What is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department?

Background

Regan Templeton of KUT News researched and reported this article.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas. TPWD seeks to provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

TPWD regulates and provides licenses for fishing, hunting, and boating. The department has authority to manage fish and wildlife resources under the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1983. The department also manages state parks.

TPWD is headquartered in Austin. Carter Smith has been the executive director of TPWD since 2008.

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August 13, 2013

Texas Wants to See What the Drought Looks Like to You

The Texas Water Development Board’s most recent drought report showed that 97 percent of the state is still experiencing some level of drought. So what does a state that parched look like? The agency, along with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Department of Agriculture, have come together to show you. Those three agencies have launched an […]

July 2, 2013

Lake Invaders: Zebra Mussels Continue to Spread in North Texas

Before last week, the only positive thing about zebra mussels in Texas was that they lived in just two of the state’s lakes. But even that’s not the case anymore. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) released an emergency order yesterday which enacted special regulations for three new North Texas lakes to control zebra […]

How Do You Save Hundreds of Species in Texas ?

Last week, the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) confirmed the extinction of the western black rhinoceros. Although the species had initially been declared extinct in 2011, a final search failed to find any remaining rhinos. While Texas doesn’t have a thriving rhinoceros population, the news got StateImpact Texas thinking about which species from our state may face […]

June 25, 2013

When Texas Game Wardens Encounter the Unexpected

‘The Dog Ate My Fishing Limit,’ Tubing at Night and Massive Drug Busts There is no typical shift for Texas’ 532 game wardens, part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. One day you’re issuing citations for lapsed watercraft registrations, the next you’re seizing nearly two tons of marijuana from boats on Lake Falcon. That’s […]

May 8, 2013

Texas House Approves Bill Ending Comptroller’s Endangered Species Duties

Update: HB 3509 passed out of the state House Thursday, the final day for bills to be voted out. Earlier: The Texas House could vote today on a bill that would strip the Texas Comptroller’s office of its endangered species monitoring duties and send the job over to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Advocates […]

May 2, 2013

Toads Gone Wild: The Promises and Pitfalls of Houston Toad Recovery

For decades captive breeding programs like the one at the Houston Zoo have been a strategy in preserving endangered species. But many conservationists see a downside.

May 1, 2013

Comptroller’s Endangered Species Duties Could Go to Wildlife Department

Comptroller Susan Combs, Texas’ top accountant and tax official, doesn’t just deal with money: she’s also in charge of monitoring endangered species. It’s an odd coupling, money manager and critter caretaker, and a new piece of legislation could undo the two disparate duties. The Senate Natural Resources Committee discussed a bill, SB 468, at a meeting Tuesday […]

March 6, 2013

Why a New Law Aims to Ban Shark Fins in Texas

We all know there are sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. But why would Texas lawmakers care? A bill that went before the Senate Natural Resources Committee Tuesday says they should. State Senator Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, whose district includes Galveston, filed Senate Bill 572, which would outlaw the buying and selling of shark fins. Shark fins are […]

March 4, 2013

Texas Bill to Ban Shark Fins Up For Hearing

The State Senate Natural Resources Committee will discuss banning the sale and transfer shark fins at a hearing Tuesday. Senator Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, filed SB 572 as a companion to a bill filed in the House, HB 852, by Representative Eddie Lucio, D-Harlingen. As StateImpact Texas reported recently, the bills would ban anyone from buying or selling […]

February 27, 2013

How New Legislation Could Benefit Texas Deer Breeders

Deer breeding as a commercial enterprise is expanding in Texas, and breeders say it’s time to firm up the permitting process. Sen. Tommy Williams, R-Woodlands, filed a bill this month, SB 820, that could overhaul some permitting for breeders. Gilbert Adams, President of the Texas Deer Association, said as breeding businesses grow across the state, […]