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Snakeden Hollow Lake named for McMaster

The 160-acre lake at Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area in Knox County was recently named for former State Rep. A.T. "Tom" McMaster of Oneida. DNR Deputy Director Richard Mottershaw (above right) presented a commemorative plaque to McMaster.

McMaster, who served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1971-1987, sponsored the legislation that allowed the state to acquire the 2,497-acre Snakeden Hollow site from Midland Coal Company in 1987.

"Tom McMaster led the charge to acquire Snakeden Hollow," DNR Director Brent Manning said. "With the dedication of McMaster Lake, we thank him for his foresight and his effort to provide and protect this site for the enjoyment of all Illinois citizens."

The Goose Season Hotline is now in operation. By calling (877) 249-3679, you can get a recording of harvest figures and other waterfowl information. The hotline is updated every Friday at 5 p.m.

McMaster Lake is one of the deepest and clearest in Illinois. The lake, along with more than 100 smaller impoundments at the site, provide ample fishing opportunities with populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, catfish, muskie, trout and walleye.

Snakeden Hollow also features waterfowl, deer and upland game hunting programs.

The designation of McMaster Lake was requested by Sen. Carl Hawkinson and Rep. Donald Moffitt.

Something to croak about

Seasonal interpreter Richard Peters (left) presents Jim Szendel of McHenry with the Best of Show award for the Second Annual Nature Photography Contest at Moraine Hills State Park.

Jim Szendel's photograph of a bullfrog not only earned him the Best of Show honors, but also captured the technical excellence award in the Second Annual Nature Photography contest at Moraine Hills State Park, McHenry. Competition was strong, and the more than 50 entries were on display for two months at the site. Visitors cast more than 380 votes for Szendel's entry, earning him top honors.

Other winners (first, second and third, respectively) included: Linda Gottlieb, Troy Rusch and Tammy Rusch, animal category; Cheryl Nielsen, Tammy Rusch and Bill Ewert, plant category: David Underwood, Bill Ewert and Maria Caviness, landscape category; Peggy Hoover, David Gelwicks and Christine Galanopoulos, black and white category; and Jim Szendel, Linda Gottlieb and David Gelwicks, special "Up Close and Personal" category. Winning entries were on display for public enjoyment throughout November at the park's nature center.

Hunting preserves brochure available

The 1999-2000 edition of the Hunt Illinois Hunting Preserves brochure is available for distribution to hunters. The brochure is produced through a cooperative effort of the Illinois Hunting and Outdoor Sports Association (IHOSA), formerly named the Illinois Association of Hunting Preserves, and the Department of Natural Resources.

Hunters can obtain the brochure from the IHOSA by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to Illinois Hunting and Outdoor Sports Association, P.O. Box 141, Dundee, Ill. 60118-0141.

Hunters can also obtain the brochures by contacting DNR's Springfield office, (217) 782-6752; Chicago office, (312) 814-2070; or one of the five DNR regional offices.

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Construction of bluebird nest boxes was a popular activity at a recent bluebird workshop at Walnut Point State Park.

Bird workshop attracts crowd

A bluebird workshop at Walnut Point State Park, Oakland, this fall attracted more than 80 people eager to learn more about the eastern bluebird. Marylin Campbell, president of the Illinois Audubon Society, Loren Hughes, chairman of the Illinois Bluebird Project and Ann Auer, chairwoman of the North American Bluebird Society, were on hand to share their expertise on the subject.

A wealth of information was presented on bluebirds, why they need our help, the monitoring of nest boxes and the North American Bluebird Trail. Workshop participants were instructed on nest box construction and given an opportunity to build one of their own.

Those interested in learning more about bluebirds can contact the DNR Division of Natural Heritage, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701. A brochure entitled "Help Bring Back Our Gems of Blue" is available through the DNR Clearinghouse at (217) 782-7498.

For more information on the Illinois Bluebird Project or to schedule a bluebird workshop in your area, contact Hughes at: I.A.S. Bluebird Project, 1234 Tucker Beach Road, Paris, Ill. 61944.

DNR Waterfowl committee likes status quo

The DNR Waterfowl Hunting Advisory Committee is recommending retaining the current system of allocating and monitoring harvest during the state's regular Canada goose season, with minor adjustments in allocations during years in which statewide allocations exceed 100,000 geese.

The 15-member statewide committee, comprised of five representatives of subcommittees in each of the state's three waterfowl hunting zones (north, central and south), was charged with proposing allocation and monitoring systems for the Canada goose hunting seasons beginning in 2000.

The committee recommends that the Department retain its current method of using the most recent three years of Canada goose harvest data to calculate each zone's allocation. In 1999, quotas as a percentage of the statewide allocation are 22.5 percent in the North Zone, 30.8 percent in the Central Zone and 46.7 percent in the South Zone, based on 1995-1997 harvest data.

In addition, the panel recommends that when the statewide allocation is 100,001-125,000 geese, the quota beyond the first 100,000 birds would be allocated as 25 percent to the North Zone, 35 percent to the Central Zone and 40 percent to the South Zone. The number of birds in the statewide allocation beyond 125,000 in any year would be allocated equally among the three zones (33 1/3 percent to each zone).

The committee recommends that the Department, in updating its three-year harvest data, not include geese harvested in excess of quota. The panel did not want harvest averages skewed to benefit a zone or zones in which hunters take more geese than allotted.

