Office of the Mayor

Proclamation

Lawrence, Kansas

WHEREAS:       Native plants species are an important part of Kansas’ heritage, providing important aesthetic, economic, and ecological contributions that make Kansas a special place to live; and

WHEREAS:       The State’s varied landscape supports nearly 1,700 native species of flowering plants and ferns; and

WHEREAS:       Kansas spans most of the width of the grasslands that blanket the plains of Central North America, and prairies are the hallmark of the state’s natural heritage; and

WHEREAS:       Approximately four percent of our nation’s original tallgrass prairie remains intact and ninety-five percent of this prairie is in Kansas; and

WHEREAS:       More than 470 of our native plant species are listed as rare by the Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory, and invasive species present a threat to sustaining of Kansas’ native ecosystems and the biodiversity that they support;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mike Amyx, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the month of June to be

“KANSAS NATIVE PLANT APPRECIATION MONTH”

And urge all citizens to join in this observance by enjoying, appreciating, and celebrating our floral diversity by taking advantage of the opportunities to learn more about our native plants, their habitats, and how to protect them.

                                                     Mike Amyx, Mayor

June 6, 2006