2023S0107-1 02/08/23
By: Perry S.R. No. 149
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
recognize the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which, in
partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, is
celebrating 100 years of Texas State Parks in 2023; and
WHEREAS, In 1923, Governor Pat Neff convinced the state
legislature to create a six-member State Parks Board to locate
sites for the establishment of a state parks system, citing the
need for overnight camping spots for the rising number of people
traveling by car; and
WHEREAS, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian
Conservation Corps was formed in 1933 in an effort to help the
country's unemployed citizens rise from the Great Depression;
the program organized young men into companies and dispersed them
to parks across the state to build features pavilions, bridges,
refectories, lodges, cabins, and picnic areas; the design of
these new projects reflected a natural style and utilized local
wood and stonework, which provided aesthetically pleasing and
structurally sound facilities and park areas, including the
iconic pavilion at Garner State Park and features of state parks
at Palo Duro Canyon, Abilene, Lockhart, Bastrop, Fort Davis, and
more; and
WHEREAS, In 1963, Governor John Connally merged the State
Parks Board with the Texas Game and Fish Commission to form the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; this initiated the "Golden
Age of Texas State Parks," which brought increased revenue
streams to contribute to the refurbishment of existing parks and
the development of new parks such as those at Pedernales Falls,
Mustang Island, Galveston Island, McKinney Falls, and Lost
Maples; and
WHEREAS, In 1993, state lawmakers dedicated a portion of
state taxes from the sale of sporting goods to provide stable
funding for parks, and in 2019, Texas voters passed a
constitutional amendment that ensures all sales tax from
sporting goods will go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
and Texas Historical Commission for the support of state parks
and state historic sites in perpetuity; and
WHEREAS, The Centennial Celebration will focus on four
main goals: to engage new and diverse audiences, pursue
partnerships, celebrate 100 years of stewardship, and invest for
the future; and
WHEREAS, Park lovers everywhere will celebrate the
centennial of our state park system, which showcases the
diversity of Texas' natural beauty, from forests and prairies to
arid mountains, cool rivers, and the windswept coast; and
WHEREAS, Texas State Parks are economic drivers in rural
communities and provide outdoor recreational opportunities to a
growing population of Texans while conserving the natural and
cultural resources of our great state; parks provide outdoor
recreational access to many Texans who might not otherwise be
able to experience the physical, emotional, and mental
well-being that can be gained by participating in outdoor
activities and spending time in nature; and
WHEREAS, Texas State Parks' resources contribute to the
clean water relied on by people and by wildlife, and state parks
encompass 481,000 acres of Texas aquifers, rivers, and
reservoirs; parks also provide some 640,000 acres of critical
wildlife habitat, including habitat that benefits more than 50
threatened and endangered species; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby join in celebrating 2023 as the Texas State
Parks Centennial; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as an expression of
esteem from the Texas Senate.