Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room (Room 100). Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
None.
The State of Texas has given the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) the responsibility for the management and conservation of the state's wildlife and fish resources; provision of outdoor recreational opportunities to the public; acquisition, development, and operation of wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, state parks, historic sites, and other public lands; conservation education and outreach; cultural and historical interpretation; and the regulation of fishing, hunting, and boating activities. The Department is composed of ten major divisions which carry out the functions and duties of the agency: Wildlife, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, Communications, Law Enforcement, Infrastructure, Administrative Resources, Legal, Information Technology, and Human Resources. The Parks and Wildlife Commission selects an executive director to administer the department. In 2005 the agency employed the full-time equivalent of 3,038 people.
The Parks and Wildlife Commission governs the agency. It was initially composed of three members, increased to six members in 1972, and as of 1983, contains nine members, appointed by the Governor with approval of the Senate. Members serve six-year overlapping terms. The Governor appoints the chair. The Commission meets quarterly or more often as needed, primarily to adopt policies and rules to carry out the programs of the Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) had its beginnings in 1879. The 16th Texas Legislature authorized the Governor to appoint a fish commissioner to ensure compliance with an Act for the preservation of fish and to build fish ways and fish ladders (Chapter 92, 16th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1881 the Office of the Fish Commissioner was established (Chapter 78, 17th Legislature, Regular Session). It was created for the "propagation and preservation of fish and to build fish-ways and fish-ladders…," and existed through 1885. The commissioner was appointed to a two-year term by the Governor, with the approval of the Senate.
In 1895 the 24th Legislature created the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner (House Bill 55, Regular Session) with the commissioner appointed by the Governor as before. The duties included the protection of fish, turtles and terrapin of the bays and coastal waters of the state, protection of natural oyster beds and reefs, and the protection of the location of private beds. The Commissioner had the authority to appoint Deputy Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office. In 1907 protection of wild birds and wild game was added to the responsibilities of that office, which became the Office of the Game, Fish and Oyster Commissioner (House Bill 379, 30th Legislature, Regular Session). This Commissioner appointed Deputy Game Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office.
A six-member commission replaced the single commissioner in 1929 and the agency became the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission (Senate Bill 83, 41st Legislature, Regular Session). The commissioners were appointed to six year terms by the Governor with the approval of the Senate and were selected from different sections of the state. The chair was appointed by the Governor. Duties of the commission included administering the state's laws relating to game and fish; preventing pollution of streams; issuing hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses; collecting fees, taxes, and fines; conducting research; and proclaiming and enforcing open seasons and bag limits on game and fish. The commission also operated fish hatcheries and sanctuaries, administered game and hunting preserves, supervised oyster beds in the state, controlled and exterminated predatory animals and fish, and educated the public in the preservation of wildlife and fish and game resources of the state. It had the authority to create rules and regulations as necessary to carry out its duties. The name was changed to the Texas Game and Fish Commission in 1951 and the size of the board was increased to nine members (Senate Bill 463, 52nd Legislature, Regular Session).
The state created the Texas State Parks Board in 1923 (Senate Bill 73, 38th Legislature, First Called Session) to investigate prospective park sites in the state and report to the Legislature with recommendations, and to solicit and accept donations of land for state park purposes. The State Parks Board was initially composed of five members, appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Senate to six year terms, and they were to be state officers. The number of board members increased to six in 1937 (Senate Bill 484, 45th Legislature, Regular Session). This board was to begin locating sites for the establishment of the state parks system. It directed and managed state parks, except the historical parks which were managed by the Board of Control and/or several separate commissions. The Parks Board was charged with locating, designating, and marking historic grounds, battlegrounds, and other historic sites in the state, and erecting markers and monuments at such sites. The board also had the authority to create rules and regulations as necessary to carry out its duties. The primary function of the board between 1923 and 1933 was to acquire lands for parks through donations. In 1933, federal funds became available for state park development and the board worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the National Park Service for the development of better park sites for a state parks system. The CCC provided labor during the 1930s to improve state park lands and facilities. The state transferred control of historical parks to the State Parks Board in 1949, except for the San Jacinto Battlefield, the Battleship Texas, and the Fannin Battlefield, which were still controlled by their respective commissions--the San Jacinto Battlefield Commission, the Battleship Texas Commission, and the Fannin Battlefield Commission (House Bill 120, 51st Legislature, Regular Session). Jurisdiction over the Fannin and San Jacinto Battlefields was transferred to TPWD in 1965 (House Bill 102, 59th Legislature, Regular Session). Battleship Texas was transferred to TPWD in 1983 (House Bill 586, 68th Legislature, Regular Session).
