IL HJR0063

Declares the first full week of March 2022 as "Illinois Soil Health Week" and the Wednesday of that week as "Illinois Soil Health Day"

Recognizes soil health as the capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem sustaining plants, animals, and humans, as defined by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Identifies six basic soil health principles: minimizing soil disturbance and external inputs, maximizing plant and microbial diversity, maintaining living roots, keeping soil covered with crops and residue, integrating animals into land management, and incorporating local conditions in decision-making

Affirms that soil health practices including no-till farming, cover crops, nutrient management plans, and crop rotations reduce nutrient pollution in watersheds and sequester carbon to mitigate climate change

Directs copies of the resolution to the Director of the Department of Agriculture, the Governor's Office, and chairs of the Illinois Senate Agriculture Committee and House Agriculture & Conservation Committee