Texas State Representative Pat Curry has tabled House Bill 4938, a controversial proposal that would have dissolved the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and reassigned its responsibilities to other agencies.
As reported by KXXV News, Curry faced swift and widespread backlash from conservation groups, lawmakers, and Texans across the political spectrum who feared the bill would jeopardize access to public lands and harm environmental conservation efforts.
In response to the criticism, Curry announced he would table the bill and issued a statement saying, “Nothing would have been eliminated — I’m a parks and wildlife guy, I’m a hunter and a fisherman.”
His complaint involved Chronic Wasting Disease and the regulations surrounding it.
Although he described himself as a deer breeder in a TexAg forum previously according to an an article in Click2Houston Curry said he was not a deer breeder.
Curry also went on to say he is not a licensed deer breeder and has never profited from such a business.
“I am a rancher, farmer, deer and wildlife hunter, fisherman and small business owner. My only interest in filing this bill is to protect my constituents, landowners, and the deer breeding industry, which provides over $9 billion to the Texas economy each year,” Curry said.
If anything else happens with this story, we will have it here at fishgame.com.
For those curious as to what the exact role of TPWD is, this is directly from their website.
TPWD Mission & Philosophy
To manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
In fulfilling our mission, we will: Be a recognized national leader in implementing effective natural resources conservation and outdoor recreational programs; Serve Texans, visitors, and our employees with the highest standards of service, professionalism, fairness, courtesy, and respect; Rely on the best available science to guide our conservation decisions; Responsibly manage agency finances and appropriations to ensure the most efficient and effective use of tax-payer and user fee resources; Attract and retain the best, brightest, and most talented workforce to successfully execute our mission.