SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1069
WHEREAS, The State of Texas is home to a wealth of natural,
cultural, and historic sites that enjoy national and
international recognition for their significance; and
WHEREAS, Among these sites are 15 that are overseen by the
National Park Service; they include such natural wonders as the
rugged Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which encompasses the
highest peak in Texas, and the windswept Padre Island National
Seashore, the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in
the world, as well as such historic structures as the frontier
military post at Fort Davis, the 300-year-old missions in San
Antonio, and the ranch house of President Lyndon B. Johnson; the
Texas components of the National Park System offer protection to
21 threatened and endangered species, preserve important pieces
of Texas and American history, and provide the state with
$238,900,000 in economic benefit; and
WHEREAS, Texans have long realized the importance of
conserving their natural and historical heritage, and they have
played a vital role in the creation of National Park Service
units in the state; Big Bend, the first national park established
in Texas, was made possible with the appropriation of $1.5
million by the 47th Texas Legislature, funds that enabled the
purchase of most of the land; the state also donated Rancho de las
Cabras, the mission ranch of San Francisco de la Espada, for
inclusion in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park;
moreover, the City of Waco has approved the transfer of the Waco
Mammoth Site to the federal government for the purpose of
establishing it as a national monument; and
WHEREAS, In addition to its National Park Service sites,
Texas boasts 3,189 structures that have been listed in the
National Register of Historic Places, as well as 46 National
Historic Landmarks, including the Apollo Mission Control Center
in Houston, the Governor's Mansion in Austin, and the USS
Lexington aircraft carrier in Corpus Christi; the 20 National
Natural Landmarks in Texas include Enchanted Rock, the High
Plains Natural Area, and Palo Duro Canyon; and
WHEREAS, Two sites in Texas, the Big Thicket National
Preserve and the Chihuahuan Desert Biosphere Reserve, have
received further international recognition with their
designation as United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization International Biosphere Reserves; in
addition, the Alamo, the other San Antonio missions, and Rancho
de las Cabras have been proposed for inclusion on the
organization's prestigious list of World Heritage sites; and
WHEREAS, All these treasures, and many others, are of
immense cultural, historical, ecological, and economic
importance, and they are a source of tremendous pride to all
Texans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of State of Texas, 84th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the nationally and
internationally recognized natural and historic sites in the
Lone Star State.
Uresti
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on June 1, 2015.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate