Records Appraisal Report:
Parks and Wildlife Department Revised Series Reviews
Contents of this report
Record Series Reviews
Internal links to series reviews
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Related reports
1999 Appraisal report
2002-ongoing Additional series reviews
Archival finding aid
An Inventory of Parks and Wildlife Department Records at the Texas State Archives, 1905-2004, bulk 1963-2004
October 2002, Laura Saegert, Appraisal Archivist
Record Series Reviews
Revised Records Series Review
Series Title: Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
Agency: Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division
Obsolete record series? No
Ongoing record series? Yes
Annual accumulation: unknown
Agency holdings:
Retained by the agency permanently, according to the retention schedule. Current holdings are 1989-[ongoing], comprising 10 cubic ft. These are kept at the agency headquarters in Austin, with copies also kept at individual committee/subcommittee members' offices at various field labs.
Description:
This series contains minutes of the meetings of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, contractual agreements between the Council and TPWD, and copies of management plans/research reports. Dates covered are 1989-[ongoing]. Some of the minutes are annotated.
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission is an organization of the five gulf states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) created by the Gulf State Marine Fisheries Compact under public law 81-66 and signed by the governors of these states on July 16, 1949 (including Texas). Its purpose is to promote the better utilization of the fisheries, marine shell and anadromous, of the seaboard of the Gulf of Mexico by the development of a joint program for the promotion and protection of such fisheries and the prevention of the physical waste of the fisheries from any cause. The Commission is headquartered in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Purpose: These record the actions of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and Texas' involvement.
Agency program:
In 1879, the 16th Legislature authorized the Governor to appoint a fish commissioner to ensure compliance with an Act for the preservation of fish, and to build fish ways and fish ladders (Chapter 92, 16th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1881, the Office of the Fish Commissioner was established (Chapter 78, 17th Legislature, Regular Session). It was created for the "propagation and preservation of fish and to build fish-ways and fish-ladders.," existing through 1885. The commissioner was appointed to a two year term by the Governor, with the approval of the Senate.
In 1895, the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner was created by House Bill 55, 24th Legislature, Regular Session, with the commissioner appointed by the Governor as before. The duties included the protection of fish, turtles and terrapin of the bays and coastal waters of the state, protection of natural oyster beds and reefs, and the protection of the location of private beds. The Commissioner had the authority to appoint Deputy Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office. In 1907, protection of wild birds and wild game was added to the responsibilities of that office, which became the Office of the Game, Fish and Oyster Commissioner (House Bill 379, 30th Legislature, Regular Session). This Commissioner appointed Deputy Game Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office.
The single commissioner was replaced by a six-member commission in 1929 and the agency became the Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission (Senate Bill 83, 41st Legislature, Regular Session). Duties of the commission included administering the state's laws relating to game and fish; preventing pollution of streams; issuing hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses; collecting fees, taxes, and fines; conducting research; and proclaiming and enforcing open seasons and bag limits on game and fish. The commission also operated fish hatcheries and sanctuaries, administered game and hunting preserves, supervised oyster beds in the state, controlled and exterminated predatory animals and fish, and educated the public in the preservation of wildlife and fish and game resources of the state. It had the authority to create rules and regulations as necessary to carry out their duties.
In 1963, the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission were merged to form the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife (House Bill 21, 58th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1967, the Historic Structures and Sites Act was passed by the 60th Legislature, House Bill 58, Regular Session, charging the Parks and Wildlife Department with stewardship of the state's cultural heritage sites. In 1983, the Legislature passed the 1983 Wildlife Conservation Act (Senate Bill 94, 68th Legislature, Regular Session), which gave the agency the authority to manage fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties. Prior to this act county commissioner courts set game and fish laws in many counties, and other counties had veto power over Department regulations. In 1985, the legislature granted the agency authority over shrimp and oysters (Senate Bill 609, 69th Legislature, Regular Session).
The Parks and Wildlife Department is governed by the Parks and Wildlife Commission, initially composed of three members, currently nine members, appointed by the Governor with approval of the Senate. Members serve six-year overlapping terms. The Commission chairperson is appointed biennially by the Governor. The Commission meets quarterly or more often as needed. Its chief responsibility is to adopt policies and rules to carry out the programs of the Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Parks and Wildlife Department is responsible for the management and conservation of the state's wildlife and fish resources; provision of outdoor recreational opportunities to the public; acquisition, development, and operation of wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, state parks, historic sites, and other public lands; conservation education and outreach; cultural and historical interpretation; and the regulation of fishing, hunting, and boating activities. The Department is composed of ten major divisions which carry out the functions and duties of the agency: Wildlife, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, Resource Protection, Communications, Law Enforcement, Infrastructure, Administrative Resources, and Human Resources. Administration of the agency is by an executive director.
