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Scene from Spencer Park, Belvidere, Illinois located in the
Boone County Conservation District.

THE COUNTY APPROACH TO CONSERVATION

By
Tom Myers

IT IS NO SECRET that this country is rapidly exhausting its remaining open space. Housing developments, highways, factories, and parking lots are being built where woods and other natural areas were once situated. No one doubts that housing and jobs are important needs that must be satisfied. But another factor requires equal attention. That factor is quality of life.

Human happiness is predicated on man's understanding of his role within nature. Where he has access to it, he achieves a degree of contentment. Where he doesn't, such as in a big city ghetto, he becomes dehumanized. This is not a new concept; Thomas Jefferson said the same thing. The difference now is we don't have time to muse over the subject. We either move to preserve woods, natural lands, and open space for outdoor recreation, or we'll have to face the consequences after it's too late. The cost of what must be done now will be unthinkably high in a few years.

The Conservation District Act

In 1963 the Illinois General Assembly provided us with a vehicle to head off the problem while it is still managable. The Conservation District Act enables counties, either individually or collectively, to establish organizations responsible for acquiring and developing open lands for public recreational use. The purpose of the multi-county approach is to enable counties with a high tax base but little useable land to consolidate their efforts with counties in an opposite situation. In this way the benefits would be spread out evenly. Iowa masterminded the Conservation District idea, and 93 of its 99 counties have had the foresight to organize districts of their own.

Too often people in Illinois think conservation is solely the responsibility of the Illinois Department of Conservation. This is not the case now, nor has it ever been. State Policy is that all levels of government share the obligation of providing for outdoor recreation and any attempt by the State to provide for county needs would both undermine local initiative and place an impossible burden on the State's resources. City parks must take care of neighborhood needs, Conservation Districts and Forest Preserve Districts must assume responsibility for regional requirements, and the Department of Conservation manages area of State-wide or

Tom Myers is a Governor's Intern with the Dept. of Conservation, serving as a liaison to county conservation districts.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 14 November/December, 1972


Sectional significance. All of those roles must be filled.

Any county, with the exception of those which operate Forest Preserves, is eligible to form a Conservation District. The proposition is submitted to the voters to decide by referendum, and up to five counties may band together to form a single district if the people of those counties so decide. Once established, five trustees are chosen by the county Board of Supervisors to serve staggered five year terms.

According to law, the upper limit of taxing power of a Conservation District is one mill, or 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation. A district may also issue tax anticipation warrants, receive gifts, and submit bond issues to the voters. Each Conservation District has a great deal of latitude in setting its priorities for acquisition and development, although consultation with the Department of Conservation is required by law on all matters relating to plans and policies.

Presently five Illinois counties have organized Conservation Districts: Boone, Macon, McHenry, Putnam, and Vermilion. A sixth, LaSalle, was dissolved at an early stage in its existence.

Understandably, people are hesitant to support the creation of another tax-assessing government agency if they are not sure how it will benefit them. The strong-suit of a Conservation District is that a broad spectrum of people will be directly advantaged as its acquisition and development programs are implemented. Lakes can be purchased to provide public access for fishing and swimming. Scenic areas may be acquired and maintained for camping and picnicking, and nature preserves set aside for study of flora and fauna, or simply for reflection. Programs can be coordinated with local school districts so that children may gain an appreciation of the complexity of nature. Bicycle paths can be established for those inclined toward that pursuit. Conservation Districts can also, where appropriate, establish public shooting areas for hunters and sportsmen. In short, if a Conservation District has imaginative leadership and community support, there is no limit to its potential contribution to the public welfare. And the most significant factor is that land acquired by a conservation district will remain as recreation areas for generations to come, protected from the demands of urban expansion.

Opportunities Available

A survey of the five Conservation Districts reflects a wide range of opportunities and facilities available. For example, in Putnam county you can walk through a woods with a booklet interpreting what surrounds you. In Vermilion county there will be a program enabling 5th and 6th grade classes to spend a week at Forest Glen Park's three-building environmental education campus instead of meeting at school. Macon County plans to develop the Rock Springs Center for Environmental Discovery near Decatur where everything from pedestrian curiosity to scholarly exploration of nature can be satisfied. Boone County's Spencer Park complements the Belvidere park district's facilities by providing additional space to relieve overcrowding, as well as being a beautiful urban park in its own right.

The Conservation Districts may have dissimilar operations but their goals are the same. To this end the federal government administers a variety of grants and matching fund programs to assist the Districts with their projects. Federal aid substantially eases the financial burden of land acquisition and allows the pace of park development to quicken.

It is essential that the citizens of Illinois organize Conservation Districts throughout the state if the open space crisis we are facing is to be solved. Local people must be shown that it is in their interest to organize a district in their county. An alliance of clubs and organizations canvassing a county and disseminating information is the surest way to get the point across. Park District professionals can be of invaluable service in this respect since they understand the scope of the problem and what is needed to remedy it. But action must be taken soon or our open space problems will be aggravated beyond repair.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 15 November/December, 1972


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