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78R12885 MMS-D
By: Hughes H.C.R. No. 219
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The City of Mineola is developing the Mineola
Preserve on the Sabine River to protect and enhance a richly diverse
natural area; and
WHEREAS, Containing 2,921 acres, the preserve offers an
unusual opportunity for birders to view, within the boundaries of
one site, the avian fauna of several different East Texas ecotypes;
visitors to the Mineola Preserve can wander through a patchwork
landscape composed of uplands, lowland pastures, young bottomland
and mature bottomland forests, and successional woodlands; and
WHEREAS, This wide range of habitat and vegetation types is
capable of attracting as many as 218 different species of birds; to
date, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has verified
the occurrence of 75 species, and it is continuing verification
work at the site to develop a comprehensive listing; and
WHEREAS, Among the native or migratory species present at the
preserve may be some that are now considered to be "threatened"; one
such species is the swallow-tailed kite, a bird listed by TPWD as
threatened in Texas and a species of concern for bird initiatives in
the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture; swallow-tailed kites
have been observed at the nearby Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife
Management Area, making it highly likely that they can be sighted in
the Mineola Preserve; and
WHEREAS, A master plan for conserving and promoting the area
is in development by several governmental and nongovernmental
organizations, including Ducks Unlimited and the Audubon Society;
and
WHEREAS, In order to make the tract and its treasures
accessible to the public, amenities will include a variety of
trails and a number of wildlife viewing stations; complementing the
gravel trails will be a two-mile-long all-weather path along a
raised, abandoned railroad bed, which traverses each of the
preserve's ecotypes; discussion is also underway regarding the
possibility of establishing an Audubon Center at the site; and
WHEREAS, The Mineola Preserve has been nominated for
inclusion on the new Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail; a
project of the TPWD, the trail is designed to help travelers find
the best wildlife-viewing sites in North and East Texas; and
WHEREAS, Affording ample opportunities for recreation,
inspiration, and research to all who cherish the out-of-doors, the
Mineola Preserve constitutes an exceptionally valuable asset to
birders, and the City of Mineola is committed to protecting this
property for the education and enjoyment of all Texans and visitors
to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate Mineola as the official Birding Capital of East
Texas.