Video & Transcript Research : 'parks'

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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Leg Committee Meeting - 2025-04-09

Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • As my colleague Lisa highlighted, the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund is a partnership focused on parks
  • Parks and Trails, so we hear you.
  • to support those parks—not to bring people into the parks or to fund nonprofit agencies. who may start
  • The Park Board has worked with them; all of our metro agencies and state parks have collaborated with
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, including the DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, and Metro
Bills: HF2563
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Legacy Finance Committee 4/9/25

Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, Metro Parks say this is
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, Metro Parks say this is
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, Metro Parks say this is
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, Metro Parks say this is
  • You've heard all the responsible park agencies, DNR, Greater Minnesota Parks, Metro Parks say this is
Bills: HF2563
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Legacy Finance Committee 3/4/26

Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:04:16.959> and Heritage, Clean Water, and Parks and Heritage, Clean Water, and Parks and
  • <01:15:22.960> and know, they're I mean or not parks and know, they're I mean or not parks
  • am chair of the Greater Minnesota Parks am chair of the Greater Minnesota Parks and<01:26:11.880
  • <01:28:08.600> and entities that receive the Parks and entities that receive the Parks and
  • Well, three parks in each of the parks.
Bills: HF3564
Summary: The Legacy Finance Committee met to approve the prior meeting minutes and then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its performance audit of the Department of Natural Resources’ administration of Outdoor Heritage Fund grants. OLA explained that the DNR generally complied with the criteria tested, but the audit identified two main problem areas: grant payments and grant monitoring. The audit covered 13 grants, mostly legislatively named grants awarded in fiscal year 2020, and reviewed agreements, amendments, payments, monitoring, and some site visits. OLA reported that for three grantees, totaling about $400,000, invoices lacked enough detail to determine whether costs were allowable, and about $5,000 was paid to two grantees without sufficient supporting documentation. The auditors also said DNR lacked policies defining allowable costs and what “directly related to and necessary” means under state law. On monitoring, DNR missed required annual visits for six grants, made payments on current progress reports that were missing or not on file, and had weaknesses in closeout evaluations, including missing required elements, late completion, and two grants with no closeout evaluation at all. OLA recommended stronger documentation, clearer guidelines with the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, timely monitoring and closeout, obtaining progress reports before payment, and improved internal controls. Members reacted strongly to the findings, especially the repeated failures to follow grant procedures and the risks of legislatively named grants and advance payments. Representative Heintzeman and Vice Chair Skraba questioned whether the issues reflected broader problems in state grant oversight and asked about prepayments, follow-up, and whether more legislative action was needed. OLA officials said they do not rely on self-attestation, but instead retest agencies after 2 to 3 years, and noted a new annual update-report process that will track whether agencies implement prior recommendations. Judy Randall, the Legislative Auditor, said the laws and policies already exist and emphasized that the issue is ensuring agency staff follow them; she also said most recommendations in the recent update report had been implemented. No further committee action or vote was taken on the audit during this portion of the meeting.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Culture, Recreation & Tourism May 14th, 2025

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Transcript Highlights:
  • This would allow state and local parks and recreation agencies or departments to promote recreational
  • activities, like visiting a local park or going to a state park. ...or even just touching grass.
  • Public parks bear names like... Independence Park, Harmony Park, and Freedom Dog Park.
  • But I do see one in the audience from Parks.
  • I took it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Director, and I said, hey.
Bills: SB2801, SB2232, SCR18
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Culture, Recreation & Tourism Apr 3rd, 2025

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Transcript Highlights:
  • , but they're going through Parks and Wildlife land.
  • Parks and Wildlife could intervene; they can't anymore.
  • Having Parks and Wildlife...
  • Parks and wildlife refuges are absolutely very important.
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks - Room 210, 25 March, 2026; 1:00 PM

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Summary: The committee heard from Allison Cruise of Canton, Mississippi, a nominee for the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. Cruise described her personal background as an avid hunter and angler and expressed support for expanding outdoor access and conservation opportunities across the state. Senator Wicker, who said he was one of the authors of the legislation creating the fund, asked about her views on conservation and how the program could better serve the public. Cruise praised the board’s structure, said she valued the requirement for matching funds and project guidelines that emphasize hunting, fishing, and broad public access, and encouraged continued outreach so projects come from all regions of Mississippi. Wicker also stressed the need for careful attention to the application process, asking what applicants can do to make projects more feasible for consideration. Cruise responded that applicants should be audited entities with staff able to answer trust fund questions so the board can track money and ensure projects are sustainable. Wicker noted that many counties still have no funded projects and urged the board to remember that Mississippi is a large state and funding should not be concentrated only in certain corridors. A committee member later noted that Cruise’s portal looked good but mentioned a missing statement of economic interest, which Cruise said she had filed. The committee then moved to advise and consent, approved the motion without opposition, and reported the nomination to the floor.
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks - Room 210, 18 March, 2026; 1:30 PM

