Full Text of SR0745 97th General Assembly
SR0745 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is the policy of the State of Illinois to | 3 | | provide and maintain a healthful environment for the benefit of | 4 | | this and future generations; and | 5 | | WHEREAS Through the Illinois Department of Natural | 6 | | Resources, it is the State's mission is to manage, conserve, | 7 | | and protect Illinois' natural, recreational, and cultural | 8 | | resources, further the public's understanding and appreciation | 9 | | of those resources, and promote Illinois' natural resources for | 10 | | present and future generations; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, prepared by the | 12 | | Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provides specific | 13 | | goals for protection of major habitats in the Northeastern | 14 | | Morainal Natural Division of Illinois, identifies specific | 15 | | action items to support the Forest, Farmland and Prairie, | 16 | | Wetlands, and Streams Campaigns, and identifies the | 17 | | Lake-McHenry Wetlands as a Conservation Opportunity Area | 18 | | containing rare wetland types and rare wetland and grassland | 19 | | species not found elsewhere in Illinois; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, The National Wildlife Refuge System is a national | 21 | | network of public lands managed by the United States Fish and | 22 | | Wildlife Service and set aside to conserve America's fish, |
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| 1 | | wildlife, and plants; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, On March 21, 2012, the United States Fish and | 3 | | Wildlife Service released its environmental assessment of the | 4 | | proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and recommended | 5 | | that a refuge consisting of core areas linked by corridors be | 6 | | established in McHenry County, Illinois and Walworth County, | 7 | | Wisconsin; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service goals | 9 | | for the proposed refuge are to: | 10 | | (1) protect and enhance habitats for federal trust species | 11 | | and species of management concern with special emphasis on | 12 | | grassland dependent migratory birds and protection of | 13 | | wetlands and grasslands, and | 14 | | (2) create opportunities for hunting and fishing, wildlife | 15 | | observation and photography, and environmental education | 16 | | and interpretation, while promoting activities that | 17 | | complement the purposes of the refuge and other protected | 18 | | lands in the region, and | 19 | | (3) promote science, education, and research through | 20 | | partnerships to inform land management decisions and | 21 | | encourage continued responsible stewardship of the natural | 22 | | resources of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge; and | 23 | | WHEREAS, The proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, |
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| 1 | | which lies within the Lake McHenry Wetlands Conservation | 2 | | Opportunity Area, will provide habitat for at least 60 | 3 | | State-listed plant and animal species and support habitat | 4 | | protection goals identified for the Northeastern Morainal | 5 | | Natural Division of Illinois and Campaign action items | 6 | | identified in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Designation of the Hackmatack National Wildlife | 8 | | Refuge will serve to assist,
protect, conserve, and further the | 9 | | management of the State's endangered and threatened species and | 10 | | their habitats, as well as the refuge's namesake, the tamarack | 11 | | tree, which is known as the "hackmatack" in at least one Native | 12 | | American language, is a rare remnant of the glacial history of | 13 | | Northern Illinois, and is found in the area of the proposed | 14 | | refuge; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Increased recreational opportunities from the | 16 | | creation of the refuge will help address child obesity and | 17 | | other pressing health conditions in Illinois where one in 5 | 18 | | Illinois children is obese and 62% of Illinois adults are | 19 | | overweight or obese; the refuge will complement efforts of the | 20 | | Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Chicago | 21 | | Wilderness to partner with organizations to promote outdoor | 22 | | play and recreation; and | 23 | | WHEREAS, Children benefit from access to the outdoors in |
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| 1 | | many ways, and the creation of the refuge will expand their | 2 | | opportunities to experience nature; studies show that when | 3 | | children spend time outdoors feelings of anxiety and depression | 4 | | decrease, concentration and performance at school improve, and | 5 | | an early appreciation and love of nature is fostered; young | 6 | | people who spend time in nature are also more likely to be | 7 | | strong advocates for the environment as adults; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Wildlife refuges are good for Illinois' economy, | 9 | | and outdoor recreation opportunities, such as boating, | 10 | | camping, fishing, hunting, picnicking, sightseeing, wildlife | 11 | | observation, swimming, and trail use, create a $3.2 billion | 12 | | annual economic impact in Illinois, supporting 33,000 jobs | 13 | | Statewide; therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the United | 16 | | States Fish and Wildlife Service in its efforts to establish a | 17 | | new national wildlife refuge on the Illinois-Wisconsin border | 18 | | to be named the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge; and be it | 19 | | further | 20 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor to represent the State | 21 | | of Illinois as a supporter of the United States Fish and | 22 | | Wildlife Service's efforts to establish the Hackmatack | 23 | | National Wildlife Refuge as appropriate; and be it further |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of Natural | 2 | | Resources to work in partnership with the United States Fish | 3 | | and Wildlife Service to make the Hackmatack National Wildlife | 4 | | Refuge a reality; and be it further | 5 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 6 | | presented to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, | 7 | | the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Secretary of the | 8 | | United States Department of the Interior, the Director of the | 9 | | Midwest Region of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, | 10 | | the Director of Natural Resources, and members of Illinois' | 11 | | congressional delegation.
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