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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas is renowned for the diversity of |
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its animal population, and select species have become iconic |
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symbols for certain cities and regions in the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Residents of the town of Ben Wheeler in Van Zandt |
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County have come to enjoy an animal that has become a plentiful |
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resident of the local area: the feral hog; and |
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WHEREAS, Often called wild hogs, these hardy creatures can |
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trace their Texas lineage back to the 1680s, when Spanish colonists |
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brought domesticated hogs into the area; the animals inevitably |
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escaped their human owners from time to time and established packs |
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in the wild; more recently, Eurasian wild boars were released in |
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Texas in the 1900s for hunting purposes, and those that eluded the |
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sportsmen likewise found a home in the wilderness and mated with the |
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already existing feral swine; and |
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WHEREAS, Resourceful, fast-breeding, and able to eat almost |
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anything, feral hogs have spread to nearly all parts of the state |
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and have an estimated population of two million; while they can |
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cause various kinds of agricultural and environmental damage, they |
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are also a popular and challenging quarry for hunters, and this |
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sport can have a sizable economic impact in certain areas; and |
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WHEREAS, East Texas has proven a favorite home for the hogs, |
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and this is particularly true of the area around Ben Wheeler; the |
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town has chosen to celebrate the presence of these quick-witted |
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animals, and the feral hog image has already become strongly |
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associated with the community; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2008, residents staged the first annual Fall |
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Feral Hawg Festival; the event drew some 5,000 people to enjoy a |
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range of special activities, including the Hawg Queen Pageant, a |
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parade, a feral hog barbecue cook-off, "kiss the pig" contests, and |
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more; the festival takes place on the fourth weekend in October each |
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year and offers a fun-filled tribute to the area's flat-snouted |
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inhabitants; and |
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WHEREAS, Ben Wheeler's efforts to honor feral hogs and its |
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proximity to the fertile habitats where they roam have given the |
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community a special relationship with this distinctive animal, and |
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this status is indeed deserving of special recognition; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the feral hog as the mascot of the town |
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of Ben Wheeler. |