H.R. No. 134

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
	Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation are celebrating the 100th
	anniversary of Texas State Parks in 2023; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature organized the six-member
	State Parks Board in 1923 to locate sites for a state parks system;
	the effort was intended to create more overnight camping locations
	to serve the increased number of Texans who had begun traveling by
	automobile; a decade later, during the Great Depression, members of
	the Civilian Conservation Corps established by President
	Franklin D. Roosevelt helped build facilities at parks across the
	state; these included such iconic structures as the pavilion at
	Garner State Park and the Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State
	Park, both of which continue to be enjoyed by visitors today; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was
	officially established in 1963, when Governor John Connally merged
	the State Parks Board with the Game and Fish Commission; soon after,
	during an era known as the "Golden Age of Texas State Parks,"
	increased revenue streams led to the refurbishment of existing
	parks and the development of new ones, among which were Pedernales
	Falls, Mustang Island, Galveston Island, and McKinney Falls State
	Parks and Lost Maples State Natural Area; and
	WHEREAS, In 1993, Texas lawmakers dedicated a portion of
	state taxes on sporting goods sales to provide stable funding for
	state parks, and in 2019, Texas voters passed a constitutional
	amendment to ensure that all funding from the sporting goods sales
	tax will benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
	Texas Historical Commission; and
	WHEREAS, Today, the Texas State Parks system encompasses
	481,000 acres of water sources, such as aquifers, rivers, and
	reservoirs, as well as some 640,000 acres of critical habitat for
	various wildlife, including more than 50 threatened and endangered
	species; in addition, state parks contribute to the physical and
	emotional well-being of countless Texans, and they have played an
	instrumental role in the economic vitality of rural communities;
	and
	WHEREAS, The state parks of Texas offer ample opportunities
	for outdoor recreation while helping to conserve the natural
	resources of the Lone Star State, and it is a pleasure to join in
	celebrating the centennial of these beloved public areas that have
	been enjoyed by generations of Texans; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Texas State
	Parks and extend to all those associated with the Texas Parks and
	Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation
	sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
	for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and
	Wildlife Foundation as an expression of high regard by the Texas
	House of Representatives.
	King of Hemphill
	Phelan Guerra Murr
	Allen Guillen Neave Criado
	Allison Harless Noble
	Anchía Harris of Anderson Oliverson
	Anderson Harris of Williamson Ordaz
	Ashby Harrison Orr
	Bailes Hayes Ortega
	Bell of Kaufman Hefner Patterson
	Bell of Montgomery Hernandez Paul
	Bernal Herrero Perez
	Bhojani Hinojosa Plesa
	Bonnen Holland Price
	Bowers Howard Ramos
	Bryant Hull Raney
	Buckley Hunter Raymond
	Bucy Isaac Reynolds
	Bumgarner Jetton Rogers
	Burns Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr.
	Burrows A. Johnson of Harris Rose
	Button J. Johnson of Harris Rosenthal
	Cain Jones of Dallas Schaefer
	Campos Jones of Harris Schatzline
	Canales Kacal Schofield
	Capriglione King of Hemphill Shaheen
	Clardy King of Uvalde Sherman, Sr.
	Cole Kitzman Shine
	Collier Klick Slaton
	Cook Kuempel Slawson
	Cortez Lalani Smith
	Craddick Lambert Smithee
	Cunningham Landgraf Spiller
	Darby Leach Stucky
	Davis Leo-Wilson Swanson
	Dean Longoria Talarico
	DeAyala Lopez of Bexar Tepper
	Dorazio Lopez of Cameron Thierry
	Dutton Lozano Thimesch
	Flores Lujan Thompson of Brazoria
	Frank Manuel Thompson of Harris
	Frazier Martinez Tinderholt
	Gamez Martinez Fischer Toth
	Garcia Metcalf Troxclair
	Gates Meyer Turner
	Gerdes Meza VanDeaver
	Geren Moody Vasut
	Gervin-Hawkins Morales of Harris Vo
	Goldman Morales of Maverick Walle
	González of Dallas Morales Shaw Wilson
	González of El Paso Morrison Wu
	Goodwin Muñoz, Jr. Zwiener
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 134 was adopted by the House on February
	8, 2023, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House