SR0792 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0792 LRB104 21556 RMO 36964 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Grand Prairie Friends on the 50th anniversary of the dedication of Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act created a system for preserving and protecting areas of the State as a part of the heritage of the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Illinois Nature Preserves are of value for scientific research, for teaching, as reservoirs of natural materials not all of the potential uses of which are now known, as habitats for rare and vanishing species, as places of historic and natural interest and scenic beauty, and as living museums of the native landscape wherein one may envision and experience primeval conditions in a wilderness-like environment; and

WHEREAS, Illinois Nature Preserves contribute generally to the public health and welfare and the environmental quality of the State; and

WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, located in Ford County, was officially established in 1976 to protect and conserve the remnant mesic black soil tallgrass prairie of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division; and

WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve is recognized as a high-quality pre-settlement prairie remnant situated within Ford County's oldest cemetery, established in 1859, and the southern third of the site retains intact prairie reflecting pre-European settlement conditions, making it an important natural area within east-central Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve provides critical habitat for a diverse array of plant and animal species, including at least 131 species of native herbaceous forbs and grasses, of which 21 are found nowhere else in Ford County, including prairie blazing star, prairie gentian, cream wild indigo, and green milkweed; it also hosts characteristic tallgrass prairie species, such as big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, and prairie dropseed; and

WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve offers opportunities for walking, birding, and nature photography, allowing residents and visitors to experience a living remnant of the Grand Prairie that once covered east-central Illinois preserved within a historic 19th-century landmark; and

WHEREAS, The stewardship of Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve has been supported by Grand Prairie Friends and dedicated local partners, community members, and conservation advocates with additional support from organizations such as the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; and

WHEREAS, Over the past 50 years, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve has contributed to the protection of Illinois' natural heritage and serves as a valuable natural resource for the residents of Ford County; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Grand Prairie Friends on the 50th anniversary of Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve and commend its ongoing commitment to conservation, education, and stewardship; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Grand Prairie Friends as a symbol of our respect and esteem.