Bill Text: IL SR0632 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled
Bill Title: Urges the creation of a coordinating council under the Illinois Lieutenant Governor's office to bring together a relevant staff of agencies and non-governmental organizations to develop a strategy for implementation of the 30 by 30 concept.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-25 - Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a) [SR0632 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0632-Enrolled.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 632 | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Article 11 SECTION 1 of the Illinois State | ||||||
3 | Constitution states that it is the public policy of the State | ||||||
4 | and the duty of each person is to provide and maintain a | ||||||
5 | healthful environment for the benefit of this and future | ||||||
6 | generations; and
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7 | WHEREAS, SECTION 2 states each person has the right to a | ||||||
8 | healthful environment and that each person may enforce this | ||||||
9 | right against any party, governmental or private, through | ||||||
10 | appropriate legal proceedings subject to reasonable limitation | ||||||
11 | and regulation as the General Assembly may provide by the law; | ||||||
12 | and
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13 | WHEREAS, The General Assembly is charged by law with | ||||||
14 | providing for the implementation and enforcement of this | ||||||
15 | public policy; and
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16 | WHEREAS, The Illinois 30 by 30 Task Force discussed the | ||||||
17 | application of the 30 by 30 concept in Illinois and considered | ||||||
18 | how agriculture is a predominate land use in the state (75% of | ||||||
19 | the State's land area); and
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20 | WHEREAS, The Task Force determined that part of a | ||||||
21 | successful strategy would include dedication through fee |
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1 | simple and easement acquisition, as well as voluntary | ||||||
2 | conservation practices; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Currently, 4.2% of the total land area in | ||||||
4 | Illinois is formally protected for conservation purposes | ||||||
5 | through public and private mechanisms; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Over the past 10 years, the Illinois Department | ||||||
7 | of Natural Resources has acquired approximately 20,000 acres | ||||||
8 | in fee simple acquisitions; and
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9 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission has two | ||||||
10 | programs that offer the highest level of legal protection for | ||||||
11 | natural lands in Illinois, the Dedicated Nature Preserve and | ||||||
12 | the Registered Land and Water Reserve; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The Conservation and Fall Covers for Spring | ||||||
14 | Savings are two programs that support conservation practices | ||||||
15 | on agricultural land; and
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16 | WHEREAS, More than 1.5 million acres are currently under | ||||||
17 | contract for three programs in Illinois through the Department | ||||||
18 | of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, | ||||||
19 | the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation | ||||||
20 | Stewardship Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership | ||||||
21 | Program; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The health of Illinois' ecosystems is threatened | ||||||
2 | by a number of issues, including habitat degradation and loss, | ||||||
3 | hydrological modifications, spread of exotic species, and | ||||||
4 | economic constraints; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Over 90% of land in Illinois is privately owned, | ||||||
6 | making conservation partnerships in Illinois an imperative; | ||||||
7 | roughly 87,000 acres of natural lands, both private and | ||||||
8 | public, are preserved in the Illinois Nature Preserves | ||||||
9 | Commission's Nature Preserve and Land and Water Reserve land | ||||||
10 | protection programs; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Information collected from the measuring of | ||||||
12 | conserved lands would help the State to determine the adequate | ||||||
13 | amount of land that should be conserved, to define the overall | ||||||
14 | percentages and the breakdown by geographical area, and to | ||||||
15 | focus the discussion of access to conserved lands; and
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16 | WHEREAS, The amount of work needed for a successful | ||||||
17 | outcome would best be accomplished by collaboration with all | ||||||
18 | coordinating State agencies; and
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19 | WHEREAS, In addition, conservation capacity can be built | ||||||
20 | by increasing conservation agency staffing; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The participation of students on this project is | ||||||
2 | important for the coordination between public and conservation | ||||||
3 | efforts; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Aligning programs with local priorities and | ||||||
5 | values provides feedback and actively engages local | ||||||
6 | communities in preparation for new programs and open space; | ||||||
7 | therefore, be it
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8 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
9 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the creation of | ||||||
10 | a coordinating council under the Illinois Department of | ||||||
11 | Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Agriculture; | ||||||
12 | and be it further
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13 | RESOLVED, That the coordinating council should meet at a | ||||||
14 | minimum of two times to bring together a relevant staff of | ||||||
15 | agencies, students of Pontiac Township High School, and | ||||||
16 | non-governmental organizations, including the largest | ||||||
17 | statewide association representing agriculture, to develop a | ||||||
18 | strategy for implementation of 30 by 30 Task Force | ||||||
19 | recommendations; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
21 | delivered to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the | ||||||
22 | Illinois Department of Agriculture, and Pontiac Township High |
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1 | School.
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