Jerry Van Meter

A quiet reform in the

DEPARTMENT of CONSERVATION

By Jerry Van Meter

WHAT SHOULD ONE DO WHEN a person seeks your advice on how to change state government and, then, after having listened to your opinions, challenges you to do something about it? Such was the case in the autumn of 1970 at Dixon State Park. The challenger was the Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Conservation. The advice given was to develop sound plans and implement them through effective administration. I was the person challenged.

In effect, it was not just me as an individual who was challenged, but the profession, all of us, and what we stand for. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to give back to the profession a progress report on changes which have been effected in the Illinois Department of Conservation during the last two years, changes which came about because of professional enthusiasm and ideals and the generous support of a concerned governor.

The Illinois Department of Conservation is organized in such a way as to divide the Department into two main functions, the legislative and political function which is handled by the Assistant Director and the internal administrative function which is handled by the Deputy Director, both as operating agents of the Director. The Department is then further divided into divisions, the largest and perhaps best known is the Division of Parks and Memorials. The other divisions are Law Enforcement, Fisheries, Systems Research, Forestry, Wildlife Resources, Long Range Planning, Site Planning, Engineering, and Acquisition. Also, certain sections of the Department which are generally treated as divisions including Accounting, Budgeting, Education and In-Service Training. It is through these respective divisions the Department is best known and through which its administrative prowess will be evaluated. Some of the more popular performance indicators currently receiving headlines across the State include the number of acres acquired, the quantity of facilities developed and the quality of repair, maintenance and management of our individual park and conservation areas. Other indicators include the new programs which we offer or the increased quality of existing programs. As one might expect, with each Division of the Department there are notable successes which could be articles in their own right. However, my primary purpose here is to discuss administrative relationships and give you but a thumbnail sketch of these accomplishments.

Our newest division, The Division of Systems Research, has generated numerous reports containing information that is direly needed for both planning and management functions, including a park visitor analysis, a long range planning and policy analysis, as well as forestry and wildlife systems analysis. The Division of Long Range Planning, also a new division, has an extremely credible record of evaluating properties prior to purchase and preparing adversary plans such as those against dams on the Fox and Kankakee Rivers and against channelization of Shoal Creek. This Division also is responsible for coordination of planning among federal, State and local agencies as well as the preparation of the State's Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

The Division of Site Planning is now a separate and much strengthened Division. The prime purpose of this Division is to develop plans to guide the development of properties and assure the integrity of each individual site by harmoniously matching the recreational use of the site with its resource base.

The Division of Engineering has just finished developing administrative guidelines for local units of government who wish to participate in the Department's boat access program. This is a departure from the somewhat

Jerry Van Meter is Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Conservation.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 12 September/October, 1972

loose manner in which the program was run previously.

The Division of Fisheries is becoming well-known for its new program which deals with establishing coho and chinook salmon fishing opportunities in Lake Michigan. Less well-known is that it soon will have a long range plan for fish hatcheries in Illinois.

The Division of Wildlife Resources, a division which recently underwent a name change from the Division of Game, has broadened its responsibility considerably and is now developing a new statewide program for non-game species such as songbirds.

The Division of Forestry has enacted new state laws to protect forest land owners. The Division of Parks has added a new dimension to park use through its interpretive and special event programs. The Division of Law Enforcement has added a task force of specially trained law enforcement officers to deal with their new citizen safety program. The Division of Land Acquisition has acquired an additional 24,000 acres of land in fiscal years 1971 and 1972.

IPRS New President Elect Ernest W. Nance Ernest Nance, a veteran of more than thirteen years in the field of parks and recreation was recently elected to the post of President Elect of the Illinois Park and Recreation Society. The special election became necessary when Dr. Tony A. Mobley accepted the position of Chairman, Department of Recreation and Park Administration, The Pennsylvania State University. (Dr. Mobley was serving as President Elect of IPRS). Nance is presently serving as Executive Director of the Naperville Park District, a position he has held for the past four years. He holds a B.S. Degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master's Degree from Indiana University in Recreation and Park Administration. Nance will assume the Presidency of IPRS at the Societies annual meeting scheduled during the fall conference in Chicago.

The most recent innovation deals with the fiscal matters of the Department including the creation of a Budget Section to deal with the preparation and expediting of the Department's budget and programs of work. This Section along with Accounting Section and other selected functions of the Department will soon be housed together in a new Division of Business Management.

The Education Section of the Department produced a new magazine called "Illinois Conservation Today" which will serve as a prime communication vehicle of the Department.

