SR0461 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0461 LRB104 15842 MST 29054 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire provides multiple ecological, economic, and cultural benefits to the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire has been practiced for thousands of years and was a primary tool used by Indigenous peoples to attract game, stimulate a rich ground layer of plants for harvesting, and keep woodlands and grasslands open and easy to traverse; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a traditional land management practice and public safety tool that helps prevent and lessen the severity of wildfires; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a valuable tool used by forest, prairie, and wetland landowners and managers in reducing hazardous fuels, reducing the risk of destructive wildfires, preparing sites for both natural and artificial forest regeneration, improving access to and the appearance of land, and controlling detrimental insects and forest diseases; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is an effective natural tool for controlling invasive species; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is one of the most important land management practices in maintaining and restoring healthy landscapes, but only approximately 6% of conservation lands in Illinois are currently being managed with prescribed fire; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain fire-dependent ecosystems and to manage wildlife habitat for many species; it is a vital tool to maintain economic, biological, and aesthetic resources across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is an organization of both public and private partners with a mission to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed fire on the Illinois landscape; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Prescribed Burning Act in 2007 defining prescribed fire as "the planned application of fire to naturally occurring vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplish the planned land management objectives."; and

WHEREAS, Prescribed fire helps keep Illinois grasslands and forests healthy, which, in return, provides ecological services such as clean air and clean water and contributes to the quality of life of the State's citizens and to local economies; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2026 as Prescribed Burning Awareness Month in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support the appropriate and continued use of prescribed fire in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council as a symbol of our respect and esteem.