Texas Parks and Wildlife Department news

Battleship Texas, San Jacinto Monument Reopen — Plain Text
LAPORTE, Texas — The recently reopened San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site celebrated the beginning of its post-Hurricane Ike-era recently by hosting a reunion of the USS TEXAS Veterans Association this past Saturday. A memorial honoring fallen shipmates was part of the ceremony.

TPWD Projecting Average Quail Season — Plain Text
AUSTIN, Texas — Late quail production due to dry and hot range conditions has set the stage for an average hunting season, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists.

TPWD, Partners Expanding Bighorn Sheep Restoration Efforts — Plain Text
AUSTIN, Texas — Expanded conservation efforts are in the offing for the desert bighorn sheep, an iconic symbol of wilderness in West Texas, with plans to extend bighorn restocking efforts into Big Bend Ranch State Park and elsewhere in the region as part of a comprehensive Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Plan.

Texas Master Naturalists to Receive President’s Service Award — Plain Text
AUSTIN, Texas — Five Texans will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award Oct. 25 for donating more than 5,000 hours of service to the Texas Master Naturalist Program, a partnership effort between Texas AgriLife Extension and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The 2008 awards nearly double the number of volunteers who have previously reached the milestone in the 10-year-old program.

Memorial Fund Created for Fallen Game Warden George H. Whatley — Plain Text
AUSTIN, Texas — A memorial fund has been set-up for the family of Texas Game Warden George H. Whatley. Whatley, a 45-year-old native of Atlanta, Texas, died in Fort Stockton Friday, Oct. 10, after participating in a training exercise.

Hurst Murder Trial Begins Oct. 20 in Wharton — Plain Text
AUSTIN, Texas — The capital murder trial of the man accused of killing Game Warden Justin Hurst in 2007 begins 9 a.m., Monday, Oct. 20 in Wharton, southwest of Houston.

Please note that there are high-resolution photos available for each of the releases in this week's news.

To see all news releases on the Web, go to: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/

For the bundled plain text of these releases, go to: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/text.phtml?req=20081017