These are a few accomplishments of the Department and are among the most overt. However, from an administrative point of view, what one must wonder is what permits such accomplishments. Basically, the ingredients are two—leadership and quality of staff. In this Department, the leadership at the top is exemplified by a Director, competent and hard-working in his own right, who listens to and accepts the recommendations of professional staff members. Internally, this leadership is carried on through the divisional administrators, not only the new administrators recruited from outside the Department such as those who head up the Division of Systems Research, Long Range Planning, Site Planning, Parks and Land Acquisition, but through administrative heads who have achieved their positions by recent internal promotion including Engineering, Law Enforcement, Wildlife Resources and Forestry. These changes in top administrative posts have secured a powerful resource for the Department, imaginative people. This was then coupled with a breadth of expertise not found in the Department before. And all of this has been fortified by concentrated in-service training programs which administer to all levels of the Department and deal not only with technical subjects but with administrative ones including the process of management.

These innovations have been judiciously matched with necessary administrative procedures and there has been developed in the Department an administrative philosophy which is based on a single premise—respect for the individual. One of the more satisfying accomplishments has

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Illinois Parks and Recreation 13 September/October, 1972

REFORM...

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been a pilot program conducted during the past year. The project was the preparation of six complete management plans utilizing an inter-disciplinary (inter-divisional) approach on six different properties located throughout the State. Such an approach not only takes advantage of the wide expertise which exists in the Department and assures a cooperative management effort for the respective properties, but also provides a vent for one of the major sources of frustrations which had heretofore existed in the Department, the lack of a vehicle for professionally trained staff to voice their opinions, and have them heard.

The Department's increased professional capability means that it can take an expanded view toward the problems that it faces and more thoroughly resist actions which are dictated by short-term points of view. It permits us to plan for the future for neither employees nor the citizens of the State wish to drift, especially in Illinois where competing demands on our land and water resources for agricultural and industrial purposes are high. The expanded role of professional staff has permitted us to develop basic natural resource and administrative policies to guide the Department. The charting of such long range views puts the Department in a better position to achieve predetermined objectives and to convince the public and the legislature on long-term viewpoints, rather than continually making decisions which are expedient.

A strengthened staff has produced other results which are not immediately visible but certainly add to program accomplishments. This includes the ability to extend to lower echelons of management the responsibility of setting goals and objectives, of developing plans of work and the facing of responsibility when it comes to grading and classifying employees, including making evaluative judgments on the standards of performance by subordinates.

In summary, let me say there is presently taking place in the Department a quiet reform, the subtle establishment of uniformity of management values and criteria. These include a determination not to accept past practices and an emphasis of standards of performance and recognition of merit.

There is, however, yet another hurdle to overcome, the perpetuation of a professional organization dedicated to the conservation of natural resources and the provision of outdoor recreation opportunities. Let there be no doubt that to meet the challenges of the future, it is absolutely essential the Department have continuity in its professional administrators. To this end the Society must stand ready to help.

GOLF OUTING

The Second Annual IPRS Golf outing was held June 2nd with 35 entries from throughout Illinois. The event was held at the beautiful St. Charles Park District's Pottawatomie Park.

A variety of trophies and awards were made but the actual golf took a back seat to just plain socializing and fun.

At the conclusion of the 18 holes of golf, everyone gathered at the club house for food, drink, fellowship and the presentation of awards.

Contributions for the awards were made by the following: Owen Reese, Howard L. White, Paul Buckley, McFadzean & Everly and Artistic Trophies Co.

Dick Buerkle served as host while Paul Derda, chairman of the golf outing, coordinated the event.

DR. JOHN C. ROBERTS

Dr. John C. Roberts, 68, president of the Macomb Park District Board passed away on May 30th.

He was a retired Western Illinois University professor and chairman of the Western Illinois Educational Foundation.

He had served a total of seven years on the park district board and was quite active in other community activities.

Surviving him are the widow; two sons, Theodore K. of Princeton, and Steven C. of White Hall; two daughters, Mrs. Ann Tidmarsh of Moraga, Calif., and Elizabeth M. Roberts of Reno, Nev.; and six grandchildren. Also surviving are three brothers, William of Springfield, Kent C. and Richard of Illiopolis; and two sisters, Mrs. Rachel Dunn of Kewanee and Mrs. Isabel Banck of New Orleans, La.

A memorial has been established for the John C. Roberts Award for the outstanding student teacher at WIU.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 27 September/October, 1972