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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. David L.
4 Thomas, Chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey, on the
5 occasion of his retirement on February 29, 2008; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Illinois Natural History Survey is a division
7 of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is the
8 largest and best known of the various State natural history
9 surveys; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas served as the Director of the Illinois
11 Waste Management and Research Center from 1985 until 1997, when
12 he became Chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS);
13 and
 
14     WHEREAS, As Chief of INHS, Dr. Thomas has focused on
15 several issues, including those related to invasive exotic
16 species; in 2000, he served as the non-federal co-chair for the
17 Research and Information Workgroup for the National Invasive
18 Species Advisory Committee, a council that coordinates federal
19 activities regarding invasive species; he has served on a
20 number of Illinois Department of Natural Resources Invasive
21 Species committees and workgroups; he currently serves as a
22 member of the Illinois Invasive Plant Species Board; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas has been involved with the University
2 of Illinois in many capacities; he currently represents the
3 INHS as a member of the Arboretum Board and as a member of the
4 Environmental Council; he is a member of the National Great
5 Rivers Research and Education Center, a collaborative effort
6 between the University of Illinois College of ACES, Lewis and
7 Clark Community College, and INHS which promotes research,
8 education, and further understanding of large river issues; the
9 Center is currently in the process of developing a
10 state-of-the-art field station in Alton which will greatly
11 further their goals; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas has served on various committees
13 addressing contaminant issues at Midewin National Tallgrass
14 Prairie (the former Joliet Arsenal) and the Calumet area; his
15 expertise was critical in developing plans that allow these
16 areas to become valuable for wildlife conservation and human
17 recreation; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas served as the chair of the American
19 Fisheries Society committee that addressed Farm Bill 2002; the
20 committee's work concluded with a "Pending Legislation
21 Opinion" article in the November 2001 issue of Fisheries
22 magazine; he recently became a board member for the Chicago
23 Wilderness Trust, an alliance of public and private

 

 

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1 organizations working together to preserve and manage the
2 natural ecosystems of the Chicago region; he also served
3 previously as an active member of the CW Steering Committee;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas has devoted much of his time to the
6 restoration of the Illinois River; he served on the Science
7 Advisory Committee to the Illinois River Coordinating Council
8 and The Nature Conservancy Science Advisory Committee for the
9 restoration of Emiquon, one of the largest floodplain
10 restoration projects in the U.S.; and
 
11     WHEREAS, In addition to his many activities in the State of
12 Illinois, Dr. Thomas has also worked nationally and
13 internationally in the area of pollution prevention and
14 sustainable development; he served on the first Governing Board
15 for the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable from 1990 to
16 1994 and as Chair of the Board of Directors from October 1993
17 until September 1994; he also represented the Roundtable on
18 EPA's American Institute of Pollution Prevention (AIPP) from
19 1992 through 1996; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Dr. Thomas plans to
21 remain active in various environmental causes, including the
22 fundraising efforts for INHS's upcoming 150th Anniversary
23 Celebration and various research projects; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 congratulate Dr. David L. Thomas on the occasion of his
4 retirement and wish him many happy and healthy retirement
5 years; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7 presented to Dr. David L. Thomas as a symbol of our esteem and
8 respect.