Texas parks make changes amid coronavirus outbreak

AUSTIN — The Texas park situation has changed.

Texas State Parks are limiting park programming and are closing public access to park headquarters, visitor centers and park stores.

The decision was made on Thursday by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“Our main priority has always been the health and well-being of our visitors and staff, and in order to maintain this standard to the best of our abilities TPWD facilities will be modifying operations as a precautionary step towards protecting public health,” Executive Director Carter Smith said. “While we have worked hard to provide access to state parks through much of spring break, we have now reached a point where changes are imperative for safety reasons.

“I am grateful to our state parks team and volunteers for their valiant work during this exceedingly difficult time and thank our visitors for their patience and understanding as we continue to evaluate additional measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the parks.”

All park cash transactions have been suspended, where feasible. Visitors are encouraged to use selfpay stations, the online reservation system and credit card transactions.

Equipment rentals and interpretive programs at parks have also been reduced. Visitors can check the Texas State Parks alert map in regular intervals for the latest developments and information about the status of parks.

More changes are in effect in additional to the operational changes at the parks. Texas State Park Wildlife Department’s law enforcement and boast registration offices, which include the license and boat registration counter at the Austin, Texas, headquarters, are closed to public visitation.

Texans needing to purchase hunting and fishing licenses, boat and motor owner transfers and boat registration renewals should visit tpwd.texas.gov or call the department at 512-389-4800.

TPWD, along with local and state officials, continues to monitor the ever changing coronavirus pandemic. TPWD will tweak operations at department sites and facilities as needed. For the most up to the minute information, the public should follow the department’s social media accounts and check the website at tpwd.texas.gov.