The Coastal Fisheries Division manages the marine fishery resources of Texas' four million acres of saltwater, including the bays and estuaries and out to nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. These management strategies are designed to sustain fisheries harvest at levels necessary to ensure replenishable stocks of important species and provide balanced food webs within the marine ecosystems. The division conducts monitoring programs year round to gather technical data to assess population levels and develop fishing regulations. The division operates three hatchery facilities to enhance populations of several species of game fish, through increasing abundance of the fish and offsetting impacts of natural catastrophes.
V.T.C.A., Parks and Wildlife Code, Title 2
Arrangement: Chronologically by date, then alphabetically by topic.
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies: Minutes, correspondence, and management reports and research findings are at the headquarters of the commission, which is located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Previous destructions: Destruction requests on file in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission were checked for the Parks and Wildlife Department and none were found for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records:
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission publishes results of research and final management plans/reports. Some titles published by the Commission include: The black drum fishery of the Gulf of Mexico, United States : a regional management plan, 1993 or SEAmap environmental and biological atlas of the Gulf of Mexico, 1988.
Series data from agency schedule:
Title: Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
Series item number: none
Agency item number: V.34.0.9
Archival code: none
Retention: PM
Archival holdings:
None in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings:
Some titles published by the Commission housed in the Documents Collection include: The black drum fishery of the Gulf of Mexico, United States : a regional management plan, 1993 or SEAmap environmental and biological atlas of the Gulf of Mexico, 1988. Other titles are present at the library of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
Gaps: No records present prior to 1989.
Appraisal decision:
This series was reviewed because it contains a commission's minutes and has a permanent retention period. This commission has a headquarters in Mississippi and, according to TPWD, correspondence, minutes, and the original management plans and research materials and reports are kept there. Additionally, they publish management plans and research reports resulting from their records. The Gulf and Marine Fisheries Commission confirmed through correspondence to TPWD that they do maintain the record copy of all of their records, so the ones at TPWD are copies and do not have archival value. Since the materials TPWD holds are only convenience copies, this series can be removed from the schedule.
Revised Records Series Review
Series Title: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Agency: Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division
Obsolete record series? No
Ongoing record series? Yes
Annual accumulation: about 1 cubic ft.
Agency holdings:
Retained by the agency permanently, according to the retention schedule. Current holdings are 1976-[ongoing], comprising about 25 cubic ft., with 10 of those in storage at the San Marcos state fish hatchery. The remainder of the files are kept at the agency's headquarters in Austin, with copies of some materials also kept at individual committee/subcommittee member's offices at various field labs.
Description:
This series contains minutes of the meetings of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Dates covered are 1976-[ongoing]. Some of the minutes are annotated.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of the eight regional fishery management councils which was established by the federal Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery plans that are designed to manage fishery resources from the outer limits of the states' jurisdiction out to 200 miles in the Gulf of Mexico. The offshore Gulf waters of the Gulf states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) are managed by the Council. These states, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the fishing industry, consumer, recreational and environmental organizations and other interested persons participate in the development of fishery management plans. The Council is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It meets several times a year.
Purpose:
These record the actions of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and Texas' involvement.
Agency program:
In 1879, the 16th Legislature authorized the Governor to appoint a fish commissioner to ensure compliance with an Act for the preservation of fish, and to build fish ways and fish ladders (Chapter 92, 16th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1881, the Office of the Fish Commissioner was established (Chapter 78, 17th Legislature, Regular Session). It was created for the "propagation and preservation of fish and to build fish-ways and fish-ladders.," existing through 1885. The commissioner was appointed to a two year term by the Governor, with the approval of the Senate.
In 1895, the Office of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner was created by House Bill 55, 24th Legislature, Regular Session, with the commissioner appointed by the Governor as before. The duties included the protection of fish, turtles and terrapin of the bays and coastal waters of the state, protection of natural oyster beds and reefs, and the protection of the location of private beds. The Commissioner had the authority to appoint Deputy Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office. In 1907, protection of wild birds and wild game was added to the responsibilities of that office, which became the Office of the Game, Fish and Oyster Commissioner (House Bill 379, 30th Legislature, Regular Session). This Commissioner appointed Deputy Game Commissioners to assist in carrying out the duties of the office.
