SR0288 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0288 LRB101 11892 MST 58913 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system, which includes Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and the St. Lawrence River, is a globally significant resource and ecosystem, holding 21 percent of the world's surface freshwater; and

WHEREAS, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River provide drinking water to more than 48 million Americans and Canadians and supply 56 billion gallons of water per day for municipal, agricultural, and industrial use; and

WHEREAS, On September 7, 2012, by signing a revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the United States and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to binational cooperation "to restore, protect, and enhance the water quality of the Great Lakes to promote the ecological health of the Great Lakes basin"; and

WHEREAS, An abundant supply of clean, affordable water is essential to support a healthy population, a thriving economy, and a well-functioning ecosystem; and

WHEREAS, As the major source of water for communities located within the Great Lakes basin, the Great Lakes system is a vital resource in which all the region's residents share a common interest; and

WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system is an economic powerhouse for the region, supporting industries such as shipping, agriculture, technology, manufacturing, recreation, and tourism; and

WHEREAS, The waters and shoreline of the Great Lakes system provide exceptional habitat for thousands of species of native mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and plants; and

WHEREAS, The Great Lakes basin is home to numerous beaches, parks, forests, harbors, marinas, piers, lighthouses, boardwalks, and islands that provide recreational opportunities for swimming, hiking, surfing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, photography, wildlife watching, and more; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' 63-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline is among the State's most valuable natural and cultural resources and has extraordinary economic value; Lake Michigan provides a coastal home to six million residents in Lake and Cook counties, drinking water for seven million Illinois residents, a tourism industry that brings 20 million people to the Lake Michigan shoreline each year, recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and swimming that generate $3.2 billion annually and support 33,000 jobs, and a maritime transportation network linking the nation's heartland to world markets; and

WHEREAS, People greatly value the opportunity to live, work, and play in areas near waters that are vibrant, beautiful, and life-sustaining; and

WHEREAS, The region's environment, economy, and people rely on the clean, healthy waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare September 7, 2019 as Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Appreciation Day in Illinois and urge appropriate observance of this occasion.