SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1034
         WHEREAS, Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site is
  located 30 miles east of El Paso, near the northwestern tip of the
  Trans-Pecos; the topography includes four massive hills that
  comprise a natural oasis that has been a spiritual sanctuary and
  a place of refuge throughout the area's more than 10,000-year
  history of human activity; and
 
         WHEREAS, For thousands of years, people camped among the
  hills and lived off of the site's diverse plant and animal
  resources and the natural rock pools of water, or huecos, for
  which the park is named and which inspired others to settle in
  this Chihuahuan desert oasis; and
 
         WHEREAS, Hueco Tanks contains almost 30 archeological sites
  and hundreds of rock paintings that date back thousands of years;
  the people of the Jornada Mogollon culture built a village and
  farmed in the area about 1,000 years ago, and the modern settlers
  of the West used it as a key stop on the famous Butterfield Stage
  Line; and
 
         WHEREAS, Today, the 860-acre site is still a special place
  for many Native American peoples who find a spiritual connection
  there, such as the Tiguas, Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches, and it
  is valued by archeologists and historians who have documented the
  monumental sweep of human presence throughout millennia on the
  land; and
 
         WHEREAS, The challenge for the Texas Parks and Wildlife
  Department is to preserve and protect the fragile cultural
  remains and remarkable rock-art imagery while allowing visitors,
  who come from all over the world, to explore, climb, and otherwise
  enjoy the park; and
 
         WHEREAS, Striking a balance between public access and
  preservation of the site's irreplaceable cultural treasures is
  an ongoing challenge that has been managed in recent years by
  capping the number of visitors allowed in the park at one time,
  showing every visitor an orientation video, and providing
  visitors entry to certain areas only when accompanied by a trained
  guide; and
 
         WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reviewing
  the park's Public Use Plan, last updated 15 years ago, to see if
  there are opportunities to better balance the visits to the park
  by climbers, archeologists, and the general public with ongoing
  efforts to protect this natural wonder; and
 
         WHEREAS, The site would benefit from further protection,
  which could be accomplished through development of a new Public
  Use Plan, designation as a federal National Protected Site,
  recognition as a World Heritage Site, or implementation of other
  measures; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
  Legislature, hereby encourage all efforts to preserve the
  integrity, beauty, and history of Hueco Tanks State Park and
  Historic Site and support any acts that are necessary to forever
  protect this natural wonder; and, be it further
 
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor
  of Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site.
 
  Rodríguez
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on May 29, 2015.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate