Full Text of SR0702 103rd General Assembly
SR0702 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR0702 | | LRB103 35928 MST 66015 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, Illinois rivers were once a vital part of the | 3 | | culture and lives of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, | 4 | | Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, | 5 | | Ojibwe, and Chickasaw peoples who inhabited the land, which | 6 | | continues to carry their stories; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Illinois rivers have been a vital part of the | 8 | | State's history since statehood, including the life of the | 9 | | 16th President Abraham Lincoln, the story of the Underground | 10 | | Railroad up to and during the Civil War, and part of the | 11 | | development story of the City of Chicago; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Rivers throughout Illinois are premier natural | 13 | | resources, providing water for agriculture, wildlife, | 14 | | recreation, and residential and industrial uses; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Illinois contains more miles of rivers than any | 16 | | other state east of the Mississippi River, and Illinoisans | 17 | | throughout the State enjoy recreation on Illinois rivers, | 18 | | including boating, fishing, angling, kayaking, canoeing, | 19 | | paddleboarding, tubing, and many other sports; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Agriculture, water recreation, and water-related | 21 | | tourism are key economic drivers in the State, and the values |
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| 1 | | and services associated with watersheds such as clean water | 2 | | and energy are critical to the State's overall economic | 3 | | health; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Tons of trash, junk, and debris are annually | 5 | | dumped into Illinois Rivers along its banks, negatively | 6 | | impacting riparian wildlife, damaging both the aesthetic and | 7 | | biological qualities of a river; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Various state legislatures have encouraged | 9 | | waterway clean-up activities by designating September as River | 10 | | Clean Up Month; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, During the month of September, water levels are | 12 | | usually low, temperatures are warm, and colleges and schools | 13 | | are in session, all of which present an educational | 14 | | opportunity to involve area youth and to highlight the | 15 | | importance of clean rivers and waterways; therefore, be it | 16 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 17 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of | 18 | | September 2024 as River Clean Up Month in the State of | 19 | | Illinois; and be it further | 20 | | RESOLVED, That we encourage chambers of commerce, | 21 | | convention and visitors bureaus, local economic development |
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| 1 | | organizations, area groups and associations, and local schools | 2 | | and colleges to organize and coordinate local cleanup | 3 | | activities along portions of rivers and waterways in their | 4 | | area; and be it further | 5 | | RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois is encouraged to | 6 | | promote September as River Clean Up Month. |
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