By: Bivins S.C.R. No. 33 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Endangered Species Act originally was intended 1-2 to protect threatened and endangered flora and fauna but has become 1-3 a means to effect broader changes in land and water management; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Overdue for reauthorization by the Congress of the 1-5 United States, the Endangered Species Act does not currently 1-6 provide for adequate input by the states into the process of adding 1-7 new species to the endangered species list; and 1-8 WHEREAS, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is 1-9 poised to add the Arkansas River shiner to the endangered species 1-10 list; and 1-11 WHEREAS, The 74th Legislature of the State of Texas does not 1-12 support the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's claim that 1-13 the species is in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future 1-14 because of habitat loss from the diversion of surface water, stream 1-15 dewatering/depletion, water quality degradation, construction of 1-16 impoundments, or possible inadvertent collection by the commercial 1-17 bait fish industry or from competition with the introduced Red 1-18 River shiner; and 1-19 WHEREAS, This listing could effectively remove from the 1-20 state, the cities, and local water districts control over the 1-21 Ogallala Aquifer; now, therefore, be it 1-22 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-23 hereby reject the suggestion by the United States Fish and Wildlife 2-1 Service that it has failed to manage its natural resources in the 2-2 Ogallala Aquifer in an environmentally conscious manner; and, be it 2-3 further 2-4 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-5 hereby express its adamant opposition to the addition of the 2-6 Arkansas River shiner to the endangered species list until such 2-7 time as the Endangered Species Act has been reauthorized and 2-8 amended by the Congress of the United States; and, be it further 2-9 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-10 hereby request the Secretary of Interior to direct the United 2-11 States Fish and Wildlife Service to inform the governor, the 2-12 lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, 2-13 the attorney general, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2-14 which is the state fish and wildlife agency, of any actions 2-15 contemplated to further the process of listing the Arkansas River 2-16 shiner as an endangered species; and, be it further 2-17 RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official 2-18 copies of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of the 2-19 Interior of the United States, to the President of the United 2-20 States, to the speaker of the house of representatives and the 2-21 president of the senate of the United States Congress, and to all 2-22 members of the Texas delegation to the congress.