Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR149 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2023S0107-1 02/08/23
2	2	By: Perry S.R. No. 149
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5	5	SENATE RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
7	7	recognize the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which, in
8	8	partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, is
9	9	celebrating 100 years of Texas State Parks in 2023; and
10	10	WHEREAS, In 1923, Governor Pat Neff convinced the state
11	11	legislature to create a six-member State Parks Board to locate
12	12	sites for the establishment of a state parks system, citing the
13	13	need for overnight camping spots for the rising number of people
14	14	traveling by car; and
15	15	WHEREAS, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian
16	16	Conservation Corps was formed in 1933 in an effort to help the
17	17	country's unemployed citizens rise from the Great Depression;
18	18	the program organized young men into companies and dispersed them
19	19	to parks across the state to build features pavilions, bridges,
20	20	refectories, lodges, cabins, and picnic areas; the design of
21	21	these new projects reflected a natural style and utilized local
22	22	wood and stonework, which provided aesthetically pleasing and
23	23	structurally sound facilities and park areas, including the
24	24	iconic pavilion at Garner State Park and features of state parks
25	25	at Palo Duro Canyon, Abilene, Lockhart, Bastrop, Fort Davis, and
26	26	more; and
27	27	WHEREAS, In 1963, Governor John Connally merged the State
28	28	Parks Board with the Texas Game and Fish Commission to form the
29	29	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; this initiated the "Golden
30	30	Age of Texas State Parks," which brought increased revenue
31	31	streams to contribute to the refurbishment of existing parks and
32	32	the development of new parks such as those at Pedernales Falls,
33	33	Mustang Island, Galveston Island, McKinney Falls, and Lost
34	34	Maples; and
35	35	WHEREAS, In 1993, state lawmakers dedicated a portion of
36	36	state taxes from the sale of sporting goods to provide stable
37	37	funding for parks, and in 2019, Texas voters passed a
38	38	constitutional amendment that ensures all sales tax from
39	39	sporting goods will go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
40	40	and Texas Historical Commission for the support of state parks
41	41	and state historic sites in perpetuity; and
42	42	WHEREAS, The Centennial Celebration will focus on four
43	43	main goals: to engage new and diverse audiences, pursue
44	44	partnerships, celebrate 100 years of stewardship, and invest for
45	45	the future; and
46	46	WHEREAS, Park lovers everywhere will celebrate the
47	47	centennial of our state park system, which showcases the
48	48	diversity of Texas' natural beauty, from forests and prairies to
49	49	arid mountains, cool rivers, and the windswept coast; and
50	50	WHEREAS, Texas State Parks are economic drivers in rural
51	51	communities and provide outdoor recreational opportunities to a
52	52	growing population of Texans while conserving the natural and
53	53	cultural resources of our great state; parks provide outdoor
54	54	recreational access to many Texans who might not otherwise be
55	55	able to experience the physical, emotional, and mental
56	56	well-being that can be gained by participating in outdoor
57	57	activities and spending time in nature; and
58	58	WHEREAS, Texas State Parks' resources contribute to the
59	59	clean water relied on by people and by wildlife, and state parks
60	60	encompass 481,000 acres of Texas aquifers, rivers, and
61	61	reservoirs; parks also provide some 640,000 acres of critical
62	62	wildlife habitat, including habitat that benefits more than 50
63	63	threatened and endangered species; now, therefore, be it
64	64	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
65	65	Legislature, hereby join in celebrating 2023 as the Texas State
66	66	Parks Centennial; and, be it further
67	67	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
68	68	the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as an expression of
69	69	esteem from the Texas Senate.