| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, More than a century ago, hunters, anglers, and | ||||||
3 | trappers were among the first conservationists who realized | ||||||
4 | America's natural resources were in peril and could not sustain | ||||||
5 | unregulated harvest and habitat destruction; and
| ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Hunters, anglers, and trappers took it upon | ||||||
7 | themselves to support laws that stopped excessive harvest of | ||||||
8 | fish and wildlife, established game and fish agencies to | ||||||
9 | protect fish, wildlife, and their habitat, and supported | ||||||
10 | special fishing and hunting license fees to help fund the new | ||||||
11 | agencies' efforts to provide for healthy natural resources for | ||||||
12 | future generations; and
| ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were | ||||||
14 | insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife | ||||||
15 | populations, hunters, anglers, and trappers supported excise | ||||||
16 | taxes on firearms, ammunition, hunting equipment, and fishing | ||||||
17 | equipment to raise additional funds to support restoration and | ||||||
18 | enhancement efforts of the State agencies; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, These efforts became known as the Wildlife and | ||||||
20 | Sport Fish Restoration Program that began 75 years ago with the | ||||||
21 | passage of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937, | ||||||
22 | and again with the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 1950, and further expanded with the Wallop-Breaux amendment to | ||||||
2 | the Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1984; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, The combined contribution of the Wildlife and | ||||||
4 | Sport Fish Restoration Programs to State fish and wildlife | ||||||
5 | agencies exceeds $13 billion since 1939 (the first year money | ||||||
6 | was distributed to the states), more than any other single | ||||||
7 | conservation effort in American history;
and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, This cooperative partnership between hunters, | ||||||
9 | anglers, trappers, and State natural resource agencies has | ||||||
10 | resulted in the most successful model of fish and wildlife | ||||||
11 | management in the world, restoring populations from coast to | ||||||
12 | coast, Alaska, and Hawaii; therefore, be it
| ||||||
13 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
14 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
15 | we recognize America's hunters, anglers, and trappers for their | ||||||
16 | leading role in restoring healthy populations of fish, | ||||||
17 | wildlife, and other natural resources, both game and non-game, | ||||||
18 | to the abundance we see today; and be it further
| ||||||
19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
20 | provided to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, all | ||||||
21 | members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, and Illinois | ||||||
22 | Governor Pat Quinn.
|