[BCNnet] Buying Plum Island would be plum deal for state

Wed, 9 Jul 2003 21:25:12 -0500

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Dale Bowman's Outdoors column today (Chicago Sun-Times 7-9-03) on Plum =
Island, near Starved Rock State Park, makes another good case for saving =
it, and the state of IL purchasing it.

Alan Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net
Des Plaines, Cook Co.

<http://www.chicagosuntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-out09.html>

Buying Plum Island would be plum deal for state
July 9, 2003

Plum Island is the stuff of wild dreams.

Even at 45, I think about pulling a Huck Finn every time I pass it.
That's the problem.

For years, developers have envisioned turning the wild-island dreams of
folks like me into buckets of cash.

That pipe dream needs to end right here, right now.

The state should buy Plum Island before the price gets any higher. It =
should
have happened years ago.

The 55-acre island is located below the Starved Rock Lock and Dam on the
Illinois River, directly across from Starved Rock State Park. More than =
2
million people a year come to Starved Rock, making it the second-most
visited state park.

I know as well as anyone the pull of Plum Island. I was married on =
Starved
Rock overlooking the island.

I've caught sauger and walleye by the island with Big Knobs and Buster
Culjan. Big Knobs and I caught plenty of channel catfish upstream of the
island. White bass, drum, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, =
bowfin
and shad are around the island. Big Knobs and I anchored on the upstream =
end
and pulled out fat channel catfish.

My first inkling of the resurgence of eagles on the Illinois came when
dozens passed on an early-winter sauger outing some years ago. In the =
last
five years, pelicans have begun migrating through.

I've never set foot on Plum Island, but it holds a sacred place in my =
heart.
I'm certainly not alone in that. Thousands descend on the area to view =
the
eagles in winter, turning eagle-watching into a multimillion-dollar
business.

We need such wild places to maintain our humanity. We don't even have to =
be
able to reach or use those wild places; they just must exist.
Plum Island is one of those places.

In Illinois, we don't have great stretches of public wilderness, like =
they
do in the Western states or Alaska. What we have are pockets of =
wilderness.
Those pockets of wilderness shouldn't be lining the pockets of =
developers.

The earliest evidence of human settlement on Plum Island was nearly =
1,000
years ago. In 1930, archaeologists from the University of Illinois found =
at
least eight burial sites and possible evidence of a massacre on the =
island.

On Nov. 15, 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won permanent =
easement
rights on the island. The corps is usually the bad guy in rivers, but =
not
this time. It steadfastly has refused to give up easement rights.

That is the crux of what is happening.

The developers can't develop. Not only won't the corps give up easement
rights, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources neither will =
build
a bridge from the state park nor issue permits.

LaSalle County has assessed the island at $110,000 on a market value of
$330,000. The current owners, American Land Companies/Starved Rock =
Estates
and Marina, bought the island for $465,000 in September 2000. The =
previous
owners bought it for $350,000 in August 1998.

On Sunday, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn launched an online petition drive
(www.saveoureagles.org <http://www.saveoureagles.org>) to save eagle =
habitats such as Plum Island, saying
the island should belong "to the people of Illinois.''

Quinn said the vehicles to buy the island should be the IDNR and the =
Open
Lands Trust initiative. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has $5 million allocated =
for
the Open Lands Trust.

I suspect the developers are trying to drive up the value of the island =
with
their various schemes, which have ranged from a luxury hotel to condos. =
Part
of me wants to stick them with the island or have the state buy it at =
market
value.

But my practical side says, "Enough already.'' Pay the developers =
$500,000
or $600,000. They walk away with a small profit, and Illinois finally =
owns
the island.

Former Gov. George Ryan kicked off his innovative Open Lands Trust with =
the
purchase of the 1,600-acre Mazonia South Unit. Blagojevich could make =
just
as bold a statement by buying Plum Island.

Better yet, buy both Plum Island and the property on the north bank of =
the
Illinois across from the island. That would protect Plum Island on all =
sides.

I dream, too.

WILD THINGS: A dead wolf found in east-central Indiana in June likely
circled Chicago on its 500-mile roam. The wolf initially was captured =
east
of Black River Falls in Jackson County, Wis., as a 46-pound pup in 2002.

