HR0806 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0806 LRB103 40474 ECR 72861 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge on the occasion of its 100 years of service; and

WHEREAS, The Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was created after a monumental movement of determined citizens petitioned the United States Congress to create the largest wildlife preserve ever in order to save the favorite upper backwaters of the Mississippi River from being drained and converted to farmland; spearheading the movement was the charismatic Will Dilg whose organization, the Izaak Walton League, championed the refuge as its first magnificent achievement; and

WHEREAS, The Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has been a haven for fish, wildlife, and people since 1924; the refuge stretches 261 river miles from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, protecting over 240,000 acres of the Mississippi River floodplain; the refuge hosts over 3.7 million annual visits for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and other recreational activities; and

WHEREAS, The Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is home to 306 species of birds, including over 300 bald eagle nests, 50% of the world's canvasback ducks, and 20% of the eastern U.S. population of tundra swans; the refuge is also home to over 50 species of mammals and 42 species of freshwater mussels that live throughout it while providing an ecosystem for over 100 different species of fish; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge on its 100th anniversary, and we commend its lasting success in providing an ecosystem that supports large amounts of wildlife and forestry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Izaak Walton League as a symbol of our esteem and respect.