HR0092LRB103 31140 ECR 57860 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire provides multiple ecological,
3economic, and cultural benefits to the State of Illinois; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire has been practiced for thousands
5of years and was a primary tool used by Indigenous peoples to
6attract game, to stimulate a rich ground layer of plants for
7harvesting, and to keep woodlands and grasslands open and easy
8to traverse; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a traditional land management
10practice and public safety tool that helps prevent and lessen
11the severity of wildfires; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a valuable tool used by
13forest, prairie, and wetland landowners and managers in
14reducing hazardous fuels, reducing the risk of destructive
15wildfires, preparing sites for both natural and artificial
16forest regeneration, improving access to and the appearance of
17land, and controlling detrimental insects and forest diseases;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is an effective natural tool for
20controlling invasive species; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is one of the most important land
2management practices in maintaining and restoring healthy
3landscapes, but only approximately six percent of conservation
4lands in Illinois are currently being managed with prescribed
5fire; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain
7fire-dependent ecosystems and to manage wildlife habitat for
8many species; it is a vital tool to maintain economic,
9biological, and aesthetic resources across Illinois; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is an
11organization of both public and private partners with a
12mission to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed
13fire on the Illinois landscape; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois
15Prescribed Burning Act in 2007, defining prescribed fire as
16"the planned application of fire to naturally occurring
17vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and
18following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the
19fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplish the
20planned land management objectives."; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Prescribed fire helps keep Illinois grasslands
22and forests healthy, which, in return, provides ecological

 

 

HR0092- 3 -LRB103 31140 ECR 57860 r

1services such as clean air and clean water and contributes to
2the quality of life of the State's citizens and to local
3economies; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
5HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we declare April of 2023 as "Prescribed Burning Awareness
7Month" in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That we support the appropriate and continued
9use of prescribed fire in Illinois; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council as a symbol
12of our respect and esteem.