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dale Bowman's Outdoors column today =
(Chicago=20
Sun-Times 7-9-03) on Plum Island, near Starved Rock State Park, makes =
another=20
good case for saving it, and the state of IL purchasing it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Alan Anderson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"mailto:casresearch@comcast.net">casresearch@comcast.net</A></FONT=
></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Des Plaines, Cook Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><U><FONT color=3D#0000ff>
<P>&lt;http://www.chicagosuntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-out09.html&=
gt;</U></FONT><BR><BR><BR>Buying=20
Plum Island would be plum deal for state<BR>July 9, 2003<BR><BR><BR>Plum =
Island=20
is the stuff of wild dreams.<BR><BR>Even at 45, I think about pulling a =
Huck=20
Finn every time I pass it.<BR>That's the problem.<BR><BR>For years, =
developers=20
have envisioned turning the wild-island dreams of<BR>folks like me into =
buckets=20
of cash.<BR><BR>That pipe dream needs to end right here, right =
now.<BR><BR>The=20
state should buy Plum Island before the price gets any higher. It =
should<BR>have=20
happened years ago.<BR><BR>The 55-acre island is located below the =
Starved Rock=20
Lock and Dam on the<BR>Illinois River, directly across from Starved Rock =
State=20
Park. More than 2<BR>million people a year come to Starved Rock, making =
it the=20
second-most<BR>visited state park.<BR><BR>I know as well as anyone the =
pull of=20
Plum Island. I was married on Starved<BR>Rock overlooking the=20
island.<BR><BR>I've caught sauger and walleye by the island with Big =
Knobs and=20
Buster<BR>Culjan. Big Knobs and I caught plenty of channel catfish =
upstream of=20
the<BR>island. White bass, drum, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth =
bass,=20
bowfin<BR>and shad are around the island. Big Knobs and I anchored on =
the=20
upstream end<BR>and pulled out fat channel catfish.<BR><BR>My first =
inkling of=20
the resurgence of eagles on the Illinois came when<BR>dozens passed on =
an=20
early-winter sauger outing some years ago. In the last<BR>five years, =
pelicans=20
have begun migrating through.<BR><BR>I've never set foot on Plum Island, =
but it=20
holds a sacred place in my heart.<BR>I'm certainly not alone in that. =
Thousands=20
descend on the area to view the<BR>eagles in winter, turning =
eagle-watching into=20
a multimillion-dollar<BR>business.<BR><BR>We need such wild places to =
maintain=20
our humanity. We don't even have to be<BR>able to reach or use those =
wild=20
places; they just must exist.<BR>Plum Island is one of those =
places.<BR><BR>In=20
Illinois, we don't have great stretches of public wilderness, like =
they<BR>do in=20
the Western states or Alaska. What we have are pockets of =
wilderness.<BR>Those=20
pockets of wilderness shouldn't be lining the pockets of developers.</P>
<P><BR>The earliest evidence of human settlement on Plum Island was =
nearly=20
1,000<BR>years ago. In 1930, archaeologists from the University of =
Illinois=20
found at<BR>least eight burial sites and possible evidence of a massacre =
on the=20
island.</P>
<P><BR>On Nov. 15, 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won permanent=20
easement<BR>rights on the island. The corps is usually the bad guy in =
rivers,=20
but not<BR>this time. It steadfastly has refused to give up easement =
rights.</P>
<P><BR>That is the crux of what is happening.</P>
<P><BR>The developers can't develop. Not only won't the corps give up=20
easement<BR>rights, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources =
neither=20
will build<BR>a bridge from the state park nor issue permits.</P>
<P><BR>LaSalle County has assessed the island at $110,000 on a market =
value=20
of<BR>$330,000. The current owners, American Land Companies/Starved Rock =

Estates and Marina, bought the island for $465,000 in September 2000. =
The=20
previous owners bought it for $350,000 in August 1998.
 On Sunday, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn launched an online petition=20
drive (www.saveoureagles.org=20
&lt;http://www.saveoureagles.org&gt;) to save eagle habitats =
such as=20
Plum Island, saying the island should belong "to the people of=20
Illinois.''
 Quinn said the vehicles to buy the island should be the IDNR and =
the=20
Open Lands Trust initiative. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has $5 million =
allocated=20
for the Open Lands Trust.
 I suspect the developers are trying to drive up the value of the =
island=20
with their various schemes, which have ranged from a luxury hotel to =
condos.=20
Part of me wants to stick them with the island or have the state buy =
it at=20
market value.
 But my practical side says, "Enough already.'' Pay the developers =

$500,000 or $600,000. They walk away with a small profit, and =
Illinois=20
finally owns the island.
 Former Gov. George Ryan kicked off his innovative Open Lands =
Trust with=20
the purchase of the 1,600-acre Mazonia South Unit. Blagojevich could =
make=20
just as bold a statement by buying Plum Island.
 Better yet, buy both Plum Island and the property on the north =
bank of=20
the Illinois across from the island. That would protect Plum Island =
on all=20
sides.
 I dream, too. WILD THINGS: A dead wolf found in =
east-central=20
Indiana in June likely circled Chicago on its 500-mile roam. The wolf =

initially was captured east<BR>of Black River Falls in Jackson County, =
Wis., as=20
a 46-pound pup in 2002.<BR></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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