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| | HR0920 | | LRB100 21236 MST 37423 r |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The 2014 Federal Farm Bill boasted a strong |
| 3 | | Conservation Title, and the Farm Bill is up for reauthorization
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| 4 | | in 2018; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Provisions from the 2014 Farm Bill have helped |
| 6 | | support
programs improving soil, water, fish, and wildlife |
| 7 | | conservation
on farms, ranches, forests, and private lands |
| 8 | | through the United
States; and
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| 9 | | WHEREAS, These programs include the Conservation Reserve |
| 10 | | Program
(CRP), the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program |
| 11 | | (ACEP),
and the voluntary public access and habitat incentive |
| 12 | | program
(VPA-HIC), which have all been key to managing and |
| 13 | | increasing
the natural resources of the United States; and
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| 14 | | WHEREAS, 2014 Farm Bill provisions have specifically |
| 15 | | benefitted
Illinois; in 2017, a total of 895,410 acres, |
| 16 | | representing 43,802
farms in Illinois, were enrolled in CRP, |
| 17 | | with an investment of
over $161 million; and
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| 18 | | WHEREAS, In 2016, Illinois landowners held over $4 million |
| 19 | | in
ACEP agreements; and
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| 20 | | WHEREAS, Eight Regional Conservation Partnership Programs |
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| | HR0920 | - 2 - | LRB100 21236 MST 37423 r |
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| 1 | | (RCPPs)
invested nearly $27 million in the State from 2014 to |
| 2 | | 2017, leading
to wildlife habitat conservation, improved |
| 3 | | pollinator habitats,
and increased forest health; and
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| 4 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| 5 | | received
over $2.2 million in VPA-HIP grants in 2014 and 2015, |
| 6 | | which it used to expand urban youth opportunities and increase |
| 7 | | public
access to areas for hunting, fishing, and outdoor |
| 8 | | recreation
throughout the State; this in turn helps protect the |
| 9 | | hunting heritage of Illinois; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, Illinois depends on the Farm Bill Conservation |
| 11 | | Title to
help provide clean water, healthy soils, abundant |
| 12 | | wildlife and
wildlife habitats, flood control, and outdoor |
| 13 | | recreation
opportunities; therefore, be it
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| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
| 15 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
| 16 | | urge the U.S. Congress
to include a strong Conservation Title |
| 17 | | in the 2018 Farm Bill,
and ask the Illinois Congressional |
| 18 | | Delegation to pay special
attention to this matter; and be it |
| 19 | | further
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| 20 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
| 21 | | delivered to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority |
| 22 | | Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck |