'In Our Opinion..'

Conservation Congress delegates send
message to Illinois policymakers.

BY JOHN ALLEN
PHOTOS BY ADELE HODDE

Conservation education, long-term funding and recreational access were the underlying themes of the fourth Conservation Congress held in early September in Springfield.

The 118-member Assembly of Delegates, representing some 300 special interest groups, approved 35 recommendations that have been sent to Gov. George H. Ryan, DNR Director Brent Manning and agency staff for analysis and review.

"Delegates put forward a diverse list of recommendations for DNR to consider," Manning said. "As representatives of conservation groups throughout the state, they have important insights regarding interests and concerns in the outdoor and environmental community."

In meetings and caucuses held prior to the Springfield gathering, delegates prioritized concerns in six categories. In numerous instances, priority topics include supplemental recommendations pinpointing changes that could support the main proposal. These also are listed.

Land and Water Management Committee

• Encourage best management practices on private land.

• Increase staff to provide technical assistance to landowners.

• Improve protection and management of surface water quality and quantity, enhance programs to reduce siltation and establish criteria to recognize and protect high-quality rivers and streams: extend Conservation 2000, increase funding for filter strips, stream bank stabilization and erosion control projects and establish conservation easements for high-quality bodies of water; set up more stringent water quality regulations; review low head dams and remove those that are no longer needed; review and modify stream biotic integrity ratings; have legislature review and enact 1998 Wetland Conservation Strategy; and review Minnesota's Critical Areas Act as a model for protection of rivers and streams.

• Improve multi-agency watershed management: enhance technical assistance to watershed partnerships; and re-establish the multi-agency watershed committee reporting to the Governor's Natural Resources sub-cabinet.

• Improve management of land to protect and promote native biodiversity: increase production of bottomland hardwood trees, wetland grasses and forbs; develop guidelines and expand native planting incentive programs; establish a technical committee to evaluate native plantings; form cooperative programs and partnerships with governmental units to promote native plantings; and expand programs to control invasive and non-native species.

• Collect natural resource data and distribute it in digital form.

DNR Director Brent Manning welcome's the delegates (top left). Committees met and hammered out proposals, and recommendations were put before the full delegation and voted on(top right).

Trails/Greenways Committee

• Complete the Grand Illinois Trail: make funding of the trail a priority for the Department of Transportation and DNR; and enact legislation to protect local governmental agencies from liability for on-road trail sections,

• Increase number of trails and funding mechanisms to pay for them; provide additional staff and $100,000 per year to build trails; use Open Lands Trust funds for railroad rights-of-way; implement a specialty trail development motor vehicle license plate; and make trail inventories available on the DNR web page.

• Increase the efficiency of federal trail funding by following DOT trail design procedures,

• Increase public access to waterways: purchase land/easements to allow public use of stream corridors; modify grant programs to allow organizations to develop and maintain waterway accesses; create river access areas when bridges are built; purchase, develop and maintain waterway accesses in areas without local financial support; and create additional water trails.

• Continue efforts to revise state water laws.

• Increase the number of mountain bike/horseback trails: construct three new mountain bike trails by 2003; work with statewide and regional groups to establish mountain bike and horseback trails; modify 200 miles of existing trails that could be used for mountain bikes and horses; and improve signage.

Funding Committee

• Extend funding of the Illinois Open Land Trust program.

• Increase real estate transfer tax to fund park and natural areas programs.

• Undertake a public opinion survey regarding willingness to fund DNR programs, including earmarking, 1/10th of one percent of sales taxes for conservation purposes.

• Increase funding for water quantity and quality analysis.

• Obtain a portion of tobacco settlement funds for conservation purposes.

• Expand capital funds to improve/provide new facilities.

Outdoor Recreation

• Emphasize programs for youth, disabled individuals and women: allow non-hunting youths to accompany licensed adult hunters at DNR sites; promote kids fishing clinics; develop an adult mentor program; allow additional permits for youth hunters at DNR sites; reestablish the youth archery camp; increase archery hunting opportunities; and create special hunts and seasons to provide additional hunting opportunities.

