Bill Text: TX SCR22 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Designating Quitaque as the official Bison Capital for a 10-year period beginning in 2015.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)

Status: (Passed) 2015-06-17 - Signed by the Governor [SCR22 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SCR22-Comm_Sub.html

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By: Seliger S.C.R. No. 22
(In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2015; March 9, 2015, read
first time and referred to Committee on Administration;
April 8, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6,
Nays 0; April 8, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In 1877, Charles Goodnight became the manager of the
JA Ranch in the Caprock Canyonlands of the Texas Panhandle; the
once-great bison herds of the area had been slaughtered almost to
the point of extinction; at the urging of his wife, Mary Ann,
Goodnight rounded up enough of the creatures to form a small herd,
which allowed the Southern Plains Bison population to survive; and
WHEREAS, In 1880, Goodnight acquired the Lazy F Ranch and
renamed it "Quitaque," which he believed was an Indian word for "end
of the trail"; Quitaque is located on State Highway 86 in
southeastern Briscoe County; when the county was organized in 1892,
the townsite of Quitaque was surveyed and platted; and
WHEREAS, Caprock Canyons State Park, located approximately
three miles north of Quitaque, was acquired from the estate of
Theodore Geisler in May 1975; the park opened in 1982 and is the
third-largest state park in Texas; and
WHEREAS, The park is home to the "Official State Bison Herd of
Texas"; these bison are direct descendants of the last free-range
Southern Plains Bison that the Goodnights saved from extinction;
the herd was donated to the park in 1996 by the JA Ranch, which is
the oldest privately owned ranch in the Texas Panhandle; and
WHEREAS, For many years, the citizens of Quitaque encouraged
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a state park in
the Quitaque area and encouraged the donation of the JA Ranch Bison
Herd to the state park; and
WHEREAS, O. R. Stark Jr., born in Quitaque, understood the
need for a friends group for Caprock Canyons State Park and
Trailway; he was instrumental in forming Caprock Partners
Foundation in 1996 and served as foundation president until his
death; the foundation has supported the park and its historic bison
habitat as environmental and recreational treasures; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the City of Quitaque to be the official Bison
Capital of 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 its designation.
Designating Quitaque as the official Bison Capital for a 10-year
period beginning in 2015.
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