HR1347 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1347 LRB098 23205 GRL 62213 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly wish to congratulate the administration and employees of the McHenry County Conservation District for its recent receipt of an Intergovernmental Cooperation Award, given by the Illinois Association of Park Districts; and

WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District was honored in the Intergovernmental Cooperation category for its partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge; and

WHEREAS, The Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2012; the Refuge includes 11,200 acres of habitat for wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Association of Park Districts' Intergovernmental Cooperation Award recognizes park districts, forest preserves, conservation agencies, recreation and special recreation agencies, and the units of government with which they have agreements that have created successful partnerships to efficiently use tax dollars and benefit residents throughout a community; and

WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District competed against many other park districts, forest preserves, and conservation and recreation agencies across the State in order to win this prestigious award; and

WHEREAS, The Intergovernmental Cooperation Award was presented on October 24, 2014 during a banquet at the Wheeling Park District's Chevy Chase Country Club; and

WHEREAS, The award gives recognition to an agency that serves as a model for others; and

WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District was created by a group of ecologically conscientious citizens in 1971; the District's mission is to preserve, restore, and manage natural areas and open spaces for their intrinsic value and for the benefits to present and future generations; and

WHEREAS, The District owns or manages over 25,000 acres of open land, which is diverse with woodlands, prairies, wetlands, ponds, creeks, and rivers; 33 sites are open to the public throughout the entire year; the sites feature trails, picnic shelters, camp sites, fishing sites, rare plant and animal examples, and educational facilities; and

WHEREAS, Within the District's sites, there are 17 dedicated State Nature Preserves; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the administration and employees of the McHenry County Conservation District on their fine cooperative work done in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the McHenry County Conservation District's Board of Trustees as an expression of our congratulations and appreciation for the work they do in maintaining and preserving open space and recreational opportunities for the citizens of McHenry County and the State of Illinois.