• Increase recreational lands, particularly in high-population areas: purchase or lease habitat in all regions; increase multiple uses of existing lands, and acquire land in Perry County for those purposes; allow hunting in forest preserves, conservation districts and park districts; implement EcoTeam program and enlist private organizations to develop hunting habitat; work with the U.S. Forest Service to establish and maintain horse trails; work with the U.S.F.W.S. to reestablish field trials, hunting and other programs at Green River State Wildlife Area;form a committee to work with pro-recreational special interest groups; compromise with the Forest Service on construction of multi-use trails in seven natural areas; update information on trail opportunities and regulations; promote hunting and recreational opportunities on private property; identify public land parcels that are available for hunting; and increase native seed production and introduction.

• Maintain trapping and hunting rights: make clear special site restrictions on hunting or trapping that are not necessarily applicable to private land; place no further restrictions on trapping; and maximize trapping and hunting opportunities on state sites.

• Increase funding for construction of shooting ranges on public lands.

• Resolve outfitter/out-of-state hunting issues: Repeal laws that reserve deer and turkey permits for hunters using property controlled by outfitters (this has passed the Illinois House of Representatives and is in the Senate); increase nonresident deer and turkey permit fees and allocate by lottery only; license and regulate outfitters; don't promote or support the private Access

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Delegates approved 35 diverse recommendations to improve wildlife viewing areas, trails and public waters.

Illinois program; and develop hunting opportunities on private lands for Illinois residents.

• Expand access to Illinois' lands and waters for recreational uses: increase land acquisitions/easements for multi-purpose use; improve access to water trails; and seek new funds to implement this recommendation.

Public and Political Involvement Committee

• Focus on urban sprawl: the General Assembly should study, identify and preserve open lands; initiate a Purchase and Transfer of Development Rights (PDR/TDR) program; create a farmland preservation plan; use the Critical Trends Assessment to shape decision-making on economic terms; and encourage DNR participation in the Illinois Growth Task Force.

• Focus on water law to increase public access and recreational opportunities.

• Pursue DNR management of Shawnee National Forest.

• Protect Natural Areas Inventory sites: acquire high-quality natural areas from willing landowners; develop and implement management plans for Illinois Natural Areas Inventory sites; establish buffer areas for protected sites; manage sites to protect endangered and threatened species and biodiversity; continue identifying high-quality natural areas; review the federal Clean Water Action Plan as a model for partnerships on river and stream corridors; provide tax incentives to landowners to protect high-quality natural areas; and grant greater authority to DNR consultation process.

• Resolve liability issues involved in public access to private lands: publish a brochure explaining property owners' protections against liability; review and amend the statute to provide greater liability protection to landowners; increase educational efforts between landowners groups and users groups.

• Increase opportunities for natural resource protection through government permitting process: require other agencies to allow time for DNR to provide input on pending permits and regulations; DNR should be consulted early in the permit/regulations process; require applicants to consult DNR before permit decisions are finalized; and use the Governor's Natural Resources sub-cabinet to foster better communication between agencies.

Education Committee

• Implement a comprehensive education program using the Environmental Literacy for Illinois strategic plan.

• Establish an education training center for teachers, volunteers and DNR staff.

• Continue the ENTICE education program.

• Streamline education delivery systems.

• Increase forestry staff to aid landowners.

The recommendations were winnowed from hundreds submitted for consideration. Work teams prepared statements of need that included cost estimates, noted likely supporters and opponents, other agencies and parties affected, and whether research was needed.

Delegates were undaunted by potential controversy, passing several measures that are sure to draw fire from some quarters. These include forest preserve hunting, DNR management of Shawnee National Forest and the restrictions on out-of-state hunters and outfitters.

"Regardless of the proposal all will be given due consideration by DNR," said Bob Casteel, Conservation Congress manager. "We have a time line for studying the recommendations and responding to them. Conservation Congress members will help us in our review process and in implementing Department-approved recommendations."

A long list of successful initiatives can be attributed to recommendations from the first three Conservation Congresses. Included are the environmental license plate, the Illinois Conservation Foundation, the DNR Division of Education, the Illinois Greenways and Trails Council, the Habitat Fund, open space preservation and habitat protection and development programs such as Conservation 2000.

Other initiatives include increased fishing opportunities and management on lakes and streams, increased fish production at state hatcheries, over-the-counter sales of deer permits, mandatory hunter education for first-time hunters, and the creation of a state park network of volunteers.

Details of Conservation Congress recommendations are available on DNR's homepage at http://dnr. state.il.us or a copy can be obtained by writing: DNR Constituency Services, 524 South Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701-1787, phone (217) 782-4963.

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