IL SOIL HEALTH WEEK

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0580

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Full Text of HR0580

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HR0580 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0580
LRB104 16630 LAW 30031 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, Soil is an essential natural resource, and
3
Illinois farmers and professionals play a critical role in
4
managing Illinois soil and water resources; and

5

WHEREAS, The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
6
of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines
7
soil health as the continued capacity of soil to function as a
8
vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and
9
humans; and

10

WHEREAS, The implementation of soil health principles
11
across the Illinois landscape is not new but has only recently
12
been recognized as an urgent part of the need to prevent soil
13
degradation, return organic resources to the soil or compost,
14
protect groundwater used for drinking water, and combat
15
climate change; the degradation of soil can be rapid, while
16
the formation and regeneration processes can be very slow; and

17

WHEREAS, The protection of Illinois soils is essential to
18
long-term prosperity and sustainability of the soil and water
19
resources of our State, counties, and cities, and the six
20
basic principles of soil health necessary for that protection
21
are to:
22

(1) Minimize soil disturbance and external inputs,

HR0580
- 2 -
LRB104 16630 LAW 30031 r
1

including reduced tillage and using compost as a
2

beneficial product to increase soil organic matter;
3

(2) Maximize plant and microbial diversity;
4

(3) Maintain the presence of living roots;
5

(4) Keep the soil covered, including with cover crops
6

and crop residue, to armor the soil;
7

(5) Integrate animals into land management, including
8

grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects, or keystone
9

species, such as earthworms; and
10

(6) Incorporate the context of local conditions in
11

decision-making, including soil type, topography, and time
12

of year; and

13

WHEREAS, Farmers using voluntary practices of no-till,
14
cover crops, nutrient management plans, and longer crop
15
rotations contribute to the advancement of non-point source
16
pollution goals for nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus; Illinois
17
farmers work to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of
18
farm fields and into our watersheds; with these reduced
19
nutrient losses from agriculture lands, which are detailed in
20
the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), farmers
21
will be able to meet desired outcomes as outlined by the
22
Mississippi River Basin Hypoxia Task Force for the Gulf of
23
Mexico; and

24

WHEREAS, Soil health principles provide for the reduction

HR0580
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LRB104 16630 LAW 30031 r
1
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the sequestration
2
of carbon within the upper reaches of the soil profile; this
3
carbon mitigation improves the organic matter content in the
4
soil and provides a stable biome for soil organisms, improves
5
nutrient transfer from soil to root, and increases water
6
infiltration and water-holding capacity; and

7

WHEREAS, Despite soil's importance to human health, the
8
environment, nutrition and food, feed, fiber, and fuel
9
production, there is little public awareness of the importance
10
of soil protection; and

11

WHEREAS, Illinois soils are some of the best in the world,
12
having the ability to sink carbon and reverse climate change,
13
grow nutritious food for Illinois communities, and keep
14
waterways clean; and

15

WHEREAS, It is imperative that the State of Illinois
16
actively raise awareness on the importance of soil health and
17
promote its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future
18
generations of Illinois citizens; therefore, be it

19

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21
we declare March 1 through March 7, 2026 as Illinois Soil
22
Health Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further

HR0580
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LRB104 16630 LAW 30031 r
1

RESOLVED, That we encourage the celebration of Soil Health
2
Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of
3
Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness
4
of the importance of the air and water quality environment for
5
all citizens of this State; and be it further

6

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
7
delivered to the Director of the Department of Agriculture,
8
the Office of the Governor, the Chair of the Illinois Senate
9
Agriculture Committee, and the Chair of the Illinois House
10
Agriculture & Conservation Committee.

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