The State of Illinois recently made a decision to cut the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources funding.  This cut will be forcing 11 state
parks and 13 state historical properties to close to the public.

The following is a list of state park closing November 1:

·        Castle Rock State Park, Oregon

   - Lowden State Park, Oregon
   - Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Sheffield
   - Illini State Park, Marseilles
   - Channahon Parkway State Park, Channahon
   - Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris
   - Hidden Springs State Forrest, Strasburg
   - Kickapoo State Park, Oakwood
   - Moraine View State Park, Leroy
   - Weldon Springs State Park, Clinton
   - Wolf Creek State Park, Windsor

The following is a list of Historic Sites to be closed:

·        Apple River Fort, Elizabeth

·        Bishop Hill, Henry County

·        Bryant Cottage, Bement

·        Fort Kaskaskia, Randolph County

·        Hauberg Indian Museum, Rock Island

·        Jubilee College, Peoria County

·        Lincoln Log Cabin, Charleston

·        Old Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia

·        Carl Sandburg State Historic Site, Galesburg

·        Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia

 The following is a list of Historic Sites which are also National Historic
Landmarks, all to be closed:

   - Dana-Thomas House, Springfield
   - David Davis Mansion, Bloomington
   - Fort de Chartres, Randolph County
   - Pierre Menard Home, Randolph County

The Illinois DNR was refused $14 million in funding that would allow these
properties to remain open.  This has sparked a huge debate throughout the
state of Illinois.  Over the course of the last week, many communities have
been staging meetings to decide what the effects of the park closings would
do to their regions.

The closing of these state parks and historic sites will mean a tremendous
loss of people who travel to these destinations each year.  Economically,
this means a significant loss of revenue to the surrounding area of these
locations.  If these parks remain closed, these areas will be hit extremely
hard and lose one of their big draws to tourists.  The total effect on the
state could amount to significantly more than $1 billion in total.

I just don't understand how a state could push through a measure to cut DNR
funding of $14 million, resulting in a state economic loss of $1 billion,
when that state is already deeply in debt.  You don't have to be a genius to
see that this cut makes absolutely no sense.

The Illinois' House of Representatives held an emergency meeting resulting
in the restoration of DNR funding.  This sounds like good news, but the
Illinois House is only half the battle.  The Senate must also pass this
resolution.  Unfortunately, the Illinois Senate is currently "out to lunch"
and not due back in session until after the park closure deadline of
November 1st.  Unless an emergency session is called in to play, it still
looks very likely that these parks will close on their given date of
November 1st.

Many feel that the current governor of Illinois is to blame for the budget
problems.  They credit useless spending of taxpayer dollars on
transportation, a governor who is 'out of touch' with his people, and one
who might not have the whole state's best interest at heart.  For those that
feel this way, there is little more that could be done than to vote him out
of office in the next election.

So what can you do NOW?

   1. *Write your Governor, Congressmen, and state lawmakers* and tell them
   of your disapproval of these measures.  In order to be heard, be respectful,
   but get your point across.  You can find their contact information at
   www.illinois.gov, under the directory heading.
   2. *Write your local, regional, and state newspapers* a "Letter To The
   Editor" explaining your stance and why these parks and historical landmarks
   should not be closed.
   3. *Spread the word *about what your state is doing.  Make people aware
   of the issue, then tell them how to get involved.
   4. *Sign the petitions*.  Petitions are a wonderful thing.  They let you
   join other people with the same interest and allow you to fight the battle
   with a larger group.  You can find a couple of the ones going around:
   www.gopetition.com/online/21603.html.  You can also search for more
   Illinois State Park Closing Petitions, and sign them.  Get involved and sign
   them all!!
   5. *Know that there is still time to get the word out*, educate people on
   the issue, and that things can change.  If a mass movement takes shape,
   there is a greater likelihood that these parks will stay open and that your
   voices will be heard.
   6. *Register to Vote, Then Vote!! *Not enough can be said about
   participating in this easy process.  The lawmakers and decision makers are
   chosen by the people.  You have the voice to put in office the people that
   you think will best represent your ideas and values.  By not doing anything,
   you are showing that you may have a voice, but don't care enough in making
   the final decision.  Get out there and vote come election time.

I am sure you have visited at least one of these parks or historic sites,
and probably have a special memory of each visit.  Make your voices heard
and join in the fight…this is about your rights and the politicians we have
put in place to defend those rights.  Don't let them away our historic sites
and state parks, all of which are crucial to maintain our cultural identity.