Register to Hunt and Fish, Read DNR Update Via IDNR's Web Site

The Department of Natural Resources has marked another new milestone. It now has a World Wide Web site on the Internet. You can access the department's home page by setting your computer's Web browser to http:// dnr.state.il.us. Just a few clicks of the mouse, and you can reach the vast array of services the department offers.

If you're a hunter or angler, for example, you can click "Hunting and Fishing Information" and in another couple of clicks, you can call up hunting or fishing license applications on your computer screen. Print them, fill them out and submit the applications along with the necessary fees, and you'll be ready to pursue your sport for another year.

Permit applications are available, too. Scroll to the application you're interested in, click it on, print it out, and mail it to the Permit Office. Boat and snowmobile registrations can be handled in the same way.

Interested in learning more about wetlands, rivers, minerals or native plant and animal species? You'll be impressed with the amount of information at your disposal—everything from forests, prairies and other ecosystems to coal, natural gas and trends in air and water quality.

You can keep up with programs, events and announcements by accessing the department's latest news releases on the Web. Also available is the department's newsletter, DNR Update. A featured publication. Landowner's Guide to Natural Resources Management Incentives, is now online, with other popular publications to follow.

Thinking of a weekend trip to an Illinois state park? You can click on to "State Parks and Outdoor Areas" to find out what's offered at various department sites. Want a printout of the rates for environmental license plates? That information is available, too.

The Illinois State Museum is another great place to visit, and the DNR Web site makes it easy. There's also a "Kids Page" just for younger visitors.

One of the most colorful places on the site is brought to you by the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), which lets you view satellite imagery maps of the state. ISGS's fellow scientists at the State Water Survey, the Natural History Survey and the Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center also have a treasure trove of information to help satisfy your curiosity about the state.

The DNR home page offers a "Search" button so you can zero-in on a specific topic quickly and easily, plus links to other state agencies that have home pages. Last but not least, the "Guest Book" allows you to sign in and register your comments, while a "Questions" area is set up for answering your queries via e-mail.