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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Richard Taylor of Blue Mountain Peak Ranch in Mason |
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is receiving a 2011 Lone Star Land Steward Award from the Texas |
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Parks and Wildlife Department; and |
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WHEREAS, Now in their 16th year, the Lone Star Land Steward |
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Awards are presented annually by TPWD, the Private Lands Advisory |
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Committee, and the Sand County Foundation in recognition of |
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landowners across Texas for their exemplary stewardship of the |
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state's natural resources; and |
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WHEREAS, Blue Mountain Peak Ranch was purchased in 2001 by |
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Richard Taylor and his wife, Sally, who has since passed away; the |
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couple were cofounders of The Conservation Agency, a nonprofit |
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organization devoted to the preservation of biodiversity, and after |
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acquiring the ranch, they began to maintain its more than 830 acres |
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in accordance with the agency's principles; and |
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WHEREAS, Working with field biologists from TPWD, Mr. and |
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Mrs. Taylor used prescription burns to restore the property to the |
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condition it was in before the arrival of European settlers, |
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thinning out the dominant Ashe Juniper trees, locally known as |
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cedars, and allowing other native species to revive; over the past |
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10 years, endangered flora and fauna have returned in healthy |
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numbers, erosion has been reduced, and dozens of springs and |
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streams have rejuvenated and now run year-round; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Taylor continues to maintain the ranch's |
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biodiversity, and he makes the property available to hunters, |
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hikers, photographers, birders, and mountain bikers; he hosts the |
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Texas Youth Hunting Program each year, and he regularly invites |
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students, other landowners, and professional naturalists to hold |
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educational events at the ranch; and |
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WHEREAS, The natural beauty and diverse ecology of the Texas |
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Hill Country depend on the careful stewardship of its landowners, |
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and through his outstanding efforts, Richard Taylor is conserving |
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precious resources for future generations; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Richard Taylor on his receipt of a |
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2011 Lone Star Land Steward Award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife |
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Department and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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success in his important work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Taylor as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |