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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system, which includes Lake Erie, | ||||||
3 | Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake
Michigan, Lake Superior, and the | ||||||
4 | St. Lawrence River, is a globally significant resource and
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5 | ecosystem, holding 21 percent of the world's surface | ||||||
6 | freshwater; and
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7 | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River provide | ||||||
8 | drinking water to more than 48
million Americans and Canadians | ||||||
9 | and supply 56 billion gallons of water per day for municipal,
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10 | agricultural, and industrial use; and
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11 | WHEREAS, On September 7, 2012, by signing a revised Great | ||||||
12 | Lakes Water Quality Agreement,
the United States and Canada | ||||||
13 | reaffirmed their commitment to binational cooperation "to | ||||||
14 | restore,
protect, and enhance the water quality of the Great | ||||||
15 | Lakes to promote the ecological health of
the Great Lakes | ||||||
16 | basin"; and
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17 | WHEREAS, An abundant supply of clean, affordable water is | ||||||
18 | essential to support a healthy
population, a thriving economy, | ||||||
19 | and a well-functioning ecosystem; and | ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, As the major source of water for communities | ||||||
21 | located within the Great Lakes basin,
the Great Lakes system is |
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1 | a vital resource in which all the region's residents share a | ||||||
2 | common
interest; and | ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system is an economic powerhouse | ||||||
4 | for the region, supporting
industries such as shipping, | ||||||
5 | agriculture, technology, manufacturing, recreation, and | ||||||
6 | tourism; and | ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, The waters and shoreline of the Great Lakes system | ||||||
8 | provide exceptional habitat for
thousands of species of native | ||||||
9 | mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and plants; and | ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes basin is home to numerous beaches, | ||||||
11 | parks, forests, harbors,
marinas, piers, lighthouses, | ||||||
12 | boardwalks, and islands that provide recreational | ||||||
13 | opportunities for
swimming, hiking, surfing, boating, | ||||||
14 | kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, photography, wildlife
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15 | watching, and more; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Illinois' 63-mile stretch of Lake Michigan | ||||||
17 | shoreline is among the State's most valuable
natural and | ||||||
18 | cultural resources and has extraordinary economic value; Lake | ||||||
19 | Michigan provides a
coastal home to six million residents in | ||||||
20 | Lake and Cook counties, drinking water for seven million
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21 | Illinois residents, a tourism industry that brings 20 million | ||||||
22 | people to the Lake Michigan shoreline
each year, recreational |
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1 | opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and swimming that | ||||||
2 | generate $3.2
billion annually and support 33,000 jobs, and a | ||||||
3 | maritime transportation network linking the
nation's heartland | ||||||
4 | to world markets; and
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5 | WHEREAS, People greatly value the opportunity to live, | ||||||
6 | work, and play in areas near waters that are vibrant, | ||||||
7 | beautiful, and life-sustaining; and | ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, The region's environment, economy, and people | ||||||
9 | rely on the clean, healthy waters of
the Great Lakes and St. | ||||||
10 | Lawrence River; therefore, be it
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11 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
12 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare September 7, | ||||||
13 | 2019 as Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Appreciation Day in Illinois | ||||||
14 | and urge appropriate observance of this occasion.
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