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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system, which includes Lake Erie,
3Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and the
4St. Lawrence River, is a globally significant resource and
5ecosystem, holding 21 percent of the world's surface
6freshwater; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River provide
8drinking water to more than 48 million Americans and Canadians
9and supply 56 billion gallons of water per day for municipal,
10agricultural, and industrial use; and
 
11    WHEREAS, On September 7, 2012, by signing a revised Great
12Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the United States and Canada
13reaffirmed their commitment to binational cooperation "to
14restore, protect, and enhance the water quality of the Great
15Lakes to promote the ecological health of the Great Lakes
16basin"; and
 
17    WHEREAS, An abundant supply of clean, affordable water is
18essential to support a healthy population, a thriving economy,
19and a well-functioning ecosystem; and
 
20    WHEREAS, As the major source of water for communities
21located within the Great Lakes basin, the Great Lakes system is

 

 

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1a vital resource in which all the region's residents share a
2common interest; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Great Lakes system is an economic powerhouse
4for the region, supporting industries such as shipping,
5agriculture, technology, manufacturing, recreation, and
6tourism; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The waters and shoreline of the Great Lakes system
8provide exceptional habitat for thousands of species of native
9mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and plants; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Great Lakes basin is home to numerous beaches,
11parks, forests, harbors, marinas, piers, lighthouses,
12boardwalks, and islands that provide recreational
13opportunities for swimming, hiking, surfing, boating,
14kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, photography, wildlife
15watching, and more; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Illinois' 63-mile stretch of Lake Michigan
17shoreline is among the State's most valuable natural and
18cultural resources and has extraordinary economic value; Lake
19Michigan provides a coastal home to six million residents in
20Lake and Cook counties, drinking water for seven million
21Illinois residents, a tourism industry that brings 20 million
22people to the Lake Michigan shoreline each year, recreational

 

 

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1opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and swimming that
2generate $3.2 billion annually and support 33,000 jobs, and a
3maritime transportation network linking the nation's heartland
4to world markets; and
 
5    WHEREAS, People greatly value the opportunity to live,
6work, and play in areas near waters that are vibrant,
7beautiful, and life-sustaining; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The region's environment, economy, and people
9rely on the clean, healthy waters of the Great Lakes and St.
10Lawrence River; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we declare September 7, 2019 as Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
14Appreciation Day in Illinois and urge appropriate observance of
15this occasion.