The DNR Sustainability Bill--Senate Bill 1566--passed today; now the work begins to make it more than a band-aid; but, all in all, this is a great day.
Here's the word for the IDNR:
Statement from IDNR Director Marc Miller on Passage of DNR Sustainability Funding Bill
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller made the following statement about today's passage of Senate Bill 1566, a crucial funding bill for the IDNR:
"This vote is a victory for conservation and the environment in Illinois; it is also a victory for the economy and communities across the state that use and rely on the services the IDNR provides on a daily basis. I commend State Representative Frank Mautino and State Senator Toi Hutchinson for their leadership and hard work leading up to today's action. I also want to thank the members of Illinois' General Assembly who supported this bill, which will allow us to meet the needs of constituents, including those who use our state parks in the years to come," said IDNR Director Marc Miller.
"While it's important to remember that capturing these new funds will take time, we will work as quickly as we can to put the new revenues toward their intended purpose. Passage of this bill will help us hire critical staff to maintain state parks, fix aging infrastructure, speed up regulatory functions and make a bigger difference in the lives of everyone we serve," added Miller.
Senate Bill 1566 passed the Illinois Senate today by a vote of 39-11 and now goes to the Governor.###
Much more to come, both immediately and in the coming year.
My mother-in-law gets the Sun Times and Beacon News delivered every day. For whatever reason, I won't read them online, but I do go through them both every day.
I don't recall seeing an article saying anything about this, outlining what it's about and what it all means. I know I've harped on this for years, I believe I've mentioned it to Mr. Miller, those of us that fish and hunt are already aware of the budget issues with the IDNR and what that means for us.
Everyone else in the state needs to know about this and what it means to them.
It's not all about fishing and hunting.
I think Miller has done a much better job than others of explaining how many other things the IDNR does, and how important they are to statewide residents. That said, as a story, that is not terribly sexy or interesting, in the same way that the revival of river otters or the deer hunting season or big fish are sexy and interesting. And the core constituency remains the tradition outdoor crowd of fishermen, hunters and campers.