Full Text of HR1330 97th General Assembly
HR1330 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR1330 | | LRB097 23550 MST 72566 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois comprises part of the | 3 | | largest urban landscape market in the country with more than 4 | 4 | | million ash trees total; our tree canopy now faces a crisis due | 5 | | to the emerald ash borer that will lead to a financial crisis | 6 | | for the State and its many municipalities; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Mature trees provide homeowners and | 8 | | municipalities tremendous environmental and economic benefits; | 9 | | trees reduce energy costs in the summer, play a role in | 10 | | rainwater management, and filter air; trees represent | 11 | | quantifiable value to homeowners; conservatively, five percent | 12 | | of a home's value is attributable to the trees on its property; | 13 | | and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is now infested with the | 15 | | invasive species known as the emerald ash borer (EAB); 100% of | 16 | | all ash trees in the State of Illinois will be exposed to the | 17 | | EAB in the next five years and every ash tree not treated will | 18 | | expire shortly thereafter; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, The average cost of tree removal and replacement | 20 | | in the State of Illinois is approximately $1,000; this crisis | 21 | | will cost the State and its villages, towns, and cities $3 | 22 | | billion to $4 billion over the next several years; and
|
| | | HR1330 | - 2 - | LRB097 23550 MST 72566 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, Trees can be treated for a fraction of the cost of | 2 | | removal and replacement; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to update its | 4 | | understanding of the science of treating EAB, as integrated | 5 | | management of the EAB has evolved and improved greatly in the | 6 | | past five years; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Leading academic researchers from The University | 8 | | of Illinois, Michigan State University, Purdue University, and | 9 | | Ohio State have found insecticide treatment methods to be | 10 | | effective, and one treatment method to be more than 95% | 11 | | effective at preserving ash trees; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA), the | 13 | | prestigious professional organization of practicing arborists, | 14 | | published in May 2012 its latest findings and recommendations | 15 | | on management of the emerald ash borer; the SMA paper warns | 16 | | municipalities of a "financial tsunami" if they are not | 17 | | proactive and develop an EAB management paper; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, The SMA found that the two extremes of removing | 19 | | trees and doing nothing is neither practical nor prudent; | 20 | | removing trees is not financially viable for many | 21 | | municipalities and does great harm to home values; doing |
| | | HR1330 | - 3 - | LRB097 23550 MST 72566 r |
|
| 1 | | nothing puts people and property at great risk as dead trees | 2 | | will come crashing down in an unpredictable fashion; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The SMA found that an integrated approach that | 4 | | utilizes treatment along with the removal of low-grade ash | 5 | | trees is the best management option; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The International Society Arboriculture, the | 7 | | premier tree care organization in the world, supports the | 8 | | findings and recommendations of the SMA that advocates | 9 | | conservation of the urban ash canopy as the most prudent and | 10 | | practical management option; therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 12 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 13 | | we urge every village, town, and city within the State of | 14 | | Illinois to reevaluate its EAB management plan in light of the | 15 | | latest facts and recommendations presented by the leading | 16 | | experts in Spring of 2012; specifically, municipalities should | 17 | | spend the little time required to evaluate EAB management | 18 | | options over a 20-year period utilizing readily available and | 19 | | online economic models from either The Uiversity of | 20 | | Wisconsin-Stevens Point or Purdue University; and be it further
| 21 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Agriculture | 22 | | should publicly communicate and include on its website, |
| | | HR1330 | - 4 - | LRB097 23550 MST 72566 r |
|
| 1 | | http://www.agr.state.il.us, the 2012 EAB Management approach | 2 | | and explain the financial and environmental benefits to | 3 | | municipalities, citizens, and homeowners of that same | 4 | | approach.
|
|