[BCNnet] IL Ecowatch in jeopardy needs your help!
Randi Doeker
rbdoeker@yahoo.com
Sat, 28 Aug 2004 08:35:08 -0600
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>From the FOTFP list serv
Randi Doeker
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Rzepka [mailto:mocassin@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 4:52 AM
To: FriendsFP
Subject: [fpfriends] Fw: ecowatch in jeopardy needs your help!
ACTION ALERT!
This action alert is directed to EcoWatch volunteers and any Illinois
citizen who cares about natural resource protection.
SAVE THE ILLINOIS ECOWATCH NETWORK!
Governor Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR)
are in the process of eliminating the Illinois EcoWatch Network as part
of
the new fiscal budget. Program staff are receiving layoff notices
daily.
The program is being targeted because it is a fairly new IDNR program
(only
10 years old) and as a consequence of the protests earlier this year
which
saved other natural resource programs within the agency. The program is
being cut quietly to avoid another large public outcry.
EcoWatch needs an overwhelming and immediate response from its
constituents.
It is urgent that you contact your State Senator and State
Representative
and urge them to call IDNR Director Brunsvold to argue for the retention
of
EcoWatch and its staff TODAY. Contact information is below.
Don't know your state legislators? Go to the following website:
http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp
Please provide these numbers to your legislators:
. Governor Blagojevich: (217) 782-6830
. Director Brunsvold: (217) 785-0075
BACKGROUND
This innovative and nationally recognized program was initiated in 1995
in
response to the findings of the first report of the Critical Trends
Assessment Program (CTAP) and the expressed interest of proactive
individuals and organizations. EcoWatch's primary mandate is to collect
scientifically valid data on statewide and regional ecosystem
conditions,
using trained volunteers. Its secondary goals are to educate and provide
stewardship opportunities to people of all ages. Since this time
EcoWatch
volunteers have collected high quality data at over 1000 river, prairie
and
forest sites that encompass over 3,000 individual data sets at a very
low
cost to the state. Dedicated and hard working volunteers have
contributed
over 52,500 hours of their own time to protect our environment through
EcoWatch; the equivalent of $630,000 in free services for the agency.
The
approximate hourly rate of professional field biologists for the same
amount
of hours would have been 6 times greater at $3.78 million.
ECOWATCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND TALKING POINTS
. If you are a volunteer make sure to personalize what the program has
meant
to you and the amount of time and effort you have spent monitoring.
. Volunteer monitoring of a site costs the state approximately 1/6th of
the
cost of using professional scientists. Therefore, utilization of
volunteer
monitors is a cost-effective and taxpayer-friendly way for the IDNR to
collect valuable, much needed data.
. The program is already well established and fairly self-sustaining.
Over
10 years of hard work and the investment of over 52,500 volunteer
monitoring
hours would be wasted by the cuts.
. EcoWatch has over 10 years worth of monitoring data encompassing over
1000
monitoring sites using over 2,100 volunteers. The amount of vital
information collected on our ecosystems statewide would simply not be
possible without EcoWatch and its volunteers.
. EcoWatch network has provided environmental educational services to
over
20,000 adults and high school students beyond actual monitoring.
. EcoWatch continues to receive numerous requests for assistance from
local
citizens groups and organizations interested in using the EcoWatch
procedures to track trends in local ecosystem conditions.
. EcoWatch is a national leader in volunteer environmental monitoring.
Illinois is the only state with a multi-ecosystem program encompassing
streams, forests and prairies. The program receives dozens of calls
each
year by other states wishing to adapt its materials and monitoring
protocols.
. EcoWatch has been highlighted in peer-reviewed national publications
including The Volunteer Monitor, Natural Areas Journal and Conservation
Biology in Practice
. Three of many notable contributions EcoWatch volunteers have made to
natural resource protection include 1.) data were used to establish an
Illinois Nature Preserve 2.) locating populations of Illinois threatened
and
endangered species previously unknown and 3.) detection of an oil spill
on
Prairie Creek (Will County) that was cleaned up before it was allowed to
enter the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in the summer of 2004.
