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COMMITTEE VOTE |
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YeaNayAbsentPNV |
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HancockX |
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UrestiX |
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CampbellX |
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EltifeX |
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HuffinesX |
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SchwertnerX |
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WestX |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The annual migration of the monarch butterfly, the |
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State Insect of Texas, is one of the wonders of the natural world, |
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and every year the city of Jasper is fortunate to have a front row |
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seat to this spectacular journey; and |
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WHEREAS, Each August and September, members of the species, |
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known scientifically as Danaus plexippus, begin a journey of |
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approximately 1,500 miles from their summer breeding grounds in |
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eastern North America to their winter home in the mountains of |
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central Mexico, generally covering 25 to 30 miles per day; then, |
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between March and June, the butterflies return north, often |
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traveling as far as Canada; along their flight northward, and after |
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the monarchs reach their summer haunts, the female of the species |
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lays her eggs on freshly sprouted milkweed plants; and |
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WHEREAS, Jasper lies in the middle of one of the three major |
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flyways for the monarch butterfly, and the community celebrates its |
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part in this annual event with the Butterfly Festival on the first |
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Saturday of each October, during the height of the fall migration; |
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during the festival, a Butterfly House is installed in the |
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Butterfly Gardens at the Jasper Arboretum, where visitors can learn |
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about the migration and life cycle of these amazing insects; the |
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festival also features a variety of activities for children and |
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adults, including scavenger hunts and butterfly releases, as well |
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as musical performances and displays of arts and crafts; and |
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WHEREAS, The Butterfly Festival is part of an even broader |
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local effort focused on the monarch butterfly; residents of Jasper |
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have devoted countless hours to fostering our understanding of |
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monarchs and to creating conditions to support their survival; led |
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by the city's Master Gardeners, they are tagging monarchs for |
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scientific study, raising monarchs for release, planting milkweed |
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where the butterflies can lay their eggs, and growing a variety of |
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nectar plants to provide the monarchs with suitable food; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year, the people of Jasper are fortunate |
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witnesses to one of the grandest shows in nature, and by creating a |
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welcoming environment for these beautiful creatures, they help to |
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make their community an integral part of a wonderful natural |
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process that has endured for millennia; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the city of Jasper as the official Butterfly |
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Capital of Texas. |
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* * * * * |