Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Today, Texas is chiefly urban, which is a big shift from our rural roots and connection to the natural world.

I am concerned that we are seeing a public that is becoming more detached from the natural world.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director, Carter Smith, says making nature relevant to urbanites comes down to quality of life issues.

At the end of the day, what are those thing that we need, that we want to have emotionally, economically, spiritually, and the out of doors is the answer for that. It’s our clean air; it’s our clean water; it’s our scenery; it’s our abundant fish and wildlife; it’s the opportunity to get out and recreate, and to canoe and kayak and to hike and to hunt or fish.

I think fundamentally Texans want that, and we as an agency have an obligation to provide those opportunities for them. Our state’s land and water plan calls for a couple of things. The number one goal in that plan is to provide enhanced recreational opportunities for Texans. And part of that goal is working to ensure that we have a system of parks in and around our major metropolitan areas that can provide a point of entry into the out of doors, and that is something we take very seriously and are working on.

Find a link to the Land and Water plan at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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