Bill Text: TX SR656 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing the Dark Skies of Texas at Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-04-30 - Reported enrolled [SR656 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SR656-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to | ||
| recognize the value and the beauty of the dark night skies over | ||
| Big Bend Ranch State Park; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Big Bend Ranch State Park is the largest state | ||
| park in Texas; it covers 311,000 acres in West Texas between | ||
| Presidio and Lajitas; the park is bordered on the south by Farm to | ||
| Market Road 170, which runs along the Rio Grande and the | ||
| international boundary to Mexico; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In addition to excellent stargazing, the park | ||
| offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy hiking trails, mountain | ||
| biking, recreation areas, primitive camping, and river access; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Big Bend Ranch State Park has received worldwide | ||
| recognition for having some of the darkest night skies in the | ||
| world; with a night sky rating of Class 1, or "absolute darkest | ||
| skies" on the Bortle Light Pollution Scale, the park offers the | ||
| perfect venue for astronomical observations; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In an effort to preserve the view at night, seven | ||
| counties and their cities in the Big Bend area have passed | ||
| ordinances against avoidable light pollution; these efforts have | ||
| focused on eliminating light sources that hamper observations of | ||
| the night sky, such as those carried out at the McDonald | ||
| Observatory, one of the state's most valuable assets, which is | ||
| located near Fort Davis; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The dark skies of Big Bend allow everyone to | ||
| become an astronomer and to view millions of stars otherwise | ||
| obscured by the light pollution that plagues modern society; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Big Bend Ranch State Park is located near the | ||
| border city of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico; our good neighbors to | ||
| the south have also taken steps to reduce light pollution and | ||
| save electrical energy by installing 1,000 light-emitting diode | ||
| downward-oriented street lights, with more reduced lighting to | ||
| come; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Tourism is the lifeblood of the Big Bend area's | ||
| economy, and it is important to be able to market Big Bend Ranch | ||
| State Park as a year-round astronomy destination for such events | ||
| as star parties, amateur astronomer gatherings, nighttime | ||
| photography sessions, and school or university field trips as | ||
| well as for general tourism; the renewed focus on the Dark Skies | ||
| of Texas will bring new jobs and revenue to an otherwise | ||
| under-utilized area of Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The City of Presidio and Big Bend Ranch State Park | ||
| are hosting the Texas Dark Skies Festival on the last weekend of | ||
| October; the festival features activities related to astronomy, | ||
| outer space, science fiction, and other "out of this world" | ||
| topicsandisbeingheldonHalloweenweekendsconcurrentwith | ||
| Presidio's annual "Dude of the Dead" Music Festival; these events | ||
| combine education, fun, food, and music into a massive Border | ||
| Zone event for all to enjoy under the Dark Skies of Texas; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th | ||
| Legislature, hereby recognize the Dark Skies of Texas at Big Bend | ||
| Ranch State Park and commend the surrounding communities for | ||
| their efforts to preserve this valuable and unique Texas | ||
| treasure. | ||
| Rodríguez | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on April 30, 2015. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
