A new law in Illinois formalizes efforts to reintroduce native keystone species like bison and beavers in the state, which advocates say will help other species recover.
Next year, “rewilding” will officially be a part of the conservation approach in Illinois.
A new state law explicitly includes the concept as part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ strategy. It’s the first time a U.S. state has included rewilding in its legislation, people working in conservation said.
Lindsay Keeney is the chief programs officer with the Illinois Environmental Council. She said that writing rewilding into Illinois law could mean more longevity for the approach in the state.
“It ensures that future administrations [can be] sure that they can use that as a strategy, and it ensures that if there were any federal funding tied to rewilding, or any grant programs, that our state would be eligible to access those funds as part of our state conservation strategies,” she said.
Illinois Environmental Council’s Keeney said that some residents are concerned that the bill opens the door for the department to unleash predators into urban backyards. But she said that’s not the case.
“This bill adds rewilding as a strategy that the agency can implement,” she said. “They are also already doing many of these practices, and they already have the ability to consult with their ecologists, the biologists and the folks that make these decisions for the state to add species to the landscape…. This doesn’t give them any new authority.”
The law goes into effect at the start of next year.
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