82R28027 BPG-D
By: Chisum, Craddick, Lewis, Gallego, Perry H.R. No. 1955
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has
proposed granting endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush
lizard, a measure that would have a significant negative impact on
the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, The business climate in Texas has been consistently
ranked as the nation's best, and the oil and gas sector is crucial
to its continued vitality; Texas is the nation's leading producer
of oil and natural gas, and it holds 30 percent of the nation's
natural gas reserves and almost a quarter of its oil reserves; the
oil and gas industry contributes $30 billion annually to the Texas
economy and employs more than 315,000 Texans at some of the highest
salaries in the state; and
WHEREAS, Despite its resilience, the Texas economy has not
been immune to the global economic recession; there have been
significant job losses over the past two years, and recently high
gas prices have posed new challenges; the Fish and Wildlife Service
failed to take these factors into account in its proposal to grant
endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush lizard in
southeastern New Mexico and adjacent oil-producing areas of West
Texas; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the service has failed to consider that
approximately 75,000 acres identified as habitat for the lizard are
owned and managed by The University of Texas for the benefit of
higher education; university officials have estimated that the
listing could stop the drilling of approximately 1,000 oil and gas
wells and eliminate the production of seven million barrels of oil
equivalent annually; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature and the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department have traditionally recognized the private
landowner as the primary steward of our state's natural resources,
but the Fish and Wildlife Service has not adequately consulted with
the State of Texas, Texas landowners, or other stakeholders;
moreover, the service has failed to fully consider issues unique to
species protection and habitat conservation in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered
species would inflict severe economic damage, harm property owners,
and undermine higher education in the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby respectfully urge the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service to withdraw its proposal to list the dunes
sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That the house of representatives direct the
agencies of the State of Texas to cooperate with the efforts of the
Texas Endangered Species Task Force to investigate the scientific
basis of the proposed listing and the potential burdens on private
property rights and economic development in the state; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the Texas House of
Representatives forward official copies of this resolution to the
president of the United States, the acting director of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the president of the Senate and the speaker of
the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and 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.