Texas Game Warden Memorial relocating to the Texas State Capitol
AUSTIN, Texas - After nine years, the Texas Game Warden Memorial has been approved to move to the Texas State Capitol.
The State Preservation Board approved the relocation of the memorial from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas to the Texas State Capitol grounds. The memorial is a life-size bronze statue of a Texas Game Warden, and honors the wardens that lost their lives in the line of duty. It serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of the Texas Game Wardens.
"The Association saw this as a necessary move since other memorials—specifically peace officer memorials—are housed on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol," said Game Warden Peace Officer Association President and current Texas Game Warden Major, Quint Balkcom. "Housing the memorial on Capitol grounds would also serve a larger audience, many who have never interacted with a Texas Game Warden. This is an educational opportunity to learn more about our history and our critical conservation efforts."
Being the state's only conservation law enforcement agency, the Texas Game Wardens patrol and respond to a vast network of natural disasters as well as regulate fishing and hunting. Throughout the agency's 125-year history, 19 Texas Game Wardens have lost their lives while serving the citizens of Texas.
Col. Chad Jones, director of law enforcement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, says that this memorial represents not only fallen wardens from the past, but also friends and colleagues that have sacrificed their lives for the state of Texas.
Relocating the memorial hasn't been an easy process for the Game Warden Peace Officer's association, says the agency. During the nine years of waiting for relocation approval, the association faced numerous legislative hurdles. In 2017, a resolution in support of the project passed through both chambers of the Texas legislature. All logistical hurdles have been cleared as of last week's hearing, which were the previous causes for relocation stalls.
Now that the relocation has been approved, the next challenge is the planning phase, which Balkcom says will be a lengthy process due to needing to order supplies and the physical movement of the memorial. Nevertheless, Balkcom says he is excited about the memorial's new home and to honor the fallen game wardens the way it was intended.
An updated sculpture will replace the memorial in Athens following the move.
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