LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
April 19, 2001
TO: Honorable J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair, Senate Committee on
Natural Resources
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB934 by Nelson (Relating to allowing recreational metal
detecting in designated areas of state parks.), As
Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB934, As Introduced: positive impact of $0 through the biennium *
* ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $0 *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from State *
* Parks Account/ GR-Dedicated *
* 0064 *
* 2002 $(497,000) *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) to designate metal
detecting areas in State Parks. It does not authorize removal of any
objects subject to the code.
Methodology
According to TPWD, Intensive Archeological Surveys would be required to
implement the provisions of the bill. Of the 120 parks managed by TPWD,
it is assumed that metal detecting would not be allowed on any of the 41
historic sites or 9 parks leased from other entities. It is further
estimated by TPWD that intensive archeological surveys will be needed for
an average of 40 acres per park for the remaining sites. At current
market rates of approximately $125 per acre for intensive archeological
surveys, the total cost for opening areas within each of the remaining 71
parks would be $355,000.
According to TPWD, Natural Resource surveys would also be needed for each
of these sites, with each survey requiring an average of 80 hours of
contract labor by a natural resource specialist. The cost for this is
computed at $25/hour X 80 hours X 71 parks, for a total of $142,000.
It is assumed that ongoing supervision of metal detecting activities
would be performed by existing staff.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 802 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
LBB Staff: JK, CL, SK