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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy of Illinois is celebrating
3 fifty years of outstanding conservation work in the State; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy of Illinois has acquired,
5 restored, and preserved nearly 80,000 acres of natural lands at
6 120 sites throughout the entire State for the benefit of
7 Illinois citizens; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation
9 organization with more than 35,000 members in the State of
10 Illinois and nearly one million members around the world
11 working to protect ecologically important lands and waters for
12 nature and people; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to
14 preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that
15 represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the
16 lands and waters they need to survive; and
 
17     WHEREAS, For the past fifty years, The Nature Conservancy
18 in Illinois has been an effective, innovative partner in
19 conservation with local, State, and federal public land
20 management agencies, other conservation not for profit
21 organizations, corporations, foundations, and individual

 

 

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1 private landowners to create science-based conservation
2 solutions that benefit nature and enhance the well being of
3 people who depend on vital natural resources for their lives
4 and livelihoods; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy works to enhance river
6 life, improve water quality, and restore aquatic ecosystems
7 through projects along the Illinois River, including the
8 preserves at Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms, the Cache River in
9 southern Illinois and the Mackinaw River in central Illinois;
10 and
 
11     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy, using the best available
12 science, works to conserve our grasslands, prairies, and
13 forests at places like Kankakee Sands, Indian Boundary Prairies
14 in northeastern Illinois, Nachusa Grasslands in northwestern
15 Illinois, Chinquapin in central Illinois, and the Illinois
16 Ozarks in the far southern region of the State; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy is a founding member of
18 Chicago Wilderness, a consortium of more than 200 public and
19 private organizations working together to study, restore,
20 protect, and manage the natural ecosystems of the Chicago
21 region, contribute to the conservation of global biodiversity,
22 and enrich local residents' quality of life; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy has spearheaded and
2 supported various State policy initiatives that made
3 meaningful contributions to Illinois natural resource
4 management, including public funding initiatives; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy established the Volunteer
6 Stewardship Network to help public and private landowners
7 manage their lands by removing invasive species, collecting
8 native seeds, conducting prescribed burns, reducing pollution,
9 managing precious parcels of land and waterways, and assisting
10 with environmental youth education programs; more than 6,000
11 volunteers amass 50,000 hours a year in caring for natural
12 areas across Illinois; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy's Board of Trustees and
14 staff use a non-confrontational and collaborative approach to
15 their work with all sectors of society to achieve meaningful
16 conservation results in Illinois; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy is a leader in raising
18 awareness of the benefits of nature, conservation and sound
19 environmental practices among Illinois communities, elected
20 officials, and the public at large; and
 
21     WHEREAS, The Nature Conservancy of Illinois has
22 contributed to the quality of life for Illinois citizens, its

 

 

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1 landscape and its natural heritage; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
4 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize that these
5 contributions have significantly improved Illinois' landscape
6 and waterways and that the citizens of Illinois benefit from
7 the work and resources of The Nature Conservancy; and be it
8 further
 
9     RESOLVED, That we congratulate The Nature Conservancy,
10 Illinois Chapter, for its fifty years of conservation work in
11 the State and applaud their efforts across the United States
12 and around the globe to protect and conserve the biodiversity
13 of the Earth.