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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's claim that the species 1-13 is in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future because of 1-14 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2-1 that it has failed to manage its natural resources in the Ogallala 2-2 Aquifer in an environmentally conscious manner; and, be it further 2-3 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-4 hereby express its adamant opposition to the addition of the 2-5 Arkansas River shiner to the endangered species list until such 2-6 time as the Endangered Species Act has been reauthorized and 2-7 amended by the Congress of the United States; and, be it further 2-8 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-9 requests that the Secretary of Interior direct the United States 2-10 Fish and Wildlife Service to inform the Governor, the Lieutenant 2-11 Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney 2-12 General and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the state fish 2-13 and wildlife agency, of any actions contemplated to further the 2-14 process of listing the Arkansas River Shiner as an endangered 2-15 species; and, be it further 2-16 RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official 2-17 copies of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of the 2-18 Interior of the United States, to the President of the United 2-19 States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 2-20 President of the Senate of the United States Congress, and to all 2-21 members of the Texas delegation to the Congress.