When lean times hit, money for state parks is some of the first to get diverted to other purposes. A package of legislation proposed in the Texas State legislature would change that.
Texas State Representative John Cyrier (R-Lockhart) pens an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle calling for more funding for state parks.
Rather, Rep. Cyrier is asking for the state to stop stealing funds from state parks. After listing the many benefits and uses of state parks, Cyrier draws attention to the decades-long neglect of funding for Texas state parks.
"Since 1993, when the Legislature voted to fund state parks with the portion of sales tax revenues collected on the sale of sporting goods, only 47 percent of the nearly $2.8 billion collected has been appropriated to state parks," according to Cyrier.
Facing reported deferred maintenance costs of more than $800 million for state parks, Cyrier and other colleagues in the Texas State Legislature have proposed legislation that will ensure the sporting goods sales tax is allocated to parks.
FULL STORY: Stop diverting money from Texas’ state parks
Not a Walk in the Park: What It Really Takes to Build Green Spaces
Park creation can take decades of perseverance to overcome financial, regulatory, and social hurdles, but the end result for the local community is more than worth it.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
California's Top-Rated Park for Hikers Is Inside the City of LA
According to AllTrails, a popular fitness and travel mobile app, Topanga State Park has many highly-rated trails, most of which are of moderate difficulty and vary in length from three to seven miles.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service