. EcoWatch has many partnerships with key environmental agencies and
organizations. A partial list of primary program partners follows:
Chicago Wilderness
The Nature Conservancy
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Open Lands Project
Shedd Aquarium
Conservation Foundation
Friends of the Fox River
Cache River Joint Venture
U.S. Forest Service
DuPage River CARE
The Field Museum
Friends of the Chicago River
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Friends of the Fox River
Vermillion Watershed Ecosystem Task Force Ecosystem Partnership
LaMoine River Ecosystem Partnership
_________________________________________________________________
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=295196.4901138.6071305.3001176/D=group
s/S=:HM/A=2128215/rand=639451200>
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:navy'>From =
the FOTFP
list <span class=3DSpellE>serv</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><st1:PersonName><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:navy'>Randi =
Doeker</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
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<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original =
Message-----<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> Mike Rzepka
[mailto:mocassin@sbcglobal.net<span class=3DGramE>] <br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent</span></b></span><b><span
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>:</span></b> </span></font><st1:date =
Month=3D"8" Day=3D"28"
Year=3D"2004"><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Tahoma'>Saturday, August 28, 2004</span></font></st1:date><font =
size=3D2
face=3DTahoma><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> =
</span></font><st1:time
Hour=3D"4" Minute=3D"52"><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>4:52 AM</span></font></st1:time><font size=3D2 =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> FriendsFP<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [fpfriends] Fw: =
ecowatch
in jeopardy needs your help!</span></font><font color=3Dnavy><span
style=3D'color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
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style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<td style=3D'padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>ACTION ALERT!<br>
This action alert is directed to EcoWatch volunteers and any =
</span></font><st1:State><st1:place>Illinois</st1:place></st1:State>
<br>
citizen who cares about natural resource protection.<br>
SAVE THE <st1:State><st1:place>ILLINOIS</st1:place></st1:State> =
ECOWATCH
NETWORK!<br>
Governor Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources =
(IDNR<span
class=3DGramE>) <br>
are</span> <b><font size=3D4><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>in
the process of eliminating the =
</span></font></b><st1:State><st1:place><b><font
size=3D4><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Illinois</span></font></b></s=
t1:place></st1:State><b><font
size=3D4><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'> EcoWatch =
Network</span></font></b>
as part of <br>
the new fiscal budget. Program staff are receiving layoff =
notices
daily. <br>
The program is being targeted because it is a fairly new IDNR program =
(only <br>
10 years old) and as a consequence of the protests earlier this year =
which <br>
saved other natural resource programs within the agency. The =
program is
<br>
being cut quietly to avoid another large public outcry.<br>
EcoWatch needs an overwhelming and immediate response from its =
constituents. <br>
It is urgent that you contact your State Senator and State
Representative <br>
and urge them to call IDNR Director Brunsvold to argue for the =
retention of <br>
EcoWatch and its staff TODAY. Contact information is below.<br>
Don't know your state legislators? Go to the following =
website:<br>
<a =
href=3D"http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp">ht=
tp://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp</a><br>
Please provide these numbers to your legislators:<br>
· Governor Blagojevich: (217) 782-6830<br>
· Director Brunsvold: (217)
785-0075<br>
<br>
BACKGROUND<br>
This innovative and nationally recognized program was initiated in =
1995 in <br>
response to the findings of the first report of the Critical Trends =
<br>
Assessment Program (CTAP) and the expressed interest of proactive <br>
individuals and organizations. EcoWatch's primary mandate is to =
collect
<br>
scientifically valid data on statewide and regional ecosystem =
conditions, <br>
using trained volunteers. Its secondary goals are to educate and =
provide <br>
stewardship opportunities to people of all ages. Since =
this time
EcoWatch <br>
volunteers have collected high quality data at over 1000 river, =
prairie and <br>
forest sites that encompass over 3,000 individual data sets at a very =
low <br>
cost to the state. Dedicated and hard working volunteers have
contributed <br>
over 52,500 hours of their own time to protect our environment through =
<br>
EcoWatch; the equivalent of $630,000 in free services for the =
agency.
