The budget represents about a 12 percent increase from fiscal year 2009, said Parks and Wildlife's executive director, Carter Smith, and it features pay increases for game wardens and salary-equity payments designed to help retain other Parks and Wildlife employees.
Commissioners reviewed the budget during a finance committee hearing Wednesday and will consider a final approval vote at their August meeting.
"A good portion of the budget is directed at getting parks back fully operational and available," Smith said. Hurricane damage to parks on the coast and flood damage in other parts of the state have left a number of facilities either closed or operating at reduced hours for much of the past two years, but the department managed to get legislative approval to continue improving services and facilities.
According to Parks and Wildlife's assistant director, Gene McCarty, Texas legislators continued to appropriate money for the department to enhance and rebuild its battered state parks system. For instance, the portion of funds that will come from the state's general revenue accounts comprises 29 percent of the total budget, or $136.3 million. Lawmakers pulled $74 million of that money from the state's tax on the sale of sporting goods.
Parks and Wildlife's Fund 9, which is composed of fees paid for hunting and fishing licenses, along with boat titling and registration, totals $129.9 million for 2010, McCarty said. Federal funds, which are produced by excise taxes paid for sportsmen, total $53.9 million in this budget, while approved bonds will bring in $96.3 million.
One area where Texas continues to lag behind other states is in the revenue generated by visitors to state parks. Only seven to eight million people visit state parks each year, and under the standardized fee systems currently in place, they are expected to put $41.7 million into the department's budget next year.
Under the 2010 budget, the department is authorized to spend $119.8 million on state and local parks.
Smith said, however, that even though each park's fee schedule is reviewed each year, the real chance for parks to generate more revenue will come in the form of new facilities.
"We especially need things for large groups, more cabins, those kinds of things," he said. "That's one place we can make more money, but our park revenues were up about 12 percent last year and they are up about 6 to 7 percent this year."
Hunting and fishing license fees continue to pay more than their way in Parks and Wildlife's operations. Those fees should produce nearly $130 million in 2010, while the combined operations of wildlife, coastal and inland fisheries are budgeted to cost just $67.5 million, McCarty told commissioners on the finance committee.
Law enforcement costs — mostly salaries and equipment for game wardens — will make up 12.9 percent, or $60.4 million, of the overall Parks and Wildlife budget. Capital construction projects are budgeted at $123.8 million or 26.4 percent of the total budget.
Legislators appropriated $146.3 million for salaries for the coming year. The department is approved for 3,178 full-time positions for the fiscal year.
However, many of those positions will be split between seasonal and part-time employees, commissioners were told.
mleggett@statesman.com
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http://www.statesman.com/search/content/sports/stories/outdoors/2009/07/23/0723legcol.html
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