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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has |
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proposed granting endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush |
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lizard, a measure that would have a significant negative impact on |
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the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, The business climate in Texas has been consistently |
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ranked as the nation's best, and the oil and gas sector is crucial |
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to its continued vitality; Texas is the nation's leading producer |
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of oil and natural gas, and it holds 30 percent of the nation's |
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natural gas reserves and almost a quarter of its oil reserves; the |
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oil and gas industry contributes $30 billion annually to the Texas |
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economy and employs more than 315,000 Texans at some of the highest |
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salaries in the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite its resilience, the Texas economy has not |
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been immune to the global economic recession; there have been |
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significant job losses over the past two years, and recently high |
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gas prices have posed new challenges; the Fish and Wildlife Service |
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failed to take these factors into account in its proposal to grant |
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endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush lizard in |
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southeastern New Mexico and adjacent oil-producing areas of West |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition, the service has failed to consider that |
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approximately 75,000 acres identified as habitat for the lizard are |
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owned and managed by The University of Texas for the benefit of |
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higher education; university officials have estimated that the |
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listing could stop the drilling of approximately 1,000 oil and gas |
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wells and eliminate the production of seven million barrels of oil |
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equivalent annually; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature and the Texas Parks and |
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Wildlife Department have traditionally recognized the private |
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landowner as the primary steward of our state's natural resources, |
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but the Fish and Wildlife Service has not adequately consulted with |
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the State of Texas, Texas landowners, or other stakeholders; |
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moreover, the service has failed to fully consider issues unique to |
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species protection and habitat conservation in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered |
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species would inflict severe economic damage, harm property owners, |
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and undermine higher education in the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby respectfully urge the United States Fish and |
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Wildlife Service to withdraw its proposal to list the dunes |
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sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the house of representatives direct the |
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agencies of the State of Texas to cooperate with the efforts of the |
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Texas Endangered Species Task Force to investigate the scientific |
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basis of the proposed listing and the potential burdens on private |
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property rights and economic development in the state; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the Texas House of |
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Representatives forward official copies of this resolution to the |
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president of the United States, the acting director of the U.S. Fish |
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and Wildlife Service, the president of the Senate and the speaker of |
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the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and all |
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the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request |
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that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |