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Snowmobile trail grants awarded Snowmobile trail grants totaling $94,100 have been awarded to two local governments and six private snowmobile organizations to develop and maintain public snowmobile trails in Illinois. "These grants will be used to purchase additional snowmobile trail grooming and maintenance equipment, renovate existing equipment, post additional trail signs and repair snowmobile bridges in 10 northern Illinois counties," Gov. George H. Ryan said in announcing the grants. The 10 counties that will benefit from the additional signs, improved trails and new bridges are Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. Grant recipients include: • Lake County Forest Preserve District, $7,000 to replace deteriorated tracks on a 1988 groomer used to maintain 25 miles of snowmobile trails. • Oregon Park District (Ogle County), $13,000 to purchase a 6 x 6 all-terrain utility machine with trail groomer attachments. The unit will be used by the park district and the Black Hawk Snowblazers Club to assist with trail development and maintenance, helping prepare and maintain more than 100 miles of public snowmobile trails. • German Valley Sno-Riders (Stephenson, Winnebago and Ogle counties), $6,700 to purchase an eight-foot trail groomer drag to help maintain 84 miles of public snowmobile trails. • Northwest Illinois Snowmobile Alliance (Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties), $20,200 to purchase an eight-foot trail groomer drag, a mower, and a seven-foot blade and to lease a 70-horsepower agricultural tractor. The implements will be used with the tractor to prepare trails (including the 14.5-mile Jane Addams Trail) for snowmobiling by mowing and shaping the trails prior to snowfall and for grooming and maintenance during the snowmobiling season.
• Northwest Illinois Snowmobile Alliance (Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll and Whiteside counties,) $30,800 to purchase trail signs, posts, lumber for bridges and gates to be used along the snowmobile trails they maintain in the four counties. • Region 5, Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs (DeKalb and Kane counties.) $5,000 to purchase a new trailer to transport their trail groomer. The current trailer does not have an adequate gross vehicle weight rating for the groomer. • Region 6, Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs (Jo Daviess County), $8,600 for lumber and materials to replace five snowmobile bridges destroyed by flooding earlier this year. • Spring Grove Sno-Grovers (McHenry County), $2,800 for signs to better mark their 17 miles of snowmobile trails and for lumber and materials to rebuild three bridges that cross small streams. The snowmobile grants are administered by DNR. Application forms for the next round of grants are available by contacting the Division of Grant Administration, Room 315, 524 S. Second St.. Springfield, Ill. 62701-1787; or by calling (217)782-7481. Applications are accepted from March 1 to May 1. Governor makes first Open Land Trust purchase Gov. George H. Ryan has announced the state is purchasing 1,662 acres of park land in Kankakee County, the first such acquisition under his landmark Open Land Trust initiative, a program designed to acquire and protect open space for future generations. "With this first land acquisition purchase, we begin the OutdoorIllinois 20
commitment we need to make to save our open spaces," Ryan said. "This purchase will improve the quality of life for the people of this community and for the entire state." The newly acquired area will be used for lake fishing, wildlife habitat and waterfowl hunting as well as other recreational activities. The parcel contains numerous lakes and ponds with three large lakes. Nearly one quarter of the total acreage is covered with water. Most of the Band on the parcel is wooded or covered with grass. The property is west of the town of Essex, along and north of County Highway 6. It is less than 1/2 mile from Mazonia Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area and a number of state areas are within 15 miles, including: Heidecke State Fish and Wildlife Area, William G. Stratton State Park, Gebhard Woods State Park, Des Plaines Conservation Area, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area and Kankakee River State Park. Commonwealth Edison approached the Department of Natural Resources about selling this land to the state. They agreed to sell the property for several million dollars less than the fair market value of the land. "When a corporation makes a contribution like that, it makes our Open Land Trust even stronger," Ryan said. "Acquiring this property has been a high priority since we learned it was for sale," said DNR Director Brent Manning. "I'm grateful to the Governor for his efforts to make it happen." The Illinois "Open Land Trust" is a $160 million program that will provide $40 million per year over the next four years for land purchases and improvements. The program provides state funding for land acquisition as well as a combination of grants and loans to local governments for open space protection. All land acquired through this program is from willing sellers only.
Letter to Editor commends rescuers Outdoor Illinois recently received the following letter: On Nov. 18, we were on a hike with another couple approximately one mile into the Starved Rock Nature Conservation Area, when one of our friends fell and injured a leg. Through the cell phone operator we made contact with the park rangers. Within a few minutes two conservation police officers were on the scene, and a rescue squad consisting of members of the Utica and Ogelsby Fire/Rescue Squad, as well as Department of Natural Resources personnel, were hiking and clearing the trail back to us to conduct a rescue. X-rays at the hospital confirmed a spiral fracture of the right leg. Due to the professional and effective evacuation conducted by the rescuers, no further damage was incurred. We enjoy hiking in the various parks and conservation areas throughout the Starved Rock area. We are pleased and proud to know there are professional and dedicated persons trained and ready if problems arise. Thank you for a job very well done.
