Full Text of HR0630 103rd General Assembly
HR0630 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HR0630 | | LRB103 39539 ECR 69763 r |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, Soil is an essential natural resource, and | 3 | | Illinois farmers and professionals play a critical role in | 4 | | managing Illinois soil and water resources; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) | 6 | | of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines | 7 | | soil health as the continued capacity of soil to function as a | 8 | | vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and | 9 | | humans; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, The implementation of soil health principles | 11 | | across the Illinois landscape is not new but has has only | 12 | | recently been recognized as an urgent part of the need to | 13 | | prevent soil degradation, return organic resources to the | 14 | | soil, or composting, protect groundwater used for drinking | 15 | | water, and combat climate change; the degradation of soil can | 16 | | be rapid, while the formation and regeneration processes can | 17 | | be very slow; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, The protection of Illinois soils is essential to | 19 | | long-term prosperity and sustainability of the soil and water | 20 | | resources of our State, counties, and cities, and the six | 21 | | basic principles of soil health necessary for that protection | 22 | | are to: |
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| 1 | | (1) minimize soil disturbance and external inputs, | 2 | | including reduced tillage and using compost as a beneficial | 3 | | product to increase soil organic matter; | 4 | | (2) maximize plant and microbial diversity; | 5 | | (3) maintain the presence of living roots; | 6 | | (4) keep the soil covered, including with cover crops | 7 | | and crop residue, to armor the soil; | 8 | | (5) integrate animals into land management, including | 9 | | grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects, or keystone | 10 | | species, such as earthworms; and | 11 | | (6) incorporate the context of local conditions in | 12 | | decision-making, including for example soil type, topography, | 13 | | and time of year; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Soil health principles and the associated | 15 | | voluntary practices of no-till, cover crops, nutrient | 16 | | management plans, and longer crop rotations enhance the | 17 | | ability of farmers to meet the non-point source pollution | 18 | | goals for nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus; it is essential to | 19 | | reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and | 20 | | into our watersheds; with these reduced nutrient losses from | 21 | | agriculture lands, which are detailed in the Illinois Nutrient | 22 | | Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), farmers will be able to meet | 23 | | desired outcomes as outlined by the Mississippi River Basin | 24 | | Hypoxia Task Force for the Gulf of Mexico; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Soil health principles provide for the reduction | 2 | | of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the sequestration | 3 | | of carbon within the upper reaches of the soil profile; this | 4 | | carbon mitigation improves the organic matter content in the | 5 | | soil and provides a stable biome for soil organisms, improves | 6 | | nutrient transfer from soil to root, and increases water | 7 | | infiltration and water-holding capacity; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Despite soil's importance to human health, the | 9 | | environment, nutrition and food, feed, fiber, and fuel | 10 | | production, there is little public awareness of the importance | 11 | | of soil protection; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Illinois soils are some of the best in the world, | 13 | | having the ability to sink carbon and reverse climate change, | 14 | | grow nutritious food for Illinois communities, and keep | 15 | | waterways clean; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, It is imperative that the State of Illinois | 17 | | actively raise awareness on the importance of soil health and | 18 | | promote its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future | 19 | | generations of Illinois citizens; therefore, be it | 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 21 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 22 | | we declare March 3 through March 9, 2024 as Illinois Soil |
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| 1 | | Health Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further | 2 | | RESOLVED, That we encourage the celebration of Soil Health | 3 | | Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of | 4 | | Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness | 5 | | of the importance of the air and water quality environment for | 6 | | all citizens of this State; and be it further | 7 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 8 | | delivered to the Director of the Department of Agriculture, | 9 | | the Office of the Governor, the Chair of the Illinois Senate | 10 | | Agriculture Committee, and the Chair of the Illinois House | 11 | | Agriculture & Conservation Committee. |
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