Similar to the National Park Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department operations were originally carried out by multiple state entities. The Texas Game and Fish Commission, established in 1895, regulated fishing and hunting, while the Texas State Parks Board, established in 1923, oversaw the parklands and historic sites. The Texas Legislature merged the two in 1963 to create the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Its primary mission is to manage and conserve the state's natural and cultural resources. Produced by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, this 1991 government film segment breaks down the agency's structure and management.

The seven internal divisions surveyed here are now 13: Executive, Wildlife, Coastal Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, Law Enforcement, State Parks, Infrastructure, Legal, Financial Resources, Communications, Human Resources, Support Resources, and Information Technology.