Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

We see more horned lizard license plates in Texas than horned lizards. Since 1999, drivers have purchased approximately ten thousand license plates a year featuring this spiny reptile.

I think it’s the fourth largest selling plate, in the entire state, as far as vanity plates are concerned.

One species vanity is another species salvation. Matt Wagner, program director for wildlife diversity, says money from the sale of horned lizard license plates supports conservation of non-game species in Texas.

We get about 20-dollars per plate. And on average, we sell about 10-thousand plates, give or take, and that generates around 200-thousand dollars per year. And again, that money goes into a fund, specifically for non-game wildlife—things like the horned lizard and other reptiles that don’t have a dedicated source of funding.

Funds raised also help study and protect small mammals and birds…and even plants.

We are actually mandated to manage rare plants in our state. And the horned lizard plate is one of the few sources we have that allow us to do that.

Learn about all our conservation license plates at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

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

TP&W TV: Bass Classic Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Relive the agony and ecstasy of the First Toyota Texas Bass Classic this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show. Series producer, Abe Moore.

So on the last week of August, we’re profiling the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. It just wrapped up its second year at Lake Fork, but we’re going to profile the very first year. And we followed two characters: one was the tournament favorite, Alton Jones whose from Waco, Texas. I

t’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been fishing professionally now since 1990. I never dreamed that when I was starting out that some day I would earn more than a million dollars bass fishing. Now we just travel around, all over the United States and fish bass tournaments. It’s pretty fun.

So, he’s kind of established, and he’s doing pretty well in this bass fishing thing. And the other character is Darrin Schwenkbeck, and he’s only won a couple of tournaments and he’s barely making enough money to pay for gas to get himself from lake to lake.

It’s a tough road. And it’s where I stand. And then I’m going to have to get my act together and start catching them in the next few to, uh, keep on going.

So, what’s interesting about this story is that we follow the characters of professional bass fishing. So, maybe when the next Toyota Texas Bass Classic happens next year, folks can go down there and look at these anglers with a different perspective.

Thanks, Abe.

Find a list of stations that air the series at passporttotexas.org.

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

TP&W TV: Bass Classic Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Big Time Texas Hunts offers hunters the chance to win one of seven exclusive hunting trips.

Big Time Texas Hunts is a fundraising effort to generate money to provide additional public hunting opportunities and to fund wildlife research and conservation efforts throughout Texas.

Linda Campbell is Program Director of the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program. The entry fee is $10 or $9 when you purchase an entry online!

This will be our twelfth year. We’ve been very successful with this program—it has grown—and we’ve generated over two million dollars in revenue for wildlife conservation.

For your entry fee you’ll have a chance to win a hunt of a lifetime on some of the finest private ranches and prime wildlife management areas in Texas

And we offer some awesome packages here, with big game packages, upland bird hunting, waterfowl, gator. So, we’ve got a lot of different options here, and even if you don’t win your money goes to support the work of the wildlife division, both in research, management, restoration of bighorn sheep, for example, and enhancement of our public hunting opportunities throughout the state.

Find a link to Big Time Texas Hunts at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife restoration program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Today, Texas is chiefly urban, which is a big shift from our rural roots and connection to the natural world.

I am concerned that we are seeing a public that is becoming more detached from the natural world.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director, Carter Smith, says making nature relevant to urbanites comes down to quality of life issues.

At the end of the day, what are those thing that we need, that we want to have emotionally, economically, spiritually, and the out of doors is the answer for that. It’s our clean air; it’s our clean water; it’s our scenery; it’s our abundant fish and wildlife; it’s the opportunity to get out and recreate, and to canoe and kayak and to hike and to hunt or fish.

I think fundamentally Texans want that, and we as an agency have an obligation to provide those opportunities for them. Our state’s land and water plan calls for a couple of things. The number one goal in that plan is to provide enhanced recreational opportunities for Texans. And part of that goal is working to ensure that we have a system of parks in and around our major metropolitan areas that can provide a point of entry into the out of doors, and that is something we take very seriously and are working on.

Find a link to the Land and Water plan at passporttotexas.org.

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

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