Bill Text: IL HR1330 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges all towns within the State of Illinois to evaluate their emerald ash borer management policies.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HR1330 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-HR1330-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois comprises part of the | ||||||
3 | largest urban landscape market in the country with more than 4 | ||||||
4 | million ash trees total; our tree canopy now faces a crisis due | ||||||
5 | to the emerald ash borer that will lead to a financial crisis | ||||||
6 | for the State and its many municipalities; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Mature trees provide homeowners and | ||||||
8 | municipalities tremendous environmental and economic benefits; | ||||||
9 | trees reduce energy costs in the summer, play a role in | ||||||
10 | rainwater management, and filter air; trees represent | ||||||
11 | quantifiable value to homeowners; conservatively, five percent | ||||||
12 | of a home's value is attributable to the trees on its property; | ||||||
13 | and
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14 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is now infested with the | ||||||
15 | invasive species known as the emerald ash borer (EAB); 100% of | ||||||
16 | all ash trees in the State of Illinois will be exposed to the | ||||||
17 | EAB in the next five years and every ash tree not treated will | ||||||
18 | expire shortly thereafter; and
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19 | WHEREAS, The average cost of tree removal and replacement | ||||||
20 | in the State of Illinois is approximately $1,000; this crisis | ||||||
21 | will cost the State and its villages, towns, and cities $3 | ||||||
22 | billion to $4 billion over the next several years; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Trees can be treated for a fraction of the cost of | ||||||
2 | removal and replacement; and
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3 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to update its | ||||||
4 | understanding of the science of treating EAB, as integrated | ||||||
5 | management of the EAB has evolved and improved greatly in the | ||||||
6 | past five years; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Leading academic researchers from The University | ||||||
8 | of Illinois, Michigan State University, Purdue University, and | ||||||
9 | Ohio State have found insecticide treatment methods to be | ||||||
10 | effective, and one treatment method to be more than 95% | ||||||
11 | effective at preserving ash trees; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA), the | ||||||
13 | prestigious professional organization of practicing arborists, | ||||||
14 | published in May 2012 its latest findings and recommendations | ||||||
15 | on management of the emerald ash borer; the SMA paper warns | ||||||
16 | municipalities of a "financial tsunami" if they are not | ||||||
17 | proactive and develop an EAB management paper; and
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18 | WHEREAS, The SMA found that the two extremes of removing | ||||||
19 | trees and doing nothing is neither practical nor prudent; | ||||||
20 | removing trees is not financially viable for many | ||||||
21 | municipalities and does great harm to home values; doing |
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1 | nothing puts people and property at great risk as dead trees | ||||||
2 | will come crashing down in an unpredictable fashion; and
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3 | WHEREAS, The SMA found that an integrated approach that | ||||||
4 | utilizes treatment along with the removal of low-grade ash | ||||||
5 | trees is the best management option; and
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6 | WHEREAS, The International Society Arboriculture, the | ||||||
7 | premier tree care organization in the world, supports the | ||||||
8 | findings and recommendations of the SMA that advocates | ||||||
9 | conservation of the urban ash canopy as the most prudent and | ||||||
10 | practical management option; therefore, be it
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11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
12 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
13 | we urge every village, town, and city within the State of | ||||||
14 | Illinois to reevaluate its EAB management plan in light of the | ||||||
15 | latest facts and recommendations presented by the leading | ||||||
16 | experts in Spring of 2012; specifically, municipalities should | ||||||
17 | spend the little time required to evaluate EAB management | ||||||
18 | options over a 20-year period utilizing readily available and | ||||||
19 | online economic models from either The Uiversity of | ||||||
20 | Wisconsin-Stevens Point or Purdue University; and be it further
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21 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Agriculture | ||||||
22 | should publicly communicate and include on its website, |
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1 | http://www.agr.state.il.us, the 2012 EAB Management approach | ||||||
2 | and explain the financial and environmental benefits to | ||||||
3 | municipalities, citizens, and homeowners of that same | ||||||
4 | approach.
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