The Texas General Land Office has made public the National Park Service’s proposed management plan for the Christmas Mountains. Under the proposal, the Christmas Mountains would be added to Big Bend National Park and managed as a backcountry area of the park. The Park Service proposal cites several advantages of NPS management including permanent protection and preservation, public access and participation in the planning process, NPS expertise in management of backcountry environments.

On February 5th the GLO’s School Land Board will consider two bids is has received from private bidders for the property.

GLO Commissioner Jerry Patterson issued a statement on the NPS proposal: “The National Park Service has submitted a well thought out document; it will take some time to review and seek additional information.”

Patterson also noted that the board could discuss the park proposal at the meeting, but could not decide on the proposal, as the item was not on the agenda. Patterson also said the item could not be added to the agenda, and did not elaborate why.

During a recent visit and interview with The Gazette, Patterson made it clear it is he as Chairman of the School Land Board who determines the agenda items for the board.

The park proposal calls for the GLO to donate the property to the NPS. The proposal says the property was previously purchased with the intention of donation to either the NPS or Texas Parks and Wildlife. The GLO has maintained it can’t entertain any donation of land as it has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize financial returns to the Permanent Land Fund. Patterson has said any transfer of the land must equal or exceed bids received for the property. While the amount of the current bids have not yet been made public a previous bid of $652,000 was made by Louis Waters of Utopia, Texas. That auction was cancelled due map errors made by the GLO.

The NPS proposal also included a provision where it would work with private conservation organizations interested in financing a purchase of the property and transfer it to the NPS.

In 1991 The Conservation Fund donated the 9,269 acre tract to the GLO with numerous conservation easements including a provision the GLO would seek the permission of the fund of any sale of the property to anyone other than Texas Parks and Wildlife or the NPS.

Last summer Patterson created a maelstrom of public reaction when he would ignore the provision and considered it to be legally unenforceable. Patterson further fuelled the controversy when he said he would not consider any proposals from the NPS due to the “unconstitutional” prohibitions on hunting and gun carrying in national parks.

Big Bend Park Superintendent Bill Wellman told The Gazette the decision to add the Christmas Mountains would fall under his authority and not require an act of Congress. Congressional Authority is required for major park acquisitions and the 9, 269 acre addition of the Christmas Mountains to 800,000 acre Big Bend National Park would be a minor boundary adjustment not requiring Congressional approval said Wellman.