83R11968 BPG-D
By: Guillen H.R. No. 878
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is marking
its 50th anniversary in 2013, and this milestone provides a fitting
opportunity to recognize its accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, On August 23, 1963, the 58th Texas Legislature
merged the operations of the Texas Game and Fish Commission and the
State Parks Board to create the Parks and Wildlife Department; the
new agency's first challenge was to improve and expand the park
system, and between 1968 and 1976, the acreage of parkland owned by
the state was nearly doubled; and
WHEREAS, Parks and Wildlife assumed responsibility for the
administration of the Texas Water Safety Act and of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund beginning in the 1960s and later
implemented the provisions of the Texas Endangered Species and
Wildlife Conservation Acts; and
WHEREAS, By the late 1980s, the Texas parks system
encompassed well over 400,000 acres, including parks, natural
areas, and historic sites; the department also protected and
managed the fish population in more than 600 public reservoirs and
16,000 miles of streams and rivers, as well as along 370 miles of
coastline; and
WHEREAS, Park use continued to rise, with more than 20
million people visiting on an annual basis by the 1990s; the
agency's staff and administration have worked diligently through
the years to meet the challenges presented by population growth and
urbanization, partnering with diverse entities to conserve natural
and cultural resources and enhance opportunities for outdoor
recreation; and
WHEREAS, Over the past half-century, the vital endeavors of
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have enriched the lives of
innumerable citizens, and the agency has earned the profound
appreciation of all who treasure the natural beauty of the Lone Star
State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and honor
the staff and administration for their hard work and dedication on
its behalf; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the department as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.