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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico |
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Studies at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi has been named the |
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lead institution of Texas OneGulf, a research consortium |
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established under the federal RESTORE Act to promote the |
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conservation and sustainable use of the Gulf of Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, Responding to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, |
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the U.S. Congress adopted, and the president signed into law, the |
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Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, |
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and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (RESTORE) Act in |
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2012; the Act created a trust fund, using fines resulting from the |
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Deepwater Horizon disaster, to support initiatives to rehabilitate |
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and preserve the Gulf of Mexico; it also provided for the creation |
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of Centers of Excellence in each of the five Gulf Coast states to |
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conduct research and monitoring operations that can help guide |
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restoration efforts; the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
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has named Texas OneGulf as one of two Centers of Excellence in the |
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State of Texas; Texas OneGulf is composed of key marine |
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institutions across the state and is led by the Harte Research |
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Institute; and |
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WHEREAS, Created in 2000, the Harte Research Institute is the |
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only marine research organization whose work focuses solely on the |
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Gulf of Mexico, the ninth-largest body of water in the world; |
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bringing together experts from the three countries that border the |
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Gulf, the institute is dedicated to finding science-driven |
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solutions to Gulf problems and to assisting the response to |
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Gulf-related emergencies stemming from both natural and man-made |
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disasters; the institute has been under the direction of Dr. Larry |
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McKinney since 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, Conditions in the Gulf of Mexico have a significant |
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impact on the economy and environment of Texas and on the health and |
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well-being of Texas citizens, and through its efforts to expand our |
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knowledge of the Gulf and to address critical issues concerning the |
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Gulf, the Harte Research Institute is making an immeasurable |
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contribution to the strength and vitality of the Lone Star State; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Harte Research Institute for |
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Gulf of Mexico Studies on being named the lead organization of Texas |
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OneGulf, a RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, and extend to all those |
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involved in the institute and the Texas OneGulf consortium sincere |
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best wishes for success with their important work; 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 institute as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |