Full Text of HR0221 101st General Assembly
HR0221 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system, which includes Lake Erie, | 3 | | Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake
Michigan, Lake Superior, and the | 4 | | St. Lawrence River, is a globally significant resource and
| 5 | | ecosystem, holding 21 percent of the world's surface | 6 | | freshwater; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River provide | 8 | | drinking water to more than 48
million Americans and Canadians | 9 | | and supply 56 billion gallons of water per day for municipal,
| 10 | | agricultural, and industrial use; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, On September 7, 2012, by signing a revised Great | 12 | | Lakes Water Quality Agreement,
the United States and Canada | 13 | | reaffirmed their commitment to binational cooperation "to | 14 | | restore,
protect, and enhance the water quality of the Great | 15 | | Lakes to promote the ecological health of
the Great Lakes | 16 | | basin"; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, An abundant supply of clean, affordable water is | 18 | | essential to support a healthy
population, a thriving economy, | 19 | | and a well-functioning ecosystem; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, As the major source of water for communities | 21 | | located within the Great Lakes basin,
the Great Lakes system is |
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| 1 | | a vital resource in which all the region's residents share a | 2 | | common
interest; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system is an economic powerhouse | 4 | | for the region, supporting
industries such as shipping, | 5 | | agriculture, technology, manufacturing, recreation, and | 6 | | tourism; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, The waters and shoreline of the Great Lakes system | 8 | | provide exceptional habitat for
thousands of species of native | 9 | | mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and plants; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes basin is home to numerous beaches, | 11 | | parks, forests, harbors,
marinas, piers, lighthouses, | 12 | | boardwalks, and islands that provide recreational | 13 | | opportunities for
swimming, hiking, surfing, boating, | 14 | | kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, photography, wildlife
| 15 | | watching, and more; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' 63-mile stretch of Lake Michigan | 17 | | shoreline is among the State's most valuable
natural and | 18 | | cultural resources and has extraordinary economic value; Lake | 19 | | Michigan provides a
coastal home to six million residents in | 20 | | Lake and Cook counties, drinking water for seven million
| 21 | | Illinois residents, a tourism industry that brings 20 million | 22 | | people to the Lake Michigan shoreline
each year, recreational |
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| 1 | | opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and swimming that | 2 | | generate $3.2
billion annually and support 33,000 jobs, and a | 3 | | maritime transportation network linking the
nation's heartland | 4 | | to world markets; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, People greatly value the opportunity to live, | 6 | | work, and play in areas near waters that are vibrant, | 7 | | beautiful, and life-sustaining; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, The region's environment, economy, and people | 9 | | rely on the clean, healthy waters of
the Great Lakes and St. | 10 | | Lawrence River; therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 12 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 13 | | we declare September 7, 2019
as Great Lakes-St. Lawrence | 14 | | Appreciation Day in Illinois and urge appropriate
observance of | 15 | | this occasion.
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