By Turner of Coleman                                  H.C.R. No. 65
       74R3041 MPC-D
                                 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Enacted by the United States Congress in 1973, the
    1-2  Endangered Species Act was designed to promote the laudable goal of
    1-3  protecting threatened and endangered plant and animal species; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, The act was widely viewed at the time as the most
    1-5  comprehensive environmental protection law in history but has
    1-6  evolved into a well-meaning but misguided federal policy; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, Due for reauthorization by the Congress of the
    1-8  United States, the Endangered Species Act should strike a balance
    1-9  between environmental and resource protection and the social and
   1-10  economic consequences resulting from the listing of threatened or
   1-11  endangered species; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, The current Endangered Species Act does not
   1-13  adequately consider the role of states in species protection, nor
   1-14  does it consider the social and economic implications of critical
   1-15  habitat designation or recovery plan development and
   1-16  implementation; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, The Endangered Species Act has resulted in complete
   1-18  and partial takings of private property and has threatened the
   1-19  rights of Americans to own and control their own property; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Such intrusion by the federal government poses a
   1-21  real and substantial economic and social threat to Texans and all
   1-22  citizens of the United States; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, It is imperative that the Congress of the United
   1-24  States re-open the debate on the Endangered Species Act and apply a
    2-1  more balanced, common sense approach to habitat and species
    2-2  protection that does not jeopardize this nation's economic and
    2-3  social well-being or endanger the constitutional rights of property
    2-4  owners; now, therefore, be it
    2-5        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
    2-6  hereby strongly urge the Congress of the United States to amend the
    2-7  Endangered Species Act to require a stronger role for the states,
    2-8  consideration of private property rights, and consideration of the
    2-9  social and economic consequences in the listing and delisting of
   2-10  species, in the designation of critical habitats, and in the
   2-11  development and implementation of recovery programs for threatened
   2-12  or endangered species; and, be it further
   2-13        RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
   2-14  copies of this resolution to the speaker of the house of
   2-15  representatives and president of the senate of the United States
   2-16  Congress and to all members of the Texas delegation to the congress
   2-17  with the request that it be officially entered in the Congressional
   2-18  Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of
   2-19  America.