Mr. HENLEY. We have a multimillion dollar lawsuit filed against the Federal Government for displacement but it will not involve land. It will involve return of money to these people. Mr. ASPINALL. It will not involve this land? Mr. HENLEY. It will not involve this land; no, sir. Mr. TAYLOR. The gentleman from Texas, any questions? Mr. KAZEN. Sir, you and two other previous speakers have been referring to the Chain of Pearls or the String of Pearls, and this morning we heard another witness use the same phrase but his map was a little bit different than this one because this one includes the waterways, as I understand it. Mr. HENLEY. This one does include the waterways. The one I have there before you-can I take 1 second? Mr. KAZEN. Yes. Mr. HENLEY. The Chain of Pearls came about in this manner. The Big Thicket was no longer one contiguous body of virgin timber or wilderness areas, oilfields, pipelines, rice growing, et cetera, et cetera. But, yet, there remains in the Big Thicket certain areas that are very important. As a matter of fact, the study report said they were of national botanical significance, and those areas that yet remain were recommended to be preserved like the virgin forest, the pine forest up here near Moss Hill. There is a virgin forest in the Indian reservation, as you see in the report. Mr. KAZEN. Let me just interrupt there. The concept put forth by certain people that want, say, a 35,000-acre park still referred to their scheme as the Chain of Pearls. Mr. HENLEY. Well, all they have to do to make it work is add those central areas to it and it will be 100.000 acres. Mr. KAZEN. So that is where you differ with that proposition. Mr. HENLEY. Yes, sure. Mr. KAZEN. Thank you. Mr. HENLEY. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming to Beaumont and giving us a chance. Mr. TAYLOR. Thank you for the book. Mr. HENLEY. By the way, you have the only collector's item of this book. Price Daniel said if you want to get a collector's item find one of those books I did not autograph and I did not autograph your book. You have got a collector's item. Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Henley has submitted some resolutions for the record. One is a resolution of the city of Livingston: another resolution of the tribal council; resolution of the city of Liberty; resolution of the Liberty Chamber of Commerce; resolution of Polk County Commissioners; resolution of Liberty County Commissioners; and a resolution of the Texas Commission for Indian Affairs. These have been checked by our counsel and approved for the record and unless there is an objection, they will be placed in the record at this point. Mr. HENLEY. Thank you very much. Mr. TAYLOR. Hearing no objection, so ordered. CITY OF LIVINGSTON, Livingston, Tex., June 8, 1972. I hereby certify that the following resolution pertaining to development of a Big Thicket National Park is an excerpt from the Minutes of a Special Meeting of the City Council, City of Livingston, Texas on June 8, 1972; that such excerpt is true and correct. (Signed) JOYCE RASH, City Secretary. RESOLUTION No. A-131 PERTAINING TO DEVELOPMENT OF BIG THICKET NATIONAL PARK Whereas, the City of Livingston is vitally interested in the economic development of Polk County, Texas, and Whereas, the City of Livingston recognizes the value of a National Park in contributing to the development of an area, and Whereas, tourism is becoming one of Polk County's most vital and productive industries, having received support by both State and Federal agencies in the form of grants and loans to the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation, and Whereas, through such support the economic status of Polk County and its citizens has been greatly enhanced, therefore, be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Livingston, Texas, That said City hereby requests assistance of the United States Congress in affording legislation to implement creation of a Big Thicket National Park; that such Big Thicket National Park, or a portion thereof, be located in Polk County, Texas, AND that due consideration be given to the quantity of land required for said park in order that only such acreage as is necessary for park use be included in the plan. Resolved and adopted this 8th day of June, 1972. Attest: (Signed) BEAMON DAVIS III, JOYCE RASH, City Secretary. Excerpts from Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation Tribal Council minutes of a called meeting, June 8, 1972 RESOLUTION PERTAINING TO DEVELOPMENT OF A BIG THICKET NATIONAL PARK Whereas, The Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas are vitally concerned with the economical development that will offer job opportunities for their members and other residents of the Big Thicket Area and, Whereas, the Tribes have committed themselves to making the Indian Reservation self-sufficient by creating a Tourist Business to meet this objective and, Whereas, tourism has supplied more job opportunities and generated more revenue than any other new economic development potential in East Texas and, Whereas, the creation of a Big Thicket National Park would provide a tremendous asset to the tourist