The State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission were merged in 1963 to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (House Bill 21, 58th Legislature, Regular Session). The Historic Structures and Sites Act was passed by the 60th Legislature (House Bill 58, Regular Session) in 1967 charging the Parks and Wildlife Department with stewardship of the state's cultural heritage sites. In 1983 the 68th Legislature passed the Wildlife Conservation Act (Senate Bill 94, Regular Session), giving the agency the authority to manage fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties. Prior to this act county commissioner courts set game and fish laws in many counties, and other counties had veto power over Department regulations. In 1985 the 69th Legislature granted the agency authority over shrimp and oysters (Senate Bill 609, Regular Session).
The functions of the Resource Protection Division were absorbed by other program divisions following an agency-wide reorganization in 2004. While the division was active its duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion; investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife; providing information and recommendations to other government agencies; and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. It reviewed permits proposed for wastewater discharge and hazardous waste disposal by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the Railroad Commission. The division also investigated fish kills, attempting to determine responsibility for the kill and recovering the economic value of the fish and other lost aquatic life from the polluter. It also assessed injury to fish and wildlife resources from oil and hazardous chemical releases and sought restoration from the responsible party. The division represented the department in the Interagency Council for Oil Spill Response Planning and the Coastal Coordinating Council, a multi-agency body that reviews and coordinates state and federal laws and actions affecting the Texas coast. The division worked to protect sensitive ecological habitats and rare, threatened, or endangered plants and animals and it worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect wetland areas and to dispose of dredge material from Texas navigable waters. The divisions's Resource Conservation Branch worked with the Governor's Texas Review and Comment System (TRACS) by reviewing and commenting on various projects that may have an environmental impact on state resources. It also supported the Geographic Information Systems Laboratory. The GIS lab is operated by the Executive Office and provides specialized training and spatial analysis as part of its support of agency-wide efforts to develop, manage, and maintain digital maps and natural and cultural databases which allow biologists and resource managers to more effectively manage state resources.
The Wildlife Division manages and conserves all the state's wildlife resources. Its responsibilities include wildlife planning, research, inventorying wildlife resources, monitoring population dynamics, regulating game seasons and bag limits, conserving non-game and rare species, habitat conservation and acquisition, providing technical assistance to land owners, operating and managing 52 wildlife management areas, and assisting with the management of 123 state parks. The division also uses state-owned and operated lands to conduct wildlife research, field tours, seminars, wildlife management operations, and offers public access to these lands for public hunting and other recreational and education uses. Most of the work done by the division is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act.
The Coastal Fisheries Division manages the marine fishery resources of Texas' four million acres of saltwater, including the bays and estuaries and out to nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. Management strategies are designed to sustain fisheries harvest at levels necessary to ensure replenishable stocks of important species and provide balanced food webs within the marine ecosystems. The division conducts monitoring programs year round to gather technical data to assess population levels and develop fishing regulations. The division operates three hatchery facilities to enhance populations of several species of game fish, through increasing abundance of the fish and offsetting impacts of natural catastrophes. The Division also operates the Artificial Reef Program. In 1989 the 71st Legislature directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to develop the artificial reef potential of Texas (Senate Bill 5, Regular Session). The Texas Artificial Reef Plan was adopted in 1990, creating the Artificial Reef Program. The basic activity of the program is to acquire surplus ships, barges, oil rigs, and other material that is then deposited on the sea floor to form artificial reefs.
