Why does every land deal get slammed on the public ATF [View All]

[white cloud]

Look what the budget found money for all of the sudden.

They found an extra 8 million to jump on this deal before the public ever heard of it. Yet we have parks that are closed and out of money Open Matagorda back up with the extra money you slushed.

Then put this up for public input with reason able time for input.




http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/other-area-parks/devils-river-paddle-trips-are-in-danger!!-action-is-needed-to-keep-public-access/15/




"There are several things that concern us. How are they going to pay for it? Not just the up-front costs -- the $8 million -- but development, operational and maintenance costs, particularly given the economic issues state agencies are facing," Ken Kramer, director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, said of the Devils River swap/purchase proposal. "And we're certainly concerned with what seems like a rush to get this deal done quickly, without much notice and opportunity for public input. The first I heard about it was last week. It doesn't appear to me they are living up to the spirit of their policy on land transactions."

After a 2005 controversy involving a potential sale of several thousand acres of Big Bend Ranch State Park, TPWD developed a land transaction process that included more public notice of potential land deals and more opportunities for public comment.

That policy included discussing the deal during at least two commission meetings and at least 30 days public notice before the commission could consider approving any transaction. The 30-day-notice policy was modified in 2008 to add "or some other reasonable period," Boruff said.




http://www.allbusiness.com/environment-natural-resources/land-use-development/15206335-1.html



http://www.landsofamerica.com/america/?detail=&inv_id=321953#






http://www.landsofamerica.com/america/?detail=&inv_id=321953#