Environmentalists Ask for Public Support in Fighting Budget Cuts for State Parks: Many Say They Will Affect Local Economy

By Will Buss, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Jul. 23–GRAFTON — Local environmental, business and tourism leaders are asking for public support in appealing to state lawmakers to reverse proposed cuts to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to cut $14 million from the agency’s payroll, which has gradually been reduced since 2001. By the end of that year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources employed 1,982. Six years later, it was decreased by 24 percent. The latest proposal would cut another 163 and leave only 1,160 positions.

Supporters spoke Tuesday afternoon at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, where Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff work to provide visitors a clean and safe environment. Sierra Club spokeswoman Christine Favilla said the proposed budget cuts go into effect Thursday and urged the public to contact their state lawmakers to prevent this.

“Unfortunately, this great park and the people who work here, all of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff, and other sites like this are now at risk,” Favilla said. “Not from development, not from logging or other exploitation, but by the breakdown in our state government in Springfield.”

Robert S. Bryant, who is president of Migratory Waterfowl Hunters, said the proposed cuts will mean losing much staffing within the fish and wildlife department — $831,700 from the Office of Water Resources, or 21 percent of the proposed cutback. He also wants lawmakers to reconsider this move and the potential consequences.

Economically, the proposal will affect local business, according to Brent Thompson, executive director of the Jersey County Business Association. Thompson said that because of historically high fuel costs, people are opting to spend more vacation time at state parks such as Pere Marquette this summer. The state park’s lodge and hotel are the largest outside of Alton, located about 20 miles away, and the only one in the area to accommodate large groups

“To close or cut back these services will send a message to visitors that Illinois is not only not people-friendly, but they are also no longer open for business,” Thompson said. “Pere Marquette and the conference center are key players for travelers and vacationers in our area of the state. It will negatively affect the many activities and the staff of this visitor’s center.”

“When we start talking about cuts to DNR that helps manage the public lands that we have here, as well as the programming in the area, we are concerned about what that may do to actual visitation to the park,” said Brett Stawar, executive director of Alton Convention and Visitors Center. “So we hope the state can find a way to fund these programs and fund DNR to the point of having this wonderful state park that we’re in managed for all of us to enjoy.”

Staff reduction would compromise public safety, said Richard Gillespie, president of The Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois. Approximately $781,700 — 6 percent — of the proposed cuts reductions would affect the Office of Law Enforcement. Gillespie said the conservation police officers are an essential part of law enforcement in the state of Illinois.

“It’s vital to the citizens of Illinois that the cuts that have been made to the Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement be overridden,” Gillespie said. “We understand that the state is in a budget crisis. However, the last area that you should compromise is public safety. And the days of our Homeland Security starts with our local police departments, our local fire departments. These men and women with the Illinois Department of Conservation Police are our basic forefront. They guard our rivers, they guard our lakes, they guard our streams.”

Contact reporter Will Buss at wbuss@bnd.com or 345-7822, ext. 24.

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