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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire provides multiple ecological, | ||||||
3 | economic, and cultural benefits to the State of Illinois; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire has been practiced for thousands | ||||||
5 | of years and was a primary tool used by Indigenous peoples to | ||||||
6 | attract game, stimulate a rich ground layer of plants for | ||||||
7 | harvesting, and keep woodlands and grasslands open and easy to | ||||||
8 | traverse; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a traditional land management | ||||||
10 | practice and public safety tool that helps
prevent and lessen | ||||||
11 | the severity of wildfires; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a valuable tool used by forest | ||||||
13 | landowners and managers in reducing
hazardous fuels, reducing | ||||||
14 | the risk of destructive wildfires, preparing sites for both | ||||||
15 | natural and artificial forest regeneration, improving access | ||||||
16 | to and the appearance of land, and controlling detrimental | ||||||
17 | insects and forest diseases; and | ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is an effective natural tool for | ||||||
19 | controlling invasive species; and | ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is one of the most important land |
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1 | management practices in maintaining and restoring healthy | ||||||
2 | landscapes, but only approximately 6% of conservation lands in | ||||||
3 | Illinois are currently being managed with prescribed fire; and | ||||||
4 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain | ||||||
5 | fire-dependent ecosystems and to manage
wildlife habitat for | ||||||
6 | many species; it is a vital tool to maintain economic, | ||||||
7 | biological, and aesthetic resources across Illinois; and | ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is an | ||||||
9 | organization of both public and private partners with a | ||||||
10 | mission to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed | ||||||
11 | fire on the Illinois landscape; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois | ||||||
13 | Prescribed Burning Act in 2007 defining prescribed fire as | ||||||
14 | "the planned application of fire to naturally occurring | ||||||
15 | vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and | ||||||
16 | following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the | ||||||
17 | fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplish the | ||||||
18 | planned land management objectives."; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Prescribed fire helps keep Illinois grasslands | ||||||
20 | and forests healthy, which, in return, provides
ecological | ||||||
21 | services such as clean air and clean water and contributes to | ||||||
22 | the quality of life of the State's
citizens and to local |
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1 | economies; therefore, be it
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2 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
3 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April | ||||||
4 | 11-15, 2022 as "Prescribed Burning Awareness Week" in the | ||||||
5 | State of Illinois; and be it further | ||||||
6 | RESOLVED, That we support the appropriate and continued | ||||||
7 | use of prescribed fire in Illinois; and be it further
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8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
9 | presented to the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council as a symbol | ||||||
10 | of our respect and esteem.
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