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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The future of Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park |
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is threatened by the proposed construction of a border wall through |
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this treasured site; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1944, the Bentsen family signed over nearly 600 |
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forested acres along the Rio Grande to the Texas Parks Board for the |
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consideration of $1, with the stipulation that the land be used |
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"solely for Public Park Purposes"; it opened to the public as a |
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state park in 1962, and while serving as a wildlife corridor that |
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allows native species to survive, it has drawn people from across |
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the country to observe its diverse fauna; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, as part of the World Birding Center, the park |
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ranks among the nation's premier bird-watching destinations; it |
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attracts some 30,000 visitors annually, with numbers growing by |
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about five percent every year, and it is an important driver of the |
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Rio Grande Valley's ecotourism economy; and |
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WHEREAS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has notified |
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landowners of plans to build a 33-mile barrier in Hidalgo and Starr |
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Counties; the section in Hidalgo County will consist of vertical |
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concrete river levees topped by 18-foot-tall fencing, as well as a |
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150-foot-wide "enforcement zone" on the river side with a road, |
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around-the-clock lighting, cameras, and sensors; and |
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WHEREAS, Scientists have warned that the construction of such |
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a barrier through this sensitive natural area would devastate |
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wildlife habitat; a border wall would also inhibit access and deter |
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visitors, and it would likely result in the discontinuation of |
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overnight camping and nighttime wildlife viewing; moreover, the |
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proposed barrier would divide the park, isolating the headquarters |
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and visitors center from the area enjoyed by the public and creating |
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serious operational, management, and safety issues; further |
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complicating the issue, if TPWD is no longer able to safely operate |
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the property as a state park, under the terms of the original grant, |
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the land could revert to the heirs of the grantor; closure of the |
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park could also negatively impact the viability of the neighboring |
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National Butterfly Center; and |
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WHEREAS, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a jewel of |
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the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, beloved by state residents |
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and visitors from far and wide, and it should be protected for the |
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benefit of generations to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to oppose |
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construction of a border wall through Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley |
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State Park; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |