| 1 | 1 | | 89R25749 HMR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Troxclair H.R. No. 915 |
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| 7 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, DarkSky Texas works to ensure the stars at night |
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| 9 | 9 | | glow "big and bright" all across our state; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The Texas chapter of DarkSky International, DarkSky |
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| 11 | 11 | | Texas encourages citizens and public officials to reduce light |
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| 12 | 12 | | pollution in urbanized areas and keep rural night skies naturally |
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| 13 | 13 | | dark; the group's volunteers raise awareness of the ways better |
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| 14 | 14 | | lighting practices can restore our view of the nighttime sky, |
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| 15 | 15 | | conserve energy, and improve the well-being of people and wildlife; |
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| 16 | 16 | | and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, DarkSky Texas educates residents about the effects |
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| 18 | 18 | | of outdoor lighting shining up toward the sky or onto properties |
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| 19 | 19 | | where it is not wanted; it addresses the economic cost of excess and |
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| 20 | 20 | | poorly aimed illumination, and it advocates for the elimination of |
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| 21 | 21 | | glare and the use of warm-hued lighting properly shielded in order |
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| 22 | 22 | | to enhance visibility by directing illumination only where it is |
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| 23 | 23 | | needed; moreover, it stresses the negative impact of outdoor |
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| 24 | 24 | | lighting that interferes with the scientific inquiry of |
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| 25 | 25 | | astronomers; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Through its efforts, DarkSky Texas supports |
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| 27 | 27 | | reduction of deaths among migrating birds, who play a vital role in |
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| 28 | 28 | | agriculture as pollinators and consumers of harmful insects; the |
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| 29 | 29 | | group is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge regarding the |
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| 30 | 30 | | importance of natural darkness for both flora and fauna, as well as |
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| 31 | 31 | | for the circadian rhythms of humans; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, DarkSky Texas also promotes the opportunities |
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| 33 | 33 | | afforded by dark sky tourism, exemplified by the popular weekly |
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| 34 | 34 | | star parties conducted by the McDonald Observatory Visitors Center |
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| 35 | 35 | | near Fort Davis; the organization fosters appreciation for the many |
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| 36 | 36 | | communities that have begun to feature the beauty of their clear |
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| 37 | 37 | | nighttime views among their recreational assets; currently, more |
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| 38 | 38 | | than 20 sites in the state are designated International Dark Sky |
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| 39 | 39 | | Places; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, The Lone Star State takes great pride in the |
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| 41 | 41 | | brilliance of its night skies, and DarkSky Texas has demonstrated a |
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| 42 | 42 | | steadfast commitment to preserving this magnificent heritage; now, |
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| 43 | 43 | | therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 45 | 45 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 25, 2025, as Dark Sky Day and |
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| 46 | 46 | | commend DarkSky Texas for its important work; and, be it further |
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| 47 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 48 | | prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 49 | 49 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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