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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Family and friends suffered a tragic loss with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | death of Texas Game Warden Justin Philip Hurst of El Campo on March |
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| 7 | 8 | | 17, 2007, and more than a decade later, his honorable service |
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| 8 | 9 | | continues to be a source of inspiration to those he left behind; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, On his 34th birthday, Game Warden Hurst was shot and |
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| 10 | 11 | | fatally wounded in the line of duty while he was attempting to |
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| 11 | 12 | | apprehend a man suspected of illegal hunting; and |
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| 12 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Justin Hurst was born to Allen and Pat Hurst in Wheat |
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| 13 | 14 | | Ridge, Colorado, on March 17, 1973, and raised with the |
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| 14 | 15 | | companionship of his brother, Greg; after working as a waterfowl |
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| 15 | 16 | | guide in his youth, he chose wildlife ecology as his area of study |
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| 16 | 17 | | and went on to earn his bachelor's degree in that subject from Texas |
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| 17 | 18 | | A&M University; he began his career as a biologist with the Texas |
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| 18 | 19 | | Parks and Wildlife Department in 1995, and he completed his |
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| 19 | 20 | | training at the Texas Game Warden Academy in August 2002; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Game Warden Hurst was passionate and deeply |
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| 21 | 22 | | knowledgeable about wildlife, and he had a sincere interest in |
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| 22 | 23 | | enforcing the laws to protect our state's natural environment and |
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| 23 | 24 | | resources; throughout his career, he investigated illegal hunting, |
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| 24 | 25 | | criminal trespassing, and pollution cases; he believed in the |
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| 25 | 26 | | importance of educating people about the law, and he regularly |
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| 26 | 27 | | visited Wharton County schools to teach children about hunting and |
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| 27 | 28 | | fishing laws and environmental stewardship; he belonged to the |
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| 28 | 29 | | Texas Game Warden Association, the Texas Wildlife Association, |
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| 29 | 30 | | Ducks Unlimited, and the Coastal Conservation Association, and he |
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| 30 | 31 | | also served on the administrative board at the First United |
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| 31 | 32 | | Methodist Church; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Hurst enjoyed the love and |
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| 33 | 34 | | support of his wife, Amanda, and he took great pride in their son, |
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| 34 | 35 | | Kyle; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Although the untimely passing of Justin Hurst was a |
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| 36 | 37 | | grievous loss to his family, to his colleagues, and to the community |
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| 37 | 38 | | and state that he so faithfully served, his legacy of integrity and |
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| 38 | 39 | | devotion to duty will forever be remembered; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Game Warden Justin |
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| 41 | 42 | | Philip Hurst and extend profound sympathy to all who have mourned |
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| 42 | 43 | | his passing; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 45 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 45 | 46 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Justin |
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| 46 | 47 | | Hurst. |
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