This report examines public parks in the Big Bend region of Texas. It gives a background for issues surrounding parks in the Big Bend and briefly describes state and federal parks in the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos. The report studies the Big Bend Ranch State Park in depth, discussing its resources, history, and management. The report analyzes why state parks in the Big Bend are increasingly political and details the rise of the property rights movement in the Big Bend. The report also gives examples of other places, similar to the Big Bend, where private citizens and public agencies are working together to preserve area resources.
--Author's foreword.
