[BCNnet] two helpful stories from Wed.Sun-Times vs. Gov's proposed cuts
Alan Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net
Wed, 25 Feb 2004 19:40:00 -0600
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Two articles from todays Chicago Sun-Times mentioned the proposed cuts =
to the Natural Areas Program.
Sure hope that the statement by Jonathan Goldman of IEC (in Dale =
Bowman's Outdoor column) is prophetic.
Alan B. Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net=20
Des Plaines, Cook Co.
www.chicagoaudubon.org
1) http://www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-out25.html =20
February 25, 2004=20
BY DALE BOWMAN STAFF REPORTER =20
VACATION? I'LL GIVE YOU ONE: May I suggest to whoever has Gov. =
Blagojevich's ear on conservation issues (Julie Curry? Joel Brunsvold?): =
Shout louder. The governor only seems to be hearing policy wonks such as =
Bradley Tusk and John Filan. For a governor who has done much right, he =
has made misstep after misstep on conservation.=20
The latest came in his proposed budget. He suggested "a vacation'' for =
the Open Space Land Acquisition programs and Natural Areas Acquisition =
Funds in fiscal year 2005.=20
A hatcheting would be more accurate. He meant a complete cut of funding =
for those programs and a shift of the moneys, 50 percent of the =
real-estate transfer tax, into the General Revenue Fund. Among the cuts =
would be the Endangered Species Board.=20
The political reality is the General Assembly isn't likely to let it =
happen.=20
Two years ago, when Gov. Ryan made the same suggestion, both houses of =
the General Assembly squashed the idea nearly unanimously.=20
"We will have to fight all over again, and hopefully when we win this =
time, it will really become untouchable,'' said Jonathan Goldman, the =
executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council.=20
But I am worried that the governor even considered such an idea. We =
aren't even out of February, and Blagojevich floated a bizarre slashing =
of conservation-related funding for the second time.=20
Here's how to contact the governor: governor@state.il.us, (217) 782-0244 =
or Office of the Governor, 207 State House, Springfield, IL 62706. To =
find your legislator, go to elections.state.il.us/dls/ =
pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp.
2) http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-tern25.html
Endangered birds face a tern for the worse
February 25, 2004
BY GARY WISBY Environment Reporter
A colony of common terns at Great Lakes Naval Base has withstood the
predations of foxes, rats and raccoons, but may be done in by a Gov.
Blagojevich budget proposal.
It would strip funding from the state's Natural Heritage program, =
forcing it
to let go 30 biologists -- one of whom, Brad Semel of the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources, has been instrumental in a dramatic
comeback of the endangered bird.
With conservationist Donnie Dann, Semel guided establishment of the =
state's
only colony of the black-capped species.
>From 1997 to 2001, terns nested on the site, but predators ate all their
eggs. After the state erected an electrified fence in 2002, the birds
produced 26 fledglings. Last year, 36 got their wings.
Forty volunteers cleared more of the sandy land last fall as part of a =
plan
to double the size of the sanctuary, now about 75 by 75 square feet.
Electrified fence, 2-1/2 feet high, was to be replaced by one 8 feet =
high.
"We wanted to double or even triple the number of these endangered birds
that we could have successfully raised," Dann said.
Semel also has been tending the state's only colony of Forster's terns,
which fledged 87 birds last summer from a site on the Chain O' Lakes.
A licensed bird bander, Semel captured and marked every tern to help
determine where the birds go and how many return home after migration.
"Now there will be no one to mark and count them," said Dann, a retiree =
who
monitors birds for the state, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the =
U.S.
Geological Survey. "I can't do this on my own; I don't have the =
technical
expertise."
The terns, who like open stretches of sand with a little shrubbery for
shade, will continue to nest at the naval base site. For a while. But =
money
for fence upkeep will be gone.
"Without it being electrified and maintained, it will be ineffectual," =
Dann
said. "Raccoons will climb over it, and the birds will be totally
annihilated."
If that happens, the common tern will get off Illinois' endangered =
species
list the hard way -- by disappearing from the state.
