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