With all the talk about the state needing to cut 25 billion, I've been waiting to hear how that would affect the TPWD. It's total budget is just a small fraction of the total budget, but the latest proposal is to cut one-third of their funding and 500 employees. I wonder how much that will affect the stocking programs? Oh well, I guess we don't really NEED hybrids, trout and Florida bass.

we can do without the bass. i think they will be fine on the hatcheries. i do know that the state parks are going to as many volunteers as they can round up. the non hunting and fishing group need to help out a lot more than just raising the fees on the hunters and fishermen.

Even though they raise fees, and I don't like it, I wish the monies collected on parks, licenese's, boat registration, and half the sales tax on sporting goods, etc etc, would go to tpwd. And not the general fund. Seems a waste to me

it goes into a slush fund. in which they rob from it. Just like the special licence's plate they sell for certain groups they take that too

Wading through reform
Outdoors-related issues will likely take a back seat during the upcoming legislative session. But there are some bills, however small, worth keeping an eye on
By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 29, 2010, 11:06PM

see the report here:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/outdoors/tompkins/7358643.html

This downward spiral started with the mortgage and banking collapse and I fear we haven't seen the worst part yet.

In My Opinion, TPWD could better prioritize their spending. They can't afford to properly maintain their existing properties and parks, but they continue to purchase new ones. A moritorium on any new purchases would help if they would put a higher priority on just maintaining existing properties. Why buy or build something you can't afford to maintain.

TPWD should be reorganized to take care of priorities. It has too many people who could care less about taking care of the public.

I have had many run-ins with TPWD bureaucrats, starting with the Fort Worth biologist who keeps 200 fishermen waiting because the trout truck cannot start without him, and he is always late.

Letters to Austin go unanswered.

Emails take weeks for a reply.

On the other hand, I have never had a problem with a game warden, primarily because I try to be squeeky clean. Most of them appear to be folks who just want to put in their 8 hours. A few of them thank they are God, and a few are just grouches.

I agree with those who say the TPWD should maintain our parks, enforce fish and game laws,stock only public lakes with unrestricted access, and show common sense.

If the 500 employees cut were the right ones the department would be healthier. But I am afraid they will be the working ones who try to serve the public.

If the funds collected under the TPWD were soley allocated for TPWD there would never be a problem. You can run small states on those monies collected, but alas we have the general fund in Texas, absolute frigging robbery!!!

If you think the ratio for collected verses allocated is bad in TPWD, you should see the racket the state runs in regards to barbers and cosmetologists, they pay a bunch and that regulatory department has 5 full time employees, they collect approximately 11 million annually is what I have been told. Organized crime i tell you!!!

Dead on, Eagle2. I wonder if the fishermen and hunters would have enough clout to correct the situation if we pulled together?

you better watch TPWD funding- they have been using your fees for years to try and balance budgets

I'll take the opposite view here. Although I don't like the fact that some of our dollars from fees/licenses goes into the general fund, we still have the finest Parks and Wildlife Department in the US, if not the world.

Ask fishermen and hunters from any other state that have experienced Texas outdoors, and they will tell you we don't know how good we have it. I agree.

There are a few bad apples in every bunch, but to attempt and characterize the entire department by the unsavory attitudes of a few is wholly unfair.

Maybe its time to require license fees for bird watchers, hikers, jet skiers and recreational boaters. They all partake of the resource but don't face the licensing fees that sportsmen do.

Personally I don't see any benefit to the trout stocking program. If it's dubbed as a kids-fishing extravaganza, that's not accurate because mostly the fishing is SLOW and after an hour of being skunked, the kids have completely lost interest. If it's to put food on the table, I think the $$ could be better used to maintain our parks, and hire more GWs to enforce the widespread violation of our fishing regulations.

The trout stocking program was originally started as a benefit to old codgers like myself as well as a kid program. It was funded by a trout stamp and paid for by those who participated.Then TPWD imposed the freshwater stamp on everyone, and started a "partnership" program whereby the cities paid for the trout that went into their ponds. Old men were no longer welcome. Cities like Keller and Grand Prairie began hassling the retired fishermen because they were "stealing the kid's trout".

I agree that as it is presently structured the trout program is worthless.