Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResources
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pritzker signs bill to protect gray fox, gives IDNR control over hunting season
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — A measure aimed at protecting the gray fox population in Illinois was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker on Monday. House Bill 3760 creates a designated hunting season for the gray fox, according to Pritzker's office. And, it allows the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to set the hunting and trapping season for the gray fox, based on current research and population data. Changes coming to Illinois after Pritzker signs multiple bills State Senator Linda Holmes, one of the sponsors of the measure, said the gray fox population has been in decline for the last 30 years. Homes cited diseases, like canine distemper, and competition with coyotes, as part of the reason for the decline. But despite the decline, Illinois law did not allow the state to adjust the hunting season based on population numbers — until now. 'The Illinois Department of Natural Resources can be proactive in managing the gray fox population to avoid further declines and remove extra pressure on the population,' Holmes (D-Aurora) said in a news release. 'This applies for the 2025 hunting and trapping season only to provide adequate notice for hunters and trappers. IDNR can consider accommodating their future seasons when the population rebounds.' Rantoul officials share tips to keep pets happy during July 4th The law was signed on Monday and takes immediate effect. Other states such as Indiana, Ohio and Iowa, are also looking at similar legislation to address the gray fox decline. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Elmhurst History Museum debuts new outdoor performance space
The Elmhurst History Museum has big plans for a new outdoor public performance space that officially opened June 6 with a ribbon cutting and performance by musicians of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. The celebration will continue over the summer with two special performances and a new 4th Fridays Concert Series. Dave Oberg, the museum's executive director, said the new performance space is 'part of a long going discussion, and part of our ongoing evolution as an institution.' 'We began utilizing our 1.37-acre campus more for family-friendly programming and bigger events in the better weather months,' he said. Museum officials decided a more polished setting would allow for larger concerts and bigger storytelling events. But, Oberg said, it seemed cost-prohibitive. 'Then we had the opportunity of a lifetime come along,' Oberg said, when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources issued a call for new applications for the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grant Program. 'We were lucky enough in February of 2022 to be awarded a grant to make this thing happen.' But by 2025 when the project was finished, the cost had gone above the grant amount of $698,500. 'I'm really proud to say that the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation Board engaged in a private capital campaign and raised over $60,000 needed to complete the project,' Oberg said. Next on the slate for the new performance spate is an opportunity for young children and their parents and grandparents to have a fun-filled, active afternoon as family performer Jim Gill presents a Kids Concert at 2 p.m. on June 22. 'I'm going to be strumming my banjo while everyone claps along and sings along and dances along,' Gill said. 'What I've been up to all these years.' Gill noted that his concerts attract families with young children. 'There are parents and grandparents there with toddlers and preschoolers and even the early school-age years,' Gill said. 'The games work for everybody.' One highlight of every Jim Gill concert is his popular 'Silly Dance Contest.' 'Everybody's up and dancing and then freezing silly,' Gill promised. The performer said another popular number at his concerts is 'Spin Again.' 'You spin and then stop and enjoy how dizzy you are,' he explained. 'Kids love to spin — and they really enjoy it with a giant grin.' Gill reported that he enjoys sharing a diverse assortment of activities at his concerts. 'I love to have a mix of games where you get to dance freely but then some moments of focused play like you would have in an indoor concert,' he said. Before and after the concert there will be a station where kids can try out musical instruments. Another special performance will be at the new space at 1 p.m. July 13, when Bourbon Aristocracy performs bluegrass music as part of the Family Farm Fest. 'We'll have a petting zoo that day,' Oberg said. 'We have a really super fun farm game show with Tim Balster, who's a great local entertainer. We're going to have chore stations and craft activity stations.' The new 4th Fridays Concert Series will open with the Highland Park Pops Big Band at 7 p.m. on June 27. The 17-piece band has been performing for 50 years, according to Mark Zar, lead trumpet player and director. 'The band rehearses each week,' Zar said. 'During the summer we have our rehearsals outside open to the public at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park.' The rehearsals are from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday nights. The music they will play June 27 'is an assortment of jazz, swing, big band standards and dance music,' Zar said. 