[BCNnet] Huge Threat to Illinois Birds and the Environment
Donald R. Dann
donniebird@yahoo.com
Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:32:50 -0600
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BCN friends;
Governor Blagojevich’s budget is a bombshell on Illinois’ environment and
especially its bird conservation and protection programs. Here is the last
paragraph from his press release of February 18th:
“In an effort to balance the budget, the Open Space Land Acquisition
programs, as well as programs supported by Natural Areas Acquisition Funds
have been eliminated from IDNR's FYO5 budget. These programs were supported
by diversions of the real estate transfer tax, which will now be deposited
in the General Revenue Fund.”
The following is an email from Jim Anderson of the Lake County Forest
Preserve District explaining the gravity of the situation. Please heed his
requests.
Donald R. Dann
Highland Park/Lake County
Subject: IDNR Folks Need Your Help
Please contact your State Legislators concerning the following. Please read
and then there is a draft letter below for you to send in to help out.
Joe Kath and his colleagues at the ILLINOIS DNR need your help –please read
& HELP in any way - thank you so much: Please pass this along to all
constituents. As stated below, the
governor's budget address for Illinois will eliminate all funding to the
Natural Areas Acquisition Fund and ELIMINATE every program and biologist
attached to this fund. This means NO exotic and invasive species control,
no endangered and threatened species program, no more field
biologists responsible for managing our flora and fauna, no more natural
areas protection, no more nature preserves protection, no more Natural
Heritage Program - this may just the precursor to possible elimination of
funds such as the Habitat Fund and Fish & Wildlife Fund - this is serious
and we need your help - PLEASE call your legislators - we will all be
affected by this...Yes, this means we are ALL losing our jobs - all of the
work the IDNR has done for non-game fauna and natural areas will be totally
eliminated - this is not a joke...
PLEASE READ THIS - YOUR STATE'S NATURAL RESOURCES ARE IN SEVERE
JEOPARDY!!! According to the governor's press release below, the Natural
Areas Acquisition Fund is being eliminated which means the entire Natural
Heritage Program, Endangered Species Program, and Illinois Nature Preserves
Commission will NO LONGER EXIST - ALL STAFF INCLUDING EVERY FIELD BIOLOGIST
AND PROGRAM PERSON WILL BE ELIMINATED – people who have dedicated their
careers to protecting our state's natural resources FOR YOU will be FIRED -
All Heritage and INPC are funded under the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund -
these programs and all personnel will no longer exist. We need
your help! PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS AND EVERY ONE ELSE YOU KNOW TO
SAY NO TO THIS - WE MUST KEEP THE NATURAL AREAS ACQUISITION FUND INTACT - WE
NEED YOUR HELP - THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF ILLINOIS NEED YOUR HELP - PLEASE!!!
Here are some talking points in communicating with your legislators (from
Harry Drucker)
(1) The Gov's proposal is contrary to his rhetoric, eg, said he was trying
to cut back office type folks and instead here he is axing the front-line
folks, plus, the institutional memory and experience here is huge and would
be super expensive or impossible to replace; (2) Gov seems to forget that
awhile ago the House and Senate both voted practically unanimously to
restore NAAF funding - such support will be there this time as well; (3)
Illinois was the pioneer in legislating a Nature Preserve's Commission - the
Illinois model has been copied (sometimes practically word for word - see
Kentucky) by many other states. In other words, Illinois is a leader on
this; (4) Illinois was recognized for its far-sightedness and creativity in
creating a Nature Preserves system at the World Environmental Summit (or
whatever it's correct name was) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil a few years ago -
and Blago wants to toss all this?? Incredible! (5) The amount of money
supporting these programs is miniscule compared to what the state gets in
return - private citizens dedicating land at no cost to the state! (6)
Enviros are sick and tired of being taken for granted and we won't be this
time. Especially the Democrats, who have waited for years to have a D in
the state house, Blago's actions are demoralizing at best.
