On the centennial, Texas state parks are poised for a “new golden age”

By All Things Considered
August 10, 2023
Originally published by Marfa Public Radio / All Things Considered

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The San Solomon Springs Courts at Balmorhea State Park are among countless structures and other facilities in Texas state parks that were built by workers with the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps. Federal investment has been central to the acquisition and development of Texas state parks, but after a decades-long effort among Texans, the state-park system is poised for a funding influx that promises a “new golden age.”

It’s been called “the start of a new golden age.” In May, the Texas legislature approved the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which allocates a billion dollars to buy new state parklands. It goes to voters in November, and would be transformative for Texas, which ranks 35th in per-capita parkland.

The fund would be a new beginning — and a culmination. Funding has been an uphill fight since the state parks began a century ago. George Bristol chronicles that fight in Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years, from TCU Press. He’s been in the fight himself…

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