Thursday, June 28, 2001

Law of the land: Bill requires Texas Parks & Wildlife to have a plan

As promised - and thanks in part to Alan Allen of the Sportsmen Conservationists of Texas (SCOT) - here are selected legislative results that affect outdoor enthusiasts.
   At first glance, this first one appears to be bureaucratic hooey at its hooeyest. But it's really just part of the state's Sunset review process, aimed at tweaking a government agency into a more effective and efficient operation, in this case Texas Parks and Wildlife.
   Depending on who is asked, Senate Bill 305, also known as the Sunset Bill, is a push in the right direction for Texas' natural resources. Or it's a pencil-pusher's nightmare that some say will bury the department in paperwork, take money away from fish and wildlife conservation and force us to pay higher license fees.
   But TPW officials say imminent increases for hunting and fishing licenses, park fees, boat registration and commercial fishing licenses are more the result of overall cost increases, a 4-percent pay raise for state employees, because of other unfunded mandates and specific language in the General Appropriations Bill that will force the department to raise the price of commercial fishing licenses.
   Thanks to the Parks and Wildlife Foundation for offsetting some of these expected increases.
   The Sunset bill is too complex to cover completely in this column. So I'll boil it down.
   The basics of the plan
   Essentially, it requires that TPW construct a comprehensive land and water resources conservation plan, which must include an inventory of land and water associated with historical, natural, recreational and wildlife resources owned by government entities or non-profit groups that offer public access to its land.
   Much of this is already in the works.
   All of this surely will require much additional effort. But it's too early to tell whether the mandate will add employees to the department's payroll.
   Other outdoors bills
   Other results from the 77th Session of the Texas Legislature include a measure aimed at cleaning up coastal waters of old crab traps.
   This will be accomplished by closing the commercial crabbing season briefly and collecting the abandoned traps left in the water during the closure. Clever, huh?
   I've already mentioned in previous columns the floater cabin law, which calls for a moratorium with an Aug. 31 deadline on stationary houseboats on the Texas coast and requires permits for existing ones. Owners who don't get the proper permits will have their floaters removed.
   For permit information, call (512) 389-4524.
   Here's a good one.
   Beginning Sept. 1, people suspected of operating a watercraft powered by 50-horsepower or larger engines while intoxicated will get at least a 180-day suspension of their driver's license if they refuse a sobriety test.
   A conviction of boating while intoxicated also will result in a suspended driver's license.
   Among bills that didn't pass is a proposal that would have required everyone in a class A motorboat to wear a life jacket while the motor is running. Lots of you weighed in on this one, sending a strong message to Austin. I'm sure that helped kill a silly proposal.
   Also not passing was a recurring proposal to exempt seniors from having to pay for their fishing licenses. This would have cost TPW too much money.
   Legislators also didn't think it was a good idea to stop having us renew our hunting and fishing licenses every September. Making licenses good for a year from the date of purchase would have cost the sportsman's fund about $930,000 the first year and an estimated $3.8 million by the fifth year. The sportsman's fund is used mostly for fish and wildlife conservation.
   Also not receiving a legislative nod was a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution that would make lawful hunting and fishing a right. This one simply wasn't necessary.
  
  

Talk about fishing in the Coastal Bend