My name is Luna Valderrama, I am from Morris, and I am currently a university student studying environmental public policy. I study in Chicago now, but I spent my entire life in Morris, where I had so much access to green space and public freshwater, such as the I&M Canal and the Illinois River.

I entered university as an environmentalist, but after having spent years here, I am much more aware of exactly how critical the natural environment is to us as humans. I’ve become growingly concerned with the state of our wetlands. Over 90% of Illinois wetlands have been destroyed due to variables such as urbanization and development.

Morris uses wells for freshwater, which means that Morris should also be concerned about the quality and sanctity of our wetlands. Wetlands help mitigate flood risk and flood protection, and as you are surely aware, the Illinois River floods several times a year and has nowhere to go because of the parking infrastructure.

There are certainly things that can be done to protect the few wetlands that still exist in Illinois. As citizens, we should be pressuring Governor J.B. Pritzker to take action on this matter before the end of the legislative session in 2026.