Bill Text: VA SJR235 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2010-03-14 - Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ235ER) [SJR235 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2010-SJR235-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway, an All-American Road as designated by the National Scenic Byways Commission, will mark its 75th anniversary in 2010; and WHEREAS, the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway joins Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and was built over a 52-year period, from September 1935 to its completion in 1987; and WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of the National Park Service in the United States, annually drawing over 16 million visitors with a $2.3 billion impact on local economies; and WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited attraction in Virginia, serves as a front door to the many unique communities along its corridor; and WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia is privileged to have 213 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway within state boundaries, encompassing 33,616 acres and traversing 12 counties; and WHEREAS, the design of the Parkway's bucolic ribbon of road incorporates spectacular views of forested mountains and rural landscapes, offering visitors abundant recreational opportunities, a glimpse into the cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a special place where memories are made; and WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Parkway—a fragile resource and one of the most biologically diverse places in the temperate portion of our planet, containing more species of trees than all of Europe, a number of protected species of plants and animals, and hundreds of historic structures—deserves special recognition on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the Commonwealth's most treasured and beautiful natural resources; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of the Blue Ridge Parkway as an expression of the General Assembly's appreciation of the park's value to the citizens of the Commonwealth and best wishes for a successful anniversary celebration. |
