Patterson draws more criticism

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson continues to block a proposal that could put the Christmas Mountains into the hands of the National Park Service, conservationists complained this week.

Patterson, who is chairman of the School Land Board, which has authority over the Christmas Mountains, has so far declined to bring up for board consideration a park service proposal to add the mountains to Big Bend National Park.

Patterson, who drew criticism for his recent attempts to sell the property to private interests, raised eyebrows last week when he told an audience in Fort Worth that "Big Bend National Park doesn't want" the Christmas Mountains.

Conservationist Luke Metzger likened Patterson's stance to "blocking democracy."

"To prevent the proposal from at least being considered

-- I think that's outrageous," said Metzger, director of Environment Texas. "It's a failure of government for him to not to even allow the case from being made to the full Land Board."

The three-member board has met three times since the federal agency made its proposal Jan. 31, and another meeting is scheduled for March 18. The park service's proposed management plan for the Christmas Mountains has not been put on any of the meeting agendas.

A spokesman for Patterson did not respond to questions about the land commissioner's plans. However, in a statement that he posted this week on the Star-Telegram's PoliTex blog, Patterson indicated that he did not want to transfer the property to the park service -- at least for the moment -- and that he is still considering selling the mountains to a private bidder, which he has said can act as a good steward of the property.

A conservation group donated the 9,269-acre range in far West Texas to the state in 1991 with a general understanding that it would remain in state hands or go only to the National Park Service. Patterson's attempts to instead sell it to private bidders -- even after the park service signaled its interest in the property -- raised criticism from conservation groups and sparked public outcry.

On Feb. 5, the School Land Board rejected two private bids on the property. Patterson said at the time that he did not put the park service proposal on the agenda because there was not sufficient time to have it legally posted under the state's Open Meetings Law. But he has not said when he would allow the board to consider the proposal.

In his blog comment this week, Patterson also defended his earlier statement that Big Bend officials do not want to add the Christmas Mountains to the park.

To support that contention, he cited letters from park officials and an off-the-record conversation between an unnamed reporter and an unnamed park official.

Metzger, of Environment Texas, said the letters referenced by Patterson were sent years earlier -- before the park service submitted its most recent offer. Metzger also noted that Big Bend Superintendent William Wellman recently reaffirmed the park service's offer to add the Christmas Mountains to Big Bend.

"I'm disappointed that Commissioner Patterson is ... using hearsay to claim that Wellman is lying," Metzger said.

Patterson also said in his blog comment that federal officials have not requested additional funding to acquire or manage the mountains. However, in its Jan. 31 proposal, the National Park Service raised the possibility of using private money to acquire the property.

"I think it's a little disingenuous for Commissioner Patterson to express the position that there is no movement out there to get money to acquire the property," said Ken Kramer, director of the Texas chapter of the Sierra Club.

Patterson has said he prefers that the park service use tax dollars to acquire the property because he feels that would give the park service a greater sense of ownership.

Patterson, a Second Amendment advocate, also said previously that he opposed transferring the property to the park service because of restrictions on firearms in national parks.

In the blog comment, Patterson wrote that the "property should be in the hands of an entity, public or private, that can provide the best stewardship" and that unless steps are taken to address questions of funding, public access and hunting, "that entity is not the National Park Service."

The two other members of the School Land Board could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

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Patterson draws more criticism

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson continues to block a proposal that could put the Christmas Mountains into the hands of the National Park Service, conservationists complained this week.