State-owned submerged lands and islands : completion of a four year study (supplemental report), a report to the 57th Legislature / Texas Legislative Council.

Abstract

The State-owned submerged lands and islands, comprising some 1,500,000 acres of land, and their natural resources constitute an important and valuable property right belonging to all the people of Texas. It is the belief of the Committee that the value of such lands and resources as public property for fishing, hunting, recreation, health and other uses in which the public at large may participate and enjoy should be considered as paramount, and private development should be approved only if it does not significantly impair such values. Further, it is the view of this Com-mittee that such lands should not be sold except by express authorization of the Legislature. The Committee is of the opinion, however, that in some areas private development of these lands would not materially interfere with or affect the public interest and that in such cases an executive agency of the State should be authorized to lease the lands for industrial purposes if the county or city, as the case may be, approves such lease.