SR0330 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0330 LRB099 11651 MST 33450 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois Endangered Species Act makes it unlawful for any person to possess or transport any animal species which occurs on the Illinois Endangered and Threatened Species List; and

WHEREAS, Under the Illinois Wildlife Code, it is illegal to possess, transport, or care for sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife in Illinois unless you have a permit from the Department of Natural Resources; and

WHEREAS, Members of the public sometimes find sick, injured, or orphaned animals in the wild; and

WHEREAS, The public is not always aware of the laws prohibiting possession or transport of protected animals; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we show our support for a robust Department of Natural Resources public education campaign that informs the public about the exact steps to take if a sick, injured, or orphaned animal is encountered in the wild; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support the Department of Natural Resources increasing public education outreach in the spring months when many baby animals are mistaken as orphaned and should be left as they were found; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support the Department of Natural Resources entering into public-private partnerships for the purpose of developing and sharing educational materials such as posters, videos, programs, advertisements, and public service announcements; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support public-private collaboration in the dissemination of said educational materials to places such as schools, public and private newsletters, public and private websites, and television and radio stations.