The <br>
approximate hourly rate of professional field biologists for the same =
amount <br>
of hours would have been 6 times greater at $3.78 million.<br>
ECOWATCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND TALKING POINTS<br>
· If you are a volunteer make sure to personalize what the =
program has
meant <br>
to you and the amount of time and effort you have spent =
monitoring.<br>
· Volunteer monitoring of a site costs the state approximately =
1/6th
of the <br>
cost of using professional scientists. Therefore, utilization of
volunteer <br>
monitors is a cost-effective and taxpayer-friendly way for the IDNR to =
<br>
collect valuable, much needed data.<br>
· The program is already well established and fairly
self-sustaining. Over <br>
10 years of hard work and the investment of over 52,500 volunteer =
monitoring <br>
hours would be wasted by the cuts.<br>
· EcoWatch has over 10 years worth of monitoring data =
encompassing
over 1000 <br>
monitoring sites using over 2,100 volunteers. The amount of =
vital <br>
information collected on our ecosystems statewide would simply not be =
<br>
possible without EcoWatch and its volunteers.<br>
· EcoWatch network has provided environmental educational =
services to
over <br>
20,000 adults and high school students beyond actual monitoring.<br>
· EcoWatch continues to receive numerous requests for =
assistance from
local <br>
citizens groups and organizations interested in using the EcoWatch =
<br>
procedures to track trends in local ecosystem conditions.<br>
· EcoWatch is a national leader in volunteer environmental
monitoring. <br>
<st1:State><st1:place>Illinois</st1:place></st1:State> is the only state =
with a
multi-ecosystem program encompassing <br>
streams, forests and prairies. The program receives dozens of =
calls
each <br>
year by other states wishing to adapt its materials and monitoring =
<br>
protocols.<br>
· EcoWatch has been highlighted in peer-reviewed national =
publications
<br>
including The Volunteer Monitor, Natural Areas Journal and =
Conservation <br>
Biology in Practice<br>
· Three of many notable contributions EcoWatch volunteers have =
made to
<br>
natural resource protection include 1.) data were used to establish an =
<br>
Illinois Nature Preserve 2.) locating populations of =
<st1:State><st1:place>Illinois</st1:place></st1:State>
threatened and <br>
endangered species previously unknown and 3.) detection of an oil =
spill on <br>
Prairie Creek (<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Will</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceName>County</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>)
that was cleaned up before it was allowed to <br>
enter the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in the summer of =
2004.<br>
· EcoWatch has many partnerships with key environmental =
agencies and <br>
organizations. A partial list of primary program partners follows:<br>
<br>
<br>
<st1:City><st1:place>Chicago</st1:place></st1:City> Wilderness<br>
The Nature Conservancy<br>
Forest Preserve District of =
<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Cook</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType>County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
Champaign County Forest Preserve District<br>
Open Lands Project<br>
Shedd Aquarium<br>
Conservation Foundation<br>
Friends of the <st1:place>Fox River</st1:place><br>
<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Cache</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType>River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
Joint Venture<br>
<st1:country-region><st1:place>U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> =
<st1:place>Forest</st1:place>
Service<br>
DuPage River CARE<br>
The <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Field</st1:PlaceType> =
<st1:PlaceType>Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
Friends of the <st1:place>Chicago River</st1:place><br>
Forest Preserve District of =
<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>DuPage</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType>County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
US Fish and Wildlife Service<br>
Friends of the <st1:place>Fox River</st1:place><br>
Vermillion Watershed Ecosystem Task Force Ecosystem Partnership<br>
<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>LaMoine</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType>River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
Ecosystem Partnership<br>
<br>
_________________________________________________________________<br>
<span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><img border=3D0 =
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id=3D"_x0000_i1026"
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