State parks supporters to launch 7 city, 13 park tour to promote Prop 5

The constitutional amendment would guarantee funding for state parks

Environment Texas

AUSTIN – Environment Texas today announced a statewide tour to build public support for Proposition 5, a constitutional amendment on the ballot November 5, which would guarantee sales taxes on sporting goods go to fund state and local parks. The group will visit 13 different state parks and hold events in seven cities to encourage Texans to help make sure parks are properly funded. 

“From camping under the stars at Big Bend Ranch to exploring the cypress swamps of Caddo Lake, our state parks make life better here in Texas,” said Luke Metzger, Executive Director of Environment Texas. “They protect the clean water we depend on and provide a home for some of Texas’ most wondrous wildlife, like the black bear and the leatherback sea turtle. But chronic underfunding has placed a strain on an aging system with outdated infrastructure. Prop 5 is a historic opportunity to make sure our parks get the funds they need and deserve.”

Texas parks already have a dedicated funding stream—sales taxes on sporting goods. But from 1993 to 2017, the state collected nearly $2.5 billion in revenues from the sporting goods sales tax (SGST), yet only 40 percent has been appropriated for parks.

Proposition 5 will amend the Texas Constitution to dedicate revenue from the SGST, so those dollars can only be used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission on public parks and historic sites, and not for any other purposes.

“The Legislature has done its part, and so now the measure goes to the people,” wrote Sen. Lois Kolkhorst and Representative Cyrier in a recent Dallas Morning News Editorial. “Surely we can all agree that these special places are vital to our economy and to our Texas heritage, culture and way of life.”

Environment Texas will kick off the tour with an event in McKinney Falls State Park in Austin on Oct. 7 and continue with events in Houston and Dallas on Oct. 8, in San Angelo Oct. 10, in Midland Oct. 11, in El Paso on Oct. 14. The tour will then conclude with an event in San Antonio on Oct. 16. Tour details below.

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Political ad paid for by Environment Texas. Environment Texas is a non-profit advocate for clean air, clean water and open spaces.

Monday, October 7, Austin

Time: 10 AM

Location: McKinney Falls State Park, next to the Upper Falls 

WHO: Representative John Cyrier, Luke Metzger of Environment Texas, Colin Wallis from Austin Parks Foundation, John Shepperd from Texas Foundation for Conservation

Tuesday, October 8, Houston

Time: 1 PM

Location: Outside Houston Arboretum & Nature Center in Memorial Park, 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston

WHO: Joseph Fitzsimons, Founder, Texas Coalition for State Parks, Jill Boullion of Bayou Land Conservancy, Joe Betar from the Houston Safari Club, Catherine Fraser of Environment Texas, Representative Sarah Davis

Tuesday, October 8, Dallas/Fort Worth

Time: 1 PM

Location: Cedar Hill State Park (at Penn Agricultural History Center), 1570 FM1382, Cedar Hill, TX 75104

WHO: Emma Pabst of Environment Texas, George Bristol of Texas Coalition for State Parks, Mack Turner of Texas Conservation Alliance

Thursday, October 10, San Angelo

Time: 1 PM

Location: San Angelo State Park (at south entrance of park), 362 S. FM 2288. San Angelo, TX 76901

WHO: Emma Pabst and Anna Farrell-Sherman of Environment Texas

Friday, October 11, Midland

Time: 10 AM

Location: Beal Park Gazebo, 5200 W. Wall St. Midland, TX 79703

WHO: Emma Pabst and Anna Farrell-Sherman of Environment Texas

Monday, October 14, El Paso

Time: 10 AM

Location: Franklin Mountains State Park (at entrance of Tom Mays unit of park), 1331 McKelligon Canyon Road, El Paso, TX 79930

WHO: Emma Pabst and Anna Farrell-Sherman of Environment Texas, Scott Culter of Frontera Land Alliance

Wednesday, October 16th, San Antonio

Time: 1 PM

Location: Concepcion Park, San Antonio, TX 

WHO: Joseph Fitzsimons, Founder, Texas Coalition for State Parks; Dan Allen Hughes, Annalisa Peace of Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, David Yeats of Texas Wildlife Association, Emma Pabst and Anna Farrell-Sherman of Environment Texas, Representative Steve Allison

We’ll also visit the following state parks along the way: Big Spring, Monahans Sand Hills, Hueco Tanks, Davis Mountains, Indian Lodge, and South Llano River.