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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>BCN friends,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>As birders know well, wetlands are crucial for a variety of birdlife as
well as biodiversity in general. The following happened today, and my State
Representative, Karen May, worked tirelessly to bring it off. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Donnie <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle18><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Donald R. Dann<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=EmailStyle18><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Highland Park/Lake County
</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Wetland
Destruction Act Dies In House<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Senate Bill 761, which has been dubbed in Springfield the "Wetland
Destruction Act", died today after votes for it on the House Energy and
Environment Committee evaporated in the face of strong opposition from
environmental groups, local governments, the Blagojevich Administration, and
Attorney General Lisa Madigan. State Representative Karen May worked tirelessly
for wetlands as usual. SB 761 sponsor and Committee Chairman said the bill had
been assigned to a subcommittee "for a future hearing...maybe" -
Springfield-speak for the legislative recycling bin. <br>
<br>
SB 761 faced long odds on the House floor in the face of this opposition, but
its failure to even clear the House Energy and Environment Committee today was
a surprising development. The Committee is ordinarily deferential to industry
lobbyists, and many of the heaviest hitters in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Springfield</st1:place></st1:City> were leaning on members to
advance the bill. However, by the end of the day, it was clear that no amount
of clout could carry such a strongly anti-environment, anti-local government
bill to the finish line. <br>
<br>
The defeat of SB 761 is clearly a big victory for citizens across the state who
made their voices heard in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Springfield</st1:place></st1:City>.
However, it does not provide real protection for wetlands abandoned by the
federal government in much of the state. For that, we'll need to craft a new
proposal. But with the threat of SB 761 extinguished, we can move on to
building consensus for a bill that provides real protection while respecting
local authority.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>This is from the Illinois Environmental Council.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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