PRESS ADVISORY
For Immediate Release (Friday, March 23, 2007):
Contact:
Donna Hoffman, Sierra Club, 512-477-1729 or 512-299-5776
Groups Rally for State & Local Parks Funding
Park Users Send “State Park Express” to Legislative District Offices
WHAT: A coalition of organizations, including
the Sierra Club, Environment Texas, Texans for State Parks,
and others, will rally on the south steps of the State Capitol
to decry the Legislature’s short-changing of state parks
in the appropriations bill.
A state blue ribbon commission last year concluded that at
least $85 million more per year is needed for the state and
local parks, yet House budget writers have appropriated only
about $20 million more per year thus far.
The House made
$47 million a year more contingent on the transfer of up
to 25 state historic sites from Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department to the Texas Historical Commission, a move that
could eventually wind up taking more money away from the
state park system.
Parks users - campers, hikers, bicyclists, kayakers, historical re-enactors, and others – will rally Tuesday as Environment Texas sends off an RV christened the “State Parks Express” on a 1250 mile road trip to draw attention to the Legislature’s
actions.
The State Parks Express will head to Midland, Lubbock,
Amarillo, Waco, and College Station and, in each city, hold
a weenie roast and film screening outside the office of the
local legislator.
WHERE: South Steps of the Texas State Capitol
WHEN: Tuesday, March 27, 10 a.m.
WHO: Evelyn Merz, Sierra Club
Luke Metzger, Environment Texas
Spokesperson for historic interests
VISUALS: A
decorated RV that will leave for
Midland at the conclusion of the
press conference.
Also a crowd of people with outdoors
gear (kayaks, backpacks, etc) as
well as historical re-enactors.