Bob and Jeannie Raynett,
January 2000 21 Preliminary 1999 Firearm Deer Harvest Report
Firearm season deer harvest totals 90,099 for 1999 Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 90,099 deer during the 1999 firearm deer season. The preliminary figure compares with a harvest total of 93,870 deer taken during the 1998 firearm season. The preliminary second-season (Dec. 2-5) harvest total of 23,338 compared to the 1998 second-season harvest of 23,642. The preliminary first season (Nov. 19-21) deer harvest of 66,761 was down 5 percent from the first-season harvest of 70,228 in 1998. The figures do not include deer harvested during hunts on state sites where special permits are issued. Pike County led the state with a preliminary total harvest of 3,591. Adams County was second with 2,622. "Results of the first season were in line with our projections, but harvest during the second season never reached our expectations," said DNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton. "Hunter participation and success during the second season may have been lower due to weather conditions." Nearly 280,000 firearm permits were issued to deer hunters in Illinois this year. The handgun-only deer hunt is Jan. 14-16. The archery deer hunting season continues through Jan. 13. Put some class into your life The Department of Natural Resources administers four mandatory safety education programs for young hunters, trappers, boaters and snowmobilers, Although required for youths, the courses are recommended for everyone wanting to keep up or safety practices. For information about safety education classes in your area, call 1-800-832-2599 Hearing-impaired individuals can call the Department's TTY number, (217) 782-9175. 22 OutdoorIllinois Book Review The Waterfowl of Illinois by Dr. Stephen P. Havera When soldiers returned home from the Civil War, they put away their rifles, picked up their old shotguns and went to the rivers and marshy areas to hunt waterfowl. They had a liberal season -from Aug. 15, 1865, to April 15, 1866, - a total of 244 days. There was no limit on the number of birds or regulations outlining how they could be taken. That's just one tidbit of information you'll find when you pick up The Waterfowl of Illinois, by Dr. Stephen P. Havera. Havera, who has served as director of the Forbes Biological Station—the oldest inland aquatic biological station in America—and the Frank C. Bellrose Waterfowl Research center near Havana since 1982, has spent 20 years researching and investigating the material found in the book. In addition to facts about the 1865 waterfowl season, information can be found about bag limits and harvest statistics for every waterfowl season from the Civil War to the present. Because of its numerous, high-quality wetlands, Illinois has attracted waterfowl and waterfowl hunters for hundreds of years, resulting in a rich, colorful waterfowl tradition, particularly along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and in southern Illinois. Simply put, Illinois is a waterfowling state. Private duck clubs were established along the rivers in the late 1800s, some of which remain in operation yet today. Market hunters found abundant supplies of waterfowl that were shipped to restaurants throughout the eastern United States. Carvers of wooden decoys, such as Elliston, Graves, Perdew and Walker, as well as makers of duck calls, like Alien, Ditto and Olt, for instance, enhanced this waterfowl tradition. Few other states have such a rich history. None have the depth of waterfowl information. Even though its landscapes have changed dramatically since the first European settlers arrived, Illinois still hosts significant numbers of waterfowl and other waterbirds, especially during fall and spring migrations. There is an indescribable lure about waterfowl that captures our interest. We want to know what kinds of waterfowl frequent our state, when, where, how many, what they eat, where they nest and what we can do to enjoy or help them. The Waterfowl of Illinois is a single-source encyclopedia of Illinois waterfowling with all of that information. The first two chapters are worth the price of the book. They include biographies of the pioneers and professionals of waterfowl management, plus a history of waterfowl hunting, including hunting traditions, waterfowl hunting regulations, the era of market hunting, hunting with live decoys and baiting, when spring hunting was legal, duck calls, hunting legends and memorable moments in Illinois waterfowling. But that's just the beginning. Havera's 628-page book includes chapters on waterfowl populations and their distributions, natural histories of each species of waterfowl found in the Prairie State, habitat, food habits, hunting traditions, harvest, banding, management, nesting and the history of Canada geese. The author grew up near the Illinois River in Peoria. Ardent duck hunters in his neighborhood fueled his interest in waterfowl and the river. After receiving his undergraduate degree in biology at Bradley University, Havera chose to get his masters and doctoral degrees at the University of Illinois, mainly because the Illinois Natural History Survey was located on that campus. He went to work for the Survey in 1972 and moved to Havana to work on that agency's waterfowl program in 1978. Waterfowl, the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and wetlands have been the focal point of Havera's research program. Published by the Illinois Natural History Survey, The Waterfowl of Illinois is a coffee table book that will spend dozens of hours in the hands of avid waterfowlers. The hardcover book includes color photos and original pen and ink drawings. It sells for $59.95. There also is an abbreviated field guide with selected highlights from its companion volume that includes color photos for duck identification and a laminated cover. The field guide sells for $14.95. Both books can be purchased together for $69.95. The Waterfowl of Illinois is available at the DNR gift shop, and is featured on this month's Outdoor Illinois merchandise page. See the inside back cover of this issue for ordering information. The Waterfowl of Illinois should be a welcome addition to the literature collection of anyone who has an appreciation for the wetlands and the waterfowl that live in the Mississippi Flyway. —Gary Thomas
January 2000 23 |
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