HR0686 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0686 LRB095 13343 GRL 39010 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the Shawnee Muskie Hunters on the occasion of receiving a 2007 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Awards are presented each year to individuals and organizations for exceptional volunteer service to the department and the people of the State of Illinois; the recipients of these awards exhibit great dedication to IDNR and to the people of Illinois, whether it be devoting time to help IDNR staff manage public land, provide visitor services, or perform educational outreach; and

WHEREAS, The Shawnee Muskie Hunters are the Kinkaid Lake chapter of Muskies, Inc.; the club has approximately 75 muskie fishing enthusiasts; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the last 10 years, the Shawnee Muskie Hunters have helped the Illinois Muskie Alliance purchase a youth fishing educational trailer for IDNR; they have donated funds to repair nets and purchase trap nets, as well as a digital camera, fish feeders, PIT tags and readers, and a new E-TEC outboard motor for an IDNR fisheries biologist; the group sponsors a kids fishing program and annual lake clean up every year, in which tons of garbage are removed from Kinkaid Lake; the group's members are currently looking into purchasing hybrid muskies for Eagle Lake in the Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area near New Athens in St. Clair County, a new muskie lake for Illinois that was recently approved by IDNR for a hybrid stocking program; the club will help support this effort and will help monitor its success with the support of IDNR; and

WHEREAS, The Shawnee Muskie Hunters' dedication to the environment and willingness to serve their community make them particularly deserving of this award; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Shawnee Muskie Hunters for receiving the 2007 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award and wish the members continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to a representative of the Shawnee Muskie Hunters as a symbol of our esteem and respect.