Illinois Budget Hearings

March 19 2008...........
To: Legislative Hosts, Members of the Illinois Legislature, and Illinois Legislative Caucus Members.
Re: 2008 Budget Hearings
Dear Honorable Legislative Members,
(IFOR) the Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources, a statewide conservation organization with over 75,000 members and affiliates would like to thank you for the opportunity to comment on the 2008 Budget Hearings.
We realize that in the current atmosphere Illinois has some serious and troubling issues which you as legislative members are dealing with. Of serious concern to Illinois sportsmen and women are the deep cuts to the Department of Natural Resources in funding and loss of personnel. When all is said and done our natural resources may be the only resources we will have to fall back on for reliance. Our children and grandchildren will inherit our efforts to manage, maintain and conserve the natural resources this State has been blessed with. Our DNR and the dedicated people who work there, are the conservation team that has kept this State’s public resources in fine shape until recent years. Cuts to the past budgets and personnel have left many departments overworked and over burdened which has a direct effect on many constituents in Illinois. Our natural resources and the Department of Natural Resources deserve thoughtful funding and support from the Illinois Legislature.
Recently we learned that the DNR will stop its support of controlled pheasant hunting in the State. This program which has been implemented statewide on DNR lands managed for the public for many successful years has been strongly supported by hunters, many of which in the northeast region of Illinois, is the only opportunity to hunt with family and friends without traveling to other areas of the State or out of state. This proposal to stop controlled pheasant hunting in Illinois will be a huge loss statewide but especially felt in northeast Illinois (DNR Region 2). Pheasant hunting on State properties has been paid for over many years mostly by the hunting community who have enjoyed a tradition on a yearly basis and should have marginal to no effect on the 2008 budget.
For many years the Department of Natural Resources has been under funded and dismantled leaving only a fraction of the personnel and resources required to manage, protect, and conserve our natural resources. It is time to seriously consider allocating a percentage of tax to properly fund this State’s DNR and its natural resources. We call upon the Legislature, members of the Illinois Legislative Caucus, and other interested parties to introduce legislation that will allocate 1/8th of 1 percent, protected from fund sweeps as dedicated funding for the DNR.
Thank you for your serious consideration and for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Geoff Kishpaugh
IFOR Vice President and Legislative Chair