The Inland Fisheries Division manages the freshwater fishery resources of the state, which consist of 626 public impoundments and 80,000 miles of rivers and streams covering 1.7 million acres. The division activities include fisheries management and research, fish production, angler education and information, fishing access projects, and aquatic habitat management. The division also operates six fish hatchery facilities to enhance populations of several species of fish.
(Sources: Enabling legislation, numerous years; V.T.C.A., Parks and
Wildlife Code, Title 2;
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies, and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. These files consist of correspondence, memos, fax cover sheets, reports, planning documents, comments to plans, agendas, meeting packets, papers, presentations, agreements, certificates, proposals, project construction tasks, project summaries, permit application summary sheets, proposed action public notices, environmental assessments or environmental impact statements, statements of findings, reviews and comments on projects that may have an adverse environmental impact on the fish and wildlife habitat, an environmental policy guide, and mailing lists. Also present are meeting files of the Coastal Coordination Council. Dates covered are 1962, about 1970-1999, 2001, bulk dating 1988-1997.
Topics covered include endangered species and impacts to fish and wildlife environments due to construction or other projects, dredging and fill operations in the state's navigable waters and wetlands, habitat loss for wildlife, regulation of aquaculture wastewater discharge, mineral recovery operations, natural recovery of damaged areas, flood control projects, environmental education of the public, regional water planning, mitigation policies, cleaning up oil spills, preservation of coastal barriers, ground water protection, animal waste utilization, improvements to water quality, mosquito control, hunting programs, management of grasslands and national forests, wetlands protection, the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program, the federal Clean Water Act and Section 404 Corps of Engineers permits, and revisions to the state's water quality certification rules. Correspondents include state officials, other state agencies, federal agencies and officials, local officials, legislators, congressmen, contractors, environmental groups, private companies, and the general public.
This series was removed from the overall TPWD finding aid due to the
electronic file size limitations imposed by the online finding aid web site
(TARO). If you are reading this electronically, click on the following link to
access the overall finding aid
To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.
These records have been organized into six series by State Archives staff:
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Several series of project files, program files, and reports and
studies of the Resource Protection Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department were appraised by the State Archives staff as archival on October
18, 1999 as part of an agency-wide appraisal of TPWD's records. The
administrative correspondence of division directors was initially appraised as
non-archival, based on the information provided at that time. The Archives has
since learned that during the time period covered by these records the
correspondence of the division directors was an extension of the correspondence
handled by the executive director of the agency, usually containing the
outgoing responses of the executive director based on drafts prepared by
division staff. Based on this new information the Archives staff decided to
review the administrative correspondence of the divisions on a case-by-case
basis, keeping those files that fit the description of the administrative
correspondence appraised as archival. The correspondence in this series fits
the archival criteria. For a list of archival series and more information about
the appraisal of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's records, see the
appraisal reports by State Archives staff on file in the search room of the
Archives and Information Services Division or online at
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
Accession numbers: 2000/150, 2003/086, 2004/090, 2005/087, 2006/394
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 10, 2000; October 10, 2003; February 17, 2004; January 12, 2005; and August 24, 2006.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that may cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that may affect fish and wildlife. The division also handled some correspondence of the agency's Executive Office, researching questions and drafting replies for the Executive Director. These files consist of outgoing and incoming letters, memos, fax cover sheets, reports, planning documents, comments to plans, agendas, papers, presentations, and mailing lists. Correspondence tracking system reports are available for 1994 and 1995. Dates covered are 1989-1999, bulk 1994-1997. Correspondents include state officials, other state agencies, federal agencies and officials, local officials, legislators, congressmen, contractors, environmental groups, private companies, and the general public.