The single commissioner was replaced by a six-member commission in 1929 and the agency became the Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission (Senate Bill 83, 41st Legislature, Regular Session). Duties of the commission included administering the state's laws relating to game and fish; preventing pollution of streams; issuing hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses; collecting fees, taxes, and fines; conducting research; and proclaiming and enforcing open seasons and bag limits on game and fish. The commission also operated fish hatcheries and sanctuaries, administered game and hunting preserves, supervised oyster beds in the state, controlled and exterminated predatory animals and fish, and educated the public in the preservation of wildlife and fish and game resources of the state. It had the authority to create rules and regulations as necessary to carry out their duties.
In 1963, the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission were merged to form the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife (House Bill 21, 58th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1967, the Historic Structures and Sites Act was passed by the 60th Legislature, House Bill 58, Regular Session, charging the Parks and Wildlife Department with stewardship of the state's cultural heritage sites. In 1983, the Legislature passed the 1983 Wildlife Conservation Act (Senate Bill 94, 68th Legislature, Regular Session), which gave the agency the authority to manage fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties. Prior to this act county commissioner courts set game and fish laws in many counties, and other counties had veto power over Department regulations. In 1985, the legislature granted the agency authority over shrimp and oysters (Senate Bill 609, 69th Legislature, Regular Session).
The Parks and Wildlife Department is governed by the Parks and Wildlife Commission, initially composed of three members, currently nine members, appointed by the Governor with approval of the Senate. Members serve six-year overlapping terms. The Commission chairperson is appointed biennially by the Governor. The Commission meets quarterly or more often as needed. Its chief responsibility is to adopt policies and rules to carry out the programs of the Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Parks and Wildlife Department is responsible for the management and conservation of the state's wildlife and fish resources; provision of outdoor recreational opportunities to the public; acquisition, development, and operation of wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, state parks, historic sites, and other public lands; conservation education and outreach; cultural and historical interpretation; and the regulation of fishing, hunting, and boating activities. The Department is composed of ten major divisions which carry out the functions and duties of the agency: Wildlife, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, Resource Protection, Communications, Law Enforcement, Infrastructure, Administrative Resources, and Human Resources. Administration of the agency is by an executive director.
The Coastal Fisheries Division manages the marine fishery resources of Texas' four million acres of saltwater, including the bays and estuaries and out to nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. These management strategies are designed to sustain fisheries harvest at levels necessary to ensure replenishable stocks of important species and provide balanced food webs within the marine ecosystems. The division conducts monitoring programs year round to gather technical data to assess population levels and develop fishing regulations. The division operates three hatchery facilities to enhance populations of several species of game fish, through increasing abundance of the fish and offsetting impacts of natural catastrophes.
V.T.C.A., Parks and Wildlife Code, Title 2
Arrangement: Chronologically
Access constraints: None
Use constraints: None
Indexes or finding aids required for/or an aid to access? No
Gaps: None, this council was created in 1976.
Problems: None
Known related records in other agencies:
Minutes, copies of correspondence and original management plans/research reports can be found at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council office in Tampa, Florida.
Previous destructions:
Destruction requests on file in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission were checked for the Parks and Wildlife Department and none were found for this series or for equivalent or related series.
Publications based on records:
The Council publishes results of research and the final management plans, some titles include: Environmental impact statement and fishery management plan for reef fish resources of the Gulf of Mexico, 1979 and The reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico, 1981.
Series data from agency schedule:
Title: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Series item number: none
Agency item number: V.34.0.8
Archival code: none
Retention: PM
Archival holdings: None in the Archives and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission.
Texas Documents Collection holdings:
One title published by the Council was located in the Documents Collection holdings: Environmental impact statement and fishery management plan for reef fish resources of the Gulf of Mexico, 1979. A few other titles are present at the library of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
Appraisal decision:
This series was reviewed because it contains a council's minutes and has a permanent retention period. This council has a headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and, according to TPWD, correspondence, minutes, and the original management plans and research materials and reports are kept there. Additionally, they publish management plans and research reports resulting from their records. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council confirmed through correspondence to TPWD that they maintain the record copy of all of their records, so the ones at TPWD are copies and do not have archival value. Since the materials TPWD holds are only convenience copies, this series can be removed from the schedule.