HR0192 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0192 LRB101 11567 ALS 57502 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend the partnership between the North Branch Restoration Project, the Centennial Volunteers Program, and the Friends of the Forest Preserves and their efforts to restore the forest preserves, as well as the Forest Preserves of Cook County's commitment to building and supporting volunteer restoration efforts; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago metropolitan area contains some of Illinois's largest and best remnants of its native ecosystems; these remaining natural lands are irreplaceable and need help to survive and prosper; and

WHEREAS, In 1977, a group of enthusiastic citizens volunteered to help rescue several small remnants of native prairie that still survived in the Forest Preserves of Cook County along the North Branch of the Chicago River; today, many groups in the Chicago area are involved in the restoration of native habitats; among these groups, the North Branch Restoration Project has been called a model for volunteer stewardship and ecological restoration; and

WHEREAS, Every weekend, volunteers gather at scheduled sites to work, restoring health to the preserves by cutting brush, pulling weeds, and gathering and sowing seeds; citizen scientists collect important information about the plants and animals, monitor changes in sites as restoration proceeds, and add to the knowledge of local ecosystems; and

WHEREAS, The results have been remarkable; in prairies, plants such as cream false indigo, purple prairie clover, rattlesnake mater, and bottle gentian have reappeared and are thriving; many grassland animals, from the smooth green snake to the great spangled fritillary butterfly, survive because of these efforts; with the return of sunlight and fire in the woods, grasses, sedges, and wildflowers once again cover the forest floor; great crested flycatchers, American woodcocks, and eastern wood pewees raise their young in the woods; and

WHEREAS, Across the Forest Preserves of Cook County, more than 20 endangered or threatened plant species have increased in numbers; animals such as the Cooper's hawk and the Edward's hairstreak butterfly are back from the edge of local extinction, and the eastern bluebird has returned to nest in the North Branch savannas; and

WHEREAS, The Forest Preserves of Cook County, with nearly 70,000 acres, is the largest forest preserve district in the United States; within its boundaries are rare habitats that offer plant and animal diversity on par with the rainforests of the world; more than 20 years ago, the District became the first agency in a major metropolitan area to monitor urban wildlife that carries West Nile, Lyme disease, rabies, and avian influenza; as a result, the District's Wildlife Research Center now has a world renowned data set utilized by the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and many universities; and

WHEREAS, The Centennial Volunteers were established in 2015 and are a part of a community of like-minded individuals who help restore the Chicago River system and make a tangible difference to the environment; volunteers are trained by experts in restoration and resource management and are involved in regular volunteer days on the weekends throughout the year; they lead activities for nine sites on volunteer days and during other special events; and

WHEREAS, The Friends of the Forest Preserves was founded in 1989, and its mission is to be "the voice of a diverse community inspiring and organizing people to protect, restore, and expand the forest preserves in Cook County"; the Friends of the Forest Preserves helped develop the Next Century Conservation Plan, an ambitious blueprint to make Cook County a national leader in urban conservation, and now plays a leadership role in the plan's implementation; the organization also played an instrumental role in developing the Conservation Corps, a program that provides high school students and young adults with hands-on conservation projects to help restore land, including raising more than $5 million in support, which made it possible to engage more than 950 young people who have helped care for and improve over 1,000 acres of Forest Preserves' land; and

WHEREAS, The North Branch Restoration Project, the Centennial Volunteers, and the Friends of Forest Preserves are exemplary community partners with the Forest Preserves of Cook County and support and train a vast network of volunteers to help steward the woodlands, savannas, wetlands, and prairies across 70,000 acres of preserves; the value of the volunteers' efforts extends beyond the borders of the forest preserve property, as volunteers enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of spending time in nature among a supportive, friendly community of people, and the neighborhoods receive the environmental benefits of clean air, stormwater retention, and beautiful spaces to get outdoors to relax and play; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend the North Branch Restoration Project, the Centennial Volunteers Program, and the Friends of the Forest Preserves and their efforts to restore the forest preserves, congratulate them on their success, and applaud the Forest Preserves of Cook County's commitment to encouraging and supporting volunteer efforts; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the North Branch Restoration Project, the Centennial Volunteers Program, the Friends of the Forest Preserves, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County as an expression of our esteem and respect.