By:  Armbrister                                  S.R. No. 831
    1-1                           SENATE RESOLUTION
    1-2        WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is proud to
    1-3  recognize Myrtle Foester Whitmire and extend gratitude to her for
    1-4  the Myrtle Foester Whitmire Division of the Aransas National
    1-5  Wildlife Refuge; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was
    1-7  established December 31, 1937, to protect habitats for migratory
    1-8  birds, especially waterfowl, and to serve as a wintering home for
    1-9  the critically endangered whooping crane; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, The Myrtle Foester Whitmire Division is the first
   1-11  and only refuge in Texas to be named for a woman and is comprised
   1-12  of 2,940 acres located near Indianola; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, The Myrtle Foester Whitmire Division was created
   1-14  on June 5, 1992, when Roy Whitmire and Myrtle Foester Whitmire
   1-15  agreed to sell a portion of Whitmire Lake and surrounding lands to
   1-16  the Nature Conservancy of Texas, an acting intermediary for the
   1-17  United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Well known as one of the most important
   1-19  fresh water wetland habitats on the entire Texas Gulf Coast, the
   1-20  Myrtle Foester Whitmire Division consistently ranks in the top 10
   1-21  percent of wintering waterfowl populations during monthly Central
   1-22  Flyway Coastal waterfowl counts; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, The Myrtle Foester Whitmire Division supports
    2-1  large numbers of ducks and geese; 17 species of ducks and five
    2-2  species of geese are regularly recorded on the tract and the area
    2-3  is particularly important to pintails, mottled ducks, and
    2-4  canvasbacks; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, Myrtle Foester Whitmire was born in Nordheim, Texas,
    2-6  on September 18, 1908, the daughter of Dr. Theo Buehring and
    2-7  Elanora Buehring; she moved to Indianola in 1930 when she married
    2-8  Curtis Foester; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, She has been married to Roy Whitmire since 1964
   2-10  and takes much pride and joy in her children, Curtis Foester and
   2-11  Beth Bone, and her six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren;
   2-12  and
   2-13        WHEREAS, An exemplary lady of many talents, Mrs. Whitmire
   2-14  was active in the cattle ranching business for 60 years and also
   2-15  worked for the Calhoun County School District; and
   2-16        WHEREAS, A longtime advocate of conservation, she has a
   2-17  deep love of the Texas land and has consistently manifested concern
   2-18  for the welfare of her state and of the environment; and
   2-19        WHEREAS, By providing the state with this important refuge,
   2-20  Mrs. Whitmire has played a major role in helping to preserve the
   2-21  state's natural resources and wildlife habitats as well as helping
   2-22  to preserve the beauty of the land; now, therefore, be it
   2-23        RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
   2-24  73rd Legislature, hereby commend Myrtle Foester Whitmire for her
   2-25  exceptional contribution to the protection of migratory birds and
    3-1  to the preservation of the Texas coastal wetland habitats; and, be
    3-2  it further
    3-3        RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
    3-4  her as an expression of high regard and appreciation from the
    3-5  Texas Senate.
    3-6                                 _____________________________________
    3-7                                        President of the Senate
    3-8                                      I hereby certify that the
    3-9                                 above Resolution was adopted by
   3-10                                 the Senate on May 6, 1993.
   3-11                                 _____________________________________
   3-12                                        Secretary of the Senate
   3-13                                 _____________________________________
   3-14                                         Member, Texas Senate