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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The North Plains Groundwater Conservation District |
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was honored with the Texas Environmental Excellence Award for |
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Agriculture on May 2, 2012; and |
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WHEREAS, Presented by the Texas Commission on Environmental |
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Quality and the Office of the Governor, the Texas Environmental |
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Excellence Awards celebrate the efforts of citizens, groups, and |
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organizations in the public and private sectors to preserve and |
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protect the environment and to prevent waste and pollution; and |
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WHEREAS, The NPGCD, which serves all or part of eight |
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counties in the northern panhandle of Texas, was honored for its |
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Reduced Irrigation on Corn Demonstration Project, also known as the |
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200-12 Project for its goal of producing 200 bushels of corn per |
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acre with 12 inches of irrigation water; launched in 2010, this |
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initiative demonstrates irrigation efficiency strategies that have |
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the potential to conserve at least three inches of water for each |
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irrigated acre; if these practices were extended to the one million |
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acres currently in irrigation in the NPGCD, the water saved would be |
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enough to supply a city the size of San Antonio for a year; and |
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WHEREAS, During the first year of the project, three members |
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of the NPGCD board implemented the conservation practices on their |
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own acreage; in 2011, the program was expanded, with funding |
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provided by the Texas Water Development Board as well as by the |
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Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Agricultural |
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Research Service through the Conservation Innovation Grants |
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program; the 200-12 Project will run through 2014; and |
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WHEREAS, The NPGCD was formed in 1955 and was originally |
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composed of Sherman, Hansford, Ochiltree, and parts of Hartley, |
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Moore, and Hutchinson Counties; the district expanded to include |
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Lipscomb County in 1973 and parts of Dallam County in 1993 and 2004; |
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headquartered in Dumas, the district works to conserve groundwater |
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resources, particularly those of the Ogallala Aquifer, which |
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supplies most of the area's water and which is a finite and |
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dwindling source; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the NPGCD works in conjunction with local, |
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state, and federal agencies and carries out its mission by issuing |
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water well permits, collecting and maintaining groundwater data, |
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and performing water quality analyses and well system tests; and |
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WHEREAS, The organization is ably led by general manager |
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Steve Walthour and benefits from the dedicated work of its staff: |
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Kristen Alwan, Randy Coon, Christie Frost, Dale Hallmark, Karen |
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Mannis, Mike Pitts, Pauletta Rhoades, Casey Tice, Odell Ward, Kirk |
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Welch, and Laura West; providing valuable direction and oversight |
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are the members of the district board, Bob Zimmer, Gene Born, Brian |
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Bezner, Danny Krienke, Harold Grall, Phil Haaland, and Wesley |
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Spurlock; and |
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WHEREAS, With its innovative strategies to reduce irrigation |
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without lowering crop yields, the North Plains Groundwater |
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Conservation District is demonstrating exemplary stewardship of |
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our state's natural resources, and it is indeed worthy of this |
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prestigious accolade; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the North Plains Groundwater |
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Conservation District on its receipt of the 2012 Texas |
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Environmental Excellence Award for Agriculture and commend all |
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those associated with the 200-12 Project for their outstanding |
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work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the NPGCD as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |