TX lawmaker wants ‘historic’ investment in state parks after Fairfield Lake closure
A North Texas lawmaker plans to file a bill that could help Texas gain future state parks with a “historic level of investment.”
Sen. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican, described his coming proposal as a “deal closing fund” that would allow the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to “go out and acquire new lands for new properties that will be beautiful parks for years to come.”
“I think it’s time that we make an investment,” Parker told the Star-Telegram. “One that coincides with our 100th anniversary makes a lot of sense.”
This year marks the centennial of state parks in Texas. It’s unknown how much money would be allocated to the proposed “Centennial State Park Conservation Fund,” but Parker said he’s aiming for a “historic” investment. As lawmakers meet in Austin, they have a $32.7 billion surplus.
“We all believe and support the critical priority of spending more time outdoors, for our children, for future generations, and that we in Texas have a strong, long tradition of living on the land and conservation,” Parker said. “That will be a big focus of what we do here at this fund, to help us create additional parks in the state.”
Talk of growing Texas’ park system is aligning with the closure of Fairfield Lake State Park, an 1,800-acre park in Freestone County between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The park closed to the public Tuesday after being open for nearly 50 years.
The state leased the land from power company Vistra Corp., which is selling a total of 5,000 acres including the park and lake to Dallas-based private developer Todd Interests. Todd Interests, run by Shawn Todd, intends to turn the property into a high-end gated neighborhood.
During a Monday committee hearing in the state House, a Parks and Wildlife official said that the developer is also planning to sell some of the lake’s water to the Metroplex. An attorney representing Todd Interests at the hearing declined to confirm or deny the plans for the lake water and property.
Parker said the situation with Fairfield Lake State Park is indicative of why a fund like the one he’s calling for is needed. It’s a sad and disappointing situation to see Fairfield Lake State Park closing, Parker said.
“That’s the reason why I want to put in place this kind of structure, so that we can address these kinds of issues in the future and be able to protect our existing footprint, as well as grow new parks for future generations,” he said.
When it comes to saving Fairfield Lake State Park, the state has limited options and limited time. The property is already under contract with Todd Interests, narrowing the state’s options significantly.
Rep. Angelia Orr, an Itasca Republican, filed a bill Feb. 14 to use eminent domain to obtain the park land. Parker doesn’t think using eminent domain to acquire the land is necessary or appropriate.
“I think we’ve just got to focus on creating a new deal fund for Texas Parks and the acquisition of lands and go from there,” Parker said. “We have plenty of other opportunities for beautiful Texas park space all across the state of Texas.”
Using eminent domain is not off the table for Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat who joined several advocates at the Capitol on Tuesday to call for the park to stay open. Zwiener said she’s seen interest on both sides of the aisle in not losing Fairfield Lake State Park.
Parker would support the state buying the park land, but he said decisions about acquisition targets are best left to Texas Parks and Wildlife. It’s something that could be done with the fund he’s proposing, he said.
But for the state to purchase the land from Vistra, Todd Interests would have to step away from the deal. And while the developer’s attorney, Blake Beckham, expressed openness to talks with the governor during Monday’s hearing, he also indicated the door is closed on the issue.
Gov. Greg Abbott previously offered support for preserving Fairfield Lake State Park and growing the park system.
Lawmakers have until March 10 to file bills. The legislative session ends by May 29.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 1:49 PM.