The first set of correspondence contains letters that cover a wide variety of topics and reflect the various activities assigned to this division, including responding to complaints, concern over endangered species and impacts to fish and wildlife environments due to construction or other projects, habitat loss for wildlife, regulation of aquaculture wastewater discharge, mineral recovery operations, natural recovery of damaged areas, wetland conservation, flood control projects, environmental education of the public, regional water planning, mitigation policies, cleaning up oil spills, river dredging, preservation of coastal barriers, and controlling the brown tide along the Laguna Madre. Almost all of the outgoing letters are signed by the Executive director of the agency, Andrew Sansom, with a few outgoing replies by division staff.
The last set of files are correspondence and subject files that discuss issues such as strategic planning for the division, division reorganization, a symposium on Texas seagrass, strategic planning for water development allocation and management, a meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Marine Research Board, water quality in East Texas, drought, civil restitution for chloride contamination of the Red River, water issues, the Natural Heritage Program, the TPWD's proposed expansion of the golf course at Bastrop State Park, environmental containments and assessments, the Texas Wetlands Conservation Plan, a coastal preserves management plan, aquatic preserves, regulations, exotic species, the reauthorization of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the TWPD's Endangered Species Program (ESP), concerns of landowners with endangered species, and the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP). The bulk of the files in this set concern endangered species and the BCCP issues. Files in this set of correspondence contain more internal division memoranda and outgoing responses by the division staff than what is present in the first set of correspondence, which is almost exclusively outgoing letters of the Executive Director. The files also contain a number of papers and presentations, many concerning the reauthorization of Endangered Species Act, some relating to other symposiums and workshops noted in these files, and others are presentations given at Parks and Wildlife Commission or committee meetings.
These records are arranged into two groups by State Archives staff: Administrative correspondence; Administrative correspondence and subject files. Files in the first group are further arranged by year as received from the agency. Files in the second group are arranged as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Division director administrative correspondence and subject files, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
The administrative correspondence of division directors was
initially appraised as non-archival, based on the information provided at that
time (appraisal report dated October 18, 1999). The Archives has since learned
that during the time period covered by these records the correspondence of the
division directors was an extension of the correspondence handled by the
executive director of the agency, usually containing the outgoing responses of
the executive director based on drafts prepared by division staff. Based on
this new information we decided to review the administrative correspondence of
the divisions on a case-by-case basis, keeping those files that fit the
description of the administrative correspondence appraised as archival. The
correspondence in this series fits the archival criteria. For a list of
archival series and more information about the appraisal of the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department's records, see the appraisal reports done by State Archives
staff on file in the search room of the Archives and Information Services
Division or online at
Accession numbers: 2003/086, 2004/090, 2006/394
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on October 10, 2003; February 17, 2004; and August 24, 2006.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. Records consist of inquiries forwarded to the agency through the Texas Review and Comment System (TRACS) and responses by TPWD staff. The inquiries were generally forwarded by the Governor's Office of Budget and Planning to TPWD for review and comment on projects that may have an impact on the environment. According to agency staff, the reviews were coordinated by the Resource Conservation Branch of the Resource Protection Division and sent to the proper divisions (Inland Fisheries, Coastal Fisheries, Wildlife, etc.) for input. Responses were prepared by the Resource Conservation Branch and signed by the Resource Protection Division director. Not all of the inquiries have a TPWD response. Files include a log of projects, the initial inquiry and any supporting documents, which may include agreements, certificates, proposals, correspondence, budget data, project construction tasks, project summaries, environmental assessments, and reports. Also present is correspondence with the entity proposing or funding the project, usually a federal, state, or local agency. A few projects were proposed by private companies. Dates covered are 1991-1996. Unless otherwise noted, each file contains several inquiries. Files of inquiries with a large amount of material are filed separately and the topic is noted in the inventory.
Types of projects reviewed include ground water protection, animal waste utilization, improvements to water quality, mosquito control, consolidation of endangered species, hunting programs, management of grasslands and national forests, wetlands protection, Galveston Bay National Estuary Program, response to hazardous substance spills, disposal and reuse of a Naval Air Station, a proposed mine, replacement and expansion of an international bridge, fisheries development and utilitization, closing of military bases, abandonment of railway lines, reconfiguration of a nuclear weapons complex, analysis of pesticides in biological tissues of fish, pollution prevention, and reclamation projects.
