Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Executive Director Dr. David Yoskowitz expressed gratitude Thursday for the vision and support provided by Gov. Greg Abbott during a keynote address celebrating 100 years of Texas State Parks.

Governor Abbott provided the keynote address at the Feb. 8 Texas State Parks Centennial Celebration at the Bullock Texas State History Museum’s The Art of Texas State Parks exhibit in Austin, where he cited the economic impact of Texas State Parks on local communities and highlighted the conservation efforts made by TPWD.

“On behalf of our hardworking Texas State Parks staff and TPWD in general, I want to thank Governor Abbott for his support for conserving state lands for future recreational use,” Yoskowitz said. “Supported largely by the funding allocated to our agency by the Texas Legislature through Proposition 5 in 2019, TPWD has an ambitious plan to bring new parks online for public enjoyment over the next decade. Governor Abbott’s elegant endorsement of our work provides fresh inspiration for expanding access to the natural wonders throughout our state.”

Earlier in the day, the Texas Senate and House of Representatives each passed resolutions citing the economic and health benefits of Texas State Parks, including outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat conservation at these links below:

SR 149 by Perry, Charles – Recognizing 2023 as the Texas State Parks Centennial. 

HR 134 by King, Ken – Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Texas State Parks.

TPWD’s Centennial Celebration kicked off Jan. 1 to recognize Texas’ 89 existing state parks and natural areas – which span more than 640,000 acres and welcome around 10 million visitors each year – while highlighting the need for even more state parkland to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly urban Texas population over the next century. State parks are experiencing record visitation, requiring TPWD to manage capacity limits at many parks.

“We have a task ahead of us,” Governor Abbott said, speaking to a packed house of legislators, community leaders and partners gathered to celebrate Texas State Parks and view the artwork representing state parks throughout Texas. “The task is preserving our Texas for future generations. We must protect the glorious parks that we already have, and when people gather in this historic museum a hundred years from now, they need to be talking not just about the glory of 200 years of great parks in Texas. They need to be listing all the parks that were added in this next 100 years to preserve the majesty of this great and beautiful state of Texas.”

Since 95 percent of Texas lands are privately owned, with only 2.5 percent of that land open and accessible to the public, Texas State Parks offer vital access to outdoor spaces, providing more than 1,300 miles of trails and 7,961 overnight camping sites.

Beginning with Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, set to open in late 2023 as part of the Centennial Celebration, TPWD has developed a plan to open a new state park every two years, utilizing properties currently in the agency’s inventory.

Led by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, work is also underway to acquire new land for state parks and natural areas, supported largely by a constitutional amendment passed in 2019 allowing for automatic appropriation of 93 percent of the total Sporting Good Sales Tax estimates to TPWD for state and local park purposes. The constitutional amendment passed with 88 percent of Texas voters in support of the funding dedication, and changes have helped ensure a predictable and sustained funding stream for state and local park operations, maintenance, capital construction, and land acquisition.

“As commissioners, we have prioritized our efforts to increase access to and participation in the outdoors,” said Commission Chairman Arch “Beaver” Aplin III. “We cannot express our appreciation for the enduring support of Governor Abbott in building upon our state’s rich legacy of state parks for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF), TPWD’s official nonprofit partner, has also set a goal to raise $2 million this year to generate funding for development projects at all 89 parks.

TPWF is partnering with TPWD and H-E-B to celebrate 100 years of Texas State Parks. H-E-B, the presenting sponsor of the celebration, has donated $1 million to help Texas State Parks engage all Texans in discovering and enjoying their state parks.

For more information on the yearlong Centennial Celebration, including other upcoming community events, the history of Texas State Parks and how to make a day visit or overnight reservation, visit the Texas State Parks 100 Years website at TexasStateParks.org/100years.

Additional media resources for the Centennial Celebration can be found on the TPWD website.