Robert "Bob" Christian Eckhardt

U.S. Representative Bob Eckhardt played a key role in sponsoring and advocating for HR 11546, the 1974 bill that led to the creation of the Big Thicket National Preserve, the first area set aside and managed by the National Park Service to protect ecological values. During his service in the federal government, he also led energy conservation efforts and helped shape the Toxic Substances Control Act, an effort to regulate industrial chemicals. In his earlier service in the Texas state house, Eckhardt is remembered for authoring the Texas Open Beaches Act in 1959, codifying public access to most Texas Gulf shores.