At five state parks on July 22, concerns about their future and that of Illinois’ natural resources took center stage as a coalition of environmental groups, outdoor enthusiasts and government entities held simultaneous press conferences to protest $14 million in cuts to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) budget.

The story struck a chord with reporters throughout Illinois, and more than two dozen TV, radio and print outlets covered it. For links to those stories, visit the News section of this website and click on “In the News.”

The goal of the media blitz, organized by members of the Partners for Parks and Wildlife coalition, was to magnify the public outcry that has rippled across the state since Gov. Blagojevich slashed by another 20% the general fund budget for an agency that has lost a quarter of its staff from budget cuts since 2001. Blagojevich made the move July 9 as part of a series of line-item vetoes in an ongoing battle with legislative leaders over balancing the 2009 state budget.

The cut could mean the loss of 163 critical staff positions from across eight divisions of the agency that will have a long-term negative impact on Illinois’ environment. The move, which comes at a time when state parks are experiencing increases in attendance, could force the IDNR to close some parks for lack of staffing, although the agency hasn’t made any official comment on a course of action.

The July 22 press conferences called on the General Assembly to reconvene and restore funding to the IDNR budget before the agency is forced to close parks and make massive layoffs. The cuts were set to take effect July 24 unless both the State House and Senate act to override the governor’s cuts.

The press events were held at five Illinois state parks: Kickapoo State Park near Champaign, Jubilee College State Park in Peoria, Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Spring Grove, Pere Marquette State Park near Alton and Giant City State Park near Carbondale. They included local advocates and legislators as well as representatives of these participating groups (by region):

East Central Illinois:
Illinois Environmental Council
State Conservation Police
Mahomet Aquifer Committee
Prairie Group Sierra Club
Kickapoo State Park
Prairie Rivers Network

Southern Illinois:
Southernmost Tourism Bureau
Friends of Giant City
Jackson County Hiking Club
Union County Saddle Club
Sierra Club Shawnee Group

Northern Illinois:
Lake County Forest Preserve District
McHenry County Conservation District
Fox Waterway Agency
Land Conservancy of McHenry County
McHenry County Defenders
Nippersink Creek Planning Committee

Metro East:
Piasa Palisades Sierra Club
Migratory Waterfowl Hunters
Jersey County Business Association
Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois
Alton Convention and Visitors Bureau
Grafton Councilwoman and Scenic Byway Commissioner
Natural Resources Educator for University of Illinois Extension

Central Illinois:
Ducks Unlimited
The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter
IDNR Conservation Police Union
Illinois River Road Scenic Byways
Sierra Club, Heart of Illinois Group