The News Outside
Life jackets a must for boaters, Steve Sarley, May 21
DNR needs sustainable funding, Dale Bowman, May 21
Bowfrogging for trophy croakers, Don Gasaway, May 21
Parts of Johnson-Sauk park closed, Star Courier, May 21
Pros, cons of Hackmatack refuge, Northwest Herald, May 20
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Recent entries
- Mass exodus ahead at DNR May 21
- They make snake baits for a reason May 11
- Central Illinois crappie biting May 09
- How high did the Mississippi flood? May 08
- Illinois Fish Management Fund? May 07
- Bass bedding in local strip pits May 07
- Boats needed for veteran fishing event May 03
- Miller makes plea for DNR funds May 02
- Wind + Emiquon = Short trip May 01
- Wading for crappie at Rend Lake Apr 30
- Was this a record smallmouth? Apr 28
- Ever seen an owl nest in goose box? Apr 26
- Chef Todd hooks a monster tiger Apr 26
- Illinois lakes make Bassmaster Top 100 Apr 25
- Turkey hunting plan? What plan? Apr 25
- CRP acres declining dramatically Apr 10
- Emiquon crappie very impressive Apr 09
- Asparagus up and bluegill biting Apr 03
- A day of kid fishing Apr 01
- River Monsters series returns Mar 30
JEFF
LAMPE
Scattershooting
DNR penny pinching continues
Thu, February 09, 2012
The fee increases are coming.
That’s the conclusion to draw from news that Outdoor Illinois magazine will cease publishing later this year. Rumors of the glossy magazine’s demise had been circulating for more than two years, but the final word came Monday on Facebook (of all places).
“Sad news to share with Outdoor Illinois readers today. As most of you are aware, declining revenues and massive budget shortfalls have had a deep impact on state operations.
“Nobody has been spared, and the inevitable choice we must make is a heartbreaking announcement: The March 2012 issue will be the last.”
Why the decision was not announced in a press release on the agency Website is anybody’s guess. Here’s one thought: aside from Outdoor Illinois, the DNR has done a poor job with the written word for about the past eight years. Press releases? What are they? Information about the agency? The best place to find that has always been Outdoor Illinois.
Now maybe there’s hope for a more steady stream of information. Let’s hope the four employees from Outdoor Illinois will be able to keep their jobs and to provide timely information on the Illinois DNR on a daily, not monthly basis—as does every state around us. I am tired of seeing a steady flow of information from Iowa, Wisconsin and even Indiana when our own DNR stays so silent.
That’s the stated intent of this new change, as the plan is to provide a greater Web presence. That would be one positive out of an otherwise unfortunate situation.
But I also suspect this latest decision is yet another trump card being played in an effort to show constituents just how dire the budget situation has become.
The announcement came even as Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller is in the midst of a barnstorming tour of the state, designed to spread the word of his agency’s plight and to answer questions. One such talk was in southern Illinois and Les Winkeler did a good job summarizing the meeting. Click here to read his account.
Miller said the DNR budget has been cut from $106.8 million to $48.9 million this fiscal year with another 10 percent cut proposed for next year.
The answer he is touting is an expected bill from Rep. Frank Mautino, D- Spring Valley. Miller said is he is uncertain what the bill will include. I highly doubt that, but whatever.
Look for increases in license fees and possibly permit fees. Look for a park user fee. Maybe there will be some other creative ways to spread the cost to other users (hook and bullet folks pay for just about everything right now).
Unfortunately, Miller said the bill will not include a dedicated source of funding, as is the case in Missouri. Ultimately, that’s the only real answer for the DNR: dedicated funding.
So now the issue for hunters and anglers becomes this: do we support fee increases? Understand, there will be no grand promises of what additional activities DNR can pursue with those increases. Right now, it’s a matter of survival.
Personally, I have very mixed emotions. I like the idea of a park user fee. I might even be able to support a slight increase in license fees. But deer permit fees should not increase again so soon.
And there’s a part of me that things need to get even worse so that legislators are forced to create a dedicated funding source—a portion of sales tax, for instance.
What do you think?
Comments
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News releases came to a screeching halt when blagovevich moved all the PR people from individual agencies and put them directly under him, an attempt to quell even a peep of descent, as he laid off frontline employees while adding high salaried, unneeded, unqualified administrators. The stuffing of extra administrators into DNR has been continued by the present governor. I find it interesting that DNR staff has gone from 2600 to less than 1200, but yet the directors staff has increased 8 fold. From a military sense, do we really need more generals when we are almost out of riflemen? NO! We have parks with no staff. The forestry division is almost defunct, while landowners must have an approved forestry plan to keep their woodlots from being taxed out of existence. How many counties are lacking a CPO? How many fishery and wildlife districts sit vacant. Governor Quinn, DNR needs boots on the ground, not more loafers in the office. Send the political hacks you and blago shuffled into DNR back to the mayor of Chicago, Mike Madigan and Dick Durbin.
