By: Rodriguez S.R. No. 506
(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2011; March 28, 2011, read
first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs and
Military Installations; April 19, 2011, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 3,
Nays 0; April 19, 2011, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.R. No. 506 By: Rodriguez
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Castner Range in El Paso is one of the most
rugged and pristine landscapes in Texas, encompassing 7,000 acres
of undeveloped desert and foothills; and
WHEREAS, The land was previously known as the Castner Range
Complex at Fort Bliss and was used as a United States Army artillery
range, but the Department of Defense ceased operations there in
1971; unexploded ordnance remained behind, rendering the land
unsuitable for development, and under the stewardship of the army,
it has been allowed to rest in its natural state; and
WHEREAS, Since 1995, the army has been clearing old artillery
rounds from the surface of the land; surface clearance, as opposed
to subsurface clearance, was found to offer the best
risk-reduction-to-cost ratio and is most compatible with a
minimal-disturbance future land use, such as passive recreation on
protected parkland; and
WHEREAS, Although the Castner Range is off-limits to the
public, El Pasoans have long cherished the area for its surpassing
beauty; bordering Franklin Mountains State Park on the west, the
range contains some of the most geologically complex and visually
striking parts of the Franklins and is prized for its Mexican gold
poppy, which carpets the lower slopes in brilliant color in the
spring; and
WHEREAS, Also remarkable for its biodiversity, Castner Range
provides a number of distinctive animal habitats, and its unique
soils and location combine to make this the only known site in Texas
where several rare plants can be found; moreover, the range holds
the greatest concentration of springs in the Franklins, supporting
unexpectedly lush pockets of vegetation; and
WHEREAS, Castner Range is further distinguished by military
history and archaeological sites; and
WHEREAS, In 1981, the Texas Legislature provided for the
adjustment of the boundaries of Franklin Mountains State Park in
anticipation of the future addition of Castner Range lands, an idea
strongly favored by area residents; both the El Paso City Council
and the El Paso County Commissioners Court unanimously passed
resolutions in recent years advocating that the Castner Range be
left undeveloped and be conserved for recreational use;
furthermore, the Franklin Mountains State Park management plan
takes the range into account, envisioning a network of trails in the
canyons and lower elevations, and the United States Department of
Defense recently made a $300,000 grant to the Frontera Land
Alliance to collect data concerning a conservation conveyance for
the area; and
WHEREAS, The Castner Range is one of the Lone Star State's
unequaled treasures, and its conservation will provide enormous
benefits to future generations of Texans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby express its support for the conservation of
Castner Range; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of the senate forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the commanding general of Fort Bliss, to the secretary of the United
States Department of Defense, 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.
* * * * *