The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission on Nov. 6 authorized the executive director to take steps to acquire parcels from willing sellers that would expand three state parks and protect habitat.

Staff recommended and the commission approved acquisitions described as: approximately 54,000 acres in Kinney and Edwards counties (proposed as a new state park site with steep canyons, roughly 7.5 miles of the West Nueces River and a 30-acre lake); a roughly 1,120-acre parcel adjacent to Caprock Canyon State Park and Trailway in Briscoe County (to enlarge habitat and bison range and add recreational access); and a collection of strategic tracts totaling about 200 acres adjacent to Lockhart State Park in Caldwell County (in partnership with The Nature Conservancy) to expand trails and operational capacity.

Zeke Sanchez, with the department's Land Conservation Program, presented the Kinney/Edwards and Caprock Canyon proposals and said staff received public-comment totals of 92 responses for the Kinney/Edwards proposal (about 94% in favor, 6% oppose) and 226 responses for Caprock Canyon (about 94% in favor, 6% oppose). Trey Vick presented the Lockhart strategy and said staff received 814 responses (799 in favor, 15 opposed). Justin Rhodes (State Parks Division) noted a portion of opposition to acquisitions typically comes from people opposed to state purchases of private land.

Commissioners asked staff to summarize the basis for the small share of negative comments; answers described concerns from neighboring landowners about potential impacts (for example, water use along rivers) and general opposition to state land purchases. No members of the public were signed up to speak on these items at the meeting.

Votes and procedure: Each acquisition item was presented, then the commission moved, seconded and approved each motion by voice vote. Specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript; chair called for voice votes and announced each motion passed.

What this means: The commission authorized staff to proceed with negotiations and the executive director to take necessary steps to acquire the parcels from willing sellers. The approvals were directives to begin acquisition steps; final closings and any necessary funding or contract actions will follow standard departmental procedures and, if required, return to the commission for final approvals.

Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this article are: Zeke Sanchez (Land Conservation Program), Trey Vick (Land Conservation Program), Justin Rhodes (State Parks Division), and Paul Foster (chairman, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission).