CPO Frazier named officer of the year

Conservation Police Officer Robert "Hank" Frazier, who along with his dog "Jack" comprise the first K-9 team in the history of the Department of Natural Resources, has been named the 1999 Officer of the Year by the DNR's Office of Law Enforcement.

"I hope Hank is as proud of his accomplishment as we are proud of him for achieving it," said DNR Director Brent Manning. "It is quite an honor to be so highly regarded by your peers and supervisors."

Frazier, 34, DeKalb, has been a Conservation Police Officer for 10 years and is assigned to Bureau, DeKalb, LaSalle, Lee and Putnam counties. He was selected for the honor following a review of nominees by a committee of sergeants and field officers.

Frazier serves as a member of the Conservation Police Emergency Response and Rescue Team, which is trained primarily to conduct rescues around the cliffs at Starved Rock State Park and the Illinois River. In that capacity, he has made several successful rescues.

Thanks to Frazier's efforts, the Department has received more than $20,000 in grants from local organizations for much needed law enforcement equipment, including an in-car video camera and a mobile data computer for his squad car. A $6,000 grant from the LaSalle County state's attorney's office paid to acquire and train Jack, Frazier's black Labrador retriever K-9 partner, who assists the officer in arresting illegal drug users in LaSalle County.

Tom Wakolbinger, chief of DNR's Conservation Police, said Frazier's dedication and enthusiasm drive him to constantly improve and seek better ways to get the job done. The officer, he said, is well regarded by the general public and fellow law enforcement agencies.

Frazier and his partner Jack were featured in the May issue of OutdoorIllinois magazine.

Rend Lake shooting class set for October

The second annual Rend Lake Shooting Competition for the Physically Challenged will take place Oct. 14 at the Rend Lake Shooting Complex. Physically challenged individuals from throughout the Midwest are invited to enjoy the accessible facilities of the complex.

The free competition will include archery shooting with classes for female, male and youth in both crossbow and compound bow. In addition, the competition will include sporting clays and classes.

"This event is an opportunity to highlight one of the priorities of our department, namely access for all people to outdoor recreation," said DNR Director Brent Manning.

The event is being sponsored by the DNR, Rend Lake Conservancy District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Sesser-Valier Outdoorsman Club.

Interested participants and volunteers should call (815) 929-1223 for information and registration forms.

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Your photo could be worth a winter weekend vacation. The grand prize for Outdoorlllinois' first-ever photo contest is a weekend stay at beautiful Pere Marquette State Park Lodge. The winner also will receive a custom-framed, limited edition print of "Winter Refuge" by artist John Eberhardt.

There are three categories to enter: wildlife, scenic/flora or recreational activities, and you have until Oct. 31 to get your entry submitted. A complete set of the rules is available by writing to the address below, calling (217) 782-7454, or by sending an inquiry to: editor@dnrmail.state.il.us.

Send your entries to: Photo Contest, Outdoorlllinois, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 61701-1787.

Illinois Quail Management Workshop set

Illinois landowners and sportsmen interested in the bob-white quail are invited to attend a free Landowner's Quail Management Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Capel property, located northwest of Harrisburg in Saline County.

The workshop will include a morning program at 9 a.m., followed by a habitat tour and a free lunch provided by Quail Unlimited. The workshop will focus on improving quail habitat and accessing state, federal and private programs to implement various wildlife management practices. Resource agency speakers will discuss improving CRP cover types and other land for the benefit of quail and other wildlife through the use of native grass and forb planting, cool-season grass planting, prescribed burning, food plots and strip discing.

Pre-register for this free workshop by calling or sending your name and the number attending to: Quail Workshop, DNR, Route #2, Box 177B , Golconda, Ill. 62938, or telephone (618) 949-3369. All are welcome, but those who pre-register will have their names entered in a drawing for a shotgun donated by Quail Unlimited.

For more information, interested landowners and sportsmen may also call the Department of Natural Resources at (217) 784-4730.

The Capel property is one-half mile south of the village of Harco, or 3 miles north of Illinois Route 13 on Harco Road. Dannie Road, which becomes Harco Road, intersects Route 13, about 6 miles west of Harrisburg or 14 miles east of Marion. Follow the quail workshop signs.

