In a Feb. 26th press conference, Gov. Patrick Quinn followed through on a pledge he made after taking office earlier this month when he announced the reopening of seven state parks that had been shuttered as a cost-cutting measure by former governor Rod Blagojevich last fall. The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) and Partners for Parks and Wildlife (PPW) spent much of the summer and fall of 2008 battling Blagojevich’s originally stated intention of closing 11 state parks and successfully mobilized thousands of citizens around the state. Their calls to legislators, signatures on petitions and public comments about the impact the action would have on their lives and communities helped spare four of the parks, but Blagojevich still closed seven of them on Nov. 30th, 2008. The parks affected by Quinn’s action yesterday are: Castle Rock State Park, Oregon Hidden Springs State Forest in Strasburg Illini State Park in Marseilles Lowden State Park in Oregon Moraine View State Park in Leroy Weldon Springs State Park in Clinton Wolf Creek State Park in Windsor The reopening of these parks is the latest in a series of steps Quinn has taken since becoming governor that the environmental community has applauded. On Feb. 4, he signed SB 1132, legislation that restores $9 million to federally funded state programs for conservation and wildlife. The funds were swept last year to pay for other state programs, and federal authorities had threatened to slap Illinois with a $17 million penalty if they weren’t restored. Then on Feb. 5, Quinn appointed Marc Miller, a well-regarded natural resources professional, to be director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), a beleaguered and budget-challenged agency that has been rudderless for quite a while. In the 2009 legislative session, IEC and PPW member groups have been working hard to make the most of this new leadership in Springfield. They are pushing for more funding for the IDNR and a capital budget that includes significant funding for land acquisition and open space so Illinois can reclaim its role as a national leader in natural resource management.
