Full Text of SR0632 103rd General Assembly
SR0632sam001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR0632SAM001 | | LRB103 31419 MST 69358 a |
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO SENATE RESOLUTION 632
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend Senate Resolution 632 by deleting | 3 | | everything after the heading and inserting the following: | 4 | | "WHEREAS, Article 11 SECTION 1 of the Illinois State | 5 | | Constitution states that it is the public policy of the State | 6 | | and the duty of each person is to provide and maintain a | 7 | | healthful environment for the benefit of this and future | 8 | | generations; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, SECTION 2 states each person has the right to a | 10 | | healthful environment and that each person may enforce this | 11 | | right against any party, governmental or private, through | 12 | | appropriate legal proceedings subject to reasonable limitation | 13 | | and regulation as the General Assembly may provide by the law; | 14 | | and | 15 | | WHEREAS, The General Assembly is charged by law with |
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| 1 | | providing for the implementation and enforcement of this | 2 | | public policy; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois 30 by 30 Task Force discussed the | 4 | | application of the 30 by 30 concept in Illinois and considered | 5 | | how agriculture is a predominate land use in the state (75% of | 6 | | the State's land area); and | 7 | | WHEREAS, The Task Force determined that part of a | 8 | | successful strategy would include permanent dedication through | 9 | | fee simple and easement acquisition, as well as voluntary | 10 | | conservation practices; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Currently, 4.2% of the total land area in | 12 | | Illinois is formally protected for conservation purposes | 13 | | through public and private mechanisms; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Over the past 10 years, the Illinois Department | 15 | | of Natural Resources has acquired approximately 20,000 acres | 16 | | in fee simple acquisitions; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, The Forestry Development Act provides a reduced | 18 | | property tax rate to private forest owners that enter into | 19 | | agreements to manage their timber through timber stand | 20 | | improvement, to control exotic species, or to develop wildlife | 21 | | habitat; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission has two | 2 | | programs that offer the highest level of legal protection for | 3 | | natural lands in Illinois, the Dedicated Nature Preserve and | 4 | | the Registered Land and Water Reserve; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, The Conservation and Fall Covers for Spring | 6 | | Savings are two programs that support conservation practices | 7 | | on agricultural land; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, More than 1.5 million acres are currently under | 9 | | contract for three programs in Illinois through the Department | 10 | | of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, | 11 | | the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation | 12 | | Stewardship Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership | 13 | | Program; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, The health of Illinois' ecosystems is threatened | 15 | | by a number of issues, including habitat degradation and loss, | 16 | | hydrological modifications, spread of exotic species, and | 17 | | economic constraints; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Over 90% of land in Illinois is privately owned, | 19 | | making conservation partnerships in Illinois an imperative; | 20 | | roughly 87,000 acres of natural lands, both private and | 21 | | public, are preserved in the Illinois Nature Preserves |
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| 1 | | Commission's Nature Preserve and Land and Water Reserve land | 2 | | protection programs; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Information collected from the measuring of | 4 | | conserved lands would help the State to determine the adequate | 5 | | amount of land that should be conserved, to define the overall | 6 | | percentages and the breakdown by geographical area, and to | 7 | | focus the discussion of access to conserved lands; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, The amount of work needed for a successful | 9 | | outcome would best be accomplished by collaboration with all | 10 | | coordinating State agencies; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, In addition, conservation capacity can be built | 12 | | by increasing conservation agency staffing; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, The participation of students on this project is | 14 | | important for the coordination between public and conservation | 15 | | efforts; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Aligning programs with local priorities and | 17 | | values provides feedback and actively engages local | 18 | | communities in preparation for new programs and open space; | 19 | | therefore, be it | 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL |
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| 1 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the creation of | 2 | | a coordinating council under the Illinois Department of | 3 | | Natural Resources, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and | 4 | | the Illinois Lieutenant Governor's Office; and be it further | 5 | | RESOLVED, That the coordinating council should meet at a | 6 | | minimum of two times to bring together a relevant staff of | 7 | | agencies, students of Pontiac Township High School, and | 8 | | non-governmental organizations to develop a strategy for | 9 | | implementation of 30 by 30 Task Force recommendations; and be | 10 | | it further | 11 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 12 | | delivered to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the | 13 | | Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Lieutenant Governor's | 14 | | Office, and Pontiac Township High School." |
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