HR0040 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0040 LRB095 06335 KXB 26431 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Kenneth Kesler has served on the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District Board for 40-plus years, serving as chairman from 1971-2002; and

WHEREAS, Through his leadership the district is a recognized leader in many areas of conservation including filter strip establishment, development of an 88-acre prairie restoration, and a 67-acre wetland restoration; the district is also a pioneer in computer use and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to improve conservation and communication; and

WHEREAS, Kenneth Kesler has a long history of foresight in guiding the district, an example of which is the planting of filter strips along the 691 miles of streams and drainage ditches in the county; in the mid 1990s he saw the need and developed a plan, with grant funding, to have someone talk to farmers and landowners about the importance of filter strips for water quality and wildlife habitat; through this effort almost 75% of the stream and ditch banks are now protected by filter strips or riparian buffers or are naturally protected by flowing through trees; the effort was accomplished through mailings, personal calls, newspaper articles, and other ways that could be found to tell the story; and

WHEREAS, Champaign County was once covered with prairie and wetlands before being developed into some of the most productive farmland in the world; in order to protect this heritage, Mr. Kesler worked to obtain grant funds through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the restoration of 88 acres of prairie and 67 acres of wetland; a majority of the wetland and prairie has been planted with local ecotype seed and an endangered species, the Franklin Ground Squirrel, has established itself at the site; and

WHEREAS, Kenneth Kesler has been recognized for his hard work and dedication, including being named the News-Gazette Farm Leader of the Year, receiving the Prairie Farmer Magazine Master Farmer award, and being named the Outstanding District Director by the Illinois Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Mr. Kesler plans to leave the board at the end of his current term and move to an associate director position; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Kenneth Kesler on his retirement from the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District Board and wish him continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Kenneth Kesler as a symbol of our respect.