Posted by riverrat47 on February 09
I think it’s time to move to Missouri. It can’t/won’t get better here for a long time. There’s no value on conservation and the outdoors in our legislature and it will continue to be cut until it ceases to exist, or is so expensive or difficult to pursue that it isn’t worth pursuing. Dedicated funding would be great, but it would be consistently and regularly pillaged to pay for something else.
Posted by birdchaser on February 09
I too have mixed feelings. I would feel much better if waste were eliminated. Stop putting or giving people positions in the dnr that don’t belong while elimating people in the field. Stop using 100s of thousands of $s to study swan movement in IL. My perception of waste. I love this country and even this state for all the freedoms we have although they are dwindling. Increase my fees if necesssary just use it wisely and put people in the dnr who are passionate about hunting and fishing and preserving these traditions. Thanks for the outlet….
Posted by enjycreation on February 09
If you don’t like how the last two governors have worked to dismantle DNR, call your legislators and the governor and complain. Despite what you may think, they do listen and they do keep track of what issues are important to their constituents. Google Illinois General Assembly for the phone # of your legislator and senator.
Governor:
217/782-0244 (Springfield)
312/814-2121 (Chicago)
Posted by riverrat47 on February 09
Might as well get rid of the Illinois hunting and fishing regulation handbook also at this time. With the lack of CPO’S out in the field it is useless. It keeps getting repeated on this site but we are the only form of conservation this state has and will only have for a long time. Get used to it and the endless supply of permits!!! Regulate your hunting areas and try to speak with hunters around to help manage the heard. It’s been bad for awhile and will stay this way until MAYBE we form together somehow and try to fight against this black hole that keeps sucking away at this resource that is turning into nonrenewable!!
Posted by RAGEINTHECAGE on February 09
The Wildlife and Fish Fund is now nearing insolvency. Why? Because the core functions of conservation and management of our aquatic and wildlife resources is no longer considered priority #1 for Wildlife and Fish Fund monies (license fees paid by hunters and anglers). The money, by the millions, has been diverted away from the core DNR functions noted above and switched to other DNR non-core programs.
Posted by Conlin on February 09
Sportsmen absolutely should not support any license/permit increases for hunting and fishing unless the DNR Director and the Governor produce a very detailed document listing how each dollar of the new monies will be expended.
This document should be sent to anglers and hunters for their review. What we don’t want resulting, for example, is something like happened in 2010 when the Fishing License fee was increased by $2. Not one penny went to the Division of Fisheries, not one!!!
Posted by Conlin on February 09
worst part of whole damn thing is doesnt matter which side of the aisle you vote for,
Posted by joecarver on February 09
I do not envy Miller in the least bit.
Posted by Walston on February 09
A few things have me very leery about supporting any fee increases at all. #1. There were promises made the last round that if the fish/hunt fees were increased that the park user fees would be included in the legislation. Like usual, the hunters and fishermen paid more and the park users did not.
#2.Every time that there has been a license or permit fee increase, the amount of general revenue money has been cut, most often with a net loss for the DNR.
#3. If Director MIller is barmstorming the state for support, he must still think that crossing the Illinois River into western Illinois requires a passport. Since he has been Director he has made one trip to Western IL. and that was to promote outfitting of all things.
#4. Riverrat is right about the high priced, unqualified people that have been made Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Deputy Directors etc. and Conlin is right about the fact the DNR has lost it’s sight of it’s true mission and who it’s core constitency really is.
Posted by The Colonel on February 09
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/97/SB/09700SB3316.htm
This is one worth reading too.
Posted by clintharvey on February 09
I just got reading Les Winkelers story and I got a little chuckle. When Marc Miller was asked about the legislation sponsored by Frank Mautino concerning the IDNR budget his response was
“It’s Frank’s bill,” he said. “Nothing in the building is off the table. Because it’s not our bill, we can’t answer that question.”
I just shook my head thinking “WHY THE HELL DON’T YOU”. The entire thread shouts all the problems the IDNR is facing. If I was Marc, I’d be on the phone with that congressman constantly if this bill is suppose to provide funding for my organization. Same should be true of the congressman, he is writing the bill so wouldn’t you think keeping in contact with Marc’s organization would be a great thing?
Posted by buckbull on February 09
Colonel-I know of one other time Marc Miller crossed the Illinois and went to Galesburg. In Oct. 2010 he was at the Knox County Pheasants Forever banquet for the big announcement that PF had purchased 1,000 acres to be restored to native prairie. 493 acres of that ground was given to the DNR for their management and the other 507 are in the PF Trust. Possession was taken on these grounds in Jan 2011. And that is as far as my defense of Marc Miller will go.
