Passport to Texas

State Parks: Spring Break Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Throughout the month of March, students and families will take time away from school and work to enjoy a week-long spring break. And most want to spend that time on or near the water. Our State Park guide Bryan Frazier says state parks offer plenty of wet and wild fun.

61—People are anxious to get outside; they’ve got some cabin fever. And so they want to go to the beach, or they want to go to the coast. And we’ve got Galveston Island SP there, on the upper Texas coast down to Goose Island SP in the middle Texas coast.

And they don’t just like to fish. A lot of times people just want to canoe or kayak. And we’ve got places where you can rent those in our state parks, which is great for spring breakers who go there. Places like Inks Lake State Park, or Village Creek, or Buescher SP, or Palmetto SP. We even have hydro-bikes. Pedal boats at lots of pars…so whatever your brand of water recreation for Spring Break—visit a state park and I think we can accommodate you.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Recreation: Off Highway Vehicles and Nature Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since the creation of the Texas Off Highway Vehicle program 6 1/2 years ago, Texas Parks and Wildlife has worked with communities and nonprofit groups to identify and develop safe and legal venues for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to utilize. Steve Thompson manages the program for the agency.

21—The OHV program at Texas Parks and Wildlife tries to create or improve existing OHV venues that have legal access to the land; that have common sense rules about park patron safety; that promote the safe and responsible use of the vehicles themselves; and have rules that manage the park in a way that protects the cultural and biological resources of the park.

Most of us spend time in the natural world to distance ourselves from urban realities—such as the seemingly unending drone of traffic. Therefore, the sounds made by two and four wheeled motorized vehicles rolling through a state park or natural area may seem unappealing. This is something taken into consideration when developing an OHV site.

25—One of the national best practice standards for OHV recreation is the limit on sound. The National standard for sound emitted from an OHV is 96 decibels. Every recreational use from public lands comes with some impact. And it needs to be managed in a way that protects the resource and the other folks that share it. And sound is an important issue; and we try to minimize sound by having standards like the 96 decibel limit.

Find additional information about Texas’ OHV program on the Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Recreation: Off Highway Vehicles and Families Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Trail riding, using motorized vehicles is a growing sport in Texas.

12—Family groups that like to camp and trail ride together, and their friends that like to get together and enjoy the outdoors—they want safe, legal places to go. And that’s really where the demand is and the shortage is in Texas.

Steve Thompson manages the off highway vehicle program for Texas Parks and Wildlife. He says right now Texas only has 20 venues on public land where off road enthusiasts can ride safely and legally.

11—Probably the number one question that I get is mainly from riders in the metro areas asking when Parks and Wildlife will create a riding venue one hour from their house. It’s a noble goal but it’s been hard to achieve.

Using federal grant monies and revenue collected from the sale of the annual off road vehicle permit, Texas Parks and Wildlife works with communities and nonprofit organizations to identify and develop land for these venues…including land in state parks.

11—As a matter of fact, we are in the process of laying out the first new ATV and dirt bike trail system in any state park—at Eisenhower State Parks—about an hour north of Dallas.

Tomorrow: Seeking a balance between preserving nature and the rise of off highway vehicles.

Find information about the OHV program on the Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Recreation: Off Road Options in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

08—Texas has more off highway vehicles than any state other than California.

California also has more room for these off highway vehicles to roam.

06—They have 132 legal venues on public land, and in Texas we only have about 20.

Steve Thompson manages the off highway vehicle program for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

09—The Texas Off Highway Vehicle Program was created by the Texas legislature to provide a managed program for off highway vehicles as a sport in Texas.

He works with communities to identify and develop land suitable for safe, legal off highway vehicle recreation. Money for the development comes from grants and the sale of an annual off road vehicle permit/decal.

25—Over the last six years we’ve helped create legal venues in the City of Childress. We gave them grant money to buy land and build the infrastructure in that park. It’s been open now for about five years. We’ve done the same thing for non-profit like the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition. They’ve created a park up near Tyler called Barnwell Mountain. And they’re working on their second park near Ozona, a venue called Escondido Draw.

The goal of the OHV Program is to create safe, legal, parks where families and friends can enjoy their off road vehicles.

Find more information on the Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW TV: Renewal Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Springtime is a season of renewal, and two stories scheduled this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series illustrate this rebirth. Producer, Alan Fisher.

60—One [called] A New North Deer, is about one of the largest rookery islands in all of the upper Texas coast. North Deer Island in Galveston Bay has been under threat of erosion. It’s home to some 18 species of birds. There are tens of thousands of birds there nesting, and so they were threatened, essentially, by this erosion.

Thanks, Alan.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.