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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Railway Ranch, located near Odessa in Midland, |
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Crane, and Upton Counties, has been selected as a 2009 recipient of |
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the Lone Star Land Steward Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Presented by the Texas Parks and Wildlife |
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Department, this accolade recognizes private landowners for |
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excellence in habitat management and wildlife conservation; the |
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Railway Ranch won the award as a representative of the Trans-Pecos |
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ecoregion; and |
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WHEREAS, Co-owned by Marvin and Estee Smith and their son and |
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daughter-in-law, Stan and Ann Smith, who also manage the property, |
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the Railway Ranch features a great diversity of vegetation and |
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wildlife, owing to the influence of the Trans-Pecos, High Plains, |
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and Edwards Plateau ecological areas; and |
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WHEREAS, The Smith family has been restoring rangelands and |
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improving wildlife habitat through brush management and water |
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development projects for more than 30 years; during that time, they |
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have treated 13,000 acres of creosote and tarbush and 1,600 acres of |
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mesquite, sunk 11 water wells, built 22 cement storage tanks, and |
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installed 25 miles of cross fencing; these efforts have helped to |
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support a traditional livestock operation, a nature tourism |
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enterprise, and a wildlife management program that focuses on mule |
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deer and whitetail deer, scaled and bobwhite quail, and turkeys; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Longtime leaders in the sound management of natural |
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resources, the Smith family is committed to protecting the rich |
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array of flora and fauna at the Railway Ranch, and in so doing they |
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are helping to preserve the extraordinary natural heritage of the |
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Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the Railway Ranch on its receipt of a 2009 |
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Lone Star Land Steward Award and extend to the Smith family sincere |
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best wishes for continued success in all their endeavors; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Smith family as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Craddick |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2472 was adopted by the House on May |
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28, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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