Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

[SFX fireworks]

You can go ahead and pack in just about anything you’ll need to enjoy your Fourth of July celebration at a state park—except fireworks.

06—It is illegal in Texas state parks…it is a Class C misdemeanor to possess fireworks in a state park.

Wes Masur is state park law enforcement coordinator at Texas Parks and Wildlife. Even the relatively benign sparklers, black cats, and bottle rockets are prohibited in state parks not only during the fourth of July…but also during the other 364 days of the year—and for good reason.

09—Within the state park system we have different types of wildlife and different types of grasses and we don’t want to get any type of forest fire started…people are there to enjoy the state parks.

And if it’s even half as dry this year as last year, the last thing anyone wants to do is cause a fire. While a few state parks do offer organized fireworks displays, such holiday pyrotechnics aren’t for everyone.

05—Some people don’t like fireworks…the noises that go along with that stuff—we just don’t allow it in the state parks.

For more information on which state parks offer public fireworks displays, log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

We record our series at the Block House in Austin, Texas, and Joel Block Engineers our show.

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