Boerne Star, Conservation
George Bristol Visits The Cibolo
by Sydney Ward
As a leader in conservation, author, and entrepreneur, George Bristol has left an indelible mark on Texas’ history and her natural legacy. Born in Denton in 1941, Bristol experienced a childhood where immersion in nature was often just a short bike ride away in any direction, from Denton’s forests to the woods and creeks near Austin where his family settled in 1953. While a childhood surrounded by nature laid the groundwork, it wasn’t until later that protecting natural spaces would become his lifelong purpose.
In the summer of 1961, while a student at the University of Texas, Bristol took a life-altering summer job as a trail crew member at Glacier National Park and experienced love at first sight with the landscape. He returned the following summer, and through this experience his childhood connection to nature manifested into a full-blown passion for national, state, and local parks.
Ever since, Bristol has dedicated his life to conservation through policy, fundraising, and board membership. By spending his early adulthood alternating time between Washington D.C. and Austin working on political campaigns, Bristol gained a vast network of political connections and experience that came in handy once he began serving on various boards for conservation organizations to advocate for the proper funding of these vital, yet often neglected parks.
He was appointed to the National Park Foundation in 1994, established the Texas Coalition for Conservation (TCC) in 2001, and chaired Audubon Texas, to name a few. While serving as president of the TCC, Bristol began advocating for a sporting goods sales tax amendment. Initially passed in 1993, the sporting goods tax dedicated a portion of Texas’ general sales tax to support parks and historic sites. However, a $32 million cap in 1995 meant that sooner rather than later, less than 40% of the available funds intended for parks were received by parks. Witnessing the effects of underfunding through infrastructure disrepair, layoffs, and missed acquisition opportunities, Bristol resolved to do what he could to fix the situation. After six long years, it became the last bill passed on the final day legislature was in session, nearly tripling funding for Texas parks.
But is conservation work ever truly finished? Nearly two decades after Bristol initially began the fight for parks funding, his efforts led to a constitutional amendment called Proposition 5 that passed with 88% of Texas voter support. This amendment fully safeguards and allocates the entirety of funds raised by the sporting goods tax to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Parks Division and the Texas Historical Commission.
Unsurprisingly, a life spent in nature often stirs creativity, and along with his advocacy work, George Bristol is an accomplished author, poet, and photographer. His latest book project, Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years 1923-2023, marks the centennial celebration and comprehensive history of how our state and national parks came to be, filled with insightful storytelling and stunning photographs.
The Cibolo Center for Conservation is honored to host a book signing with George Bristol to celebrate Texas State Parks: The First 100 Years 1923-2023. He’ll join us for a panel discussion moderated by Carolyn Chipman-Evans, with an audience Q&A and book signing to follow. The event will be held in the Hunke Gathering Hall at Herff Farm on Friday, May 31, 2024, from 5:30pm-7pm. The event is free to attend, but RSVPs are required at cibolo.link/bristol.