82R28027 BPG-D
 
  By: Chisum, Craddick, Lewis, Gallego, Perry H.R. No. 1955
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has
  proposed granting endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush
  lizard, a measure that would have a significant negative impact on
  the Lone Star State; and
         WHEREAS, The business climate in Texas has been consistently
  ranked as the nation's best, and the oil and gas sector is crucial
  to its continued vitality; Texas is the nation's leading producer
  of oil and natural gas, and it holds 30 percent of the nation's
  natural gas reserves and almost a quarter of its oil reserves; the
  oil and gas industry contributes $30 billion annually to the Texas
  economy and employs more than 315,000 Texans at some of the highest
  salaries in the state; and
         WHEREAS, Despite its resilience, the Texas economy has not
  been immune to the global economic recession; there have been
  significant job losses over the past two years, and recently high
  gas prices have posed new challenges; the Fish and Wildlife Service
  failed to take these factors into account in its proposal to grant
  endangered species status to the dunes sagebrush lizard in
  southeastern New Mexico and adjacent oil-producing areas of West
  Texas; and
         WHEREAS, In addition, the service has failed to consider that
  approximately 75,000 acres identified as habitat for the lizard are
  owned and managed by The University of Texas for the benefit of
  higher education; university officials have estimated that the
  listing could stop the drilling of approximately 1,000 oil and gas
  wells and eliminate the production of seven million barrels of oil
  equivalent annually; and
         WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature and the Texas Parks and
  Wildlife Department have traditionally recognized the private
  landowner as the primary steward of our state's natural resources,
  but the Fish and Wildlife Service has not adequately consulted with
  the State of Texas, Texas landowners, or other stakeholders;
  moreover, the service has failed to fully consider issues unique to
  species protection and habitat conservation in Texas; and
         WHEREAS, Listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered
  species would inflict severe economic damage, harm property owners,
  and undermine higher education in the Lone Star State; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
  Legislature hereby respectfully urge the United States Fish and
  Wildlife Service to withdraw its proposal to list the dunes
  sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That the house of representatives direct the
  agencies of the State of Texas to cooperate with the efforts of the
  Texas Endangered Species Task Force to investigate the scientific
  basis of the proposed listing and the potential burdens on private
  property rights and economic development in the state; and, be it
  further
         RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the Texas House of
  Representatives forward official copies of this resolution to the
  president of the United States, the acting director of the U.S. Fish
  and Wildlife Service, the president of the Senate and the speaker of
  the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and all
  the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request
  that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
  memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.