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Green Places and Wide-Open Spaces


Governor Ryan's program lands new recreational opportunities.

STORY BY P.J. PEREA

"We stand today poised on a pinnacle of wealth and power, yet we live in a land of vanishing beauty, of increasing ugliness, of shrinking open space and of an overall environment that is diminished daily by pollution and noise and blight. This, in brief, is the quiet conservation crisis."

Stewart L. Udall,
U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 1963

A recent paper by Craig Miller and R. Jason Williams of the Illinois Natural History Survey found that a majority of Illinois hunters (56 percent) felt that access to land for recreational uses was the greatest problem facing hunters. With less private land available for hunting because of urban sprawl, leasing and land development, there has been considerable pressure on Illinois' current public hunting areas and increased demand for new public areas. Between 1990 and 2000 alone, Illinois' population increased 8.6 percent, adding even more demands on an already limited resource.

The problems facing hunters echo similar problems for many of us who enjoy the outdoors. Whether you hunt, fish, camp, hike, watch wildlife, canoe, bicycle, field trial dogs or ride horses, finding a place to enjoy the outdoors can at times be difficult. It also can be crowded when you do find a place. Open land and natural areas are very important in providing habitat for fish and wildlife, improving environmental quality and increasing the quality of life for everyone in Illinois.

Faced with this alarming trend, Gov. George H. Ryan responded by proposing the Open Lands Trust Act in 1998. With overwhelming support from many conservation and recreational organizations, such as The Openlands Project, The Nature Conservancy, the Illinois Association of Park Districts, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited, the General Assembly unanimously passed the bill in 1999.

The bill included an allocation of $160 million to the program over the span of four years, with its main goals being "... the protection and preservation of open lands, natural areas, wetlands, prairies, forests, watershed, resource-rich areas, greenways and fish and wildlife habitats."

"Governor Ryan was quick to recognize the importance of acquiring and protecting open space, said DNR Director Brent Manning. "Passage of the Open Lands Trust was one of the first acts of his administration. This legislation is especially significant given the fact that Illinois ranks nearly last among states in the amount of public lands for its residents. Gov. Ryan takes a 'hands on' interest in this program, and he is to
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OutdoorIllinois


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Gov. George H. Ryan went to Mahomet to announce the award of $2 million from the Open Lands Trust program. The grant was used to purchase 358 acres of floodplain and two large lakes for the Champaign County Forest Preserve.
(Photo by Brent Hanson, I.I.S.)

be commended for his commitment to future generations of Illinoisans."

Manning went on to explain that OLT is essentially four programs in one.

"The first program is straightforward. DNR acquires land to increase recreational opportunities," he said.

"The second part is the grant program. "The Open Lands Trust program works with local units of government to provide matching grants for the purchase of land. This, essentially, doubles the bang for the buck, allowing more land to be bought."

The third part, the loan program, allows OLT to lend money to local units of government in the event they cannot raise enough capital on their own. Manning pointed out that the loan program has not been implemented at this time because there has been no expressed demand for the loans.

The fourth component is the Community Planning Allowance. Manning said these funds serve as grants that partially offset the tax loss to communities when DNR buys property there.

In its first year, the Open Lands Trust (OLT) program purchased more than 12,000 acres-the largest being approximately 7,200 acres acquired for the expansion of Pyramid State Park in Perry County.

Carl Becker, assistant director for DNR's Office of Realty and Environmental Planning, serves as the department's OLT coordinator. "When we talk about buying open space, we are specifically looking for projects that create natural resource-related recreational opportunities. That means we aren't buying property for soccer fields and baseball diamonds," Becker said. "We are looking to create places for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, hiking and birding."

Information
you can use

Visit these websites for more information on Open Lands Trust program and cooperating organizations that support outdoor recreation:

dnr.state.il.us/orep/
(DNR's Office of Realty and Planning)

www.openlands.org
(Openlands Project)

nature-org/
(The Nature Conservancy)

www.ilparks.org/
(Illinois Association of Park Districts)

www.nwtf.org
(The National Wild Turkey Federation)

www.ducks.org
(Ducks Unlimited)

Becker is pleased with the progress of the program, currently in its third year. During the 2001 fiscal year, OLT funded 15 projects totaling $19.4 million. Once word got around that DNR was interested in purchasing land, offers poured into the OLT office from landowners willing to sell property. In all, more than $500 million worth of property was identified, far exceeding the $160 million allocated for the program. At the same time, there was intense interest by private organizations willing to partner with OLT and raise funds to purchase open space.

The need for open space is especially prized in the northeastern part of the state, which is seeing continued urban growth. Local government units in that region spent more than $424 million for open space initiatives between 1999 and 2001.

Jerry Adelmann, executive director of the Openlands Project in northeastern Illinois stated, "The OLT project could not have come a better time, for we are at an important crossroads. Open spaces and park resources are important for the quality of life of the people, and the long-term economic vitality of our communities. Without a program like this, we risk losing many important natural areas of high ecological value.

"We rarely think about the 'green infrastructure' when we are planning new development," he said. "We plan for 'grey infrastructure,' such as sewer lines and roads, but open space is usually an afterthought."

Adelmann applauded the Governor and legislature for creating OLT and said he hoped they will continue to explore other revenue sources for open space to expand recreational opportunities.

According to Becker, open space is a recognized and valuable asset that the public wants and is willing to pay for. With only two years left in the program, he hopes to see an extension or perhaps even a permanent OLT program to meet the needs for open space.

With Illinois ranked 48th in the country in public land per capita, the OLT program can move Illinois up a few notches and make it an even better place to enjoy the outdoors.

 

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September 2001


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