Major Goals and Objectives for the Next Ten Years

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The following goals and objectives (revised and adopted January 2005) are provided as a method of measuring success of this Plan. To do so, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will annually evaluate and report its progress over the preceding year and its priorities for the following year to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. In addition, TPWD will review and update the goals/objectives by 2010.

Goal 1: Improve access to the outdoors

Objectives

1.1 Identify opportunities to expand outdoor recreation, water access, hunting, and fishing on both public and private lands and waters.

1.2 Acquire and develop a minimum of four, 5,000 acre or larger state parks near major urban centers of the state.

1.3 Identify opportunities for adding land to existing state parks and wildlife management areas consistent with this Plan.

1.4 Acquire new wildlife management areas in the Cross Timbers and Prairies and the High Plains ecoregions.

1.5 Promote awareness and support of safe and responsible use of the outdoors.

1.6 Manage grant funds to enhance access to the outdoors.

Goal 2: Preserve, conserve, manage, operate and promote agency sites for recreational opportunities, biodiversity, and the cultural heritage of Texas.

Objectives

2.1 Develop and implement plans for regular maintenance, conservation, restoration, and improvement of all agency facilities.

2.2 Develop agency priorities for spending available repair and development funds.

2.3 Develop interpretive, educational and recreational programs at agency sites that demonstrate and promote understanding of the importance of natural and cultural resource conservation.

2.4 Protect, maintain, and restore appropriate terrestrial and aquatic habitat on agency sites.

2.5 Develop criteria for a statewide historic sites system in conjunction with the Texas Historic Commission.

2.6 Develop management priorities among existing TPWD historic sites.

2.7 Promote energy conservation and the use of alternative energy systems and programs.

2.8 Operate TPWD sites to increase public support, recreation participation, visitation, revenue, and promote the agency’s core conservation message.

2.9 Manage agency sites to demonstrate healthy natural ecosystems and support recreational uses consistent with the agency’s conservation mission.

2.10 Transfer eligible state parks and wildlife management areas listed in this Plan when appropriate.

Goal 3: Assist landowners in managing their lands for sustainable wildlife habitat consistent with their goals.

Objectives

3.1 Promote awareness of and support for resource management through technical guidance to landowners.

3.2 Prioritize incentive-based management strategies as an alternative to regulatory strategies when appropriate.

3.3 Incorporate watershed management strategies in all Wildlife Management Plans (WMP).

3.4 Increase acres under Wildlife Management Plans to 20 million acres by 2008.

3.5 Increase percentages of Wildlife Management Plans in high priority ecoregions and habitats identified in this Plan.

3.6 Support establishment of a purchase of development rights program in Texas that is consistent with the agency’s mission.

3.7 Streamline permitting processes that ensures resource conservation.

Goal 4: Increase participation in hunting, fishing, boating and outdoor recreation

Objectives

4.1 Increase opportunities for youth to participate in outdoor recreation.

4.2 Promote and expand outdoor recreational activities.

4.3 Develop strategies to recruit, inform and retain new, lapsed and current outdoor users.

4.4 Increase access to and safety on public waters.

4.5 Promote outdoor recreation opportunities in urban areas.

Goal 5: Enhance the quality of hunting, fishing, boating and outdoor recreation.

Objectives

5.1 Manage and conserve (e.g., monitor, analyze, regulate, enhance, restore and protect) natural resources for healthy and sustainable ecosystems.

5.2 Refine hatchery programs to improve performance of fishes stocked into public waters.

5.3 Develop private/public partnerships to maintain, enhance, and restore ecosystems and promote outdoor recreational opportunities.

5.4 Simplify regulations consistent with the agency’s mission.

5.5 Restore aquatic and terrestrial habitat where feasible to sustain and enhance healthy ecosystems.

5.6 Manage commercial resource activities to ensure long-term sustainability.

5.7 Create artificial reefs to enhance coastal recreational opportunities.

5.8 Promote safe and responsible boating.

Goal 6: Improve science, data collection and information dissemination to make informed management decisions.

Objectives

6.1 Complete a comprehensive science review.

6.2 Develop and support integrated databases that include baseline resource inventories.

6.3 Make all relevant information readily accessible to internal and external stakeholders.

6.4 Develop an implementation plan based on the science review and establish a systematic review process.

6.5 Evaluate and apply emerging technologies when possible.

Goal 7: Maintain or improve water quality and quantity to support the needs of fish, wildlife and recreation

Objectives

7.1 Promote watershed and range management practices that improve water quality and quantity.

7.2 Promote cross-agency and stakeholder cooperation that enhances water quality, quantity and habitat.

7.3 Incorporate instream flow and freshwater inflow needs into water permitting, planning, development and management processes.

7.4 Incorporate fish, wildlife, and recreation needs into the Regional Water Planning process.

7.5 Promote understanding of and support for the water needs of fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation.

7.6 Work with stakeholders to ensure that Water Quality Standards increasingly incorporate biological data to protect the health and productivity of Texas waters.

7.7 Encourage the conversion or transfer of existing unused water rights to the Texas Water Trust to protect instream uses.

Additional goal 8: Continuously improve TPWD business management systems, business practices and work culture.

Objectives

8.1 Promote a work culture that fosters agency-wide understanding of resource and business management and a team approach to problem solving.

8.2 Provide quality customer service.

8.3 Develop efficient and consistent processes that produce good financial systems and business outcomes.

8.4 Balance conservation and good business practices to achieve the agency mission.

8.5 Recruit, train, and retain quality employees at all levels of the agency.

8.6 Provide accurate and timely communication to oversight organizations.

8.7 Develop effective internal and external communication processes.

8.8 Develop an agency-wide plan for acquiring additional funding to support the agency’s mission.

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