WHEREAS,  soils are a natural resource that supports major economic sectors of our State, including agriculture, forestry and recreation; and

WHEREAS,  healthy soils filter, store and release fresh water, and soil management is closely linked to the water quality in our groundwater, lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans; and

WHEREAS,  wetland soils mitigate the effects of major storms and protect our coastal and riverine ecosystems; and

WHEREAS,  soil is a living ecosystem that provides keys to scientific advances that directly affect human health, such as the development of new medicines, including recent advances in antibiotic technology developed from Maine soil; and

WHEREAS,  good soil management can prevent damaging erosion, loss of organic matter, soil compaction and degradation of soil structure, thereby sustaining the essential ecosystem functions performed by soils; and

WHEREAS,  soils are renewable only on the scale of geologic time yet support the renewable resources upon which Maine's future depends; and

WHEREAS,  the 119th Maine Legislature designated the Chesuncook soil series as our official state soil to promote public awareness and education regarding soil resources; and

WHEREAS,  2015 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly the International Year of Soils, celebrated by the Soil Science Society of America and many other organizations; now, therefore, be it