By:  Counts                                            H.R. No. 284
       73R4701 SAJ-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Borden County rancher J. R. "Rich" Anderson has
    1-2  earned the distinction of being chosen as the recipient of the 1992
    1-3  Environmental Stewardship Award presented by the National
    1-4  Cattlemen's Association; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Selected from a field of nominees from across the
    1-6  country, Mr. Anderson competed against six other regional winners
    1-7  to earn the 250-member association's second annual award; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, This prestigious honor is truly indicative of the
    1-9  esteem for Mr. Anderson among the environmental community and
   1-10  ranching industry, reflecting the judgment of a selection panel
   1-11  drawn from the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy,
   1-12  the Izaak Walton League of America, the United States Environmental
   1-13  Protection Agency, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the
   1-14  Archbold Biological Station, the United States Department of
   1-15  Agriculture, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the
   1-16  University of California, Pfizer Animal Health, and the National
   1-17  Cattlemen's Association; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Widely respected throughout the West Texas region,
   1-19  Mr. Anderson has established himself as a fixture in environmental
   1-20  management and ranching circles through his work on the 33,000-acre
   1-21  Muleshoe Ranch where he and his wife, Barbara, have lived since
   1-22  1952; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, In 1960, he undertook an aggressive grassland
   1-24  improvement program of mesquite control, weed burn-off, and grass
    2-1  planting, which increased forage by 400 percent and improved water
    2-2  quality at nearby Lake Thomas, which supplies water to Big Spring,
    2-3  Midland, Odessa, and Snyder; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, Achieving a balance between environmental protection
    2-5  and economic productivity, Mr. Anderson's skillful ranching and
    2-6  grassland management practices have indeed proven successful;
    2-7  turkey and deer have returned to the area, which also prides itself
    2-8  as one of the few regions of our state to see an increase in
    2-9  antelope population; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, Mr. Anderson's many accomplishments have
   2-11  demonstrated his skill as a rancher and businessman, and he is
   2-12  indeed deserving of special praise and recognition on the occasion
   2-13  of his most recent honor; now, therefore, be it
   2-14        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   2-15  Legislature hereby congratulate J. R. "Rich" Anderson for winning
   2-16  the 1992 National Cattlemen's Association Environmental Stewardship
   2-17  Award and extend best wishes for continued success; and, be it
   2-18  further
   2-19        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-20  prepared for Mr. Anderson as an expression of high regard by the
   2-21  Texas House of Representatives.