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Transcript Highlights:
  • are worthwhile, because the one thing I don't want to see is for us to start leaning into more city park
  • , even a full block from city park.
  • And it was the state put those out on the state trace park. And they migrated to my property.
  • the state trace park. the state trace park.
  • And I just have concerns about going in there and building full-blown parks. Okay?
Summary: The Wildlife, Fisheries Committee met to consider several Senate nominations to the Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund board. The nominees included Richard Webster, Peyton Locky, Josh Ragio, and reappointee Van Ray. Each nominee briefly described his background and connection to the outdoors, conservation, or related business experience. Committee members repeatedly emphasized that the board should focus on projects that improve public access and advance conservation, while also considering projects across all regions of Mississippi, including north Mississippi. Members also raised concerns about the use of trust fund money for land purchases, noting that buying land can remove property from county tax rolls. Several senators urged the nominees to favor projects that maximize public benefit, avoid overemphasis on city parks or ball fields, and consider leasing land instead of purchasing it when possible. The nominees generally agreed that projects should be judged on merit, public access, and conservation value. One nominee, Webster, was reminded to file a statement of economic interest with the Mississippi Ethics Commission before floor consideration. The committee voted to advise and consent on Senate Nominations 2, 51 and 52, 53 and 54, and 89, moving all of them to the floor. The votes were taken by voice vote with no opposition recorded. Van Ray also discussed the committee’s earlier work creating procedures for the program and said the board had already supported many projects statewide, with a moratorium on land purchases currently in place.
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks - Room 210, 2 February, 2026; 3:00 P.M.

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee will come to order.
Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2664, which would amend the lifetime hunting license program so anyone under age 18 could buy the license for a $500 fee. After a brief explanation and no questions, the committee adopted a motion for title sufficient and do pass, and the bill was reported. Members then considered Senate Bill 2436, described as a step toward establishing a black bear hunting season in Mississippi beginning with the 2027-28 season. The bill would require the department to set rules based on black bear population data, use a lottery system for tags, create one annual governor’s tag, delay nonresident tags until at least 2032-33, cap those tags at 10%, and add penalties for violations. The committee again moved title sufficient and do pass with a committee substitute, and the bill was reported. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2420, which would clarify last year’s hunting-season extension so that if a season ends on Friday or Saturday, it would continue through Sunday. That bill received a do-pass motion and was reported. Senate Bill 2659, creating a voluntary lifetime conservation legacy license for Mississippians over 65 for a one-time $250 fee, also passed the committee and was reported. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 2660, the catfish bill, with testimony from a guest and department officials. Supporters argued the bill was needed to curb commercial harvesting of trophy catfish from the Mississippi River, protect the resource, and support tourism and events such as the Vicksburg catfish tournament. Department staff said a possible approach would be to prohibit transporting live catfish over 34 inches, which they said could help stop the practice without affecting farm-raised catfish. Members discussed concerns about impacts on local fishermen and clarified that the bill was aimed at Mississippi River waters; the committee did not reach a final vote on this bill in the portion provided.
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • parks are... a gem of America.
  • Second thing on national parks is maintenance.
  • single inch of our national parks?
  • Senator, I'm not familiar of any national park, and I could be completely wrong about any national park
  • where there is mining with inside the boundaries of the park.
Summary: The committee meeting was dominated by discussions on a variety of legislative bills including major topics such as nuclear energy advancement, the effects of regulatory hurdles on energy production, and proposals to improve national park staffing and maintenance. Members expressed concerns over the federal government's handling of uranium imports and the necessity for maintaining a robust domestic nuclear supply chain. Efforts to streamline permitting processes to facilitate more efficient energy project development were also a focal point, alongside public testimony from stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors. The meeting highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure development to meet rising energy demands while addressing climate change impacts.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Housing Finance and Policy Committee 4/8/26

Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • You have boat fee increases, state park fee increases. What do we hear this week?
  • Our park was about dates back to the 1930s.
  • So, it's really old, maybe one of the oldest parks in the state.
  • <01:08:56.480> in old, maybe one of the oldest parks in old, maybe one of the oldest parks
  • <01:13:57.680> residents for manufactured home park residents for manufactured home park residents