82R8273 BPG-D
By: Callegari, Creighton, Ritter, H.C.R. No. 61
Miller of Comal, King of Zavala, et al.
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has an effective and
well-developed water planning process that relies on stakeholder
input and promotes local control, but the executive and legislative
branches of the federal government are embarking on a campaign to
shift water resources planning from the state and local levels to
the federal level; and
WHEREAS, Currently being considered by the federal
government are a sweeping array of legislation, executive orders,
and agency rules that, taken together, cover nearly all aspects of
water resources policy and law; these measures would erode state
and local primacy over water resources planning and management and
severely constrain the planning and implementation successes Texas
has already achieved; and
WHEREAS, More than half a century ago, following an
extraordinary drought, state legislators created the Texas Water
Development Board to ensure the continued availability of water
supplies; since then, state leaders have developed water planning
processes to identify and cultivate the resources required to meet
growing domestic, agricultural, and environmental needs; these
carefully crafted policies address the state's unique
environmental conditions while respecting private property rights,
and they are essential to keeping pace with the demands of a
population that is expected to double by the year 2060; and
WHEREAS, Increasing federal requirements and control over
water planning and development would greatly complicate and
unnecessarily extend the process of securing federal permits for
many water-related projects sought by local interests, rendering
some simply unviable; moreover, federal initiatives would be
unlikely to incorporate sufficient input from the local, regional,
and state stakeholders who are most impacted; regional and local
water entities are the most knowledgeable about the needs of their
communities and have a proven track record of expertly balancing
the many environmental, economic, and human factors that constitute
an effective planning discipline; and
WHEREAS, A federally centralized approach would not only
undermine the state's strong tradition of stewardship over its
waters, transferring responsibility to far-removed officials, but
would also infringe on the sovereignty of the State of Texas; the
future of the state's economy, public health, and treasured natural
resources is closely tied to its ability to manage and control its
water supplies; it is therefore imperative that final decisions
regarding the needs of local communities reside with the state,
regional, and local entities that are so uniquely qualified to make
them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby express its opposition to federal interference in state
management of Texas' water resources; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.