12-R359

2012 -- S 2992

Enacted 06/12/12

J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING AUGUST 10TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 2012 TO BE "RHODE ISLAND LAND TRUST DAYS"

Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Felag, Picard, Miller, and McCaffrey

Date Introduced: May 17, 2012

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island is a really special place and our citizens are fiercely proud of

our rich heritage.  We love our bay and islands, our rivers and ponds, our beaches and shorelines,

our working farms and forests, and our scenic landscapes, unique natural areas, and historic

places; and

     WHEREAS, All these settings form the fabric of Rhode Island’s communities and define

the character of our communities and state; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island residents value this legacy as a central asset essential to our

quality of life, the foods we eat, our sense of place, and the foundation for much of our economy;

and

     WHEREAS, We have long recognized a need to protect our heritage by protecting these

special places in our communities for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and future

generations; and

     WHEREAS, Citizens from across our state have formed land trusts to take action to

permanently protect the special places in our communities; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Rhode Island Senate

have long supported the creation, restoration, and funding for numerous projects that preserve and

enhance the natural, cultural, and historical world that surrounds us; and

     WHEREAS, For decades, Rhode Island’s citizens have demonstrated strong community

support for land trusts’ land conservation activities through memberships and by voting to

approve state and municipal bonds that help fund land conservation projects; and  

     WHEREAS, Rhode Islanders across the state annually volunteer hundreds of hours of

their time on boards and committees of land trusts in order to protect the special places in our

communities and to help manage those protected lands; and 

     WHEREAS, Land trusts all over Rhode Island want to increase community enjoyment of

these special places and the beauty, respite, solitude, wonder, and history they provide; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Land Trust Council is sponsoring Rhode Island Land

Trust Days to help spotlight the activities of the state’s more than forty-five land trusts; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence

Plantations hereby recognizes the important contributions of land trusts and their volunteers, and

encourages residents and visitors to our beautiful state to get outdoors, take a hike, paddle a river,

discover the history around you, and enjoy the protected lands in our communities; and be it

further

     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly hereby proclaims August 10th through

September 30th of 2012 to be “Rhode Island Land Trust Days” and invites all our citizens to

discover and enjoy Rhode Island’s special places; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Roy Najecki, President of the Rhode Island

Land Trust Council.

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LC02588

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