Latest news with #TexasParksandWildlifeCommission
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Abbott names new leaders to Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
CROCKETT, Texas (KETK) — Governor Greg Abbott has appointed John A. McCall Jr., O.D. to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and Paul Foster as its chairman. Owner of Crockett Eye Clinic, McCall is the senior vice president and a founder of Vision Source, co-founder and co-owner of Logansport Surgical Center, and founder and owner of Stealth Vision Optics and Rifles. McCall is also the former city councilman and mayor of Crockett. McCall has also been a private pilot for 25 years and has over 3800 hours flying. McCall has won several awards, including Texas Optometrist of the Year, Texas Young Optometrist of the Year and the Texas Distinguished Service Award. Paul L. Foster of El Paso is not only the Wildlife Commission's newest chairman but also on the board of trustees of the Baylor College of Medicine. Foster has served as a commissioner for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission since 2021 and is a former director of the National Petroleum Refiners Association and the Western Petroleum Marketers Association. Foster has received the Baylor University Distinguished Alumni Award and was inducted into the 2013 Class of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. Each is expected to start on a term that is set to expire February 1, 2031. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Several Central Texas counties receive trail grants from the state
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved more than $6.8 million in grants Thursday for trail construction and maintenance projects, and a few Central Texas counties received funding. TPWD approved $300,000 for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. This funding is expected to create the Onion Creek Greenbelt trailhead and trail expansion. TPWD said the project included the construction of a .6-mile trail, parking area and utilities, as well as revegetation in the area following construction. The Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center received $59,348, which TPWD said would be used to renovate the 431-feet of trail, as well as fund the construction of 176-feet of natural surface trail, including a boardwalk renovation and improved fencing, interpretive signage and benches. The department said BikeTexas also got $75,000 for the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference, which focuses on creating and maintaining Texas trails. The San Marcos Aquatic Research Center, which is under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, received $57,427. The funding is expected to be used for the rehabilitation of interior trails, with improvements to include: Renovation of a 1.75-mile trail Construction of a .56-mile trail, including: a gravel turnpike, parking improvements and signage Universal City received $220,800, which would fund phase two of the Cibolo Creek Recreational Trail, according to TPWD. The department said the project would include constructing a 1.23-mile cement-stabilized base trail, as well as wayfinding signage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mountain lion spotted on San Marcos trail after several reports of dead deer
After multiple reports of dead deer along a suburban trailway in Central Texas, a mountain lion was spotted climbing down from a tree before quickly fleeing the area. According to a release from the City of San Marcos, a city worker from the trail crew saw the big cat near Dante Trail in the Purgatory Creek Natural Area, specifically in a section known as Middle Purgatory. This marks the first reported sighting of a cougar in Hays County. 'As always, please use caution when exploring our natural areas. These greenspaces are home to many types of wildlife,' San Marcos officials said on Facebook. 'If you encounter a mountain lion: do not approach it. Give it space and a way to escape — most will avoid confrontation.' Mountain lion sightings often see a seasonal uptick, but the timing can depend on both environmental conditions and regional behavior patterns. In many areas, spring brings an increase in sightings — not necessarily because the lions are more active, but because warmer temperatures draw more people outdoors, leading to a spike in reported encounters. However, wildlife experts do note that late winter through early spring is a period of increased movement, as young lions begin to leave their mothers and establish new territories. This dispersal, paired with a rise in prey activity such as deer, tends to draw mountain lions closer to areas where people might spot them. In colder regions, winter may actually be the prime season for observing these elusive predators. According to the website mountain lions rely on their keen tracking skills, particularly in snowy environments where they can follow fresh tracks left by prey like deer and small mammals. With a relatively weak sense of smell, mountain lions depend heavily on visual cues, and snow-covered landscapes offer clear advantages when stalking food. In places like Texas, where snow is rare and the climate is more humid and subtropical, mountain lions adapt by using other environmental signs — such as disturbed leaves, broken twigs, and faint trails through vegetation — to track their prey. Mountain lions are native to Texas, but they are not commonly seen in most areas. They are primarily found in the Trans-Pecos region, the brushlands of South Texas and the western Hill Country. Sightings in public neighborhoods are rare, and North Texas is generally not considered part of their native range. While an exact estimate of the mountain lion population in Texas is unavailable, it is believed to range from a few hundred to as many as 7,000. In an effort to get a better understanding of the population, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission recently updated hunting and trapping regulations for mountain lions for the first time in 50 years, a step toward more modern wildlife management practices. In a May 23 meeting, the commission unanimously voted to ban canned hunting of mountain lions and introduced new rules for trapping the large wild cat species. The decision followed a period of public comment, with more than 91% of the 7,531 comments supporting the ban on canned hunting and the implementation of a 36-hour trap or snare check. The next step involves mandatory lion harvest reporting. This standard will provide valuable data on the species' abundance, causes of mortality and population trends, helping wildlife officials better understand the state's mountain lion population. According to the Parks and Wildlife Department, there has never been a recorded death caused by a mountain lion in the state. However, an archived New York Times article reports that in 1911, before the wildlife department began tracking the species, a 3-year-old boy was mauled by a mountain lion inside his home. Mountain lions are described by the parks department as "relatively uncommon, secretive animals." Over the past 70 years, only eight mountain lion attacks have been documented in Big Bend National Park. Six occurred on hiking trails, one at a visitor campsite and one near the Chisos Mountains Lodge. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Mountain lion spotted on San Marcos trail. See map of Texas sightings
