Please call your state senator and ask him or her to vote YES on HB 422, a bill to protect Illinois’ wetlands

Last spring your calls to your state representative resulted in a historic wetlands protection act being passed by the Illinois House of Representatives. But that effort will be wasted if the bill does not pass the Illinois Senate this fall. Please call your Illinois state senator and ask him or her to vote YES on HB 422, a bill to preserve isolated wetlands in Illinois. Be sure to leave your name and address so that he or she knows you are a constituent.

You may find out who your Illinois state senator is, as well as his local contact information, at the following web page:

http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp

Just type in your 9 digit zip code or your complete address, then click on "Search.” Click on the name of your State Senator to find his/her telephone number. You may also call your Public Library, Town Hall, or the Board of Elections (DuPage County 630-682-7442, Cook County 312-443-5150) to find out this information.

To speak with your Illinois state senator in Springfield, call the IL State Capitol switchboard (217-782-2000) and ask for your State senator by name.

The following is background on the bill:

Wetlands are one of Illinois’ most important resources. Wetlands help property owners by reducing flooding, which causes hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in Illinois in an average year. Wetlands also clean our streams, lakes and rivers by filtering out sediment and pollution. Wetlands provide irreplaceable habitat for waterfowl, fish and many of our state’s endangered species.

Anyone who cares about clean water, dry basements or wildlife has a stake in protecting wetlands.

However, many of Illinois’ wetlands are in danger. A 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision scaled back the federal Clean Water Act, leaving many wetlands unprotected. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources estimates that over 150,000 acres of Illinois wetlands lost protection due to that decision. Each year since the 2001 decision, hundreds of acres of Illinois wetlands have been destroyed.

HB 422 would give state protection to the wetlands that lost federal protection in 2001. It passed the Illinois house in a squeaker victory last spring when hundreds of Illinois residents called their representatives to say vote yes on HB 422. Please help us repeat the spring miracle in the House of Representatives by making your call to your state senator today.