The originating agencies, those submitting the requests, include federal agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy; state agencies such as the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Extension Service, the Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Texas Forest Service, and the Water Development Board; local government agencies; a few universities; and a few private companies. State and federal agencies are the funding sources for most of the projects. Many of the letters between the TPWD and the federal agencies were funneled through the Texas Office of State and Federal Relations.
These records are arranged as received by the agency in reverse chronological order by the date on the inquiry. Some misfilings were corrected by State Archives staff.
(Identify the item), TRACS (Texas Review and Comment System) project files, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2000/150
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 10, 2000.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. Records in this series reflect several of these activities and consist of permit application summary sheets, proposed action public notices, correspondence, memos, environmental assessments or environmental impact statements, statements of findings, and reviews and comments on projects that may have an adverse environmental impact on the fish and wildlife habitat. Dates covered are 1962, about 1970-1997, bulk 1988-1995. Materials are listed on the original box inventories as being filed between 1986 and 1997, the bulk filed 1992-1993. Most permit applications have additional paperwork that dates back to about 1988; many files have supporting documentation dating back to about 1970.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S. Code Ann., Section 661 et seg.) mandates that state fish and game agencies be included in any comments on projects that may affect the water of the United States. The bulk of the files concern wetland permits filed under Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act. This section gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broad authority to issue permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters of the United States. Documents were sent from the Corps of Engineers to TPWD for comments on a variety of projects, including those affecting coastal waters, wetlands, river basins, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways. Specific types of projects included dredging, building or repairing pipelines, mitigating new areas for development, diverting flood water, improving ship channels, constructing boat houses and other structures along water lines, building canals, constructing pumping stations, making improvement to roads and shorelines, etc. Proposed projects were requested by federal agencies, state agencies, local governments, and private companies.
The review documents may include maps, project diagrams, photographs, and other supporting data. Some of the projects will also include statements of findings or environmental assessments by the Corps of Engineers. The TPWD reviews were coordinated through the Resource Conservation Branch, Resource Protection Division. The Upper and Lower Coast Wetlands team members reviewed projects and made site visits, coordinating their efforts with other departmental divisions when necessary. Comments were prepared in the form of a letter or a no impact statement. Letters were coordinated through the Resource Conservation Branch. Most were signed by the executive director of TPWD, some by the assistant director of the Resource Protection Division. Responses were sent to the lead agency, which was the Corps of Engineers for these records. Correspondence was largely between TPWD and the Corps of Engineers. Other correspondents include the Texas Water Commission, the U.S. Department of the Interior, local government offices, private companies, and others.
These records are arranged into five groups as received from the agency: U.S. Corps of Engineers environmental assessments ordered by file numbers (four groups, each with different file document schemes), and U.S. Corps of Engineers topical environmental assessments. The files in groups one through three are further arranged by file number order within each group; files in group four are roughly arranged by date. Files in the last group are in topical order as received.
(Identify the item), Corps of Engineers environmental assessment project files, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 2000/150, 2004/090, 2005/087
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 10, 2000; February 17, 2004; and January 12, 2005.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. Files contain letters, memos and reports concerning environmental assessment projects of the division's Wetlands Conservation Program, dating 1972-1999, bulk 1988-1994. Topics discussed include the Clean Water Act and Section 404 permits, wetlands protection, flood control, Corps of Engineers permits, revisions to the state's water quality certification rules, marsh management, shore erosion, navigation on lakes and rivers, modifications to lakes and rivers, coastal zone management, oil spill response, seagrass, endangered species, wildlife habitat enhancement, and other issues. Many of the materials are internal memoranda of the Resource Protection Division staff both within its division and with other divisions or offices in TPWD. Outside correspondents include federal agencies, other state agencies, local governments, companies, and organizations.
