[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13247]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF ILLINOIS ON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RAY LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2007

  Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice congratulations to 
The Nature Conservancy of Illinois in honor of its 50th Anniversary, 
and for the outstanding conservation work it has accomplished in 
Illinois. Since its establishment in 1957, The Nature Conservancy of 
Illinois has acquired, restored and preserved nearly 80,000 acres of 
natural lands at 120 sites throughout the entire State for the benefit 
of Illinois citizens.
  The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization, with 
more than 35,000 members in the state of Illinois and nearly 1 million 
members around the world working to protect ecologically important 
lands and waters for nature and people. For the past 50 years The 
Nature Conservancy in Illinois has been an effective, innovative 
partner in conservation with local, State, and Federal public land 
management agencies, other conservation not for profit organizations, 
corporations, foundations and individual private landowners to create 
science-based conservation solutions that benefit nature and enhance 
the well being of people who depend on vital natural resources for 
their lives and livelihoods.
  The Nature Conservancy works to improve river life, water quality and 
restore aquatic ecosystems through projects along the Illinois River 
including the preserves at Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms, the Cache River 
in Southern Illinois and the Mackinaw River in central Illinois. By 
using the best available science, The Nature Conservancy works to 
conserve our grasslands, prairies, forests at places like Kankakee 
Sands, Indian Boundary Prairies, Nachusa Grasslands, Chinquapin, and 
the Illinois Ozarks.
  The Nature Conservancy is a founding member of Chicago Wilderness, a 
consortium of more than 200 public and private organizations working 
together to protect, restore, study and manage the natural ecosystems 
of the Chicago region, contribute to the conservation of global 
biodiversity, and enrich local residents' quality of life. In addition, 
The Nature Conservancy has spearheaded and supported various state 
policy initiatives that made meaningful contributions to Illinois 
natural resource management including public funding initiatives, and 
the Volunteer Stewardship Network to help public and private landowners 
manage their lands by removing invasive species, collecting native 
seeds, conducting prescribed burns, reducing pollution and managing 
precious parcels of land and waterways, and assisting with 
environmental youth education programs.
  The Nature Conservancy's Board of Trustees and staff use a non-
confrontational and collaborative approach to their work with all 
sectors of society to achieve meaningful conservation results in 
Illinois. That is why The Nature Conservancy is a leader in raising 
awareness of the benefits of nature, conservation and sound 
environmental practices among Illinois communities, elected officials, 
and the public at large.
  I am proud to recognize the contributions The Nature Conservancy has 
made to significantly improve Illinois landscape and waterways, and 
congratulate The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter, for its 50 years 
of conservation work in the State and applaud their efforts across the 
United States and around the globe to protect and conserve the 
biodiversity of the Earth.

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