In a world of ever-decreasing public lands and public land fights over their sale, the last place you'd think of to be adding new public lands would be Texas. Yet, that's exactly what the Lone Star state is doing through a voter-approved public lands buy through a newly created Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.
For those not in the know, Texas is one of the largest states in the US, yet it has almost no public lands. Of its total 171 million acres, only 4% is public land. Compare that to Alaska's 365 million acres and 90% public land, or California's 100 million acres and 15% which is publicly owned. But even that small percentage of publicly owned land was one that developers wanted to pry from the publics hands and, after a housing developer purchased Fairfield Lake State Park in 2023, Texas' voters went to the polls and approved a $1 billion fund to increase the state's public lands.
That is rather unheard of today, and especially from Texas. But the outcome is a win for public land advocates, as well as regular, ordinary citizens, as it both shows that people love public lands and, when push comes to shove, you can actually increase the amount of public lands we have access to. It's a win for US citizens through and through.
"Voters approved the conservation fund following a highly publicized fiasco that resulted in the total loss of Fairfield Lake State Park in 2023," says MeatEater's Eli Fournier, adding, "The park had been operating on leased, private land for years, but in February 2023, the property was sold to a high-end residential developer for $103 million. The state considered using eminent domain to take it back, but gave up the fight after the fair-market value was assessed at $418 million by a panel of local landowners. By that point, the Centennial Fund was already on the ballot, but the whole ordeal may have helped turn the tide in favor of the initiative. It passed with 76% of the vote."
That last bit is an important statistic to remember, because as I've discussed in the past, public land enjoys probably the most support out of any American policy right now across the supposed political divide. Even in a state like Texas, where landowners reign supreme, the vast majority of Texans want more public land. They want more hunting and off-roading grounds, places to camp and fish, and otherwise recreate how they'd wish. And that's what they voted for and are, hopefully, getting with this fund.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is already buying up land, too, with thousands of acres of public land being added to the roster, and more slated to be purchased or opened in short order.
"The state doesn’t appear to be slowing down," adds the outlet, saying, "At a Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting this November, commissioners authorized the purchase of a huge 54,000-acre property to create a new park on the West Nueces River; a 1,120-acre property to expand Caprock Canyon State Park (home to a wild bison herd); and several parcels adjacent to Lockhart State Park totaling 200 acres. The purchases have not yet been made, but TPWD says the tracts are available from 'willing sellers.'" And through the public comment period, over 94% of the comments were in support of these purchases and expansions.
So in a time when public lands are under attack, all we have to do is look to Texas of all states, to show the path forward, and prove that the people's voice can still be heard. Public lands are integral to the American experience, and they're more important than ever.
Keep fighting.
