State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ Legislation ]   [ Bill Summary ]
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]


[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ][ Senate Amendment 002 ]

90_HJ0012eng

HJ0012 Engrossed                               LRB9004155KBkb
 1                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 12
 2        WHEREAS, Legislation has  been  proposed  in  the  United
 3    States  Congress to extend the boundaries of the Illinois and
 4    Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor from Harlem  Avenue
 5    to Lake Michigan and create the Calumet Ecological Park; and
 6        WHEREAS, The proposed legislation will not impose any new
 7    regulations  on  the areas in question nor require additional
 8    federal funding; and
 9        WHEREAS, The proposed legislation will create eligibility
10    for businesses within the  corridor  to  participate  in  the
11    revolving  loan  fund  sponsored by the Illinois and Michigan
12    Canal Federal Commission; and
13        WHEREAS,  The  extension   of   the   National   Heritage
14    Corridor's boundaries into Chicago will result in an increase
15    of  tourism  in  the  Chicago  area  and  will afford federal
16    protection to Illinois and Michigan Canal lands; and
17        WHEREAS, The extension of the  corridor  boundaries  into
18    Chicago  will  ultimately  create  an economic and ecological
19    corridor of great significance; and
20        WHEREAS, In 1992 the Lake Calumet Study Committee offered
21    the concept of a  Calumet    Ecological  Park,  a  series  of
22    greenway  corridors  connecting  the  Indiana  Dunes National
23    Lakeshore  with the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  National
24    Heritage  Corridor  in  Illinois;  and  in  1993  the Calumet
25    Ecological Park Association was created to  involve  citizens
26    and organizations in an effort to create  such an entity; and
27        WHEREAS,  On  May  8,  1996  the  Honorable Jerry Weller,
28    United States Representative from  Illinois  (11th  District)
29    introduced the concept into the U.S. House of Representatives
30    requesting  the    Secretary  of the Interior to study such a
31    possibility; and after a tortuous journey through  committees
HJ0012 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9004155KBkb
 1    and subcommittees the final version  was  incorporated  in  a
 2    much  larger bill, which  passed both houses of Congress and,
 3    on November  12,  1996  President  Bill  Clinton  signed  the
 4    Omnibus  Parks  and  Public Lands Management Act of 1996 into
 5    law (Public Law 104-333); and
 6        WHEREAS, The Omnibus Parks law has two  sections  dealing
 7    with   Illinois  riverways:  the  Calumet    Ecological  Park
 8    (Section 816) and the Illinois and  Michigan  Canal  National
 9    Heritage  Corridor    (Section  902);  and  both  request the
10    Secretary of the Interior to be the final authority; and
11        WHEREAS, The Secretary  shall  conduct  a  study  of  the
12    possibility  of the creation of the Calumet  Ecological Park,
13    and the law directs the Illinois and Michigan Canal  National
14    Heritage  Corridor    Commission  (appointed  by the Illinois
15    Governor) to conduct a study of the possibility of  expanding
16    the Corridor into Chicago and report to the Secretary; and
17        WHEREAS,  Although  the  two  sections of the law dealing
18    with Illinois are quite compatible, the  success  of  one  of
19    the  provisions  does  not necessarily lead to the success of
20    the other; and even if    the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal
21    Corridor  expansion  were  to  be  implemented,  there  is no
22    guarantee  that the Calumet Ecological Park would be created;
23    and
24        WHEREAS, As a result the efforts to create the Park  must
25    be continued; at the present time staff  of the National Park
26    Service   will   be  conducting  the  study  of  the  Calumet
27    Ecological Park to be  submitted  to  the  Secretary  of  the
28    Interior; therefore, be it
29        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
30    NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF  THE  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,  THE
31    SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the passage of federal
32    legislation  which extends the boundaries of the Illinois and
HJ0012 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9004155KBkb
 1    Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor from Harlem  Avenue
 2    to Lake Michigan; and be it further
 3        RESOLVED,  That  suitable  copies  of  this resolution be
 4    presented to the President pro tempore of the  United  States
 5    Senate,   the   Speaker   of   the  United  States  House  of
 6    Representatives,  and  to  each  member   of   the   Illinois
 7    Congressional Delegation.

[ Top ]