88R10999 TBO-D
 
  By: King of Hemphill 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.