development for the tribes and local communities and, Whereas, the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribes have demonstrated economic and ecological benefits of multiple purpose use of forest lands, having been honored by receiving the 1971 State Award for Forest Conservation Practices, managing a sustaining yield of forest products yet providing wholesome recreation for the general public and providing additional income from the timber lands and. Whereas, the Tribal Council does feel qualified in evaluating the economic and ecological benefits by the creation of a National Park on forest land, therefore be it Resolved, That the Tribal Council does request the assistance of the Congress of the United States in passing legislation that will implement the creation of a Big Thicket National Park and, be it further Resolved, That the Tribal Council wishes to state that the greatest assistance that the Congress can give the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation, is to help the Tribes help themselves to gain self-sufficiency by providing the necessary economic development that would ge generated by the creation of a Big Thicket National Park. I certify that the above excerpts of the June 8, 1972 Tribal Council Meeting are true and correct. JUNE 8, 1972. CLAYTON M. SYLESTINE, Chairman, Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribal Council, RESOLUTION Whereas, the citizens of Liberty and the State of Texas and of the United States benefit from the facilities of National Parks, and Whereas, the Citizens of Liberty, the State of Texas and the United States would materially benefit by the preservation of botanical and wilderness areas, and Whereas, the preservation of rare wildlife is of great interest to the Citizens of the United States, and Whereas, the creation of a 100,000 acre "Big Thicket" National Park would preserve one of the nation's last botanical wildernesses and preserve the remaining virgin timber, provide additional recreational areas, and aid in preserving many species of wildlife, now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the mayor of the city of Liberty, State of Texas, does hereby urge that the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation give favorable recommnedation to the creation of and the maintenance of a National Park of at least 100,000 acres in East Texas area to be known as the "Big Thicket National Park," and further, be it Resolved. That Dempsie Henley former Mayor of the City of Liberty, be requested to deliver this resolution to the Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation in Beaumont, Texas, June 10, 1972. Approved on this 9th day of June, 1972. Attest: LEWIE MAJORS, Mayor. MARGUERITE LAMB, City Secretary. RESOLUTION Whereas, the citizens of Liberty and the State of Texas and of the United States benefit from the facilities of National Parks, and Whereas, the citizens of Liberty, the State of Texas and the United States would materially benefit by the preservation of botanical and wilderness areas, and Whereas, the preservation of rare wildlife is of great interest to the citizens of the United States, and Whereas, the creation of a 100,000 acre "Big Thicket" National Park would preserve one of the nation's last botanical wilderness and preserve the remaining virgin timber, provide additional recreational areas, and aid in preserving many species of wildlife, now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the President of the Liberty Chamber of Commerce, Liberty, Texas, does hereby urge that the United States House of Representatives SubCommittee on National Parks and Recreation give favorable recommendation to the creation of and the maintenance of a National Park of at least 100,000 acres in East Texas area to be known as the "Big Thicket National Park", and further, be it Resolved, That Dempsie Henley, former Mayor of the City of Liberty, be requested to deliver this resolution to the Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation in Beaumont, Texas, June 10, 1972. Approved on this 2nd day of June, 1972. RESOLUTION Whereas, the Northern extremity of the area known as the Big Thicket of East Texas is comingled with the Southern portion of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation in Polk County, and, Whereas, the Big Thicket area is of unique aesthetic quality, contributing an envronmental protection region for rare plants, birds, wildlife and dense forests, and Whereas, the evolution of our society has made an indelible imprint on the Big Thicket by a process of civilian conquest, and Whereas, the processes of socio-economic attrition shall reduce the Big Thicket in time to a page in the book of East Texas History; therefore be it Resolved, That the Commissioners Court of Polk County, Texas voice support of the concept of a portion of the Big Thicket to be preserved in the interest of natural Ecological and Environmental perpetuation in the form of a Big Thicket National Park. Done this 9th day of June, 1972. Attest: PEYTON WALTERS, County Judge. RESOLUTION K. W. KENNEDY, County Clerk. Whereas, the citizens of Liberty and the State of Texas and of the