| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 491 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Texas Bays and Estuaries Day at the State Capitol is |
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| 6 | 6 | | taking place on March 7, 2023, to raise awareness of the critical |
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| 7 | 7 | | importance of our state's precious coastal water resources; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The Texas coast is home to nearly 7 million people |
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| 9 | 9 | | across 18 counties; treasured by citizens throughout the state, it |
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| 10 | 10 | | spans over 3,000 miles of bay shorelines and includes coastal |
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| 11 | 11 | | prairies, saltmarsh wetlands, beaches, dunes, estuaries, and other |
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| 12 | 12 | | ecosystems; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, The eight major bay systems of Texas, Sabine Lake, |
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| 14 | 14 | | Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, Corpus |
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| 15 | 15 | | Christi Bay, Upper Laguna Madre, and Lower Laguna Madre, connect |
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| 16 | 16 | | inflows from inland streams and rivers with oceanic tidal waters |
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| 17 | 17 | | from the Gulf of Mexico; this process results in the creation of |
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| 18 | 18 | | estuaries composed of freshwater mixed with saltwater; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Our state's bays and estuaries serve as habitats for |
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| 20 | 20 | | numerous species of fish and other wildlife, including endangered |
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| 21 | 21 | | species, and contain coastal lands that are protected under the |
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| 22 | 22 | | federal Coastal Zone Management Act; the coast's diverse natural |
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| 23 | 23 | | environments also provide outstanding opportunities for nature |
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| 24 | 24 | | enthusiasts and preservationists from all over the world; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Ranching, farming, fishing, and petroleum are among |
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| 26 | 26 | | the industries that operate along the Texas coast; bays and |
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| 27 | 27 | | estuaries help sustain waterborne commerce, energy and chemical |
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| 28 | 28 | | manufacturing businesses, military operations, commercial fishing, |
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| 29 | 29 | | and recreational activities and tourism, all of which contribute |
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| 30 | 30 | | significantly to our state's economy; these areas also play a vital |
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| 31 | 31 | | role in protecting communities from storms and floods and in |
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| 32 | 32 | | providing shoreline stabilization and erosion prevention, thus |
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| 33 | 33 | | helping to mitigate environmental damage while safeguarding lives |
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| 34 | 34 | | and property; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, The bays and estuaries of the Texas coastline are of |
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| 36 | 36 | | tremendous environmental, recreational, and economic value to the |
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| 37 | 37 | | Lone Star State, in addition to offering incomparable scenic beauty |
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| 38 | 38 | | for all Texans to enjoy, and Texas Bays and Estuaries Day presents a |
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| 39 | 39 | | welcome opportunity to highlight the necessity of preserving and |
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| 40 | 40 | | maintaining these areas for the benefit of future generations; now, |
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| 41 | 41 | | therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2023, as Texas Bays and |
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| 44 | 44 | | Estuaries Day at the State Capitol and commend all those who are |
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| 45 | 45 | | working to protect and preserve the bays and estuaries of the Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | coast. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Hunter |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 50 | 50 | | I certify that H.R. No. 491 was adopted by the House on March |
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| 51 | 51 | | 7, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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