TPWD offers holiday gifts for outdoorsmen

Give a gift of the outdoors this holiday season, and you'll get a present as well under a special Texas Parks and Wildlife Department promotion.

If you order a Texas State Parks Pass certificate before Dec. 31, you will receive a commemorative state parks holiday tree ornament. The ornament also can be purchased separately for $4.95, plus tax and shipping.

The 2008 version of the annual Texas State Parks brass-plated tree ornament pays tribute to the Sebastopol House and Dinosaur Valley, among other state parks and historic sites. Parks Pass certificate sales benefit state park operations.

The ornament offer is just one of a number of conservation-themed gifts available through online shopping at the TPWD Web site. Gift certificates can be ordered only by calling the TPWD Customer Service Center in Austin at (512) 389-8900.

The $60 parks pass entitles the holder and those riding in the same non-commercial vehicle to free entry at more than 90 state parks for 12 months, as well as discounts on state park store merchandise, recreational equipment rental, camping and more. Pass holders also can order a year's subscription to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine at a special rate of $9.95.

In addition to the parks pass certificate, holiday shoppers can visit TPWD's "Shop the Outdoors" Web page to choose from a variety of other conservation gift items.

Featured products this year are "Life's Better Outside" T-shirts and bumper stickers; Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo fine arts posters; the 2007 Collector's Edition of fish and wildlife stamps' Texas Wildlife Trail maps; five different conservation license plates; and a colorful Hummingbird Wheel featuring the 16 species documented in Texas.

Online shopping is available at tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/parkinfo/passes and tpwd.state.tx.us/business/shop.