Passport to Texas

What are Wildlife Management Areas? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

America is Your Park Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

Safety: Fireworks in State Parks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[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.

State Parks: Wyler Tramway Open for Fun Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Wyler Aerial Tramway at Franklin Mountains State Park features gondola that takes visitors a mile up Ranger Peak…for a 7-thousand square mile view of three states and two nations. Our state park guide Bryan Frazier says the tramway is ready for business again after being closed for more than a month.

51—it was closed for a number of weeks while they made some repairs and got some new cable and made some improvement. So, it’s now back open again. So, not only can people ride the tramway up and down, but you can also now do a one-way trip where you can ride the tramway up and take a beautiful hike down back to where your vehicle is parked. And you’re talking about something that is four dollars for adults on that one-way and seven dollars for adults when you ride it both ways. So it’s very reasonable, and a unique experience, that you can only do in Texas—and only in a state park. And, people can even do it in the evening when the lights are coming up from the city and it’s a breathtaking view when you’re out in that part of the world. So, don’t just enjoy the great Mexican food and things that we can find out in El Paso. Get out and see those Chihuahuan desert features. And there’s no way to see that like the Wyler Arial Tramway.

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.

New Online Volunteer Sign Up Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

02—Volunteers are extremely important.

Volunteers save Texas Parks and Wildlife millions of dollars annually. And it’s never been easier to help the agency.

Kris Shipman, who coordinates Coastal Expos for the agency, uses up to 100 volunteers at a time for her events…and was instrumental in the development of a new online volunteer system for Parks and Wildlife.

11—Volunteers can actually now go onto our parks and Wildlife website and look up volunteer opportunities anywhere in the state for any project they would be interested in doing; they can sign up online.

The system went live in February and it’s already getting a work out. Staff that coordinate agency programs requiring volunteers may access the database and contact registrants about opportunities that fit their interests.

21—One of the great things about this systems is that it’s set up so we can go back in and search. For example, with the coastal expo, if I’m going to be in Corpus Christi doing this event, I’ll need volunteers. I can go in and do a search for all the people that have signed up that are in Corpus Christi, and I can send an email out to them letting them know that I’m going to be there and I have this event if you want to come volunteer.

Volunteering is a great way to learn something new, to get outside, and to make new friends. Access the volunteer database on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. Or find a link to it on our website: passporttotexas.org.

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