1-1 Appendix 1 Responses to survey questions administered to ...

the HOH has also resulted in very little interaction with University researchers in
the state, and I think there are some detriments to that – including a lack of
interactions with extra-agency researchers who could offer valuable insights.
• Impediment – Although the leadership of the TPWD uses scientific information
and stresses the need to “use good science”, it does not demonstrate that such
information is critical to resource management. There appears to be a lack of
desire to communicate across divisions to develop broad goals with quantifiable
objectives and to establish a framework to use science to meet these goals.
Without a clear focus on science or agency objectives, resource management
decisions are made based on the goals of individual division directors. Such goals
frequently focus on immediate needs without considering long-term direction.
Often science is not used in these decisions. When science is used, it is typically
with data collected for other purposes and only when it backs the decision.
• Impediment=time and precision of estimates.
• Takes too long between data collection/analysis to implementation of regulatory
changes.
• The lack of a clear set of interrelated goals regarding our varied challenges in
resource management severely hampers our ability to obtain and utilize good data.
• Greatest impediment is the lack of communication of new scientific methods and
how to use them.
• The greatest impediment in application of scientific information that I have
observed is the difficulty our field staff, and even our HOH research staff, have in
gaining access to scientific literature. Access to journal articles and books are
limited. But the most severe need is for convenient access to a computerized
service which allows for a thorough searching of topics (and authors name, etc.)
in major and minor journals, plus access to copies of the abstracts from articles
identified by any particular search.
• Weakness: Managers’ special projects take a back seat because of limited staff
hours. These projects could have a lot more potential if cooperation was
encouraged between TPWD and universities. Also, scientific information in the
form of journal subscriptions, library databases, etc. is practically non-existent for
field staff.
• The biggest impediment may be assessment procedures, which may not
adequately sample the important recreational species.
• Budgetary constraints – we know what we need to do we just can’t afford to do
enough of it.
• Our greatest impediment is (as for most natural resource agencies) the need for
additional personnel.
• The economy and budgetary restrictions are probably one of our biggest
impediments. Severe limits on the number of new vehicles and computers
purchased in a year, along with a lack of pay increases for personnel, agencywide,
over a period of years now, is starting to slowly impact operations. At that
pace, it can be anticipated that employee retention could drop, and maintenance
costs could increase if a change does not occur soon.
2-25