[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.
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