The critters of Illinois have a better chance of avoiding the ranks of the homeless if the new Habitat Endowment Act meets expectations of its sponsors. Revenues from a new habitat stamp that hunters must buy will pay for the acquisition, preservation and maintenance of habitat lands. Gov. Jim Edgar said when signing the bill, "Loss of good habitat is the greatest obstacle facing many species today."

In a year when the governor and lawmakers avoided any new taxes, this measure establishing a new $5 habitat stamp drew little criticism. The revenues are carefully earmarked for exactly what will be funded, and the new stamp will serve as a single, unified stamp required for hunting most game.

Gov. Edgar signed the measure September 3 (SB 1955/PA 87-1015). Bill sponsors were Sen. Harry "Babe" Woodyard (R-53, Chrisman), Sen. James "Pate" Philip (R-23, Wood Dale), Rep. Joel Brunsvold (D-71, Milan) and Rep. William B. Black (R-105, Danville).

The Department of Conservation will issue the new $5 habitat stamps beginning April 1, and the stamps are expected to generate $1.6 million annually to benefit wildlife habitat. The new stamp replaces two others. Since 1989 trappers have been required to buy a $5.50 furbearer stamp, and pheasant hunters have had to buy a $5.50 pheasant stamp. The habitat stamp will not replace the existing $10.50 waterfowl stamp or the $2.50 salmon stamp.

This year the furbearer stamp fund returned more than $104,000 for three habitat/wetland projects in Calhoun, Rock Island and Knox counties. Furbearer stamp funds are also underwriting a study by a wildlife communications specialist to ensure the fund's education dollars are used effectively.

The pheasant stamp fund similarly returned $209,100 last March allowing the purchase of two tracts of land to establish pheasant habitat: an 88-acre site in Vermilion County and an 86.5-acre site in McLean County. Since 1990 the pheasant stamp fund has accrued approximately $500,000 annually. That money is used exclusively for acquisition and development of pheasant habitat.

Conservationists, both public and private, see this new law as providing a steady and reliable source of revenue for expansion and improvement of wildlife habitat. The new law forbids the Department of Conservation to use eminent domain to acquire land for wildlife habitat. The law creates two funds from which to channel money to conserve habitat: one from the sale of stamps bought by users and the other from interest on money deposited in an account solely for that purpose.

The Habitat Endowment Act establishes the Illinois Habitat Fund and the Illinois Habitat Endowment Trust Fund. The Habitat Fund will receive 64 percent of stamp sales money. Six percent of the receipts from the habitat stamp, or a minimum of $100,000, will be earmarked for the existing State Furbearers Fund, and 30 percent, or a minimum of $500,000 annually, will be directed to the State Pheasant Fund. Both existing funds remain distinct with guaranteed revenue for projects decided upon by their respective advisory boards, but the two funds will now be under the umbrella of the new law.

The new Illinois Habitat Endowment Trust Fund will be established in a private bank approved by the state treasurer to accept private donations from individuals and groups. Money can also be transferred from other state conservation funds, including the Park and Conservation Fund. As much as $2.5 million per year, up to a total of $10 million, may be transferred to the new fund from the Park and Conservation Fund.

Veto Session perfunctory session: November 5 first week: November 17-19 second week: December 1-3

Sportsmen like the endowment fund because it is an irrevocable trust that cannot be tapped for other programs. The law is written so that all money going into the endowment fund and all money received from the sale of habitat stamps will be spent on improving upland game habitat sites. No money from the Habitat Fund or the Habitat Endowment Trust Fund can be used for administrative purposes.

According to Department of Conservation spokesperson Carol Knowles, the goal for the endowment trust fund is $10 million in five or six years. That $10 million would be left untouched to draw interest that would be transferred to the Habitat Fund. Depending on interest rates, she says the department anticipates that the trust fund, combined with stamp sales, would support spending $1 million per year on habitat conservation. When matching federal and private funds are added, the Department of Conservation could advance as much as $6 million each year for habitat projects.

The Habitat Fund will be administered by an advisory committee of at least nine members appointed by the director of the Department of Conservation. Made up of both public and private individuals involved in habitat conservation, the committee will begin its duties when the Habitat Endowment Trust Fund reaches $10 million. The habitat fund advisory committee has not been named. The two existing committees will continue to advise the furbearer and pheasant funds.

November 1992/Illinois Issues/25

The new habitat stamps will be required of hunters in Illinois over age 16. Exempted are waterfowl (ducks, geese and coots) hunters because they already are required to buy both federal and state migratory waterfowl stamps. Also exempted are disabled veterans, former prisoners of war and any person who has purchased a lifetime hunting license before January 1, 1993. A habitat stamp will not be required for those people who hunt hand-reared birds on licensed game breeding and hunting preserve areas and for those who hunt on state-controlled pheasant hunting areas.

Most sportsmen favor the new law creating the habitat stamps. Jerry Johnson, president of Quail Unlimited, says that his group wanted a stamp similar to the pheasant and furbearer stamps, as did turkey, rabbit and squirrel hunter groups. Johnson says that Illinois sportsmen supported the habitat stamp bill because they wanted to avoid what has happened in Texas where hunters have to buy and attach to their hunting licenses 10 or 12 different stamps for each species of game they want to hunt. "Now here in Illinois with this new law," Johnson says, "hunters buy just one five-dollar stamp to hunt or trap all upland game species." Besides streamlining government administration by avoiding a stamp and a fund and an advisory committee for every game species, the new law saves money and bureaucratic aggravation for hunters and trappers. "It's a good law," says Johnson.

. . . they wanted to avoid what has happened in Texas where hunters have to buy and attach to their hunting licenses 10 or 12 different stamps for each species of game

An initiative of Gov. Edgar supported by almost all sport hunting groups, this measure passed the legislature with overwhelming support. Hunters should be the first to know whether or not the money spent from the stamps they buy actually does increase wildlife numbers.

26/November 1992/ Illinois Issues