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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE RESOLUTION 632

2    AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend Senate Resolution 632 by deleting
3everything after the heading and inserting the following:
 
4    "WHEREAS, Article 11 SECTION 1 of the Illinois State
5Constitution states that it is the public policy of the State
6and the duty of each person is to provide and maintain a
7healthful environment for the benefit of this and future
8generations; and
 
9    WHEREAS, SECTION 2 states each person has the right to a
10healthful environment and that each person may enforce this
11right against any party, governmental or private, through
12appropriate legal proceedings subject to reasonable limitation
13and regulation as the General Assembly may provide by the law;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, The General Assembly is charged by law with

 

 

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1providing for the implementation and enforcement of this
2public policy; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Illinois 30 by 30 Task Force discussed the
4application of the 30 by 30 concept in Illinois and considered
5how agriculture is a predominate land use in the state (75% of
6the State's land area); and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Task Force determined that part of a
8successful strategy would include dedication through fee
9simple and easement acquisition, as well as voluntary
10conservation practices; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Currently, 4.2% of the total land area in
12Illinois is formally protected for conservation purposes
13through public and private mechanisms; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Over the past 10 years, the Illinois Department
15of Natural Resources has acquired approximately 20,000 acres
16in fee simple acquisitions; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission has two
18programs that offer the highest level of legal protection for
19natural lands in Illinois, the Dedicated Nature Preserve and
20the Registered Land and Water Reserve; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The Conservation and Fall Covers for Spring
2Savings are two programs that support conservation practices
3on agricultural land; and
 
4    WHEREAS, More than 1.5 million acres are currently under
5contract for three programs in Illinois through the Department
6of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
7the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation
8Stewardship Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership
9Program; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The health of Illinois' ecosystems is threatened
11by a number of issues, including habitat degradation and loss,
12hydrological modifications, spread of exotic species, and
13economic constraints; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Over 90% of land in Illinois is privately owned,
15making conservation partnerships in Illinois an imperative;
16roughly 87,000 acres of natural lands, both private and
17public, are preserved in the Illinois Nature Preserves
18Commission's Nature Preserve and Land and Water Reserve land
19protection programs; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Information collected from the measuring of
21conserved lands would help the State to determine the adequate
22amount of land that should be conserved, to define the overall

 

 

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1percentages and the breakdown by geographical area, and to
2focus the discussion of access to conserved lands; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The amount of work needed for a successful
4outcome would best be accomplished by collaboration with all
5coordinating State agencies; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In addition, conservation capacity can be built
7by increasing conservation agency staffing; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The participation of students on this project is
9important for the coordination between public and conservation
10efforts; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Aligning programs with local priorities and
12values provides feedback and actively engages local
13communities in preparation for new programs and open space;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the creation of
17a coordinating council under the Illinois Department of
18Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Agriculture;
19and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That the coordinating council should meet at a

 

 

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1minimum of two times to bring together a relevant staff of
2agencies, students of Pontiac Township High School, and
3non-governmental organizations, including the largest
4statewide association representing agriculture, to develop a
5strategy for implementation of 30 by 30 Task Force
6recommendations; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8delivered to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the
9Illinois Department of Agriculture, and Pontiac Township High
10School."