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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE RECEIPT OF PLATINUM ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE 2014 EXCELLENCE IN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR BLUFF SPRING FEN
WHEREAS, Bluff Spring Fen located within the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (the "Forest Preserves") has received Platinum Accreditation through Chicago Wilderness' Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program ("EERP"); and
WHEREAS, Bluff Spring Fen, a 165-acre preserve located in the City of Elgin in northwest Cook County, holds a diverse community of native plants and wildlife, including 12 species listed as threatened or endangered in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, platinum is the highest level that can be bestowed on a site and is given to celebrate and accredit managing organizations for high-quality restoration and impact on the ground; and
WHEREAS, the EERP is designed to recognize high-quality restoration sites and develop professional standards of excellence in natural resource management and ecological restoration; and
WHEREAS, the primary purpose of the EERP is to promote best management practices in order to improve ecological restoration efforts in the Chicago region and across the nation; and
WHEREAS, participation in the EERP provides agencies with opportunities for self-assessment and to demonstrate on the ground commitment to Chicago Wilderness' Biodiversity Recovery Plan; and
WHEREAS, the EERP outlines professional standards for both internal and external comparisons, thereby raising the credibility for agencies engaged in restoring sites; and
WHEREAS, Bluff Spring Fen is made up of a patchwork of unique natural features including dry gravel prairie, mesic black soil prairie, bur oak savanna, fen, sedge meadow and marsh; and
WHEREAS, Bluff Spring Fen has been dedicated as a State Nature Preserve by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission since 1987; and
WHEREAS, Bluff Spring Fen has benefitted from extensive volunteer participation by the Friends of Bluff Spring Fen; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves does hereby acknowledge this prestigious award and the Forest Preserves' steadfast commitment to protect and restore our region's significant natural resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Friends of Bluff Spring Fen as a token of appreciation for their service.
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