Texas parkland sits idle for years without funding

CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — Four state park areas covering nearly 48,000 acres of forests and canyons remain closed because Texas park officials don't have the money to develop them.

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/YtOlsR ) that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department hasn't gotten money to develop new parks for a decade. That frustrates park advocates who point to tracts of land acquired by the state that have not been opened to the public.

Davis Hill State Park east of Houston runs from the highest hill on the Texas coastal plain to a beach on the Trinity River. Other unopened areas are outside San Antonio, Fort Worth and in West Texas.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams says he wants undeveloped parks opened, but worries more about bringing existing parks up to speed.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com