Bill Text: IL HR0975 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates Grand Prairie Friends on the 50th anniversary of Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve. Commends its ongoing commitment to conservation, education, and stewardship.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-04 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Jason R. Bunting [HR0975 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HR0975-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to congratulate Grand Prairie Friends on
the 50th anniversary of the dedication of Prospect Cemetery
Prairie Nature Preserve; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act
created a system for preserving and protecting areas of the
State as a part of the heritage of the people of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Illinois Nature Preserves are of value for
scientific research, for teaching, as reservoirs of natural
materials not all of the potential uses of which are now known,
as habitats for rare and vanishing species, as places of
historic and natural interest and scenic beauty, and as living
museums of the native landscape wherein one may envision and
experience primeval conditions in a wilderness-like
environment; and
WHEREAS, Illinois Nature Preserves contribute generally to
the public health and welfare and the environmental quality of
the State; and
WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve,
located in Ford County, was officially established in 1976 to

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protect and conserve the remnant mesic black soil tallgrass
prairie of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie
Natural Division; and
WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve is
recognized as a high-quality pre-settlement prairie remnant
situated within Ford County's oldest cemetery, established in
1859, and the southern third of the site retains intact
prairie reflecting pre-European settlement conditions, making
it an important natural area within east-central Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve
provides critical habitat for a diverse array of plant and
animal species, including at least 131 species of native
herbaceous forbs and grasses, of which 21 are found nowhere
else in Ford County, including prairie blazing star, prairie
gentian, cream wild indigo, and green milkweed; it also hosts
characteristic tallgrass prairie species, such as big
bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, and prairie dropseed;
and
WHEREAS, Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve offers
opportunities for walking, birding, and nature photography,
allowing residents and visitors to experience a living remnant
of the Grand Prairie that once covered east-central Illinois
preserved within a historic 19th-century landmark; and

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WHEREAS, The stewardship of Prospect Cemetery Prairie
Nature Preserve has been supported by Grand Prairie Friends
and dedicated local partners, community members, and
conservation advocates with additional support from
organizations such as the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; and
WHEREAS, Over the past 50 years, Prospect Cemetery Prairie
Nature Preserve has contributed to the protection of Illinois'
natural heritage and serves as a valuable natural resource for
the residents of Ford County; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate Grand Prairie Friends on the 50th anniversary
of Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve and commend its
ongoing commitment to conservation, education, and
stewardship; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Grand Prairie Friends as a symbol of our respect
and esteem.