PLEASE SEE THE LETTER BELOW - PLEASE, WE IMPLORE YOU, COPY AND SEND
THIS LETTER TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY YOUR LEGISLATORS,
REPRESENTATIVES, ETC. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - WE NEED TO BRING THIS TO
THE ATTENTION OF ILLINOIS' CITIZENS - THANK YOU FRIENDS!
_______________________________________________
Dear Governor Blagojevich:
I am strongly opposed to the elimination of the Open Space Land Acquisition
Fund and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund in the Illinois Department of
Natural Resource's 2005 Fiscal Year Budget. These funds are the lifeline
for some of the state's most important environmental programs, such as the
Natural Heritage Program, Endangered Species Program, and Illinois
Nature Preserves Commission. Without these programs, Illinois government
will be abandoning the few remnants of high quality habitat still within our
state's disturbed and highly fragmented landscape.
Furthermore, your press release dated February 18, 2004 indicates that the
Real Estate Transfer Tax, which now supports these programs, will be
deposited into the General Fund. I cannot see the wisdom behind redirecting
funds from programs that have direct and obvious positive impacts into a
black hole where very few dollars are spent on protecting the environment.
I implore you to preserve funding for the Open Space Land Acquisition Fund
and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund. To turn your back on these programs
would be a regrettable mistake.
Very Truly Yours,
Jim Anderson
Natural Resource Manager
Lake County Forest Preserve
32492 North Almond Road
Grayslake, Il 60030
847.968.3282
Fax - 847.680.5062
janderson@co.lake.il.us
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>BCN friends;<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>Governor Blagojevich’s budget is a bombshell on =
Illinois’ environment
and especially its bird conservation and protection programs.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Here is the last paragraph =
from his press
release of February 18<sup>th</sup>:<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>“</span></span></font></span><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black'>In
an effort to balance the budget, the Open Space Land Acquisition =
programs, as
well as programs supported by Natural Areas Acquisition Funds have been
eliminated from IDNR's FYO5 budget. These programs were supported =
by
diversions of the real estate transfer tax, which will now be deposited =
in the
General Revenue Fund.”</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;
mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]></span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>The
following is</span></span></font><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font =
color=3Dblack> an
email from Jim Anderson of the Lake County </font></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle15><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Forest
Preserve District explaining the gravity of the situation.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Please heed his requests.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]></span></font></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle15><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>Donald R. Dann<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>Highland Park/Lake County<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold=
'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Subject:</span></span></font></b><fon=
t
color=3Dblack face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> IDNR
Folks Need Your Help</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;
mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Please contact your State =
Legislators
concerning the following. Please read and then there is a draft letter =
below
for you to send in to help out.<br>
<br>
Joe Kath and his colleagues at the ILLINOIS DNR need your help =
–please read
& HELP in any way - thank you so much:<span style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Please pass this along to all constituents. As =
stated
below, the<br>
governor's budget address for Illinois will eliminate all funding to the =
Natural
Areas Acquisition Fund and ELIMINATE every program and biologist =
attached to
this fund. This means NO exotic and invasive species control, no =
endangered
and threatened species program, no more field<br>
biologists responsible for managing our flora and fauna, no more natural =
areas
protection, no more nature preserves protection, no more Natural =
Heritage
Program - this may just the precursor to possible elimination of funds =
such as
the Habitat Fund and Fish & Wildlife Fund - this is serious and we =
need
