H.R. No. 138
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Sisters Morgan O'Connor, Kelly Schaar, and Bridey
Greeson, owners of the Dunn O'Connor River Ranch in Goliad County,
have been presented with the 2021 Lone Star Land Steward Award for
the Coastal Prairies Ecoregion by the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department; and
WHEREAS, For the past quarter century, TPWD has recognized
private landowners for exemplary contributions to land, water, and
wildlife stewardship; its awards program raises awareness of sound
natural resource and habitat management practices and highlights
the important role private landowners play in the conservation of
the state's unique natural and cultural resources; and
WHEREAS, The 6,900-acre Dunn O'Connor River Ranch has been in
the sisters' family since 1836; through their collaboration with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal and state
agencies, they have maintained a successful grazing program for
their cattle that also benefits native wildlife; the sisters'
mother, Marie O'Connor Sorenson, began participating in the Coastal
Prairie Conservation Initiative in 2003, and the ranch has since
added watering facilities to improve livestock grazing
distribution as well as numerous cross fences to enable rotational
grazing; the ranch additionally conducts prescribed burning on
pastures to enhance secondary plant succession and to maintain
grassland species while discouraging invasive brush; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, many research initiatives have taken
place at the ranch, including those involving monarch butterflies,
bobwhite quail, mottled ducks, and red imported fire ants; the
ranch has also worked closely with state and federal partners to
become one of several release sites for the highly endangered
Attwater's prairie chicken; since 2007, hundreds of the birds bred
and hatched in captivity have been released on the ranch, and thanks
to conservation efforts, the population of the species is the
highest it has been since 1993; and
WHEREAS, The natural beauty and diverse ecologies of the Lone
Star State depend greatly on the care and oversight demonstrated by
its landowners, and these conscientious and hardworking Texans are
helping to preserve precious resources for future generations; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate Morgan
O'Connor, Kelly Schaar, and Bridey Greeson of the Dunn O'Connor
River Ranch on their receipt of a Lone Star Land Steward Award from
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and extend to them sincere
best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. O'Connor, Ms. Schaar, and Ms. Greeson as an
expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Morrison
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 138 was adopted by the House on
September 2, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House