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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire provides multiple ecological,
3 economic, and cultural benefits to the State of Illinois; and
4 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire has been practiced for thousands
5 of years and was a primary tool used by Indigenous peoples to
6 attract game, stimulate a rich ground layer of plants for
7 harvesting, and keep woodlands and grasslands open and easy to
8 traverse; and
9 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a traditional land management
10 practice and public safety tool that helps prevent and lessen
11 the severity of wildfires; and
12 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is a valuable tool used by
13 forest, prairie, and wetland landowners and managers in
14 reducing hazardous fuels, reducing the risk of destructive
15 wildfires, preparing sites for both natural and artificial
16 forest regeneration, improving access to and the appearance of
17 land, and controlling detrimental insects and forest diseases;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is an effective natural tool for
20 controlling invasive species; and
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1 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is one of the most important land
2 management practices in maintaining and restoring healthy
3 landscapes, but only approximately 6% of conservation lands in
4 Illinois are currently being managed with prescribed fire; and
5 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain
6 fire-dependent ecosystems and to manage wildlife habitat for
7 many species; it is a vital tool to maintain economic,
8 biological, and aesthetic resources across Illinois; and
9 WHEREAS, The Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is an
10 organization of both public and private partners with a
11 mission to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed
12 fire on the Illinois landscape; and
13 WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois
14 Prescribed Burning Act in 2007 defining prescribed fire as
15 "the planned application of fire to naturally occurring
16 vegetative fuels under specified environmental conditions and
17 following appropriate precautionary measures, which causes the
18 fire to be confined to a predetermined area and accomplish the
19 planned land management objectives."; and
20 WHEREAS, Prescribed fire helps keep Illinois grasslands
21 and forests healthy, which, in return, provides ecological
22 services such as clean air and clean water and contributes to
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1 the quality of life of the State's citizens and to local
2 economies; therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
4 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2025
5 as Prescribed Burning Awareness Month in the State of
6 Illinois; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That we support the appropriate and continued
8 use of prescribed fire in Illinois; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council as a symbol
11 of our respect and esteem.
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