Files are present for the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission's (TNRCC) 401 Regulatory Guidance Ad Hoc Work Group. The group was charged with developing a regulatory guidance document for implementing TNRCC's 401 water quality certification rules, with regard to the review of Section 404 permits under the federal Clean Water Act. The goal of the group was to tackle issues such as mitigation, improving predictability, and balancing economic and environmental concerns. The working group included members from TPWD and the Texas General Land Office. Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act gives states the authority to review and certify federally permitted or licensed activities that may result in a discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States. The state 401 certification is conducted to insure that federally permitted activities comply with state water quality standards. State authority for water quality certifications can be found in the Texas Administrative Code, Section 30, Chapter 279. Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broad authority to issue permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters of the United States.
These records are arranged topically, as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Wetland Conservation Program project files, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 2005/087, 2006/394
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on January 12, 2005 and August 24, 2006.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
The Coastal Coordination Council (Council) is charged with adopting uniform goals and policies to guide decision-making by all entities regulating or managing natural resource use within the Texas coastal area. It administers the Coastal Management Program (CMP). The chair of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission serves on this Council. As a member of the Council he can appointment someone to serve on the Executive Committee. During the time period covered by these records the division director for the Resource Protection Division served on the Council's Executive Committee as a representative of the Texas Park and Wildlife Department. Records consist of minutes, agenda, memos, correspondence, reports, policy evaluations, discussion guidelines, a memorandum of understanding with Corps of Engineers, drafts of policy material, and project reviews. Dates covered are 1992-1999, 2001, bulk 1997-1998. Memos and correspondence are generally between Council members. Topics discussed include the Coastal Management Program (CMP), policy development, rule certification, drafting a memorandum with the Corps of Engineers, dredging guidelines, and consistency reviews, which are reviews of projects for impacts to coastal natural resource areas (CNRAs) and the Coastal Management Program. Several files are present for the Threshold and Rule Certification Task Force, composed of Council members and few others, including additional TPWD staff from the Resource Protection Division.
The Coastal Coordination Council (Council) was established in 1991 (Senate Bill 1053, 72nd Legislature, Regular Session) to coordinate state, federal, and local programs and activities of the Texas coast. It is charged with adopting uniform goals and policies to guide decision-making by all entities regulating or managing natural resource use within the Texas coastal area. It administers the Coastal Management Program (CMP). The Council reviews significant actions taken or authorized by state agencies and subdivisions that may adversely affect coastal natural resources to determine their consistency with the CMP goals and policies. In addition, the Council oversees the CMP Grants Program and the coastal Permit Service Center. The Council is chaired by the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The other members of the Council are the chair of the Parks and Wildlife Commission or a member of the commission designated by the chair; the chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or a member of the commission designated by the chair; a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas appointed by that commission; the chair of the Texas Water Development Board or a member of the board designated by the chair; the chair of the Texas Transportation Commission or a member of the commission designated by the chair; a member of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board appointed by that board; the director of the Texas A & M University Sea Grant Program serving as a non-voting member; and four gubernatorial appointees. The appointees are a local elected official who resides in the coastal area, an owner of a business located in the coastal area who resides in the coastal area, a resident from the coastal area, and a representative of agriculture.
(Source: Texas General Land Office website -
These records are arranged roughly in chronological order as received from the agency.
(Identify the item), Coastal Coordination Council files, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2004/090
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on February 17, 2004.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Resource Protection Division's duties included protecting fish, wildlife, plant and mineral resources from degradation or depletion, investigating environmental contamination that might cause the loss of fish or wildlife, providing information and recommendations to other government agencies and participating in administrative and judicial proceedings concerning pollution incidents, development projects, and other actions that might affect fish and wildlife. Records consists of drafts, notes, and the final environmental policy guide. In 1995 the Resource Protection Division was directed to update and expand the minimal guide they had developed in 1992. The records include the 1992 and 1993 guides, drafts of the guide with notes and comments in late 1995 and 1996, and the final version produced in January 1997.
These records are arranged roughly in chronological order by State Archives staff.
(Identify the item), Environmental policy guide, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Resource Protection Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession number: 2000/150
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 10, 2000.
Laura K. Saegert, April 2007