88R10999 TBO-D
By: King of Hemphill H.R. No. 134
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation are celebrating the 100th
anniversary of Texas State Parks in 2023; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature organized the six-member
State Parks Board in 1923 to locate sites for a state parks system;
the effort was intended to create more overnight camping locations
to serve the increased number of Texans who had begun traveling by
automobile; a decade later, during the Great Depression, members of
the Civilian Conservation Corps established by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt helped build facilities at parks across the
state; these included such iconic structures as the pavilion at
Garner State Park and the Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State
Park, both of which continue to be enjoyed by visitors today; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was
officially established in 1963, when Governor John Connally merged
the State Parks Board with the Game and Fish Commission; soon after,
during an era known as the "Golden Age of Texas State Parks,"
increased revenue streams led to the refurbishment of existing
parks and the development of new ones, among which were Pedernales
Falls, Mustang Island, Galveston Island, and McKinney Falls State
Parks and Lost Maples State Natural Area; and
WHEREAS, In 1993, Texas lawmakers dedicated a portion of
state taxes on sporting goods sales to provide stable funding for
state parks, and in 2019, Texas voters passed a constitutional
amendment to ensure that all funding from the sporting goods sales
tax will benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
Texas Historical Commission; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Texas State Parks system encompasses
481,000 acres of water sources, such as aquifers, rivers, and
reservoirs, as well as some 640,000 acres of critical habitat for
various wildlife, including more than 50 threatened and endangered
species; in addition, state parks contribute to the physical and
emotional well-being of countless Texans, and they have played an
instrumental role in the economic vitality of rural communities;
and
WHEREAS, The state parks of Texas offer ample opportunities
for outdoor recreation while helping to conserve the natural
resources of the Lone Star State, and it is a pleasure to join in
celebrating the centennial of these beloved public areas that have
been enjoyed by generations of Texans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Texas State
Parks and extend to all those associated with the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Foundation as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.