, rating the condition of its natural resources as “fair,” with a score of 69 out of 100, in part because of development threats. According to the NPCA State of the ParksÒ report, ad hoc commercial, industrial, and residential development enables non-native and invasive plants and feral animals to invade the preserve; subjects the preserve’s delicate ecosystem to pesticides and fertilizers; interferes with fire management; and cuts off wildlife migration routes. The Interior bill also includes a modest $60 million increase for the operations of national parks, including Big Thicket. However, this is far short of the need. NPCA’s analysis indicates that the national parks suffer from an annual shortfall in excess of $600 million.
According to NPCA’s report, funding shortfalls at Big Thicket have resulted in a shortage of law enforcement rangers to patrol the park’s 15 units to ensure visitors are safe, plants and wildlife are not poached, and illegal dumping is halted. Experts are needed to manage the park’s archival and museum collections and maintain historic buildings and sites that tell the stories of Big Thicket’s human history. Currently the park’s dedicated staff provides educational opportunities for 4,000 schoolchildren annually; with more funding, the park could reach many more of the children in Houston, Beaumont, and other communities within 100 miles of the preserve.
The product of a year-and-a-half-long analysis, “Big Thicket National Preserve: A Resource Assessment,” is the 24th NPCA State of the Parks report.
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