TP&WD Commission Wants Lawmakers To Halt Transfer Of Historic Properties To Historical Commission

Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission Chairman Joe Fitzsimons wednesday asked Texas lawmakers not to go forward with the transfer of 21 historic properties currently under the control of TP&WD to the Texas Historical Commission.

He further cautioned that the public hasn’t had the opportunity to provide input on the transfer and that the list of the 21 properties he gave House Speaker Tom Craddick last week was done without considering the work of advisory panels, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported.

Fitzsimons wrote that he assumed the state would consider such recommendations before moving forward with the transfer — “especially since the attached list was assembled without public input.” Craddick received Fitzsimons’ letter on Monday.

Fitzsimons noted that one of the advisory panels, the State Parks Advisory Committee, has recommended that the department not transfer to other government entities unless it creates cost savings for the state. Fitzsimons said that such a cost-benefit analysis has not yet been done for the proposed transfers but should be.

“It bears examination,” Fitzsimons said of the possible transfer of the Port Isabel Lighthouse, the Sabine Pass Battleground and 19 other sites to the Texas Historical Commission. “No agency should take the position that they are the only ones that can do any job. … [But] it should be done in light of the recommendations [of the State Parks Advisory Committee and other panels].”

As we noted earlier this week, legislation passed in 2005 doesn’t specifically require legislative action to transfer the properties, but does allow for the transfers.

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