Bill Text: TX SCR11 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Designating Fort Davis as the official Highest Town in Texas for a 10-year period beginning in 2021.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-28 - Signed by the Governor [SCR11 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SCR11-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Designating Fort Davis as the official Highest Town in Texas for a 10-year period beginning in 2021.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-28 - Signed by the Governor [SCR11 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SCR11-Comm_Sub.html
| By: Blanco | S.C.R. No. 11 | |
| (In the Senate - Filed February 9, 2021; March 18, 2021, | ||
| read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; | ||
| April 13, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, | ||
| Nays 0; April 13, 2021, sent to printer.) | ||
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| WHEREAS, The picturesque and historic community of Fort Davis | ||
| deserves special recognition as the town with the highest elevation | ||
| in the Lone Star State, 5,050 feet above sea level; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Completely surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert, | ||
| Fort Davis is situated among the Davis Mountains in what | ||
| geographers call a "sky island," a self-contained mountainous | ||
| region with a cooler and wetter climate than the hot, arid region | ||
| all around it; this impressive geological formation is the result | ||
| of volcanic activity 35 million years ago, and the area's forested | ||
| ecology is inhabited by flora and fauna that couldn't survive in the | ||
| desert below; for centuries, Native American groups, including the | ||
| Mescalero Apache, used this elevated, temperate region as a refuge | ||
| from the harsh conditions of the desert; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Fort Davis takes its name from the U.S. Army post | ||
| that was established in 1854, a location now preserved as the Fort | ||
| Davis National Historic Site; Brevet General Persifor F. Smith, | ||
| commander of the Department of Texas, personally selected the site | ||
| in part because the high elevation helped guarantee its "pure water | ||
| and salubrious climate"; thanks to its unusual geography, the area | ||
| was also blessed with ample timber, game, and forage for livestock, | ||
| which benefited the soldiers of the fort, as well as the ranchers | ||
| and other settlers who followed; through the decades, the town has | ||
| been popular with visitors who enjoy its cool nights during the | ||
| blistering heat of a Texas summer, a tradition that began in the | ||
| years before air conditioning and continues to the present; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In addition to the restored fort, the area's | ||
| attractions include the scenic beauty of Davis Mountains State Park | ||
| and its majestic Indian Lodge hotel as well as the magnificent | ||
| ponderosa pines of the Davis Mountains Preserve; motorists enjoy | ||
| driving the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop, which is the highest | ||
| section of the Texas highway system, reaching an altitude of 6,700 | ||
| feet; star-filled nights are another boon of the town's elevation, | ||
| and they are best experienced at the Star Parties hosted by the | ||
| nearby McDonald Observatory; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Uniquely situated amid rugged mountains and below | ||
| the spectacular West Texas sky, Fort Davis is beloved by residents | ||
| and visitors alike, and it has earned a well-deserved reputation as | ||
| one of the Lone Star State's "top" destinations; now, therefore, be | ||
| it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate Fort Davis as the official Highest Town in Texas; | ||
| and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
| 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
| until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
| passed by the legislature. | ||
| * * * * * | ||
