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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois is one of the premiere white tailed deer
3 hunting states in the nation; and
 
4     WHEREAS, During the 2006-07 deer seasons, hunters took
5 approximately 197,000 deer; and
 
6     WHEREAS, A total of 67 counties were open to the
7 Late-Winter Antlerless-only Deer Season, which is restricted
8 to those counties that the Department of Natural Resources
9 considers overpopulated; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Deer overpopulation is rampant in some counties in
11 Illinois, causing accidents on our highways, increasing crop
12 damage for Illinois farmers, and making it easier for disease
13 and starvation to afflict our deer populations; and
 
14     WHEREAS, It is estimated that 1.5 million car-deer crashes
15 occur every year in the United States, causing more than 150
16 deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Illinois had approximately 23,700 car-deer
18 accidents in 2005; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In 2005, Illinois recorded 11 deaths from these

 

 

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1 accidents, nearly double the previous high of 6; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Eight of those killed were on motorcycles; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Car-deer accidents can occur almost anywhere, and
4 urban areas are not immune; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Cook County topped Illinois with nearly 1,000
6 crashes in 2005, almost double the 572 recorded in Pike County,
7 highly regarded by hunters for its share of the State's
8 estimated 800,000 deer; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
11 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is established a Joint
12 Task Force on Deer Population Control to examine and make
13 recommendations on ways to manage the Illinois deer population;
14 issues that shall be addressed include, but are not limited to,
15 maintaining and increasing deer hunting opportunities in
16 Illinois, reducing car-deer accidents and examining how these
17 accidents affect insurance rates, reducing agricultural crop
18 and other property damage, and maintaining and increasing the
19 health of the Illinois deer herd; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force shall be under the
21 Department of Natural Resources, which will provide staff

 

 

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1 support; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That the members of the Joint Task Force shall
3 include: the chairmen and minority spokesmen of the House and
4 Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committees or their
5 designees; one member appointed by the President of the Senate;
6 one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one
7 member appointed by the Speaker of the House; one member
8 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; the Director of
9 Natural Resources or his or her designee; one member
10 representing conservation police officers appointed by the
11 Director of Natural Resources; the Director of State Police or
12 his or her designee; one member appointed by an association
13 representing firearm deer hunters; one member appointed by an
14 association representing Illinois archery deer hunters; one
15 member appointed by an association representing the insurance
16 industry; and one member appointed by an association
17 representing farmers; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That the Director of Natural Resources shall
19 serve as the Chair; the Joint Task Force shall meet with the
20 call of the Chair; and the members shall serve without
21 compensation; and be it further
 
22     RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force shall report its
23 findings and recommendations to the Secretary of the Senate and

 

 

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1 the Clerk of the House by January 1, 2009; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to
3 the Director of Natural Resources.