[BCNnet] looking at other funding ideas for IDNR Natural Areas

Sun, 7 Mar 2004 20:28:45 -0600

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>From today's Sunday Sun-Times:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-bowman07.html
 =20
Budget cuts might make time right for dedicated funding=20

March 7, 2004=20

BY DALE BOWMAN STAFF REPORTER=20

We can whine about the pathetic state of conservation funding under Gov. =
Blagojevich. Or we can use desperation to drive creativity.=20

Last week, a member of the Natural Resources Advisory Board and I kicked =
around ideas for stable funding of the Illinois Department of Natural =
Resources.=20

Things are so desperate he floated the idea of selling waterfront =
property along lakes like Shelbyville. I told him the idea stunk. =
Shelbyville is one of our most beautiful lakes. But part of me knows =
that would be a tremendous one-time fix for IDNR. Things are that bad. =
We need to consider ideas that radical.=20

"The environment is many times the first victim of budget cuts,'' said =
Gary Mechanic, who heads the Access Project for the Illinois Paddling =
Council, a statewide umbrella for paddling clubs. "That is really =
backward. That is the first thing we ought to take care. In bad times, =
land is cheaper, and we ought to buy it.''=20

The best way to do that is through dedicated funding. To translate: =
taxes. This is not a new idea. It has been brought up many times in that =
paper tiger, Conservation Congress. In states where dedicated funding =
for conservation has worked, it is generally through a small percentage =
of the sales tax. It is not fool-proof. Funding goes down proportionally =
when economic times are bad.=20

"The political climate has become pretty charged against any tax =
increase so that legislators are reluctant to go out on a limb,'' said =
Jack Darin, director of the 25,000-member Sierra Club, Illinois chapter. =
"But the debate touched off by the Governor's budget cuts has energized =
the conservation community. That may prove new support.''=20

Support for dedicated funding would have to overcome the bitter turf =
wars -- greenies vs. consumptive users, hunters vs. birders -- that fill =
the conservation arena.=20

"You can't divvy up the pie until you get it,'' the board member said.=20

It might work. I talked with a full spectrum in conservation and feel =
confident that the time might be right to push through dedicated =
funding.=20

"This is something birdwatchers and bowhunters and everyone in between =
can get excited about,'' Darin said. "From soccer moms to wild turkey =
hunters, there are so many people who have a stake in the recreational =
and quality of life benefits. The coalition would be city, suburban and =
rural; Democrat and Republican. It would be as broad a spectrum as you =
could want in public policy.''=20

"I think we could get a pretty good steamroller going [for dedicated =
funding],'' said Bob Becker, president of the Illinois Federation for =
Outdoor Resources, an umbrella of 115 organizations representing 75,000 =
traditional outdoor users. "It is pretty sad what [Blagojevich has] on =
the table right now.''=20

"I will go out on a limb and say we would support it,'' said Jerry =
Gille, president of the United Bowhunters of Illinois. "But you would =
have to assure us the money was going [for proper usages] and not to =
send people to conferences in Las Vegas. When you look at the Department =
of Natural Resources, you see some fluff, at the top end, generally.''=20

"The question is, do people trust what the money is being used for?'' =
Darin said. "I think hands down they are all for conservation, =
Democrats, Republicans and independents. Politicians, because of waste =
in other program areas, are trying to position themselves as anti-tax =
candidates. Many have taken no-tax-of-any-kind pledges. The difficulty =
of overcoming that is greater than convincing anyone of the need for =
conservation.''=20

"The more DNR is supported outside of the vagaries of the political =
winds, the better it is for plants and animals,'' Mechanic said. "They =
don't get to vote.''=20

Dale Bowman may be reached at dale@DaleBowman.com. "Bowman's Outdoor =
Line'' is heard on "Outdoors with Mike Norris'' (3-4 p.m. Thursdays, =
1280-AM).

BIRDING=20

Thursday: 2004 Midewin Explorations Lecture Series, ''The Grassland =
Birds of Midewin,'' Dr. Jim Herkert, 7 p.m., (815) 423-6370.=20

Saturday: Karen Furnweger's ''Bringing Back the Whoopers,'' keys Birding =
America VI, North Park University; www.chicagoaudubon.org, (773) =
539-6793.