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Two articles from todays Chicago =
Sun-Times=20
mentioned the proposed cuts to the Natural Areas Program.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sure hope that the statement by =
Jonathan Goldman of=20
IEC (in Dale Bowman's Outdoor column) is prophetic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Alan B. Anderson<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:casresearch@comcast.net">casresearch@comcast.net</A> =
<BR>Des=20
Plaines, Cook Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.chicagoaudubon.org">www.chicagoaudubon.org</A></FONT><=
/DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1) </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-out25.html">http:=
//www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-out25.html</A></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2> </FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>
<P><I> February 25, 2004</I>=20
<P><B>BY DALE BOWMAN STAFF REPORTER </B><!-- Empty line is needed -->
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D4 align=3Dright border=3D0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<SCRIPT language=3DJavaScript=20
=
src=3D"http://a3.suntimes.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.suntimes.=
com/output/outdoors/@Top,Top1,TopLeft,Middle,Middle1,Bottom,x01,x02,x03,x=
04,x05,Frame1!Middle">
</SCRIPT>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><B>VACATION? I'LL GIVE YOU ONE:</B> May I suggest to whoever has =
<B>Gov.=20
Blagojevich's</B> ear on conservation issues (<B>Julie Curry</B>? =
<B>Joel=20
Brunsvold</B>?): Shout louder. The governor only seems to be hearing =
policy=20
wonks such as <B>Bradley Tusk</B> and <B>John Filan</B>. For a governor =
who has=20
done much right, he has made misstep after misstep on conservation.=20
<P>The latest came in his proposed budget. He suggested "a vacation'' =
for the=20
Open Space Land Acquisition programs and Natural Areas Acquisition Funds =
in=20
fiscal year 2005.=20
<P>A hatcheting would be more accurate. He meant a complete cut of =
funding for=20
those programs and a shift of the moneys, 50 percent of the real-estate =
transfer=20
tax, into the General Revenue Fund. Among the cuts would be the =
Endangered=20
Species Board.=20
<P>The political reality is the General Assembly isn't likely to let it =
happen.=20
<P>Two years ago, when <B>Gov. Ryan</B> made the same suggestion, both =
houses of=20
the General Assembly squashed the idea nearly unanimously.=20
<P>"We will have to fight all over again, and hopefully when we win this =
time,=20
it will really become untouchable,'' said <B>Jonathan Goldman</B>, the =
executive=20
director of the Illinois Environmental Council.=20
<P>But I am worried that the governor even considered such an idea. We =
aren't=20
even out of February, and Blagojevich floated a bizarre slashing of=20
conservation-related funding for the second time.=20
<P>Here's how to contact the governor: =
<I><I>governor@state.il.us</I></I>, (217)=20
782-0244 or Office of the Governor, 207 State House, Springfield, IL =
62706. To=20
find your legislator, go to <I><I>elections.state.il.us/dls/=20
pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp</I></I>.</P>
<P>2) <A=20
href=3D"http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-tern25.html">http://w=
ww.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-tern25.html</A><BR><BR>Endangered=20
birds face a tern for the worse<BR>February 25, 2004<BR>BY GARY WISBY=20
Environment Reporter<BR><BR>A colony of common terns at Great Lakes =
Naval Base=20
has withstood the<BR>predations of foxes, rats and raccoons, but may be =
done in=20
by a Gov.<BR>Blagojevich budget proposal.<BR><BR>It would strip funding =
from the=20
state's Natural Heritage program, forcing it<BR>to let go 30 biologists =
-- one=20
of whom, Brad Semel of the Illinois<BR>Department of Natural Resources, =
has been=20
instrumental in a dramatic<BR>comeback of the endangered =
bird.<BR><BR>With=20
conservationist Donnie Dann, Semel guided establishment of the =
state's<BR>only=20
colony of the black-capped species.<BR><BR>From 1997 to 2001, terns =
nested on=20
the site, but predators ate all their<BR>eggs. After the state erected =
an=20
electrified fence in 2002, the birds<BR>produced 26 fledglings. Last =
year, 36=20
got their wings.<BR><BR>Forty volunteers cleared more of the sandy land =
last=20
fall as part of a plan<BR>to double the size of the sanctuary, now about =
75 by=20
75 square feet.<BR>Electrified fence, 2-1/2 feet high, was to be =
replaced by one=20
8 feet high.<BR><BR>"We wanted to double or even triple the number of =
these=20
endangered birds<BR>that we could have successfully raised," Dann=20
said.<BR><BR>Semel also has been tending the state's only colony of =
Forster's=20
terns,<BR>which fledged 87 birds last summer from a site on the Chain O' =
Lakes.<BR><BR>A licensed bird bander, Semel captured and marked every =
tern to=20
help<BR>determine where the birds go and how many return home after=20
migration.<BR><BR>"Now there will be no one to mark and count them," =
said Dann,=20
a retiree who<BR>monitors birds for the state, the U.S. Fish & =
Wildlife=20
Service and the U.S.<BR>Geological Survey. "I can't do this on my own; I =
don't=20
have the technical<BR>expertise."<BR><BR>The terns, who like open =
stretches of=20
sand with a little shrubbery for<BR>shade, will continue to nest at the =
naval=20
base site. For a while. But money<BR>for fence upkeep will be=20
gone.<BR><BR>"Without it being electrified and maintained, it will be=20
ineffectual," Dann<BR>said. "Raccoons will climb over it, and the birds =
will be=20
totally<BR>annihilated."<BR><BR>If that happens, the common tern will =
get off=20
Illinois' endangered species<BR>list the hard way -- by disappearing =
from the=20
state.<BR></P>
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