HR0803 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0803 LRB098 20031 GRL 55308 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Friends of the Parks is a non-profit advocacy group based in Chicago; the group's mission is to preserve, protect, improve, and promote the use of parks in Chicago and in the forest preserves of Cook County; and

WHEREAS, Erma Tranter has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Friends of the Parks for over 33 years; and

WHEREAS, During Erma's tenure, Friends of the Parks has grown into one of the most respected and influential environmental advocacy groups in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Friends of the Parks improves the quality of life in our State through programs that protect land of public value along our lakefront and in our neighborhoods, through volunteer activities that enlist citizens to adopt and steward their local parks and through environmental education programs that engage hundreds of Chicago Public School children each year, and by pursuits that inform the public through lectures, tours, and publications; and

WHEREAS, Erma's efforts have helped foster the Chicago Marathon, the Garfield Park Conservancy Alliance, the DuSable Coalition, and the Clean Harbors Initiative, among many others; and

WHEREAS, Through Erma's work, hundreds of acres of land have been transferred to the Chicago Park District, and thereby have been saved from private development; and

WHEREAS, Erma spearheaded the Last Four Miles, an initiative to expand Chicago's lakefront park system, from Evanston to the Indiana border; and

WHEREAS, Erma was a moving force in the creation of two signature Chicago annual events, the L.A.T.E. Ride and the Earth Day Parks & Preserves Clean Up; and

WHEREAS, Through her efforts, 23 acres of prairie and wetlands on the northwest side of Chicago were saved from development and designated as the Dunning-Read Conservation Area; and

WHEREAS, Erma's leadership encouraged and supported partnerships with many kindred organizations, including, but not limited to the Chicago Park District, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Friends of the River, Friends of the Forest Preserves, Openlands, and the Chicago Area Runners Association; and

WHEREAS, After 33 years of exemplary service to Illinois, Erma plans to leave Friends of the Parks in order to take on a new challenge, bringing medical supplies to Guatemalan villages; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we applaud Erma Tranter's efforts and results in preserving the State's environment, congratulate her for enhancing the fabric of our shared lives, commend her for her devotion to protecting and nurturing our natural areas, and offer our best wishes for her continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we salute Erma Tranter on February 6, 2014, as Friends of the Parks expresses its appreciation for her work well done at its annual meeting and offers its enthusiastic wishes for her continuing success in the next chapters of her life; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Erma Tranter as a symbol of our esteem and respect.