On October 11, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed a bill into law (Public Law 93-439) that created Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP). This year is the 35th anniversary of that historic day. As they say in the country "A lot of water has flowed under that bridge" since that day. Today, Texans and the People of the United States have a real natural treasure which is finally starting to get its due. Let the birthday party begin!!!

The BTNP is expanding today, with a recent acquisition of over 10,000 acres bringing it to over 100,000 acres for the first time in history. Conservationists originally envisioned a several hundred thousand acre protected area in the Big Thicket. With U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady soon to reintroduce a modified bill HR 5891, which would allow acquisition of over 100,000 additional acres, this dream may at last be close to reality.

From the late 1920's until October 11, 1974, conservationists, sportsmen, local residents, environmentalists, Native Americans, business folks, and a load of other people, fought hard to get the Big Thicket of East Texas recognition and protection. The Sierra Club was instrumental in the creation and operation of the Big Thicket Coordinating Committee, which helped plan the strategy to get approval for a Big Thicket bill.

When efforts at the state level failed, people turned to the U.S. Congress. Champions like Senator Ralph Yarborough, Representative Bob Eckhardt, and ultimately Representative Charlie Wilson, and Senator Lloyd Bentson brought the bacon home so President Ford could sign PL 93-439 on October 11, 1974. Today, stalwarts like Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Representative Kevin Brady are toting the water.

Many compromises were made, the most telling the downgrading of Big Thicket from a national park to a new unit of the National Park System, a national preserve. National preserves were created to allow important lands to be acquired that would allow activities, like hunting and oil/gas development, that are not allowed in national parks.

The BTNP has struggled since its inception, because of these compromises. Lands to be acquired often had titles that were clouded with years of family and associated land deals that left ownership unknown. Condemnation was required to clear these titles and left a bitter taste in local people’s mouths although most of the land was acquired from large timber company holdings. It took well beyond 10 years to acquire the 84,550 acres that were originally part of BTNP.

BTNP was protected for its many varieties of plants and animals, but funding for law enforcement, resource protection, and nature interpretation has always been critical and lacking. Because of the challenges of dealing with a scattered land area with huge boundaries (BTNP has more boundary than Yellowstone National Park), regulating and managing oil/gas operations, dealing with a hunter education and enforcement program, and encroaching development, BTNP is a superb training ground for National Park Service employees. Unfortunately, after they have been trained and have gained valuable experience, many of these employees leave for better jobs in other parks or units of the National Park System. In addition, the U.S. Congress has been stingy with funds and often BTNP has had to limp along with far fewer employees than necessary.

But, as Maxine Johnston, "Godmother" of the Big Thicket, says, "It is our'n." Citizens of the United States and Texas have a beautiful, mystical, water park to visit and enjoy and which is only an hour and one-half away from millions of Houstonians. Canoeing, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and photography are just a few of the enjoyable activities that you can partake of at BTNP.

Perhaps even more important is the opportunity to let your hair down, relax, and find peace, solitude, and quiet among the natural sounds and sights of the green forest and streams that cover or course through BTNP. No matter what your religious or non-religious persuasion, you can forge a spiritual connection with the other members of the community of life, the plants and animals, as you realize that we are all in this together and depend on one another for our lives and very survival. What will the next 35 years bring? We can hope for more BTNP land and for better protection of this increasingly rare landscape and its residents. That is the birthday present I want. Go to the BTNP website at http://www.nps.gov/bith and plan a trip. You will be awed and glad you did.

July/August 2009

Last updated:  06/27/2009.   Content © 1999-2009 by the Sierra Club.