Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR49 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R4548 BPG-D
2	2	By: Muñoz, Jr. H.C.R. No. 49
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5	5	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, The future of Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
7	7	is threatened by the proposed construction of a border wall through
8	8	this treasured site; and
9	9	WHEREAS, In 1944, the Bentsen family signed over nearly 600
10	10	forested acres along the Rio Grande to the Texas Parks Board for the
11	11	consideration of $1, with the stipulation that the land be used
12	12	"solely for Public Park Purposes"; it opened to the public as a
13	13	state park in 1962, and while serving as a wildlife corridor that
14	14	allows native species to survive, it has drawn people from across
15	15	the country to observe its diverse fauna; and
16	16	WHEREAS, Today, as part of the World Birding Center, the park
17	17	ranks among the nation's premier bird-watching destinations; it
18	18	attracts some 30,000 visitors annually, with numbers growing by
19	19	about five percent every year, and it is an important driver of the
20	20	Rio Grande Valley's ecotourism economy; and
21	21	WHEREAS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has notified
22	22	landowners of plans to build a 33-mile barrier in Hidalgo and Starr
23	23	Counties; the section in Hidalgo County will consist of vertical
24	24	concrete river levees topped by 18-foot-tall fencing, as well as a
25	25	150-foot-wide "enforcement zone" on the river side with a road,
26	26	around-the-clock lighting, cameras, and sensors; and
27	27	WHEREAS, Scientists have warned that the construction of such
28	28	a barrier through this sensitive natural area would devastate
29	29	wildlife habitat; a border wall would also inhibit access and deter
30	30	visitors, and it would likely result in the discontinuation of
31	31	overnight camping and nighttime wildlife viewing; moreover, the
32	32	proposed barrier would divide the park, isolating the headquarters
33	33	and visitors center from the area enjoyed by the public and creating
34	34	serious operational, management, and safety issues; further
35	35	complicating the issue, if TPWD is no longer able to safely operate
36	36	the property as a state park, under the terms of the original grant,
37	37	the land could revert to the heirs of the grantor; closure of the
38	38	park could also negatively impact the viability of the neighboring
39	39	National Butterfly Center; and
40	40	WHEREAS, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a jewel of
41	41	the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, beloved by state residents
42	42	and visitors from far and wide, and it should be protected for the
43	43	benefit of generations to come; now, therefore, be it
44	44	RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
45	45	hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to oppose
46	46	construction of a border wall through Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley
47	47	State Park; and, be it further
48	48	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
49	49	copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
50	50	the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
51	51	Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
52	52	members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
53	53	this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
54	54	memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.