The Legislative Budget Board met on September 5, 2018 to hear from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department concerning the agency’s Legislative Appropriation Request for the 86th Session and key exceptional items.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing, but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Agency Presentation
Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Mike Jensen, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Thanked the body for fiscal decisions last biennium
- The centennial of the state park system is coming in 2023, but the issues confronting state parks are not going away
- In the last 11 years, storm related events have caused substantial damage to the parks
- Park demand is increasing & TPWD was impacted heavily from Hurricane Harvey
- With the support of the Joint Facilities Oversight Committee we repurposed some Capitol Reconstruction Authority to help address some of the most critical repairs
- We had around 400 game wardens and police officers involved in rescues
- The Managed Lands Deer Permit program has received much interest from landowners
- TxDOT’s funding for road repairs is inadequate
- The base budget is over $700 million
- There was a $4 million appropriation to replace a law enforcement vessel
- We propose to utilize that authority to address the radio interoperability issue
- We will use the money to purchase 4/5ths of the radios we need
- We were granted the authority to access $8 million our lifetime license endowment
- We’re proposing to use that authority to pay for the use of A&M Corpus Christi University facilities
- As well as compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related legislation
- As well as utilizing $4 million for staff compensation at the agency
- We propose to repurpose capital authority in the base budge to…
- Remedy a deficit budgeting problem
- Transition infrastructure related staff from being project paid and move them to a stable funding stream
- Exceptional item 1
- Around $15 million over the biennium to help with the operation of state parks
- We are unable to keep up with operations and the ever-increasing number of visitors
- We have proposed to add 52 positions over the biennium
- Around $4 million will fund the equipment needs of our workers
- Exceptional item 2
- This item will fund the development of Palo Pinto’s state park
- We propose a public/private partnership to develop this site
- That is not a model that is exportable to every new state park, but it works in this area due to the strong support from the region
- We are asking for around $12 million for the biennium, which we would couple with around $8 million raised privately
- Exceptional item 3
- Around $40 million to address capitol construction and repairs across the public lands system
- The need is largely within our state parks, but also within hatcheries and our headquarters
- We are specifically asking for $5 million to repair the Austin headquarters
- Exceptional item 4
- Around $16 million to address the needs of state game wardens
- We have just 1 functional helicopter and 1 plane, both of which are outdated
- These are necessary for emergency responses and border security related needs
- Around $2 million will go to training for our game wardens
- Exceptional item 5
- Funding to complete phase 2 of CAPS
- Exceptional item 6
- Funding to address repairs following Hurricane Harvey
- Around $9 million over the biennium
- Exceptional item 7
- Around $5 million to support our local park grants program
- Exceptional item 8
- Around $100 million should the Legislature go ahead with the dry-docking of Battleship Texas
- The ship is in very poor condition and cannot be towed out of the channel
- Divers must put their lives at risk to patch current leaks in the ship
- This proposed solution is a rough estimate of what it would take to build a dry-berth
- The funding would not have to come in a single biennium
- We are asking for additional authority to pay the State Park System business vendor for hunting, fishing, and boating licensing
- We are asking for authority to carry unexpended balance in GR from one biennium to the next
- We have had this authority historically
- We can expect a weather-related event to disrupt our activities, this would allow us to mitigate the effects of that event
- We have evolved from a 24/7 model of rotating game wardens for shifts along the border to a needs-based approach
- Border related crime is not limited to the border- our wardens deal with issues across the state
- Our 10% reduction plan covers around $50 million, we have provided a schedule
Questions from Joint Legislative/LBB Panel
- Question – How does Parks and Wildlife coordinate with the Animal Health Commission concerning chronic waste disease?
- We work closely with them. We draw upon their expertise to deal with issues like the disease you mentioned.
- Our agencies know our respective roles and consult each other when appropriate
- Question – How much deferred maintenance do you have?
- That is a moving target, we’ve quit attempting to quantify that
- Question – Do you have a list of parks by need, concerning deferred maintenance?
- Yes, we prioritize need across the system
- Question – In the next few months, can you break down how much must be allocated for the battleship?
- Yes, there will be permitting costs, coordination, compliance, etc.
- Question – What is the interaction with the US Navy on that?
- They are part of the permitting process as well
- Question – If we were to be action taken, is there an approval process with the Navy?
- Yes
- Question – Do you know how long that would take?
- Two years
- Question – If the legislature pursues this, is there a minimum starting place for funding a smaller amount of the larger process?
- If you started with 10-12 million, we can get through permitting and design
- Also, leaks and failures in the ships would need to be covered
- Question – Funding so far has only been for leaks?
- It has been for structural repairs in the ship
- We have worked inside the ship to improve the structure
- Question – You have an agreement with DPS to do maintenance on radios. Is there a financial agreement as well?
- That is in discussion now
- Question – What happened to the older aircraft?
- They have been retired except for one which we are trying to surplus out
- Question – Concerning the Balmorhea State Park, how is the target collected by Apache?
- Apache contributes to the Parks and Wildlife Foundation to go specifically to the repairs of the pool at Balmorhea. That money will be collected and ultimately transferred to the Department
- Question – If you get the funding, you will need additional for Palo Pinto?
- We are committed to raising the additional funding. It is a very visible project and we have received a lot of interest
- Question – Best case scenario, how quickly can the park be opened?
- I think we are four years out. We can open sections of the park with limited access until then
- Question – How many FTEs do you have at Palo?
- 5
- Question – The LAR says 2.5 years to complete the park. Is that accurate?
- No, we’d be opening in 2023
- Question – Do you have blueprints?
- They are in development
- Question – The agency received a lot of federal funds in FY18. Why was more money coming in and why do you not expect it to continue?
- The money came from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund which is unpredictable year to year
- We receive $3-4 million a year from that source
- Question – Projections in the LAR are based on the avg?
- Yes
Public Comment
Cyrus Reed, Sierra Club
- I support the agency’s request
- Local parks need funding in addition to state parks
- Palo Pinto needs to be developed