OutdoorIllinois VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 9 OUTDOOR ILLINOIS is published monthly by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Public Services, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787, phone (217) 782-7454, e-mail editor@dnrmail.state.il.us. (Publication number: ISSN 1072-7175) Periodical Postage Paid at Springfield, IL POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OUTDOOR ILLINOIS, Department of Natural Resources, Dept. NL, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787. George H. Ryan    Governor Brent Manning    Director James D. Garner    Deputy Director Jim Riemer, Jr.    Deputy Director STAFF: James L. Fulgenzi, office director; Gary Thomas, editor; Liz Pensoneau, managing editor; John Allen, staff writer; P.J. Perea, staff writer; Adele Hodde, chief photographer; Chas. J. Dees, staff photographer; Charles J. Copley, design & layout; Cheryl Gwinn, production coordinator; Vera Lynn Smith, circulation. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Internet Address: http://dnr.state.il.us Staff-written material appearing in this publication may be reprinted without permission, provided that OUTDOOR ILLINOIS, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is acknowledged as the source. OUTDOOR ILLINOIS assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or illustrations. Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source's civil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, DNR, 524 S. Second, Springfield, IL 62701-1787; 217/785-0067; TTY 217/782-9175. All public meetings conducted by the Department of Natural Resources will be accessible to handicapped individuals in compliance with Executive Order No. 5 and pertinent state and federal laws, upon notification of the anticipated attendance. Handicapped persons planning to attend and needing special accommodations should inform the Department of Natural Resources at least five days prior to the meeting by telephoning or writing the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, Department of Natural Resources, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787, phone (217) 785-0067. Department of Natural Resources information is available to the hearing impaired by calling DNR's Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (217) 782-9175. Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois PRT3216173-28,395-7/01 Illinois Department of Natural Resources Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with soy-based ink. Illinois Department of Natural Resources

What'sInside 2 Foresight We asked DNR Director Brent Manning to offer his views on where the Department of Natural Resources is heading as we enter this new century. 7 Ducky Destruction Just because it looks like a duck and swims like a duck, doesn't mean it is a duck. According to guest writer Carla Rhoads, it might be a decoy. 8 Something Fishy A coalition of business and government interests got together and built a community housing project-and they did it underwater. 10 Naturally Inviting Franklin Creek State Natural Area hosts equestrian camping, archery hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and one of the most intriguing tourist attractions in northern Illinois. 14 High Standards For bobwhite quail, suitable habitat is a necessity, not a luxury. 18 A Taxing Decision Dollars donated by taxpayers go a long way toward the well-being of endangered and threatened flora and fauna. 20 NewsFront You will find harvest results from the 1999 firearm deer season, the first Open Land Trust purchase, snowmobile grants, a book for waterfowl hunters and more in this month's NewsFront. On the cover... Franklin Creek in Ogle County provides the setting for this month's cover photo, taken by Willard Clay of Ottawa.

January 2000

Last month's Outdoor Illinois gave us a chance to reflect on the 1900s with a photographic essay of some interesting moments in the history of outdoor resources and recreation. It was an enjoyable way to bring closure to one century and ease into another. And who knows, the December 1999 issue might even become a keepsake edition.

As we begin the 2000s, we want to let you know about some of the changes we are implementing for Outdoor Illinois in response to input from our readers. Last year, focus group meetings were conducted with some of you, asking for your opinions about our publication. We learned a lot from those sessions. Then in March 1999, we published a survey of our readers and had an excellent response rate. We've spent months discussing your preferences and ideas and have formulated changes. Some will begin with this issue; some will evolve slowly.

Common threads in your feedback were that a lot of you want more information about state parks and native wildlife. For us reason, we will be featuring more park sites and wildlife in our issues. This month, you will read about Franklin Creek State Natural Area in northern Illinois. You may well want to plan a visit there when you learn of its newest attraction.

We've learned that our readers are a diversified group, with a large segment expressing interest in more hunting and fishing articles, while others suggested they would like to see less about hunting and fishing. We'll try to keep everyone happy by continuing to publish articles about hunting and fishing, adding more about how to and where to, and by incorporating additional stories into our schedule about other forms of outdoor recreation.

You have told us you miss our former column about native species of flora and fauna, that you would like to read more about law enforcement topics and that the cooks among you would like for us to run more recipes. These three topics will be included from time to time in place of the Last Word column, which literally appeared for the last time in the December issue. Many of you said it was your least favorite component of the magazine, so we've taken action.

The most important point I can make as we begin a new millennium is that your opinion really does matter. We'll be sending out postage-paid questionnaires to a few randomly selected subscribers each month asking for your input in telling us what you liked and disliked about the current issue of the magazine. But you don't have to wait until your name comes up. We're always interested in hearing from you, so feel free to drop a note to the Editor with your thoughts on the magazine. You can do so by writing: Editor, Outdoor Illinois, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701, or by emailing: editor @ dnrmail.state.il.us.