This seventh annual workshop is jointly sponsored by Illinois Quail Unlimited, Illinois State Habitat Stamp Fund, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Southern Illinois University, Saline and Williamson County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, University of Illinois Extension and the Department of Natural Resources.

State Parks publication now available

The new Illinois State Parks Magazine is now available. The free publication is filled with information regarding activities in the parks, such as hiking, biking, canoeing, boating, hunting and fishing, as well as camping facilities, including which facilities are accessible to the disabled. There also is information about lodges, recreation areas and beaches.

The publication is available at DNR offices in Springfield, Chicago, Sterling, Spring Grove, Champaign, Alton and Benton, by calling: (217) 782-7498 or it can be ordered by sending an email to: clearing@dnrmail.state.il.us.

State Fair will feature an Artisans Village

The Artisans Village will be a new attraction at this year's Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Located next to the Ethnic Village near the main gate, demonstrations of a wide variety of Grafting techniques will be presented by 37 members of the Illinois Artisans Program. Included will be wheel-thrown ceramics, stained glass, beaded embroidery, wood carving, weaving, hand-forged iron, folk art, furniture making, scherenschnitte, knitting and lace, gourd pyrography and metal sculpture. Ten artists will be featured from noon to 8 p.m. each day of the fair. This year's fair runs Aug. 11-20.

Crafts made by the demonstrators and other Illinois artisans will be displayed and available for sale in a tent shop operated by the Museum Store of the Illinois State Museum.

Artisans Village is a joint venture of the Office of the First Lady, Illinois State Museum/Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.

For more information, call (312) 814-4945 or (217) 782-7011.

The Illinois Conservation Foundation's Chicagoland Golf Benefit will be held at Winnetka Golf Club on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

Cost is $150 per person or $500 for a foursome, which includes lunch, cart, range balls, refreshments, golf prizes, door prizes and a steak dinner. Registration and lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Hole sponsorships are available for $300.

Call Ron Allen at (217) 785-9371 for more information.

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Sportsmen can reserve their hunting trip at some DNR controlled pheasant hunting areas by visiting the Department of Natural Resources homepage this year.

Apply for pheasant hunts on the web If you're planning a trip to a controlled pheasant hunting area this fall, you can reserve your spot online. Sportsmen can now apply on the internet for their hunt at those sites with reservations being handled by the Springfield permit office, plus for all sites involved in the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt. Printable applications will be available on the website for hunters applying for reservations for areas with site-operated reservation systems. To apply, go to http://dnr.state.il.us, then look under "Areas of Interest." In addition to regulations and information on the hunting program, the site includes links to each controlled hunting area's homepage. Fink Memorial award winner announced Patrick Moore of Ballwin, Mo., is the recipient of the Todd Fink Memorial award issued yearly by the Illinois Conservation Foundation. Moore is a graduate student in the Department of Forestry at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He will receive $500 from the Foundation for

Tim Pettus holds a pair of unusual palmated white-tailed deer antlers he found in Madison County. The 15-year-old Highland resident picked up the antlers after they were dropped by a buck in mid-April. The condition of the antler is likely the result of genetics and/or a hormonal deficiency.

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costs associated with his field research on the American chestnut, a species formerly listed as endangered in Illinois and now thought for all intents and purposes extirpated as a result of the chestnut blight fungus. Moore's research could contribute to the recovery of the species.

The fund was established to honor Todd Fink, a highly regarded biologist and ornithologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, who died in 1995 at the age of 36. The award goes to recipients whose graduate research at SIUC focuses on threatened or endangered species of plants or animals.

To contribute to the Todd Fink Memorial Fund or to learn more about the Foundation, an IRS 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, contact the Illinois Conservation Foundation at (312) 814-7237. The Foundation has raised more than $7.8 million since 1994 for DNR projects and programs.

Grand Illinois Trail homepage

The Grand Illinois Trail (featured in the June issue of Outdoorlllinois) has a new homepage. The 475-mile trail running from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and back joins together existing and proposed state and local trails to create the state's longest continuous trail. It also hugs historic canals, crosses unglaciated hills, parallels rivers and includes one of America's first rail-trails.

The new homepage has specific information about the route, its history, participating sponsors and partners, as well as the new Trail Blazer 2000 program which recognizes those who travel the entire route. Visit the page at: http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/planning/git.htm.

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 designed for youths, the courses are recommended for everyone wanting to keep up on 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.

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