CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Those hiking, camping, hunting or fishing know the drill.
If not, somewhere in the Coastal Bend you've seen the Texas Parks and Wildlife sign. The department oversees 89 state parks and 50 wildlife management areas.
“Look I’m doing it correctly. They took one glance, and they know how to do their job, and they saw it was correct,” fisherman Kevin Marin said.
Texas Parks Wildlifegame wardens ensure compliance. They have the same authority as a sheriff - something Kris Rodriguez is aware of.
“They asked us if we had a license and checked the license and checked our fish,” Rodriguez said.
But regulating and enforcing commercial and recreational fishing laws is only a small part of what Texas Parks and Wildlife does for the state.
“We work with them frequently on a range of issues from water management, flood planning, wildlife protection, wildlife plans,” Sierra Club Director David Cortez said.
Sierra Club is one of the largest and oldest grassroots environmental organizations in Texas. Cortez spoke with Neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama about the possible abolishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“This Bill HB 4938 by Pat Curry wants to eliminate the Parks and Wildlife Department much like we’re seeing at the federal level and say put it in the hands of other state agencies,” Cortez said.
According to the bill, the authority would go to the General Land Office, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Public Safety. The bill would also disburse the funds for the department, to those agencies.
“To get rid of the department altogether is a bad decision, and there are other issues that need attention,” Cortez said.
If it passes, House Bill 4938 would go into effect on Sept. 1.
