SJ0105 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0105 LRB096 21284 JDS 37220 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Agricultural pesticide products in Illinois have been proven to protect and improve crop yield by controlling weed competition, protecting against insect damage, and enhancing plant health; and

WHEREAS, The application of these products by licensed professionals contributes significantly to the Illinois agricultural industry's ability to improve farm receipts and economic output despite the fact that crop acreage in Illinois continues to be lost to urban development; and

WHEREAS, The specialty crop industry, which includes vineyards, organic farms, fruit and vegetable farms, horticultural operations, and bee apiaries, is also a vital and growing sector of the State's agricultural industry; and

WHEREAS, Some of these specialty crops are particularly sensitive to some agricultural pesticides commonly used in grain production; and

WHEREAS, Both the modern grain production industry and the specialty crop industry have expressed a desire to find a method to better communicate the presence and location of sensitive crops in order to avoid conflicts or misunderstandings regarding pesticide applications made near these sensitive crops and to avoid any potential drift scenarios; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the agrichemical industry, is in the process of implementing a comprehensive internet-based geographic information system that will allow specialty growers to voluntarily share the physical location of their production areas with the agrichemical industry in order to assist the agrichemical industry in further minimizing and mitigating the potential for pesticide drift onto these crops; and

WHEREAS, This internet-based geographic information system will be used not only in Illinois, but also in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and its implementation will be initially funded by the Region 5 USEPA in order to avoid excessive cost to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the State of Illinois, and all agricultural producers; and

WHEREAS, Growers of sensitive crops may voluntarily use this system to identify their locations and provide helpful written information regarding the potential for certain types of pesticides to cause harm to their specific crops if drift occurs; and

WHEREAS, Information regarding this system and its mapping capabilities will be integrated into the University of Illinois Extension Service Pesticide Safety Education Program; its capabilities will, thus, be demonstrated to all licensed pesticide applicators; and its use will be encouraged so that these potentially sensitive locations can be integrated into the software systems used by ground and aerial applicators in order to highlight property boundaries around sensitive crops and avoid the potential for drift; and

WHEREAS, The agrichemical industry, the specialty and organic crop industry, bee apiary owners, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and the University of Illinois Extension support the implementation, application, and use of this system; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Illinois Department of Agriculture to implement this internet-based geographic information system in order to help identify sensitive crops, foster meaningful communication between specialty growers and pesticide applicators, lessen the likelihood of pesticide drift in the agricultural community, and protect the interests of all parties involved in production agriculture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Director of Agriculture shall provide a report regarding the implementation of this internet-based geographic information system to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2010; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of Agriculture.