Texas will develop and open new state parks in a “timely” manner, thanks to a new policy adopted Thursday.
The state’s Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to approve new guidelines outlining a phased approach to opening to the public more expeditiously.
Under the adopted rules, the parks would be accessible within a year of the land being acquired by the state.
State Parks Director Rodney Franklin presented the proposed policy, saying it considers “sound design and construction principles as well as safeguarding the natural and cultural resources of the state of Texas.”
The timeline includes three phases that must occur after the land purchase.
Within a year, the park will be open for facilitated public day use like public hunts, guided tours, special events, fishing, paddling and birding.
Within 18 months, the public day use will expand to include access to “basic essential components” like some trails, parking areas and restrooms.
The third and final phase would be opening the park with appropriate roads, utilities and facility infrastructure within 4 years.
The department may continue to develop additional park enhancements and infrastructure beyond that timeline.
“I’m overjoyed that we’re actually now are going to have a sense of urgency in of the opening of these parks,” commission Chairman Jeff Hildebrand said before the vote. “In no uncertain we have been slow to open these parks.”
Hildebrand noted that Resaca de la Palma in 2008 was the last time a new state park was opened, and the property for the much-anticipated Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in North Texas was purchased in 2012.
Franklin, the parks director, said construction took about four years to complete at Palo Pinto and the cost was roughly $50 million. An official opening date for the park has not been announced but the park superintendent previously told The Dallas Morning News they expected it to happen in 2025.
“I understand that there’s a lot of issues related to regulatory compliance funding, but we really have got to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit to push forward and get these parks built quickly and cost effectively,” Hildebrand said.
He asked the agency to investigate how a public-private partnership could help get parks built on a cost-effective basis.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s “Future Parks” webpage lists Palo Pinto Mountains State Park under construction and five other sites as awaiting development. Those include Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area, Chinati Mountains State Natural Area, Davis Hill State Park, Post Oak Ridge State Park and Powderhorn State Park.
The agency has also acquired multiple properties in recent months, including a 671-acre ranch along the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park; about 6,900 acres to create a wildlife management area in East Texas; and more than 3,000 acres in Lampasas and Burnet counties to create a new state park across the river from Colorado Bend State Park.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative ed by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.