Commends the efforts of Kankakee County, the Kankakee River Basin Partnership, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and local citizens for their work in preserving the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in Kankakee County, Illinois. Expresses support for the preservation of these valuable natural resources. Urges these groups to continue working together with local, State, and Federal entities to further assist preservation efforts for the county.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 606 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 606
Commending Kankakee County, the Kankakee River Basin Partnership, the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), The Nature Conservancy
(TNC), the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and local
citizens for their work in preserving the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in
Kankakee County, Illinois.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 22, 2004
Mr. Weller submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commending Kankakee County, the Kankakee River Basin Partnership, the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), The Nature Conservancy
(TNC), the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and local
citizens for their work in preserving the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in
Kankakee County, Illinois.
Whereas the Momence Wetlands and Kankakee Sands Savannahs are sites of major
importance within the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem that contain high-quality
natural areas and concentrations of habitats used by State-listed
endangered species;
Whereas the Kankakee River Basin in Kankakee County has experienced large-scale
losses of wetlands, and prairie and oak savannah habitats;
Whereas by the early 1900s, the wet meadows prairies and oak savannah uplands
that once provided habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds
and native wildlife were becoming developed;
Whereas only approximately 6,000 acres or 0.05 percent of the original total
acres of wetlands persist in a relatively undisturbed condition in
Illinois;
Whereas at the time of European settlement, the Midwest had an estimated 30
million acres of oak savannahs; however, only 0.02 percent or 6,518
acres of the original high-quality oak savannahs remain;
Whereas although over 99 percent of the original savannahs have been lost, the
Kankakee River Basin in Kankakee County still contains among the
greatest concentrations of oak savannahs in the Nation;
Whereas the Kankakee River, which flows through the Momence Wetlands, is
classified as a ``biologically significant stream'' because of its high
water quality and diverse aquatic fauna;
Whereas the Kankakee River Basin has been identified nationally as a ``critical
watershed'' for conserving fish and muscle species;
Whereas 2,440 acres of the Momence Wetlands was identified by the Illinois
Natural Areas Inventory (INAI);
Whereas 500 acres of high-quality sand savannahs were identified by the INAI at
the Pembroke Savannahs;
Whereas the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in Kankakee County provides critical
nesting and breeding habitat for a number of area-sensitive forest and
grassland bird species such as the pileated woodpecker, summer tanager,
scarlet tanager, ovenbird, bobolink, grasshopper sparrow, savannah
sparrow, brown creeper, northern harrier, Henslow's sparrow, and the
State-listed veery;
Whereas the Kankakee Sands habitats in Kankakee County support populations of
several unusual plant and animal species including swamp cottonwood,
pumpkin ash, climbing hempweed, fame flower, scarlet oak, wild lupine,
plains pocket gopher, southern flying squirrel, and the rare red
squirrel;
Whereas the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in Kankakee County supports populations of
at least 8 different State-listed species and there is a very high
likelihood that other State-listed species occur within the Pembroke
Savannahs; and
Whereas since the late 1970s there has been much State and local interest in
protecting the high-quality natural resources of the Kankakee Sands
Ecosystem and in particular the Kankakee River, Momence Wetlands, and
Pembroke Savannahs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the efforts of Kankakee County, the Kankakee
River Basin Partnership, the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Illinois
Clean Energy Community Foundation, and local citizens for their
work in preserving the Kankakee Sands Ecosystem in Kankakee
County, Illinois;
(2) expresses support for the preservation of these
valuable natural resources within Kankakee County, Illinois;
and
(3) urges the continued effort for these groups to work
together with local, State, and Federal organizations and
agencies to offer further assistance in preserving Kankakee
County's natural landscape, flora, and fauna.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
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