Bill Text: TX HR878 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled

Texas House Resolution 878 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-03-28 - Reported enrolled [HR878 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HR878-Enrolled.html



	H.R. No. 878



	R E S O L U T I O N

	WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is marking
	its 50th anniversary in 2013, and this milestone provides a fitting
	opportunity to recognize its accomplishments; and
	WHEREAS, On August 23, 1963, the 58th Texas Legislature
	merged the operations of the Texas Game and Fish Commission and the
	State Parks Board to create the Parks and Wildlife Department; the
	new agency's first challenge was to improve and expand the park
	system, and between 1968 and 1976, the acreage of parkland owned by
	the state was nearly doubled; and
	WHEREAS, Parks and Wildlife assumed responsibility for the
	administration of the Texas Water Safety Act and of the Land and
	Water Conservation Fund beginning in the 1960s and later
	implemented the provisions of the Texas Endangered Species and
	Wildlife Conservation Acts; and
	WHEREAS, By the late 1980s, the Texas parks system
	encompassed well over 400,000 acres, including parks, natural
	areas, and historic sites; the department also protected and
	managed the fish population in more than 600 public reservoirs and
	16,000 miles of streams and rivers, as well as along 370 miles of
	coastline; and
	WHEREAS, Park use continued to rise, with more than 20
	million people visiting on an annual basis by the 1990s; the
	agency's staff and administration have worked diligently through
	the years to meet the challenges presented by population growth and
	urbanization, partnering with diverse entities to conserve natural
	and cultural resources and enhance opportunities for outdoor
	recreation; and
	WHEREAS, Over the past half-century, the vital endeavors of
	the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have enriched the lives of
	innumerable citizens, and the agency has earned the profound
	appreciation of all who treasure the natural beauty of the Lone Star
	State; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
	establishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and honor
	the staff and administration for their hard work and dedication on
	its behalf; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for the department as an expression of high regard by the
	Texas House of Representatives.

	Guillen

	______________________________
	Speaker of the House

	I certify that H.R. No. 878 was adopted by the House on March
	27, 2013, by a non-record vote.

	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House