TTIA Summit

September 29, 2014

Our Mission Supports Nature Tourism

• Providing and encouraging nature-based

outdoor recreation

• Texas State Parks

• State parks, state natural areas, state historic sites

• Hunting and fishing, boating, water sports

• Birding, wildlife watching, nature photography

Government Canyon State Natural Area

Dinosaur Tracks Found!

• Texas Parks & Wildlife and

Witte Museum new

partnership to document

and research dinosaur tracks

• 110- million-year-old footprints

New Facilities at State Parks

Sheldon Lake State

Park New 82-foot observation

tower

Mother Neff new

headquarters under

construction

Dark Skies Program

• Stargazing Programming

• Designated International Dark Sky Parks

• Copper Breaks State Park

• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

• Texas Outdoor Family

• Buffalo Soldiers

• Geocache Challenge

• Junior Ranger

• Free Fishing

• Arts In The Parks

Growing Texas State Parks Programs

New Great Texas Wildlife Trail Maps

New maps available soon

Each map includes:

• Color-coded loops

• Directions

• GPS coordinates

• Site info. and contact #s

• CVB and tourist offices

Summer 2015 Updates

Prairies and Pineywoods

Wildlife Trail Maps

• West

• East

Maps For Resale

• All maps are available at

bulk rates

• Sell maps to visitors for

profit or cost recovery

Texas Paddling Trails

• Now more than 60 paddling trails!

– Trails for all levels of paddlers

– Fishing and wildlife watching

– Communities can submit an

application online to apply

• Promote with advertising, website

presence, social media and email

Great Texas Birding Classic

• Annual event for birdwatchers of all

levels now in 3rd year statewide

• Variety of ways to participate

– Teams of all kinds, including regional

• Winning teams help select

conservation grants

Today is the Deadline to Register Your Team!

Time g ets away from all of us, but it's no foolin' that today (April 1st!) is the final day to register your team for the Great Texas Birding Classic.

Visit www.birdingclassic.org. Team registration deadline is today,

Tuesday, April 1, so submit your team registration form and pay your entry fees by the end of the day today.

Participate from anywhere in Texas, April 15 - May 15, 2014. Register now - pick your tournament day later!

Registration fees and sponsorship dollars go toward Conservation Grants for birding, nature tourism, and habitat restoration and enhancement projects

throughout the state, and some winning teams will help select which projects

are funded. The more teams that register, the more funds raised and awarded!

Still on the fence about registering? View this new video to see some of the fun from last year's Birding Classic. We look forward to your joining the fun at

Texas' statewide Great Texas Birding Classic!

Sincerely,

Shelly Plante, Nature Tourism Manager Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Mobile Apps

• Outdoor Annual Hunting/Fishing

– Partnership with Texas Monthly,

publisher of our print publication

– Free for IOs and Android devices

Mobile Apps

• Texas State Parks Mobile App

– Changes in technology now enable in-house

development

– Launch planned for Spring 2015 on iOS and

Android devices

State Park Guide

Texas State Park Guide

– 325,000 copies

– Full page advertisers receive web

banner ads and e-newsletter ads

– Seeking sponsor for a Spanish

language version

Free Copies For Your Community

• Texas State Park Guides

– Online ordering makes process easy and quick

– Each tourism outlet can order free

• 1-6 boxes (100 guides/box)

– Visit www.tpwd.texas.gov/parkguide

State Park Rack Cards

• Colorful rack cards free to CVBs and

tourism outlets

Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

• Advertising value

– Opportunities to reach millions of

highly-qualified travelers

– More than 157,000 subscribers

and 385,000 readers

– Print packages include web

banner ads on TPWD website

and on e-newsletters

Online ads with print buy:

•Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

•State Park Guide

•Outdoor Annual

Online Advertising

• 218,000 Facebook Fans

– Plus 100,000 Individual State Park Facebook

Fans

• YouTube

– More than 8 million views

• Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest

Social Media Growth

Email Communication

• More than 270,000 email

subscribers

• E-Newsletters for state parks,

hunting, fishing, wildlife, the

magazine and more

• Sign-up promoted on website, at

events and in social media

Powderhorn Ranch, fall park events, birding calendar, Government Canyon dinosaur tracks and more! Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

In This Issue:

Celebrate! Powderhorn Ranch to be Future Park

Fall Calendar – Enjoy Great Park Events

Dinosaurs Roamed at Government Canyon SNA

Fall is a Fun Time to Geocache

State Parks: A Natural Channel to History & Cultures

Lost Maples Visitors Center Refurbished for Fall

Junior Ranger Program Journals in State Parks

Fall Birding - An Extravaganza of Opportunities

Texas Outdoor Family Open Workshops

2 State Parks Win International Dark-Sky Awards

Celebrate! Powderhorn Ranch to be Future Park Everybody who loves the natural world, wildlife

and state parks should be smiling for years to come about the very recent acquisition of the

17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch along the

Texas coast in Calhoun County. Watch a video about this pristine property that is one of

the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled

coastal prairie in the state and will someday be a state park and wildlife management area.

“This transformational project will conserve irreplaceable wildlife habitat and will bring the people of Texas an exciting new recreational opportunity,” said

Dan Friedkin, Chairman Emeritus of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The property between Corpus Christi and Houston includes unspoiled coastal

Email Marketing

• Renewal reminders for State Park Pass holders,

fishing and license holders, boat registrations, etc.

• Special event email blasts

• Magazine, TV Show, surveys, etc.

This year's Toyota Texas Bass Classic returns to Lake Fork and features

fifty of the world's best anglers and top country music performers including Pat Green, Little Big Town, and Justin Moore.

This spectacular event takes place May 9 -11 on the grounds at the Sabine River Authority, just east of the Lake Fork dam in Quitman. Other activities for

the whole family include the Texas Parks and Wildlife "Outdoor Adventures" area, interactive sponsor expo areas, and a fireworks show.

Single day general admission tickets are available for $15 in advance (or $25 at the gate) with proceeds benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife's outdoor

recreation programs. Buy your tickets now at participating Toyota dealers,

Brookshire’s, and Academy Sports + Outdoors stores. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com.

Since its inception, the Toyota Texas Bass Classic has raised $1.75 million to support fishing and outdoor education programs of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Lake Fork is located in the heart of East Texas just 80 miles east of Dallas

between I-20 and I-30.

Recreation Grants Programs

• The Local Park Grants Program administers grants that provide

50% matching funds to acquire property and/or develop outdoor

and indoor public recreation facilities.

Grant Name Award Limit Population

Outdoor Recreation $400,000 Less than 500,000

Small Community $75,000 Less than 20,000

Urban Outdoor Recreation $1 Million Greater than 500,000

Urban Indoor Recreation Currently Suspended Greater than 500,000

• Community Outdoor Outreach Program

Funds can be used for direct program costs – No match required

• Recreational Trails Program

80% matching grants; $200,000 limit (Off-highway recreational vehicles such as motorcycles and ATVs)

• Boating Access Program

75% matching grants; for construction of public boating access facilities. Must maintain for 25 years.

• Boat Sewage Grants

Federal funds; 75% of approved project costs. (Pump-outs and portable toilets)

Recreation Grants Programs

Our Newest Conservation License Plate

• The “Camping” license plate is the fastest selling speciality plate

ever introduced in Texas!

• Only $30, with $22 going to support Texas State Parks

Coming Soon--

A New Wildlife License Plate!

• Getting pubic input on five wildlife plates

• Will select “winning” plate to introduce in the spring of 2015.

• Sales from this plate will benefit Texas native wildlife.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Website

www.tpwd.texas.gov

Texas State Parks

www.texasstateparks.org

Great Texas Wildlife Trails

www.tpwd.texas.gov/wildlifetrails

Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine

www.tpwmagazine.com