Commission Meeting Agenda Item No. 3
Presenter: Stan David

Action
Partition, Exchange, and Conveyance of Land - Marion County
Approximately 90 Acres at Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area
March 28, 2024

I.      Executive Summary: Staff requests authorization to pursue the partition, exchange, and conveyance of approximately 90 acres of land adjacent to the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that is available from willing landowners. The land would add excellent habitat and operational utility to the Caddo Lake WMA.

II.     Discussion: Caddo Lake State Park was established in the 1930s on the south shore of Caddo Lake in Harrison County. Over time, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) expanded the park north across the lake, covering several thousand more acres. In 1997, the TPWD land holdings on the north side of the lake in Marion County were re-designated as a WMA and their management assigned to the TPWD Wildlife Division. Today, the WMA consists of roughly 8,100 acres that protect much of the lake and the adjacent swamps, floodplains, slopes, and upland forests that exemplify the habitats of northeast Texas.

The Goat Island Unit of the WMA covers roughly 900 acres, consists of particularly significant habitat, and is a favorite destination for hunters. TPWD had previously shared provisional use of the only road that provides overland access to Goat Island with a neighboring family. Determining the WMA’s and the neighboring property’s exact ownership boundaries on the ground has been hindered by anomalies in the properties’ chains of title, and TPWD historically shared road use only through a “handshake agreement” with the neighboring family. Several years ago, the family denied road access to TPWD staff and the public. Recent work to clarify the chain of title suggest that the road crosses private property, and TPWD does not have an easement across the private property.

In accordance with prior Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) direction, staff has worked on amicably resolving the boundary disputes, with a priority on securing permanent access to Goat Island and establishing good relationships with neighboring property owners. TPWD currently owns an undivided 75 percent interest in what is known as the “Chew Tract.” TPWD completed a boundary survey of the Chew Tract in June 2020, which identified 240.41 acres within the tract and revealed numerous boundary overlaps with adjacent tracts on both the east and west sides of the surveyed land. Based on this survey, staff has tentatively negotiated an agreement with an adjacent landowner to recognize their ownership of the land occupied by their family for much of the past century in exchange for a suitable deeded road into the Goat Island Unit.

III.   Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Commission adopt the following motion:

“The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopts the Resolution attached as Exhibit A.”

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit A

A Resolution by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Regarding the Exchange and
Conveyance of Land – Marion County
Approximately 90 Acres in Exchange and Conveyance for Deeded Access at Caddo Lake
Wildlife Management Area Goat Island Unit

March 28, 2024

Resolution

      Whereas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) owns and operates the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for a variety of hunting and conservation values, including the protection of wildlife habitat; and,

      Whereas, TPWD desires to gain deeded access to its Goat Island Unit at the WMA and resolve overlapping property boundaries with adjacent landowners; and,

      Whereas, an adjacent landowner is willing to convey to TPWD approximately 15 acres which will provide TPWD permanent land access to the Goat Island Unit in exchange for approximately 22 acres (the Exchange Tract) from the WMA; and,

      Whereas, due to historical survey anomalies, several adjacent neighbors have overlapping boundaries with the WMA and request those boundaries be corrected through conveyance of the overlapping acreage from TPWD; and,

      Whereas, TPWD has a 75% undivided interest in approximately 240 acres of the WMA and desires to acquire the remaining 25% interest from willing sellers so that TPWD can convey the overlapping acreage to the adjacent neighbors; and,

      Whereas, Caddo Lake State Park was acquired in the 1930s, and in 1997, the north side of the Caddo Lake was re-designated as the WMA creating 8,100 acres that protect much of the lake and adjacent swamps, floodplains, slopes, and upland forest habitats; and,

      Whereas, this exchange and conveyance provides increased public hunting opportunities and wildlife viewing; and allows for greater conservation of sensitive habitats; and,

      Whereas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) finds that as required by Texas Parks and Wildlife Code (PWC) chapter 26, notices of today’s hearing of this matter were published at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation which is published at least six days a week in the communities nearest to the WMA in which such newspapers are published (the Jefferson Jimplecute in Marion County), with the last day of publication being not less than one week or more than two weeks before the date of today’s hearing; and,

      Whereas, the Commission finds, in accordance with Section 13.009 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code that the proposed exchange of the tracts is in the best interest of TPWD; and,

      Now, therefore, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes the Executive Director to take all necessary steps to acquire, exchange, and convey the subject tracts and interests for the purposes and subject to the conditions described herein and in the motion approving this Resolution.

Adopted and approved this 28th day of March, 2024.

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit B

Location Map for Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
Marion County

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit C

Vicinity Map for Caddo Lake WMA
20 Miles Northeast of Marshall

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit D

Area Map for Caddo Lake WMA
WMA Outlined in Orange
Area of Interest Outlined in White

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit E

Site Map of Chew Tract and Adjacent Landowners

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit F

Notable Survey Anomalies

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Commission Agenda Item No. 3
Exhibit G

Potential Areas of Conveyance