Oppose HB 4938 - Save TX Parks & Wildlife Department​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I strongly oppose House Bill 4938, which would abolish Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). As your constituent who values our natural heritage, I urge you to oppose this bill through all available channels. This proposal concerns me for several key reasons: If functions and staff are simply transferring to other agencies, there's no clear efficiency gained—just disruption to a system that works well. Fragmenting TPWD across multiple agencies with different missions threatens cohesive management of our lands and wildlife resources. TPWD enjoys widespread public support for good reason. Our state parks are so popular they have waiting lists and frequently reach capacity, demonstrating Texans need more investment in public lands, not restructuring. Our parks function as essential "third spaces"—public gathering places beyond home and work that benefit all Texans. They provide equitable access to nature regardless of economic status, improving health, reducing stress, and building community. Texas should expand TPWD's capacity to meet growing demand for outdoor recreation. With less than 5% of Texas land publicly accessible—among the lowest in the nation—we should protect what we have rather than risk undermining it through reorganization that could lead to commercialization or restricted access. Please oppose HB 4938 and instead support increased resources for TPWD. Share these concerns with your colleagues to preserve our public lands for all Texans. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. I would appreciate hearing your position on this issue.