United States benefit from the facilities of National Parks, and Whereas, the Citizens of Liberty, the State of Texas and the United States would materially benefit by the preservation of botanical and wilderness areas, and Whereas, the preservation of rare wildlife is of great interest to the Citizens of the United States, and Whereas, the creation of a 100,000 acre "Big Thicket National Park” would preserve one of the nation's last botanical wildernesses and preserve the remaining virgin timber, provide additional recreational areas, and aid in preserving many species of wildlife, now, therefore, be it Resolved, That Judge Thomas J. Hightower, individually, of the County of Liberty, State of Texas, does hereby urge that the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on National Parks and Recreation give favorable recommendation to the creation of and the maintenance of a National Park of at least 100,000 acres in East Texas to be known as the "Big Thicket National Park", and further, be it Resolved, That Dempsie Henley former Mayor of the City of Liberty, he requested to deliver this resolution to the Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation in Beaumont, Texas, June 10, 1972. Approved on this 9th day of June, 1972. Attest. THOMAS J. HIGHTOWER, Judge. LELA MAE CATCHINGS, County Clerk. RESOLUTION Whereas, the Texas Commission for Indian Affairs, an official state agency, is charged with the development of the economic and human resources of the Texas Indian People, and Whereas, the Texas Indian People have benefited greatly from the economic benefits from tourism at the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation located in the "Big Thicket", and Whereas, the creation of a "Big Thicket National Park" with its entry and terminal points at the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation would insure these tribes of an estimated 1,000,000 tourists and visitors per year at the reservation, and Whereas, the creation of such a park aside from the obvious advantages in saving the Nation's last botanical wildernesses, rare species of flora and fauna, it would insure the Texas Indian Commission and the Texas Indian People of obtaining their objectives namely, to terminate all State and Federal aid by the end of 1974, and thus expedite the objectives of the Texas Indian Commission of making the Texas Indian People, self-reliant, self-sustaining and self-governing, now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Chairman of the Texas Indian Commission, State of Texas, does hereby urge that the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation give favorable recommendation to the creation of and the maintenance of a National Park of at least 100,000 acres in East Texas area to be known as the "Big Thicket National Park", and further, be it Resolved, That Dempsie Henley, Chairman of the Texas Indian Commission, be requested to deliver this resolution to the Honorable Wayne N. Aspinall, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on National Parks and Recreation in Beaumont, Texas, June 10, 1972. Approved on this 9th day of June, 1972. Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Robert A. Vines. DEMPSIE HENLEY, Chairman. STATEMENT OF ROBERT A. VINES, SPRING BRANCH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT Mr. VINES. Sir, I seem to be the only botanist in Texas, and that is what I am for 40 years. I am a botanist and biologist and I am quite active in this and this is my profession. At the present time, I am the acting director, McAshan Hall, Houston Arboretum and environmental director for 32 schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District. We teach environmental sciences and ecology. I have written four books on Texas plant life and in adjacent States, one published by the University of Texas. The present second edition includes all the trees and shrubs of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico and received six awards. Not that I brag on myself, sir. I want to say I want to support Congressman Eckhardt's bill on this 100,000 acres exactly as he has presented it in this bill. The reason I say this is because I made a pretty complete survey being a botanist. This is my map, as put out by A. & M. University, showing the 10 zones of plants. The red on this map is the east Texas piney woods, extension of the southern evergreen forest, and I have made a complete survey of that area to see what first was in that particular area in east Texas. I ended up with 155 trees, 136 shrubs and vines, 262 grasses, 40 orchids, 42 of the fern family, 1,156 herbs and perennials and 1,792 as a total for all of east Texas plant life. Now, in order to arrive at some idea as to what was in the southern part of the east Texas zone I set aside-I studied these six counties. which were listed by Congressman Eckhardt in his bill and I came out with the fact that in these six counties represented by the black on the lower part of the red on the right hand side, 1,563 plants of all kinds, 46 mammals, 250 species of birds, 65 species of reptiles, but that is a very conservative figure. Since this list was made probably more |