During the course of this last year, the 507 acres was sprayed to kill all the existing pasture grass, burned off, and re-seeded in native prairie. Knox County PF has put some time in on this section. The 493 which the DNR controls-nada. The only thing that happened on that ground was 300 acres of it was mowed and round-baled for grass hay.
On of the members of my dog club has tried to hunt a few times this year at Johnson Sauk Trail, North of Kewanee. He says that property is so under maintained that the grass and timber are almost completely impassable with scrub and brush, and that in 2 years or less, the only place a person can go is the areas which are tilled and row-cropped.
Maybe what the DNR should do is begin an application progress to turn over control of some of their areas to local conservation organizations. Groups like PF, DU, QF, NWTF, WU could write a plan to submit and then the best plan (which each particular group is responsible for funding) would be selected to manage that property. The plans would be for 5 or 10 years. The property would still be owned by the DNR, and public access would still need to be maintained, but members/volunteers of the organization managing the property could get special access or some other form of perks for their work.
Posted by FlintlockShooter on February 10
Flintlockshooter…....... while not as detailed as what you propose, some of that exact thing is already being done. Bo and his crew with Friends of Sangonois, The Friends of Rice Lake group, Migratory Waterfowl at the Miss. River Area. In my own area, the Mississippi Valley Hunters & Fishermen went in last summer with the district biologist to fix our waterfowl refuge. After days of clearing brush we got to the water control structure and found that it had been destroyed in the 2008 flood. We cleared about 6 years of growth from the levees, fixed the control structure and purchased the millet and seeded the refuge. We are currently replacing the wood duck houses and waterfowl nest structures. If we had waited for the state to do it, out kids would be waiting. This unfortunately is probably what the future holds, if we want it done we will have to do it ourselves. But as far as “members/volunteers of the organization managing the property could get special access or some other form of perks for their work.”, that part I have to disagree with. That situation would morph into pviate hunt club on public land and that is not a good thing at all. If a club is going to do this, it has to be done for the right reason, for the benefit of all the public.
Posted by The Colonel on February 10
Another article by Les Winkeler from summer of last year mentions that the DNR has the authority to implement park user fees only they haven’t done it.
I think it’s time to get that done. Half the states around us have them and I know as rarely as I go to Wisconsin, I don’t think twice about paying it.
I do think it’s time to quit making it a hunter/angler burden with fee increases. It’s time to spread the responsibility to other users of state parks.
I don’t know if I’ll do it publicly or privately with Marc at the Tinley show, but I plan on mentioning to him to shut down parks that are popular with others. Illinois Beach, Starved Rock, Matthiessen, Buffalo Rock, Illini to name just a few. Actually, leave them open for hunting or fishing, we’ve already paid a fee, close them to the rest. Then see what kind of outcry happens. Considering that 4 of those I mentioned are in LaSalle County, loss of visitor revenue to that county alone would have people crawling up legislators butts to correct this problem.
Posted by Waterdog on February 10
Colonel, I agree wholeheartedly with your last comment and I think Miller touches on that in the latest article Les wrote, relying on groups and volunteers to get work done. It may be the new standard.
I was also going to mention the “special access” suggestion, I’m against it for the same reason. I don’t have the money to be joining groups, but I do have some time to help out locally. I live in an area where there is already a shortage of public hunting land, I wouldn’t appreciate being cut out of even more of it for the lack of funds to join a group.
Posted by Waterdog on February 10
I also said that public access would need to be maintained. Maybe it is something as simple as waiving the field trial fee for a dog club. Or being able to advertise their organization at the entrance. Or be able to run a special event.
Bottom line, the DNR is failing to manage the resources. It’s our wallets that are getting ripped open to finance the failure. Let’s offer more than complaints and lists of what is being done wrong, and offer solutions on how things can be done right for everyone who enjoys the great outdoors.
Posted by FlintlockShooter on February 10
DNR cannot absorb another 10% in cuts across the board but…....... if Mr. Miller wanted to do the best possible thing for the DNR core mission of fish and wildlife resources, there are things he could do.
#1. Save a couple of million on the administrative side as riverrat has suggested. That makes up half of the 10% cut right there.
#2. Mothball the World Shooting Complex at Sparta. That one facility cost over 50 million to build (that is more than Millers entire 48.9 million budget for the whole DNR this year!!!!) Sparta sucks out $2,615,600 out of the State Parks and Fish and Wildlife funds per year including 200k for “prizes!
It is a question of priorities and politics. Mr. Miller please get the DNR’s priorities straight and the hunters and fishermen will help you with the politics.
Posted by The Colonel on February 12