times, but does not grant unlimited entry to state parks.
The original annual Texas Conservation Passport was instituted in 1991. Original Passports sold through April 30, 1996 will be honored through their expiration dates. Seniors and veterans will still be granted special discounts at the parks under the new deals.
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The state parks system began in 1921 when Mrs. Isabella Neff, mother of Governor Pat Neff, donated six acres of land on the Leon River in Coryell County to the state. Over the last 75 years, Mother Neff State Park has grown to 260 acres. During the same period, the Parks and Wildlife Department's holdings have grown to include over a million acres and 132 historic, nature, and recreation parks scattered across the State of Texas.
Many state park facilities and structures were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal program to put young men back to work at the height of the Depression. Most of these rustic buildings are still functional and provide a certain historic charm. But after 60 years of service in at least 29 state parks, the facilities are in desperate need of upgrades. A 1995 management audit estimated that the state parks system has a backlog of $186 million worth of needed repairs and capital improvements.
TPWD has gotten no money from the state's general operating fund since the early 1990s, and overall revenues, in fact, have been shrinking. Park operations, wildlife management, and research are funded through a combination of user fees, state cigarette tax, and state sporting goods tax. Since 1983, cigarette tax revenue has been on the decline, and the sporting goods tax has seen only slight increases.
Park officials estimate that under the old system, of the $32 million necessary to operate the state parks, TPWD collected only $21 million through user fees. With the fee restructuring, officials hope to raise an additional $5-7 million.
When the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the new pricing structure in November 1995, they also gave individual parks the authority to adjust their fees for other park uses and services -- like camping, shelters, and cabins. Visitors may see slight increases or decreases in such fees as the parks go to more self-sufficient operations.
These changes should also result in facility improvements at state parks. Considering Parks officials' promise to continue the trend of offering affordable tours and special programs at state parks and to upgrade dilapidated restrooms, cabins, trails, and other facilities, the Texas state parks system remains a good deal for campers, birdwatchers, hikers, and others who use the million-plus acres of public lands in Texas.
-- Gerald E. McLeod