Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas.

Contents 1 History 2 Employees 3 Organization 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] History

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was formed in 1963, when the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission were officially merged. In 1983, the Texas legislature passed the Wildlife Conservation Act, giving the department the authority for managing fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties.

[edit] Employees

The agency employees over 3000 permanent employees, and 300 interns every summer, from every field of study. Intern programs are 12 weeks long and go from May until August^[1]

[edit] Organization

The department is made up of eleven divisions:

Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Inland Fisheries Law Enforcement (Game wardens and deputy game wardens primarily enforce the provisions of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code but are fully empowered peace officers with state-wide jurisdiction and may make arrests for any offense)[1]. State Parks Infrastructure

Legal Administrative Resources Communications Human Resources Information Technology

120 Parks and 140 offices across the state of Texas.

[edit] References

1. ^ TPWD Activities and History. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (2006-04-26). Retrieved on September 11, 2006.

[edit] See also

• List of Texas state parks

[edit] External links

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website