your help - PLEASE call your legislators - we will all be affected by
this...Yes, this means we are ALL losing our jobs - all of the work the =
IDNR
has done for non-game fauna and natural areas will be totally eliminated =
- this
is not a joke...<br>
<br>
PLEASE READ THIS - YOUR STATE'S NATURAL RESOURCES ARE IN SEVERE<br>
JEOPARDY!!! According to the governor's press release below, the =
Natural<br>
Areas Acquisition Fund is being eliminated which means the entire =
Natural
Heritage Program, Endangered Species Program, and Illinois Nature =
Preserves
Commission will NO LONGER EXIST - ALL STAFF INCLUDING EVERY FIELD =
BIOLOGIST AND
PROGRAM PERSON WILL BE ELIMINATED – people who have dedicated =
their careers to
protecting our state's natural resources FOR YOU will be FIRED - All =
Heritage
and INPC are funded under the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund - these =
programs
and all personnel will no longer exist. We need<br>
your help! PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS AND EVERY ONE ELSE YOU =
KNOW TO
SAY NO TO THIS - WE MUST KEEP THE NATURAL AREAS ACQUISITION FUND INTACT =
- WE
NEED YOUR HELP - THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF ILLINOIS NEED YOUR HELP - =
PLEASE!!!</span></font><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Here are some talking points in
communicating with your legislators (from Harry =
Drucker)</span></font><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>(1) The Gov's proposal is =
contrary to
his rhetoric, eg, said he was trying to cut back office type folks and =
instead
here he is axing the front-line folks, plus, the institutional memory =
and
experience here is huge and would be super expensive or impossible to =
replace;
(2) Gov seems to forget that awhile ago the House and Senate both voted
practically unanimously to restore NAAF funding - such support will be =
there
this time as well; (3) Illinois was the pioneer in legislating a Nature
Preserve's Commission - the Illinois model has been copied (sometimes
practically word for word - see Kentucky) by many other states. In =
other
words, Illinois is a leader on this; (4) Illinois was recognized for its
far-sightedness and creativity in creating a Nature Preserves system at =
the
World Environmental Summit (or whatever it's correct name was) in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil a few years ago - and Blago wants to toss all =
this??
Incredible! (5) The amount of money supporting these programs is =
miniscule
compared to what the state gets in return - private citizens dedicating =
land at
no cost to the state! (6) Enviros are sick and tired of being taken for =
granted
and we won't be this time. Especially the Democrats, who have =
waited for
years to have a D in the state house, Blago's actions are demoralizing =
at best.<br>
<br>
PLEASE SEE THE LETTER BELOW - PLEASE, WE IMPLORE YOU, COPY AND SEND<br>
THIS LETTER TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY YOUR LEGISLATORS,<br>
REPRESENTATIVES, ETC. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - WE NEED TO BRING THIS TO<br>
THE ATTENTION OF ILLINOIS' CITIZENS - THANK YOU FRIENDS!<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
<br>
Dear Governor Blagojevich:<br>
<br>
I am strongly opposed to the elimination of the Open Space Land =
Acquisition Fund
and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund in the Illinois Department of =
Natural
Resource's 2005 Fiscal Year Budget. These funds are the lifeline =
for some
of the state's most important environmental programs, such as the =
Natural
Heritage Program, Endangered Species Program, and Illinois<br>
Nature Preserves Commission. Without these programs, Illinois =
government will
be abandoning the few remnants of high quality habitat still within our =
state's
disturbed and highly fragmented landscape. <br>
<br>
Furthermore, your press release dated February 18, 2004 indicates that =
the Real
Estate Transfer Tax, which now supports these programs, will be =
deposited into
the General Fund. I cannot see the wisdom behind redirecting funds =
from
programs that have direct and obvious positive impacts into a black hole =
where very
few dollars are spent on protecting the environment.<br>
<br>
I implore you to preserve funding for the Open Space Land Acquisition =
Fund and
the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund. To turn your back on these =
programs would
be a regrettable mistake.<br>
<br>
Very Truly Yours,<br>
<br>
Jim Anderson<br>
Natural Resource Manager<br>
Lake County Forest Preserve<br>
32492 North Almond Road<br>
Grayslake, Il 60030<br>
847.968.3282<br>
Fax - 847.680.5062<br>
janderson@co.lake.il.us</span></font><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-color=
-alt:
windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
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