HR0218 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0218 LRB102 18077 LAW 25120 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In response to the Dust Bowl, Congress enacted the Soil Conservation Act, which President Roosevelt signed on April 27, 1935, creating the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly created the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act to promote the protection and wise use of soil, water, and related resources on July 9, 1937; and

WHEREAS, The Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District (MPSWCD) was founded on December 6, 1941 and has promoted conservation ethics for 80 years; and

WHEREAS, The Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District discussed practices for long range work in 1942, which included contouring intertilled crops, seeding small grains, adding permanent sod waterways, improving pastures, mowing pasture weeds, controlling weeds, harvesting hayseed, liming, fertilizing, and tree planting; and

WHEREAS, The State Soil Conservation District Board respectfully requested the Illinois General Assembly fund the Illinois Soil Conservation District in 1943 to provide for incidental expenses as required by law, such as ads or elections and office supplies; and

WHEREAS, Hugh Hammond Bennett, the father of soil conservation, visited the Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District in 1943, where he spent time talking to local landowners, explaining how conservation would help their farming practices, and instilling the beginnings of relations with the local field offices; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois River divides both Marshall and Putnam Counties, creating its own unique concerns and problems for conservation; while the Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District is one of the smallest districts, it is one of the top producers of conservation dollars and practices implemented in its part of the State; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Erosion and Sediment Control law, often referred to as the T by 2000 program, became effective in April 1980 and was designed to preserve the long-term productivity of Illinois soil and to protect water quality; and

WHEREAS, The first survey was run in 1982, and it showed that around 50% of the acres in Illinois were protected from soil loss, which was the average across the State; by the year 2018, 99.6% of the acres in Marshall and Putnam Counties were protected from soil loss by being under the 2% of T soil loss; and

WHEREAS, The Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District wrote a grant in 2018 to put conservation on the ground in the form of waterways, basins, and edge of field practices, which allowed the district to open 25 new partnerships with agencies across the State; and

WHEREAS, The Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District's devoted Board of Directors and staff have achieved measurable results in preventing soil loss since the district's formation; the current Board of Directors are Terry Bogner, Debbie Leigh, Richard Ashdown, Carol Stadel, Josh Merdian, Jim McQuilkin, and Diana Williamson; staff members are Jill Ketter, Stacy Williamson, Erika Luft, and Tyler Shipley; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District for 80 years of continued conservation efforts for Marshall and Putnam Counties; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Board of Directors and staff of the Marshall-Putnam Soil & Water Conservation District as a symbol of our respect and esteem.