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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District was | ||||||
3 | established in 1971, organized and existing under the laws of | ||||||
4 | the State of Illinois; and
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5 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District exists | ||||||
6 | to preserve, restore, and manage natural areas and open spaces | ||||||
7 | for their intrinsic value and for their benefits to present and | ||||||
8 | future generations; and
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9 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District's vision | ||||||
10 | is to have all residents develop a personal responsibility for | ||||||
11 | their local environment and to gain a greater appreciation for | ||||||
12 | their natural world; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District is | ||||||
14 | governed by a 7-member volunteer Board of Trustees and | ||||||
15 | stewarded by 80 employees and more than 783 volunteers, who are | ||||||
16 | respected and experienced leaders in the parks, recreation, and | ||||||
17 | conservation fields; and | ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Over the past decade, the McHenry County | ||||||
19 | Conservation District has focused on purchasing land, | ||||||
20 | restoring wildlife habitats, developing sustainable new sites, | ||||||
21 | improving organizational efficiencies, implementing cost |
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1 | saving measures, producing environmental education programs, | ||||||
2 | events, and outdoor recreational experiences; and | ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District manages | ||||||
4 | more than 25,000 acres of open space; 33 sites are open to the | ||||||
5 | public for recreational access, including 115 miles of hiking | ||||||
6 | trails, 41 miles of biking trails, 15 miles of canoeing, 2 | ||||||
7 | miles of horse trails, 19 fishing sites, 23 picnic shelters, | ||||||
8 | and 6 campgrounds; and | ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District | ||||||
10 | conservation areas, sites, and facilities are an economic | ||||||
11 | driver and catalyst for sustainability and growth in McHenry | ||||||
12 | County; and | ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District promotes | ||||||
14 | environmental stewardship through active volunteer programs, | ||||||
15 | such as the People and Nature Certificate Program, and through | ||||||
16 | other activities and educational programming; and | ||||||
17 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District promotes | ||||||
18 | sound environmental practices through the development of | ||||||
19 | public sites and through the establishment of ongoing green | ||||||
20 | practices within agency operations; and | ||||||
21 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District embodies |
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1 | environmental stewardship in its core mission and is recognized | ||||||
2 | as a premiere public agency in preserving, protecting, and | ||||||
3 | managing open space in Illinois, the region, and the country; | ||||||
4 | and | ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District has been | ||||||
6 | recognized by the United States Department of the Interior for | ||||||
7 | its recent leadership role in establishing the Hackmatack | ||||||
8 | National Wildlife Refuge as a bi-state national wildlife refuge | ||||||
9 | within 100 miles of Chicago and 50 miles of Milwaukee, | ||||||
10 | Wisconsin; and
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11 | WHEREAS, The National Park and Recreation Association is | ||||||
12 | the leading advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement | ||||||
13 | of public parks, recreation, and conservation with more than | ||||||
14 | 30,000 members and representing public spaces in urban | ||||||
15 | communities, rural settings, and everything in between; and
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16 | WHEREAS, The McHenry County Conservation District has been | ||||||
17 | awarded the 2013 Barb King Environmental Stewardship Award by | ||||||
18 | the National Park and Recreation Association, which recognizes | ||||||
19 | a parks and recreation agency that has achieved excellence in | ||||||
20 | environmental stewardship on a national level; therefore, be it
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21 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
22 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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1 | we congratulate the McHenry County Conservation District for | ||||||
2 | receiving the 2013 Barb King Environmental Stewardship Award | ||||||
3 | for excellence in environmental stewardship and wish its | ||||||
4 | employees continued success with their mission; and be it | ||||||
5 | further
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6 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
7 | presented to the McHenry County Conservation District as a | ||||||
8 | symbol of our esteem and respect.
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