Illinois
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Pilot heritage tourism projects named

Seven heritage development projects encompassing 59 counties will divide $700,000 from the state to help develop and promote local tourism.

"Illinois is rich in historic sites and cultural attractions," Gov. Jim Edgar said in announcing the grants at the recent Governor's Conference on Tourism. "This program will invigorate local and regional economies, generate new jobs, and increase awareness of the value of Illinois' cultural heritage."

Development of these projects is expected to carry an economic impact of more than $84.6 million by 2000. Tourism, America's third largest retail sales industry, contributes more than $18 billion to the Illinois economy and directly employs 261,200 people. Studies show tourists interested in cultural or historic sites spend more per trip than the average tourist, take longer trips, visit more destinations, participate in more activities and stay more often in hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts.

A Travel Industry Association of America study shows that 65 million Americans visited a historic site, museum or other cultural destination last year. In Illinois that's nearly one-third of all visitors to the state.

Recognizing the revenue potential, Edgar's administration in 1996 created the Heritage Tourism Development Program to help Illinois communities develop resources and stimulate economic growth.

Proposals were submitted in seven categories including rivers, roadways, trails, transportation, famous people, common people and immigrants, and settlements. Winning projects (numbers correspond to map) were: (1) 18 counties bordering the Mississippi River: "Traces of the Ages," (2) the Illinois and Michigan Canal Passage: "The Waters That Built America," (3) the Illinois River, "Tapestries of Time," (4) central Illinois, "Looking for Lincoln," (5) the Ohio River area, "Where Illinois Began," (6) a ten-county region of southeastern Illinois bordering Indiana, "The Crossroads of Illiana," and (7) an eight-county corridor in northwestern Illinois, "Immigrants and Ingenuity."

6 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • APRIL 1998

Rural Development doing more with less

The Illinois arm of the USDA's Rural Development (see commentary, this issue) garnered $32 million more for home, community and business loans and grants in 1997 over the previous year.

"We saw major gains in home ownership and community facility loans, business development and the expansion of rural water and sewer services, said Wally Furrow, state director.

The total for Illinois was $154,481,060, the highest in Illinois history and 22 percent greater than the next closest year. "Not only were these record-breaking gains, but they were accomplished with less expense to the taxpayer," he said.

Since Rural Development's reorganization in 1995, the delivery of program dollars in the state has increased by 31 percent while staff resources have been reduced by 26 percent and administrative costs reduced by 35 percent, he said.

Lending for rural housing exceeded $84,550,000 in nearly 3,000 loan, grants and guarantees.

Rural Development searches for new ways to serve the needs of rural communities, actively cooperating with the Illinois Rural Health Association, Rural Partners, Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension, and other groups. You can visit Rural Development at its web site: www.rurdev.usda.gov.

More research into bee infestation sought

The continued decimation of the nation's honeybee population has a University of Missouri entomologist calling for legislatures to boost funding for research. The decline in the wild honeybee population (See Illinois Country Living, April 1997) has resulted from widespread infestation of varoa and tracheal mites, leaving many producers considering the use of alternative insect pollinators. But entomologist Raymond Nabors says there is no truly cost-effective substitute for the honeybee in pollinating fruits. He addressed producers at the Illinois Small Fruit and Strawberry School held in March in Mount Vernon. "It's time fruit producers started getting their voices heard and going to their legislatures and saying, 'Hey, we need university apiculture programs to be stronger than they are,' " said Nabors. While some believe bumblebees offer effective pollination, their colonies die each year. Honeybees hibernate and regenerate a work force for the following season.

APRIL 1998 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 7