The Texas State University System grew in area by 9,629 acres recently after the state’s land commissioner decided to give the system a large tract near Big Bend National Park, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
The land, which includes the Christmas Mountains, will be used as an “outdoor laboratory” and classroom to study archeology, biology, geology and wildlife management. Officials said the transaction made sense because the land is notoriously hard to reach and has few amenities for visitors, limiting its appeal for other uses.
