Items listed under "State Documents" have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available.

• A Call to Action: Recommendations of the Illinois Commission on African-American Males, Office of the Attorney General, 500 S. Second Street, Springfield 62706 (June 1994), 72pp.

Statistics suggest that almost one-fourth of Illinois' African-American men are unemployed (as compared to 7.7 percent white males who are unemployed), that about one-fourth between the ages of 23 and 29 are in prison, that homicide is a leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-old African-American males, and that suicide is the leading cause of death among African-American men of all ages. To address the causes and implications of these and similar statistics, Attorney General Roland Burris established a commission in June 1992 comprising approximately 100 people from around the state. The group was divided into eight task forces, each dealing with a separate issue: crime and drugs; economic development and employment; education; family life and African-American manhood; health; housing; racism and politics; and religious and community organizations.

Some of the recommendations from the groups include: establishing a crime prevention cabinet position in Illinois; restructuring Earnfare; encouraging teaching careers for African-American males; expanding parenting classes for fathers and welfare changes to preserve the role of men in families; increasing inner city health care workers; increased monitoring of fair housing laws and mortgage guarantees; voter education; and establishment of mentor programs by religious organizations to "adopt" at-risk African-American males of all age groups.

In addition to a brief description of the problem addressed by each task force and its list of recommendations, the report provides a cross-referenced index of all the recommendations made by the eight groups. A 58-page Directory of Service Organizations Serving African-American Males in Illinois, prepared by the commission, is also available from the attorney general's office.

• The Rise and Fall of Disease in Illinois, Department of Public Health, 535 W. Jefferson, Springfield 62761 (republished in 1994); Volume I: 432 pp.. Volume II: 493 pp.; both hard-back.

This two-volume study was originally published in 1927-28 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Illinois' public health department. It covers the first 50 years of the state's public health efforts, starting with a general history of health prior to 1877, which includes a number of amusing, startling and deplorable statements about the Indian population. A long middle section of the first volume describes the creation of the state's public health administration, and the final section deals with health conditions after 1877.

The second volume begins with the development of local health departments in 27 municipalities. Another long section is devoted entirely to the Chicago Department of Health, which was established by an ordinance passed by the city council on July 19, 1876. Four shorter sections cover the sanitary district movement, the tuberculosis sanitarium movement, rural health services and the sanitary supervision of milk. Both volumes contain numerous photographs, tables and charts; and the entire study is well-indexed.

Anna J. Merritt

Environmental trends The state has completed its first comprehensive examination of Illinois' environment. The Changing Illinois Environment: Critical Trends takes a close look at our land, water and air and the ecosystems of each. The aim of the report is to provide a baseline of "real-world" information to be used by citizens and policy-makers in shaping future environmental policies. Some of the trends: • Illinois is cleaner, healthier. Stream pollution has lessened and air quality has improved. • The environment is becoming more "generic," populated mainly by species able to exploit simplified ecosystems. Complexity is lost to the fragmentation of habitat and the introduction of non-native species. • There is little prairie in the Prairie State. One-third of the state's prairie remnants are too small to be self-sustaining ecosystems. • The state has more forest than it has had in nearly a century, but the oaks and hickories are being replaced by maples and beeches. • Old injuries to the land are being repaired. Two-thirds of the acres scarred by strip mining have been restored, and newer landfills are polluting less than older ones. For copies of the report, call the Department of Energy and Natural Resources at 800-252-8955. Electronic information is available at 800-528-5486.

January 1995/Illinois Issues/41