| May 12, 2012 |
Dear El Pasoans:
Today I will be holding a press conference to announce that Castner Range will be preserved as open space and turned over by the Department of Defense to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife to be included in the Franklin Mountains State Park.
I will be joined by Congressman Raul Grijalva from Arizona, a member of the House Natural Resources committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. I will also be joined by City Representative Carl Robinson, and members of the Castner Conservation Conveyance Committee.
This past week the House Armed Services Committee voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. This annual policy measure includes a provision I authored authorizing the Department of Defense to transfer Castner Range to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife to be included in the Franklin Mountains State Park.
As a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have worked for many years to mandate the transfer ownership of Castner Range from the Department of Defense to preserve approximately 7,000-acres of undeveloped desert, foothills, and mountains in Northeast El Paso.
Previously, in the 2010 National Defense Authorization Bill that was signed into law by President Obama, I included the following report language in the legislation:
“Castner Range Complex at Fort Bliss: The House Armed Services Committee understands that the Department of Defense ceased operations at the Castner Range Complex at Fort Bliss…in 1971. In testimony, the Army indicated that Castner Range is ‘wholly impractical to use for any range activity.’ The Committee is interested in maintaining this land for a conservation purpose. The Committee encourages the Department to enter into an agreement in furtherance of conveyance with eligible conservation entities.”
It was also my pleasure to obtain $300,000 in needed funding for a study to determine how best to apply a conservation conveyance to the Range.
I am pleased that one day my grandchildren and their grandchildren will enjoy this space. Castner Range is one of the most important places in El Paso and we as a community have an obligation to preserve it for future generations.
National Teacher Appreciation Week
El Paso has a history of producing strong, passionate, and caring educators who motivate and engage our children to become life-long learners. As a parent and grandparent, I am grateful for the contributions of our teachers in the El Paso area. Below is my statement in the Congressional Record:
"Mr. Speaker, during National Teacher Appreciation Week, I rise to honor our teachers.
"Teachers are at the heart of our community, and this week we commemorate the hard-working men and women who educate and inspire our children. As part of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I was asked by the National Education Association to name a teacher who had a significant impact on my education. My journalism and debate coach, Mr. Ralph Chavez, quickly came to mind. He was not only a teacher but a mentor, friend and counselor. He inspired me to push myself, and helped me become the person I am today. This week, I am proud to help recognize all of our dedicated teachers who, like Mr. Chavez, have educated and motivated their students. As a parent and grandparent, I am grateful for the contributions of all of our educators, and am particularly proud of the teachers in the El Paso community.
"As a Member of Congress, one of the best ways I can help make National Teacher Appreciation Week more meaningful is to continue working to provide our teachers with the resources they need to educate their students. Today’s teachers face many challenges and deserve not only our recognition, but our full measure of support for their efforts.
"Education has always been one of my top priorities, and I will continue to fight for our teachers, our students, our school districts, and for parents who want their children to have the best education possible."
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
Today is the 20th annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drive. In an effort to help fight hunger I am asking the El Paso community to join me in a nationwide effort “Stamp Out Hunger.” Today postal customers can participate in this food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox, and the letter carriers will pick it up and deliver it to a local food bank.
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is held on the second Saturday in May and has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive benefiting Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. In 2011, generous Americans donated 70.2 million pounds of food, which marked the eighth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected by letter carriers.
One in every four El Pasoans suffers from food insecurity and often they don't know where their next meal will come from. Today we have the opportunity to help thousands of local families struggling to put food on the table. I will be putting out not one, but two bags of non-perishable food items next to my mailbox and I encourage all El Pasoans to participate in this cause.
Please visit my website at www.Reyes.House.gov to get the latest news about my activities in Congress and be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr for updates.
Saludos,
Silvestre Reyes
Proudly representing the
16th District of Texas
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