Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Bastrop State Park, still recovering from the devastating Labor Day weekend wildfire, is vying for a $100,000 grant sponsored by Coca-Cola, in the third annual “America is Your Park” competition. The money from the grant would fund the park’s ongoing restoration efforts.

This is a competition in which the public decides by voting for their favorite park online using a special Facebook page set up by the Company, or by using a social media application called Four Square.

Regional Park manager, Todd Mcclanahan.

27—You can do an online [Facebook] vote, and that counts for one vote, and you can do that from anywhere an unlimited amount of times. The Four Square is the free application for Smart Phone. So, you download the Four Square app. And once you get a Four Square account, you register on the Coca-Cola Facebook website, and that registers your Four Square account with the contest. And so, then as you come to or near the park, and you check in with your Four Square account, then that counts as 100 votes.

Voting ends on July 15. If Bastrop State Park receives the most votes, it will win the $100,000 grant. The funds will keep American Youth Works members at the park, advancing the recovery of damaged infrastructure and forest landscape.

06—The $100,000 is the grand prize, but they’re also offering $50,000 for second and $25,000 for third.

To find voting information you can search for America is Your Park on Facebook. There is no limit to the number of times individuals may vote.

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

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.