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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire provides multiple ecological,
3economic, and cultural benefits to the State of Illinois; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire has been practiced for thousands
5of years and was a primary tool used by Indigenous peoples to
6attract game, stimulate a rich ground layer of plants for
7harvesting, and keep woodlands and grasslands open and easy to
8traverse; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a traditional land management
10practice and public safety tool that helps prevent and lessen
11the severity of wildfires; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a valuable tool used by forest
13landowners and managers in reducing hazardous fuels, reducing
14the risk of destructive wildfires, preparing sites for both
15natural and artificial forest regeneration, improving access
16to and the appearance of land, and controlling detrimental
17insects and forest diseases; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is an effective natural tool for
19controlling invasive species; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is one of the most important land

 

 

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1management practices in maintaining and restoring healthy
2landscapes, but only approximately 6% of conservation lands in
3Illinois are currently being managed with prescribed fire; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain
5fire-dependent ecosystems and to manage wildlife habitat for
6many species; it is a vital tool to maintain economic,
7biological, and aesthetic resources across Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is an
9organization of both public and private partners with a
10mission to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed
11fire on the Illinois landscape; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois
13Prescribed Burning Act in 2007 defining prescribed fire as
14"the planned application of fire to naturally occurring
15vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and
16following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the
17fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplish the
18planned land management objectives."; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire helps keep Illinois grasslands
20and forests healthy, which, in return, provides ecological
21services such as clean air and clean water and contributes to
22the quality of life of the State's citizens and to local

 

 

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1economies; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April
411-15, 2022 as "Prescribed Burning Awareness Week" in the
5State of Illinois; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That we support the appropriate and continued
7use of prescribed fire in Illinois; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council as a symbol
10of our respect and esteem.