SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1069
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas is home to a wealth of natural,
	cultural, and historic sites that enjoy national and
	international recognition for their significance; and
	WHEREAS, Among these sites are 15 that are overseen by the
	National Park Service; they include such natural wonders as the
	rugged Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which encompasses the
	highest peak in Texas, and the windswept Padre Island National
	Seashore, the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in
	the world, as well as such historic structures as the frontier
	military post at Fort Davis, the 300-year-old missions in San
	Antonio, and the ranch house of President Lyndon B. Johnson; the
	Texas components of the National Park System offer protection to
	21 threatened and endangered species, preserve important pieces
	of Texas and American history, and provide the state with
	$238,900,000 in economic benefit; and
	WHEREAS, Texans have long realized the importance of
	conserving their natural and historical heritage, and they have
	played a vital role in the creation of National Park Service
	units in the state; Big Bend, the first national park established
	in Texas, was made possible with the appropriation of $1.5
	million by the 47th Texas Legislature, funds that enabled the
	purchase of most of the land; the state also donated Rancho de las
	Cabras, the mission ranch of San Francisco de la Espada, for
	inclusion in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park;
	moreover, the City of Waco has approved the transfer of the Waco
	Mammoth Site to the federal government for the purpose of
	establishing it as a national monument; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to its National Park Service sites,
	Texas boasts 3,189 structures that have been listed in the
	National Register of Historic Places, as well as 46 National
	Historic Landmarks, including the Apollo Mission Control Center
	in Houston, the Governor's Mansion in Austin, and the USS
	Lexington aircraft carrier in Corpus Christi; the 20 National
	Natural Landmarks in Texas include Enchanted Rock, the High
	Plains Natural Area, and Palo Duro Canyon; and
	WHEREAS, Two sites in Texas, the Big Thicket National
	Preserve and the Chihuahuan Desert Biosphere Reserve, have
	received further international recognition with their
	designation as United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
	Cultural Organization International Biosphere Reserves; in
	addition, the Alamo, the other San Antonio missions, and Rancho
	de las Cabras have been proposed for inclusion on the
	organization's prestigious list of World Heritage sites; and
	WHEREAS, All these treasures, and many others, are of
	immense cultural, historical, ecological, and economic
	importance, and they are a source of tremendous pride to all
	Texans; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of State of Texas, 84th
	Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the nationally and
	internationally recognized natural and historic sites in the
	Lone Star State.
	Uresti
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on June 1, 2015.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate