Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

It’s safe to say most Texans can name at least three state parks. But ask those same Texans to name three Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), and they’ll be stumped. So I asked WMA facilities coordinator, Dennis Gissell to tell us.

19—Wildlife management areas were established in Texas as far back at 1946 for the purpose of conducting research in to wildlife and habitat management, demonstrations to private landowners, education for students and other wildlife professionals, and then public recreation when that’s compatible with the other three.

The Sierra Diablo WMA in far west Texas was the first in the state, established by the state legislature to manage and preserve Bighorn Sheep. We’ve added dozens more WMAs since then.

06—We have 49 Wildlife Management Areas that cover about seven hundred and seventy thousand acres in Texas now.

The WMAs are acquired to represent the habitat in each of the 10 major ecological regions of the state.

16—And so far we have all of those regions covered except one. And that would be the cross timbers and prairies in north central Texas. We’ve been working for years to find an appropriate piece of property and a willing seller in north central Texas…we’ve come close several times. Hopefully it won’t be far off.

On tomorrow’s show…learn about a program responsible in large part for making Wildlife Management areas in Texas possible.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti