J. ROLLIN MACRAE, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744, USA

The events of the past century and shifts in perceptions by governmental agencies and the public create a peculiar climate in which to try to manage public resources. The taking of sand and gravel from stream beds serves as an instructional example to industry, regulators, property owners and conservation interests on the appropriate roles of each in the process. Texas may be an illustrative microcosm of the development of issues and perceptive shifts that have occurred with increased resource impacts and population presence. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has regulated the "disturbance of taking" of streambed materials since 1911. Although regulations have not changed greatly, interpretations have evolved, and the focus and intensity of enforcement have waxed and waned. The greatest changes have occurred in the last 10 to 20 years, as the public has become sensitized to environmental impacts of human activities. The citizens of any given area are particularly prone to oppose any environmental impact that will occur in their immediate vicinity. Examples from recent Texas experiences in the regulatory area illustrate the mistakes made on all sides, and the lessons which could be learned to better manage public resources, including efficiencies which should be developed to allocate greatest effort to the most important problems.