Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HR306 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	82R22472 CBE-D
2	2	By: Marquez, Pickett, Quintanilla, Margo, H.R. No. 306
3	3	Gonzalez
4	4	Substitute the following for H.R. No. 306:
5	5	By: Guillen C.S.H.R. No. 306
6	6
7	7
8	8	R E S O L U T I O N
9	9	WHEREAS, The Castner Range in El Paso is one of the most
10	10	rugged and pristine landscapes in Texas, encompassing 7,000 acres
11	11	of undeveloped desert and foothills; and
12	12	WHEREAS, The land was previously known as the Castner Range
13	13	Complex at Fort Bliss and was used as a United States Army artillery
14	14	range, but the Department of Defense ceased operations there in
15	15	1971; unexploded ordnance remained behind, rendering the land
16	16	unsuitable for development, and under the stewardship of the army,
17	17	it has been allowed to rest in its natural state; and
18	18	WHEREAS, Since 1995, the army has been clearing old artillery
19	19	rounds from the surface of the land; surface clearance, as opposed
20	20	to subsurface clearance, was found to offer the best
21	21	risk-reduction-to-cost ratio and is most compatible with a
22	22	minimal-disturbance future land use, such as passive recreation on
23	23	protected parkland; and
24	24	WHEREAS, Although the Castner Range is off-limits to the
25	25	public, El Pasoans have long cherished the area for its surpassing
26	26	beauty; bordering Franklin Mountains State Park on the west, the
27	27	range contains some of the most geologically complex and visually
28	28	striking parts of the Franklins and is prized for its Mexican gold
29	29	poppy, which carpets the lower slopes in brilliant color in the
30	30	spring; and
31	31	WHEREAS, Also remarkable for its biodiversity, Castner Range
32	32	provides a number of distinctive animal habitats, and its unique
33	33	soils and location combine to make this the only known site in Texas
34	34	where several rare plants can be found; moreover, the range holds
35	35	the greatest concentration of springs in the Franklins, supporting
36	36	unexpectedly lush pockets of vegetation; and
37	37	WHEREAS, Castner Range is further distinguished by military
38	38	history and archaeological sites; and
39	39	WHEREAS, In 1981, the Texas Legislature provided for the
40	40	adjustment of the boundaries of Franklin Mountains State Park in
41	41	anticipation of the future addition of Castner Range lands, an idea
42	42	strongly favored by area residents; both the El Paso City Council
43	43	and the El Paso County Commissioners Court unanimously passed
44	44	resolutions in recent years advocating that the Castner Range be
45	45	left undeveloped and be conserved for recreational use;
46	46	furthermore, the Franklin Mountains State Park management plan
47	47	takes the range into account, envisioning a network of trails in the
48	48	canyons and lower elevations, and the U.S. Department of Defense
49	49	recently made a $300,000 grant to the Frontera Land Alliance to
50	50	collect data concerning a conservation conveyance for the area; and
51	51	WHEREAS, The Castner Range is one of the Lone Star State's
52	52	unequaled treasures, and its conservation will provide enormous
53	53	benefits to future generations of Texans; now, therefore, be it
54	54	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
55	55	Legislature hereby express its support for the conservation of
56	56	Castner Range; and, be it further
57	57	RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the Texas House of
58	58	Representatives forward official copies of this resolution to the
59	59	president of the United States, to the commanding general of Fort
60	60	Bliss, to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense, to the
61	61	president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
62	62	Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
63	63	members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
64	64	this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
65	65	memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.