The Department would also continue to allocate geese within each of the three zones and distinguish between Mississippi Valley Population (MVP) migratory geese and non-MVP geese to avoid overharvest of MVP geese.

To monitor Canada goose hunting in Illinois, the committee recommends that the Department retain the monitoring system in place for the 1999-2000 season. It requires hunters who take geese in North and Central quota zone counties to report their kill by midnight on the calendar day the geese are taken.

In the Southern Illinois Quota Zone, commercial operators are required to report their harvest figures by midnight each Thursday night and Sunday night during the season. Last year, they had until 3 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Monday to report. In addition, commercial clubs will be required to report their harvest daily when the Department determines that the quota is close to being reached. The committee also said it would support other monitoring changes intended to reduce overharvest or underharvest or to otherwise improve compliance accuracy.

The recommendations of the statewide Waterfowl Hunting Advisory Committee have been forwarded to DNR Director Brent Manning.

Conservation Congress delegates elected

Seventy regional delegates have been elected to the fourth Conservation Congress. The delegates, elected during caucuses in each of five regions of Illinois, will join 48 statewide delegates to advance key natural resource issues for recommendation by the full assembly of delegates, Sept. 8-10, 2000, at the State Capitol in Springfield.

Modeled after the legislative process, the Conservation Congress brings together representatives of constituent groups served by DNR. It operates on a three-year program cycle consisting of regional caucuses, work teams, committees and the assembly of delegates.

Congress participants work to resolve a variety of natural resource issues on topics including outdoor recreation, education, trails and greenways, land and water management, funding and public and political involvement.

Museum receives earth science grant

The Illinois State Museum has received a $208,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education for a "GeoExplorer Institute," a comprehensive earth science and technology program for sixth through eighth grade science teachers.

"The knowledge and skills that teachers can take away from the GeoExploer Institute will not only help students meet the Illinois Learning Standards,

December 1999  17


it will help them learn more about the abundance of our state's natural resources and hidden treasures," said State Superintendent of Education Glenn W. McGee. "It is one more example of the fine collaborative efforts between state government and local schools that benefit our students."

The GeoExplorer Institute is a two-year, statewide program designed for middle school science teachers who have access to a computer and the Internet but need additional training in earth sciences, technology and the integration of technology into their earth science curriculum. Sixty teachers from across the state will be selected to participate in this program. The goal is to improve scientific literacy for middle school students.

Science- and technology-based workshops will be held at the State Museum's Research and Collections Center in Springfield. Summer sessions for teachers will provide hands-on experience. Teachers will develop and implement classroom projects that incorporate earth science and technology. In addition to the Illinois State Museum staff, teacher mentors and science and technology experts from the Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State University and other agencies will contribute to the program.

A GeoExplorer Institute component will be developed on the Illinois State Museum's web site, http://www.museum.state.il.us, where teacher resources, lesson plans and teacher classroom projects will be featured.

Application materials will be sent to middle schools throughout the state in February 2000. Graduate credit will be available to participants, and teachers will be encouraged to use this experience to fulfill the new Illinois teacher recertification requirements. Workshops will be free. Participants will receive reimbursement for lodging, meals and mileage, as well as classroom materials and resource lists.

For more information, call Beth Shea, project director, at (217) 782-5507.

New Land and Water Reserves approved

The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) has approved three new land and water reserves totaling nearly 660 acres, including Sielbeck Forest, an ancient forest with trees much older than Illinois.

"It was especially rewarding to see approval granted for the new Sielbeck Forest Land and Water Reserve, an old growth forest in southern Illinois that contains giant oak and cypress trees, some of which were mature before Illinois became a state," said Carolyn Grosboll, executive director of the INPC. "This outstanding remnant of ancient forest was scheduled to be clear-cut, but was saved as a result of quick action by the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy."

This 385.3-acre site is located about 8 miles northeast of Joppa in Massac County. In addition to giant oak and cypress trees, it contains large sedge, which is a state endangered plant, and American snowbell, a state threatened plant. The site is the last high-quality remnant of an extensive swamp and lowland forest wetland known as Big Black Slough. It is now owned and managed by DNR as a satellite of the Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, and is open for public enjoyment.

The two other land and water reserves approved include:

• Jamar Haven Land and Water Reserve, Hancock County. This 195-acre site is owned by Gretchen Graft-Batz and Roger Batz of Elsah. It provides habitat for the state-threatened timber rattlesnake and contains more than 110 acres of forest and more than 80 acres of grassland. Barred owls, pileated woodpeckers and wood ducks all nest in the forest. A limestone cliff and rocky outcrops representative of the glaciated section of the Middle Mississippi Border Natural Division are present. The bluff overlooks the floodplain of the Mississippi River. Much of the area will be restored to presettlement savanna and open woodland conditions.

• Guthrie Cave Land and Water Reserve, Union County. Guthrie Cave is a 79.3-acre site located about 1.5 miles south-west of Giant City State Park. At more than two miles in length, it is one of the largest caves in southern Illinois. The site is owned and managed by the DNR as a satellite of Trail of Tears State Forest. Recent stewardship projects at this site have included boundary surveys and exotic species control.

Areas registered as land and water reserves can be used for activities such as wildlife observation, hiking, nature photography and scientific research, as well as hunting, fishing and other uses that do not impact the natural features of the protected area. Their protection must be approved both by the Commission and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources.

With the addition of these three sites, there now are 39 land and water reserves covering a total of 16,747 acres in the state. There are land and water reserves in 28 Illinois counties.

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