Full Text of SR0748 094th General Assembly
SR0748 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Expedition is about President | 3 |
| Thomas Jefferson's dream, the planning and preparation | 4 |
| required for an early 19th-century military expedition, and | 5 |
| then finally about the expedition itself; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, Both geographically and historically, the | 7 |
| territory now known as Illinois played a significant role in | 8 |
| the Lewis and Clark story; and
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| WHEREAS, Beginning with their arrival near present-day | 10 |
| Cairo in November of 1803, and ending with their official | 11 |
| departure from Wood River on May 14, 1804, the Corps of | 12 |
| Discovery spent more than six months in what is now the State | 13 |
| of Illinois; and | 14 |
| WHEREAS, On November 11, 1803, the Captains of the Corps | 15 |
| arrived with about 20 men at Fort Massac, near present day | 16 |
| Metropolis, Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, This western outpost of the United States Army | 18 |
| provided logistical support and a central location for | 19 |
| recruiting military and civilian volunteers; and
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| WHEREAS, The Corps arrived at Fort Kaskaskia, near | 21 |
| present-day Ellis Grove, Illinois, on November 27th, where they | 22 |
| socialized with local citizens and recruited additional | 23 |
| volunteers; and
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| WHEREAS, On December 12, 1803, the Corps, now over 40 men, | 25 |
| landed at Wood River and established Camp River Dubois;
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| WHEREAS, Camp River Dubois would be the Corps' temporary | 27 |
| home until their departure on May 14, 1804;
and |
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| WHEREAS, The Corps used their time at Camp River Dubois to | 2 |
| drill, practice marksmanship, and acquire and stow the supplies | 3 |
| needed for the long expedition; and
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| WHEREAS, Expanding the Lewis and Clark National Historic | 5 |
| Trail to include additional sites associated with the | 6 |
| preparation and return phase of the expedition would provide | 7 |
| additional tourism to southern Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, Legislation has been filed in the United States | 9 |
| Congress to create the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail | 10 |
| Extension Act of 2006; and
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| WHEREAS, This legislation amends the National Trails | 12 |
| System Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic | 13 |
| Trail to include additional sites associated with the | 14 |
| preparation and return phase of the expedition; and
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| WHEREAS, The extended route would include designated Lewis | 16 |
| and Clark sites in Virginia, the District of Columbia, | 17 |
| Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, | 18 |
| Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, The legislation requires a suitability and | 20 |
| feasibility study be completed to include the extended route | 21 |
| within one year from the date funds are first made available | 22 |
| for that purpose; and
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| WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation | 24 |
| supports recognition of a continuous trail across the country | 25 |
| on the National Park Service's official trail map and the right | 26 |
| to post the official trail signs; and
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| WHEREAS, The extension of the Lewis and Clark National | 28 |
| Historic Trail from coast to coast would complete the story and | 29 |
| expose a broader base of Americans to the educational and |
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| cultural aspects of the expedition; and
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| WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation | 3 |
| believes that the status quo does not adequately recognize | 4 |
| Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, where he dreamed his | 5 |
| vision for America, Washington, D.C., where he shared his dream | 6 |
| with Meriwether Lewis, or a variety of other significant places | 7 |
| throughout the Eastern Legacy states; and
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| WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation | 9 |
| partners with the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Land | 10 |
| Management, and the Forest Service in caring for the Lewis and | 11 |
| Clark National Historic Trail and also supports scholarship, | 12 |
| educational efforts, and research on the expedition; | 13 |
| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL | 15 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support and urge the | 16 |
| United States Congress to pass legislation calling for federal | 17 |
| approval of extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic | 18 |
| Trail; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 |
| presented to each member of the Illinois Congressional | 21 |
| delegation, the Speaker of the United States House of | 22 |
| Representatives, and the Majority Leader of the United States | 23 |
| Senate.
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