FORGOTTEN HISTORY: Texas parks and wildlife department | History Defined

Texas doctor spent 40 years restoring family land; $10M ranch becomes wildlife area

Paul Burns dedicated his life to restoring the Colonel Burns Ranch in Texas for decades. His family acquired the land over time, eventually restoring its native habitat. In 2023, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired 2,178 acres to create a wildlife management area. The Burns family retained part of…

The Times of India · Oct 8

In 2014, a Texas coalition bought a 17,351-acre coastal ranch for $37.7 million, much of it using Deepwater Horizon restoration money; 15,000 acres later became a wildlife area protecting wetlands, prairie and endangered whooping crane habitat

In 2014, a coalition of conservation groups bought 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch on the Texas coast for $37.7 million. A major share of the funding came from BP and Transocean penalties linked to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Four years later, more than 15,000 acres were transferred to Texas Parks and…

The Times of India · Aug 25

A Texas homeowner thought they had a snake problem. Then more than 20 rattlesnakes emerged from beneath the house

A routine wildlife-removal call in Aledo, Texas, turned into a startling discovery when specialists found more than 20 rattlesnakes living beneath a home. The homeowners had initially sought help with what appeared to be a typical animal-removal problem, but snake wrangler Sheila Taber soon realised the situation was far more…

The Times of India · Aug 12

State abandons effort to take back Fairfield Lake State Park land

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stop pursuing eminent domain to take over the former park property south of Dallas. A private developer plans to turn it into a luxury subdivision.

The Texas Tribune · Dec 5, 2023

Texas takes legal action to save Fairfield Lake State Park

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began the legal process of eminent domain to seize the former state park and save it from being turned into an upscale subdivision. The agency had offered a Dallas-based developer $103 million for it.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 1, 2023

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opts for eminent domain to save Fairfield Lake State Park

With only three days left on the state’s lease, the agency unanimously voted to condemn almost 5,000 acres in Freestone County in an effort to keep the park open to the public after developers purchased the property to build a gated community.

The Texas Tribune · Jun 10, 2023

Texas House backs death benefits for state troops in Operation Lone Star

The bill was amended to make the benefits retroactive, supporting the family of a soldier whose name is on the legislation.

The Texas Tribune · Apr 11, 2023

Shuttered Fairfield Lake State Park will reopen temporarily starting Tuesday

State officials plan to offer free day access to the property as they consider how to acquire the land before its sale.

The Texas Tribune · Mar 13, 2023

“We’ve come to say goodbye”: Visitors flock to Fairfield Lake State Park on its last day

For decades the park has sat on leased land that the owner recently decided to sell. As the staff closed the gates Monday night for the last time, visitors and staff held out hope that the state could find a way to save the park.

The Texas Tribune · Feb 28, 2023

A Texas park on leased land near Dallas must close because the state’s landlord is selling the property to a developer

After investing $72 million in improvements at Fairfield Lake State Park over three decades, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is out. The state has 120 days to vacate the property.

The Texas Tribune · Feb 15, 2023