Full Text of HR0869 98th General Assembly
HR0869 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, According to numerous scientific reports, | 3 | | including federal government reports by the United States | 4 | | Department of Agriculture and the United States Environmental | 5 | | Protection Agency, there has been a decline in honeybee | 6 | | colonies throughout the United States due to numerous factors, | 7 | | including lack of food sources; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Honeybees pollinate a long list of crops, | 9 | | including Illinois' number one crop in 2013, soybeans; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The effects of colony collapse disorder has been | 11 | | profound on the honeybee population in the United States; | 12 | | according to the United States Department of Agriculture's | 13 | | National Institute of Food and Agriculture, one-third of the | 14 | | nation's bees die each year; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Large geographic areas that specialize in one | 16 | | agricultural crop, like corn, can pose a risk to the insects by | 17 | | providing a limited food source; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, It is estimated the Illinois Department of | 19 | | Transportation spent over $14 million in Fiscal Year 2013 on | 20 | | the mowing of State highway medians in a time when our State's | 21 | | revenues have declined; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, In 2003, the Illinois Department of | 2 | | Transportation piloted a beautification effort planting | 3 | | wildflowers along roadways in 23 Illinois locations for the | 4 | | beautification of our State's commerce and tourism gateways; | 5 | | and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Low height wildflowers planted in median strips in | 7 | | Illinois would assist with water retention, minimize storm | 8 | | water runoff costs, and help beautify Illinois roadways; | 9 | | therefore, be it
| 10 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 11 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 12 | | we encourage the Illinois Department of Corrections and the | 13 | | Illinois Department of Transportation to work together to | 14 | | create a program where Illinois Correctional Facility inmates | 15 | | can raise wildflowers and plant them in designated roadway | 16 | | medians as determined by the Illinois Department of | 17 | | Transportation; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That we encourage cooperation between the two | 19 | | agencies to work toward the goal of annual growth in the number | 20 | | of median strip low-height wildflower plantings in an effort | 21 | | that would save the State money in mowing costs, encourage | 22 | | better storm water management practices along interstates, |
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| 1 | | encourage natural growth in honeybee populations, provide | 2 | | agronomic job skills for Illinois inmate population, and | 3 | | beautify our State's interstate system; and be it further | 4 | | RESOLVED, That we urge Illinois Department of Corrections | 5 | | and the Illinois Department of Transportation to work together | 6 | | toward furthering a new pilot program to accomplish these | 7 | | tasks; and be it further | 8 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 9 | | delivered to the Director of the Illinois Department of | 10 | | Corrections and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of | 11 | | Transportation.
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