A National Recreation Area is a designation given by Congress to areas of land and water with significant outdoor recreational, natural, heritage, and cultural resource potential. National Recreation Areas are highly regarded and enjoy an enhanced stature among the universe of recreational designations. They are chosen because of their unique recreational potential and are recognized and valued by tourists from around the world. A unit of the National Park System designated as National Recreation Areas is an especially good fit for Texas because it allows for significant local participation and control.
There are 18 National Recreation Areas in the US , including Lake Meredith and Amistad in Texas. They range in size, contiguity, land ownership structure, governing institutions and functional purposes. The National Park Service provides a coordinating presence and expertise, but may own little of the managed lands.
The purpose of the proposed Lone Star Coastal NRA (LSCNRA) is to enhance the stature of the Upper Texas Gulf Coast among the universe of recreational designations.
The proposed LSCNRA is a voluntary public-private partnership to preserve the unique heritage and coastal landscapes of the upper Texas coast, improve access to the outdoors and strengthen rural economies by promoting nature and heritage-based tourism across the five-county region of Jefferson, Chambers, Galveston, Brazoria and Matagorda.
In order for the proposed LSCNRA to become a designated National Recreation Area, a member of the Texas Congressional delegation must introduce a bill, Congress must pass it and the President must sign it into law. Proposed legislation to designate the LSCNRA was drafted by Lone Star Coastal stakeholders and efforts are underway to have it introduced.
*NOTE: Chambers County opted in after this map was made.
