Partners for Parks and Wildlife (PPW) is calling for the Illinois Senate to hold a special session to pass legislation similar to the supplemental appropriations bill just passed by the Illinois House to keep all state parks and historic site open and staffed through the fiscal year.

In a special session Sep. 10, the Illinois House passed SB1103, a supplemental appropriations bill that reinstates $2.1 million for state parks and historic site funding that was removed in July when Governor Blagojevich announced $19 million in cuts to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources budget. As a result of the Governor’s action, 11 state parks and 13 historic sites have been slated to close as of Nov. 1.

Senate President Emil Jones has said the legislative body won’t come back in session until Nov. 12, but Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council says the Senate has to act now to save the parks.

“These facilities will close if this legislation isn’t passed in the next seven weeks, and the public outcry we’ve seen since July makes it clear that Illinois voters want these wonderful resources to remain open and accessible to all,” said Goldman.

Since the announcement of the IDNR budget cuts and the resulting park and historical site closings in July, outraged citizens have staged numerous protests and signed petitions all over the state, generating dozens of stories in the media. While the House was in session, PPW took advantage of the timing to hold a press conference of its own in Springfield calling for reinstatement of the IDNR funding cuts.

Two supplemental appropriations bills - SB 3057 (Sen. Holmes) and HB 6698 (Rep. Jakobsson) - were highlighted at the conference, which was attended by representatives from Openlands, The Nature Conservancy, Prairie Rivers Network, Friends of the Hennepin Canal, Friends of Weldon Springs, Bureau County Tourism Council and Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce. The Sep. 10 event generated several stories in Springfield on WAND-TV and WICS-TV and on radio and in print.

While the House’s action may be the first step towards saving the state parks, it comes at the expense of several other programs that impact the environment that are being raided to cover the gap in the IDNR budget, according to Goldman. The top sweeps include: $5 million from the Illinois Clean Water Fund, $5 million from the Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund, $5 million from the Wildlife and Fish Fund, $2 million from the Park and Conservation Fund and $2 million from the Illinois Habitat Endowment Trust Fund.

“While we’re pleased the House took action to save our parks, it will ultimately compromise our ability to maintain the health and viability of those very natural resources,” he said.

Partners for Parks and Wildlife is a grassroots coalition of more than 130 organizations that aims to secure and increase funding for open space and park acquisition, natural area preservation, wildlife habitat protection and recreational opportunities in Illinois. It includes Openlands, Land Trust Alliance, Illinois Association of Park Districts, Illinois Audubon Society, Illinois Environmental Council, The Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, AFSCME Illinois, Sierra Club, Pheasants Forever, Prairie Rivers Network and Environment Illinois.