Published: August 29, 2008 10:59 pm      

Kickapoo closing draws ire

Park falls victim to state cuts

OAKWOOD — The other shoe dropped Thursday when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced it will lay off 39 people, forcing the closure of 11 state parks. Including Kickapoo State Park in Oakwood.

The layoffs will start Nov. 1 and continue until June. No one is certain what will happen after that. Kickapoo currently operates with a staff of three employees.

“Parks might be viewed by some as a seasonal activity,” said Peter Murphy, general counsel for the Illinois Association of Park Districts. “But these layoffs mean no one will be on site for maintenance. No one will monitor vandalism.”

This action had been threatened since July 11, when Gov. Rod Blagojevich cut $14 million from the IDNR budget. Park advocates held a news conference July 22 at Kickapoo State Park where they called for restoration of the funding cuts. Both the Illinois House and Senate needed to act, according to the leaders of several groups who spoke at the event.

Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said it’s too late now for that option.

“The House tried to override the cuts, but the Senate didn’t take any action in time,” Goldman said. “They had a 15 day window when they could have acted. It’s too late now.

“Last year, there were 45 million visits to our state parks,” he said. “Recreation and tourism make money for communities in this state. Closing 11 parks doesn’t make sense.”

Jeanie Cooke, executive director of the Danville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, agreed with Goldman.

“This news is devastating from the tourism angle,” Cooke said. “It’s beyond comprehension.

“This cut doesn’t just affect Kickapoo, The staff there also oversees Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area and Harry “Babe” Woodyard State Natural Area. People from all over the country come to our local parks.

“We need to let the governor know how we feel,” she said. “A lot depends on public pressure.”

State Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville) doesn’t hold out much hope for changing the governor’s mind.

“This is typical of him. He puts out the press release last night when everyone’s attention was di-verted,” Black said, referring to Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. “I didn’t even get the press release.

“This is just a bunch of politically motivated baloney,” he said.

State Sen. Mike Frerichs (D-Gifford) was equally as disappointed by the Democratic governor’s behavior.

“I’d like to work with the governor to resolve these issues,” Frerichs said, “but he has no real desire to work with the legislature.

“We may have to resort to legal action,” he added.

Chris McCloud, spokesperson for IDNR, seemed resigned to the cuts.

“Our goal was to close as few parks as possible,” McCloud said. “We wanted to minimize layoffs.

McCloud explained how the cuts were determined.

“We looked at three criteria,” he said. “One was the size of the park — we wanted a mix of small, medium and large parks. We also looked at the services each offered.

“Then there was each park’s proximity to other parks.

“A case can be made for every park to stay open,” he said. “But the governor was forced to reduce the budget.

“What we have to do now is move forward,” McCloud said.

The Blagojevich administration also announced layoffs in the Departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services and Historic Preservation.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn put the situation in a historical perspective.

"More than a hundred years ago, President Teddy Roosevelt told Americans conservation is the patriotic thing to do,” Quinn said. “The closing of Kickapoo State Park by Gov. Blagojevich this week is not in the best interest of conserving or preserving natural resources in our state."

DO SOMETHING

More than 200 people attended a meeting at Kickapoo State Park on Friday night in an effort to rally support against the closure of the park.

Danville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jeanie Cook, State Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville) and others want to start a grassroots effort to stop the closure. Cook encourages people to write to the governor.

In a letter to the Commercial-News, she wrote: “I am encouraging you to write the governor’s office and express your opinion on this issue. Two copies of any letter should be sent. One to 207 Statehouse, Springfield, IL 62706 and one to James R. Thompson Center, Floor 16, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. If you would rather call, the Springfield office of the Governor is (217) 782-6830 and the Chicago office (312) 814-2121.”