HR0166 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0166 LRB101 09999 ALS 56541 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Twenty-four species of milkweed grow naturally in Illinois; four of these species are listed as endangered in Illinois, and one of the four is listed as threatened on the federal endangered and threatened species list; and

WHEREAS, Milkweeds are perennial, herbaceous plants; and

WHEREAS, When an insect lands on the flower to drink nectar, its leg, antennae, or bristles can slip into the slit where the pollen is stored; and

WHEREAS, The pollen-containing structure clips onto the insect part; when the insect pulls away from the flower, this pollen packet goes too; and

WHEREAS, At another flower, the same insect body part may slip inside another slit in the flower column where the pollen needs to be delivered; and

WHEREAS, Milkweed flowers are unique in this method of pollen transfer; milkweeds grow in a variety of habitats; some of them prefer wet soil, and some of them prefer dry soil; some of them flourish along roads or in fields, where others grow in open woods or thickets; and

WHEREAS, A close relationship exists between monarchs and milkweed plants; and

WHEREAS, Monarch larvae only eat milkweed plants; if there is no milkweed, there will be no monarch; for this reason, the milkweed was recently designated as the official State wildflower; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage the utilization of milkweed in soil and water conservation practices and in Federal Conservation Reserve Programs (CRP); we also encourage the growth of milkweed on State grounds; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we urge maintenance restrictions be lifted for certain areas, so milkweed can be grown in the previously listed programs.