Bill Text: TX HR1542 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 75th anniversary of Big Bend National Park.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-09 - Reported enrolled [HR1542 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR1542-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1542 |
|
||
WHEREAS, The strikingly beautiful Big Bend region is one of | ||
the treasures of the Lone Star State, and on June 12, 2019, Big Bend | ||
National Park will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its | ||
establishment; and | ||
WHEREAS, Situated along the United States-Mexico border in | ||
the southwestern part of Texas, Big Bend National Park includes | ||
1,250 square miles of stunning Chihuahuan Desert scenery; the park | ||
incorporates a variety of different landscapes within its borders, | ||
from the arid beauty of the desert floor to the volcanic peaks of | ||
the Chisos Mountains, from the thickets of vegetation along the | ||
banks of the Rio Grande to the majestic cliffs of Santa Elena | ||
Canyon; and | ||
WHEREAS, For millennia, the park has been home to a diverse | ||
array of plants and wildlife and today includes such inhabitants as | ||
black bears, mountain lions, and bobcats, as well as 450 species of | ||
birds and over 1,000 species of plants; moreover, the region's rich | ||
history of human habitation extends back thousands of years and | ||
encompasses Native Americans and Hispanic and Anglo-American | ||
settlers who arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s; and | ||
WHEREAS, The idea of establishing a park in this unique | ||
region was conceived by several individuals, including | ||
entrepreneur J. O. Langford and newspaper publisher Amon Carter, | ||
and the initiative received a major boost through the efforts of | ||
Texas State Representatives Everett Ewing Townsend and Robert | ||
McAlpine Wagstaff, who in 1933 cosponsored House Bill 771 to | ||
establish Texas Canyons State Park; a second bill renaming the | ||
preserve as Big Bend State Park was signed into law by Governor | ||
Miriam "Ma" Ferguson on October 27 of that year; over the next | ||
decade, park supporters privately raised money to purchase | ||
additional land, and in 1942, the State of Texas allocated $1.5 | ||
million to purchase 600,000 acres from private owners; and | ||
WHEREAS, On June 6, 1944--the same day that Allied forces | ||
made their D-Day invasion of Europe--Amon Carter presented | ||
President Franklin Roosevelt with the deed to the land; a week | ||
later, on June 12, 1944, Big Bend National Park was officially | ||
established, becoming the first national park in Texas; although it | ||
drew only 1,409 people during its first year, that number has grown | ||
to more than 400,000 annually, and today, visitors benefit from the | ||
park's 100 miles of paved scenic drives, 150 miles of hiking trails, | ||
and such amenities as the Chisos Mountain Lodge and multiple | ||
visitors centers; and | ||
WHEREAS, The abundant ecological, geological, and cultural | ||
riches of Big Bend are a source of tremendous pride for all Texans, | ||
and Big Bend National Park represents a vital part of our shared | ||
legacy; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of Big Bend | ||
National Park; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for the park as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
House of Representatives. | ||
Nevárez | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1542 was adopted by the House on May | ||
7, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||