Developing the Park System
Monday, December 21st, 2009This is Passport to Texas
Our state parks wouldn’t exist as they do today without the dedication of Texans who worked to develop them.
These things come about because people are interested. They recognized that here is a piece of land, or a place, that they love and they take steps for its preservation.
David McComb is professor emeritus of history at Colorado State University and author of Spare Time in Texas. Having outdoor spaces in which to recreate comes down to what people value.
Texas has supported the building of parks, so much so that they have bought land, preserved it, developed it, continue to support it. So, what it tells me is that Texans are interested in such places.
The story of Palo Duro Canyon is a good example, and is filled with people who were interested and persistent.
Building Palo Duro takes negotiation. There’s a question of how to make it self-sufficient. And people of Canyon and Amarillo would take picnics there. So the people in the area became interested. And so that it would not be ruined for the future, they set up a summertime extravaganza to bring in tourists and brought a great deal of publicity and made it a success.
Tomorrow, hear how you can support park development near your home.
That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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