Bill Text: IL HR0630 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares March 3 through March 9, 2024 as Illinois Soil Health Week in the State of Illinois. Encourages the celebration of Soil Health Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness of the importance of the air and water quality environment for all citizens of this State.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-8)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-03 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Harry Benton [HR0630 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HR0630-Introduced.html

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HR0630 LRB103 39539 ECR 69763 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Soil is an essential natural resource, and
Illinois farmers and professionals play a critical role in
managing Illinois soil and water resources; and
WHEREAS, The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines
soil health as the continued capacity of soil to function as a
vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and
humans; and
WHEREAS, The implementation of soil health principles
across the Illinois landscape is not new but has has only
recently been recognized as an urgent part of the need to
prevent soil degradation, return organic resources to the
soil, or composting, protect groundwater used for drinking
water, and combat climate change; the degradation of soil can
be rapid, while the formation and regeneration processes can
be very slow; and
WHEREAS, The protection of Illinois soils is essential to
long-term prosperity and sustainability of the soil and water
resources of our State, counties, and cities, and the six
basic principles of soil health necessary for that protection
are to:

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(1) minimize soil disturbance and external inputs,
including reduced tillage and using compost as a beneficial
product to increase soil organic matter;
(2) maximize plant and microbial diversity;
(3) maintain the presence of living roots;
(4) keep the soil covered, including with cover crops
and crop residue, to armor the soil;
(5) integrate animals into land management, including
grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects, or keystone
species, such as earthworms; and
(6) incorporate the context of local conditions in
decision-making, including for example soil type, topography,
and time of year; and
WHEREAS, Soil health principles and the associated
voluntary practices of no-till, cover crops, nutrient
management plans, and longer crop rotations enhance the
ability of farmers to meet the non-point source pollution
goals for nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus; it is essential to
reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and
into our watersheds; with these reduced nutrient losses from
agriculture lands, which are detailed in the Illinois Nutrient
Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), farmers will be able to meet
desired outcomes as outlined by the Mississippi River Basin
Hypoxia Task Force for the Gulf of Mexico; and

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WHEREAS, Soil health principles provide for the reduction
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the sequestration
of carbon within the upper reaches of the soil profile; this
carbon mitigation improves the organic matter content in the
soil and provides a stable biome for soil organisms, improves
nutrient transfer from soil to root, and increases water
infiltration and water-holding capacity; and
WHEREAS, Despite soil's importance to human health, the
environment, nutrition and food, feed, fiber, and fuel
production, there is little public awareness of the importance
of soil protection; and
WHEREAS, Illinois soils are some of the best in the world,
having the ability to sink carbon and reverse climate change,
grow nutritious food for Illinois communities, and keep
waterways clean; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that the State of Illinois
actively raise awareness on the importance of soil health and
promote its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future
generations of Illinois citizens; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we declare March 3 through March 9, 2024 as Illinois Soil

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Health Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage the celebration of Soil Health
Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of
Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness
of the importance of the air and water quality environment for
all citizens of this State; and be it further