Dec. 30, 2008
January Coastal Scoping Meetings to Cover Flounder, Shark, Reef Fish, Kayak Guide Proposals
DICKINSON, Texas -- The Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a series of five public scoping meetings Jan. 6-15 in various communities to discuss potential changes to Texas fishery regulations.
At the meetings TPWD will be scoping several items for the upcoming 2009 statewide hunting and fishing proclamation process. The department is considering changes in the current flounder, shark and reef fish regulations. Also, TPWD will present a new, simpler process to obtain a kayak guide's license.
All interested parties are invited to attend any of the meetings listed below, learn about the proposals and provide public comments. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m.
Anyone may also comment online via the TPWD Public Comment Web page, where brief summaries of the proposals are provided.
After the January coastal scoping meetings to get initial public input, a series of formal statewide public hearings on revised TPWD regulatory proposals involving fisheries, wildlife, state parks and all other topics will be held across Texas in spring 2009. Final decisions about proposed regulations will be made by the TPW Commission at its March 25-26 public meeting.
TPWD Coastal Fisheries Scoping Meetings:
--January 6, 2009, Port Arthur Public Library, Gallery Room, 4615 9th Avenue, Port Arthur, TX
--January 7, 2009, TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab, 1502 Pine Street (FM 517 E), Dickinson, TX
--January 8, 2009, Calhoun County Extension Service, Auditorium, 186 County Road 101, Port Lavaca, TX
--January 14, 2009, Aransas County Courtroom, 301 N. Live Oak, Rockport, TX
--January 15, 2009, Port Isabel High School, Lecture Hall, 101 Port Road, Port Isabel, TX
For more information, contact the following staff members of TPWD's Coastal Fisheries Division:
--Tonya Wiley, Fisheries Outreach Specialist, Upper Texas Coast, Dickinson Marine Lab, 281-534-0131, tonya.wiley@tpwd.state.tx.us
--Art Morris, Fisheries Outreach Specialist, Lower Texas Coast, Corpus Christi Field Station, 361-825-3356, art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us