Alan B. Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net=20
Des Plaines, Cook Co.

www.chicagoaudubon.org
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>From today's Sunday =
Sun-Times:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-bowman07.html">ht=
tp://www.suntimes.com/output/outdoors/cst-spt-bowman07.html</A></FONT></D=
IV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;</FONT>=20
<H2>Budget cuts might make time right for dedicated funding </H2><FONT=20
face=3Darial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>
<P>
<P><I>March 7, 2004</I>=20
<P><B>BY DALE BOWMAN STAFF REPORTER=20
</B><!-- Empty line is needed =
--></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><BR></TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P><!--publication CST --><!--pub_section SPT last modified 3/5/04  =
10:10 PM-->
<P><!--startdrop-->We can whine about the pathetic state of conservation =
funding=20
under Gov. Blagojevich. Or we can use desperation to drive creativity.=20
<P>
<P>
<P>Last week, a member of the Natural Resources Advisory Board and I =
kicked=20
around ideas for stable funding of the Illinois Department of Natural =
Resources.=20

Things are so desperate he floated the idea of selling waterfront =
property=20
along lakes like Shelbyville. I told him the idea stunk. Shelbyville is =
one of=20
our most beautiful lakes. But part of me knows that would be a =
tremendous=20
one-time fix for IDNR. Things are that bad. We need to consider ideas =
that=20
radical.=20
"The environment is many times the first victim of budget cuts,'' =
said Gary=20
Mechanic, who heads the Access Project for the Illinois Paddling =
Council, a=20
statewide umbrella for paddling clubs. "That is really backward. That is =
the=20
first thing we ought to take care. In bad times, land is cheaper, and we =
ought=20
to buy it.''=20
The best way to do that is through dedicated funding. To translate: =
taxes.=20
This is not a new idea. It has been brought up many times in that paper =
tiger,=20
Conservation Congress. In states where dedicated funding for =
conservation has=20
worked, it is generally through a small percentage of the sales tax. It =
is not=20
fool-proof. Funding goes down proportionally when economic times are =
bad.=20
"The political climate has become pretty charged against any tax =
increase so=20
that legislators are reluctant to go out on a limb,'' said Jack Darin, =
director=20
of the 25,000-member Sierra Club, Illinois chapter. "But the debate =
touched off=20
by the Governor's budget cuts has energized the conservation community. =
That may=20
prove new support.''=20
Support for dedicated funding would have to overcome the bitter turf =
wars --=20
greenies vs. consumptive users, hunters vs. birders -- that fill the=20
conservation arena.=20
"You can't divvy up the pie until you get it,'' the board member =
said.=20
It might work. I talked with a full spectrum in conservation and feel =

confident that the time might be right to push through dedicated =
funding.=20
"This is something birdwatchers and bowhunters and everyone in =
between can=20
get excited about,'' Darin said. "From soccer moms to wild turkey =
hunters, there=20
are so many people who have a stake in the recreational and quality of =
life=20
benefits. The coalition would be city, suburban and rural; Democrat and=20
Republican. It would be as broad a spectrum as you could want in public=20
policy.''=20
"I think we could get a pretty good steamroller going [for dedicated=20
funding],'' said Bob Becker, president of the Illinois Federation for =
Outdoor=20
Resources, an umbrella of 115 organizations representing 75,000 =
traditional=20
outdoor users. "It is pretty sad what [Blagojevich has] on the table =
right=20
now.''=20
"I will go out on a limb and say we would support it,'' said Jerry =
Gille,=20
president of the United Bowhunters of Illinois. "But you would have to =
assure us=20
the money was going [for proper usages] and not to send people to =
conferences in=20
Las Vegas. When you look at the Department of Natural Resources, you see =
some=20
fluff, at the top end, generally.''=20
"The question is, do people trust what the money is being used for?'' =
Darin=20
said. "I think hands down they are all for conservation, Democrats, =
Republicans=20
and independents. Politicians, because of waste in other program areas, =
are=20
trying to position themselves as anti-tax candidates. Many have taken=20
no-tax-of-any-kind pledges. The difficulty of overcoming that is greater =
than=20
convincing anyone of the need for conservation.''=20
"The more DNR is supported outside of the vagaries of the political =
winds,=20
the better it is for plants and animals,'' Mechanic said. "They don't =
get to=20
vote.''=20

Dale Bowman may be reached at dale@DaleBowman.com.=20
"Bowman's Outdoor Line'' is heard on "Outdoors with Mike Norris'' =
(3-4=20
p.m. Thursdays, 1280-AM).
BIRDING 


Thursday: 2004 Midewin Explorations Lecture Series, ''The =
Grassland=20
Birds of Midewin,'' Dr. Jim Herkert, 7 p.m., (815) 423-6370.=20
Saturday: Karen Furnweger's ''Bringing Back the Whoopers,'' =
keys=20
Birding America VI, North Park University; =
www.chicagoaudubon.org, (773)=20
539-6793.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Alan B. Anderson <A=20
href=3D"mailto:casresearch@comcast.net">casresearch@comcast.net</A> =
 Des=20
Plaines, Cook Co.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><A=20
href=3D"http://www.chicagoaudubon.org">www.chicagoaudubon.org</A><=
/DIV></BODY></HTML>

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