'It's a lot of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and others, with a smaller mix of more contemporary tunes.' That concert will be followed by Morry Sochat and The Special 20's on July 25, playing blues; Coffee Jazz Collective on Aug. 22; and Carpacho y Su Super Combo with salsa and cumbia music on Sept. 26. That's all made possible by the new outdoor performance space, Oberg said. 'It's a game-changer for us. It's a major capacity-builder for the museum. We're going to be able to do some really great performances here,' he said. 'I think it's going to absolutely benefit the businesses and the restaurants in the downtown area.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dana-Thomas House Foundation donates $50k for historic Springfield site restoration
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Nearly $50,000 is headed to the Illinois Conservation Foundation for the restoration of a national historic landmark in Springfield. On Wednesday, it was announced that the Dana-Thomas House Foundation donated $48,874 to the Illinois Conservation Foundation to facilitate the purchase and installation of historically appropriate rugs at the Dana-Thomas House. Urbana City Council approves method to pay millions for previous agreement with Hotel Royer 'The Dana-Thomas House is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a vital piece of our state's cultural heritage,' said Natalie Phelps Finnie, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 'Preserving historic sites like this ensures future generations can learn from and experience Illinois' rich history.' The Dana-Thomas House is one of the most complete early examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style architecture. Wright designed the house in 1902 for socialite and philanthropist Susan Lawrence Dana. Additionally, the home contains over 100 pieces of original Wright-designed furniture and more than 250 examples of art glass. Monticello students build bike racks for park named after fallen Marine The Illinois Conservation Foundation will administer the donation to ensure it directly supports the carpet restoration project at the Dana-Thomas House. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources operates this house, as well as 55 other state historic states across the state. 'We are proud to work alongside the Dana-Thomas House Foundation on this effort,' said Jenny Vaughn, executive director of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. 'Public-private partnerships like this play a critical role in ensuring that Illinois' historic sites and state parks are protected and maintained for the future.' This historic site is open to the public for tours year-round. To learn more about the Illinois Conservation Foundation, or to support preservation efforts, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois finalizes deal for land near Joliet needed for stalled invasive carp prevention project
The state of Illinois on Friday finalized its acquisition of a 50-acre piece of land needed for a project to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp, construction that has drawn the support of both Gov. JB Pritzker and President Donald Trump. 'This is something that we've been waiting for for over a decade,' Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said. 'It's very good progress.' The state earlier this year postponed construction on the Joliet-area project, with state officials saying they didn't want to move forward because they anticipated a federal funding shortfall. Then, two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it supported the project and that funding was available, though Pritzker and Trump still managed to snipe at each other at the time. Midwest Generation, an energy company that had owned the parcel, donated the land after the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approached the company about acquiring the property. Midwest Generation donated the land 'in support of the project,' company spokesperson Erik Linden said. Acquiring the land, which includes riverbed access for the Brandon Road lock, will help enable construction at the lock and dam there. The work is intended to stop the spread of invasive carp, which could pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes region's native species, ecosystems and billion-dollar fishing and boating industries. The property transferred Friday is needed to complete the first part of a three-phase project, according to IDNR spokesperson Jayette Bolinski. Additional upland property will eventually also need to be acquired, Bolinski said. The land transfer that was finalized Friday 'enables ongoing construction to proceed on schedule,' said Don Jodrey, director of federal relations at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Trump earlier this month blamed Pritzker for not allowing the project to start, while the federal government, he said, has already begun work on it. The Pritzker administration said it halted the work earlier this year in part because it was worried needed federal funding wouldn't come through, as the Trump administration had pulled back on unrelated projects. The land had previously been a key sticking point for the project, with some advocates worried it might be contaminated as it's the site of a former coal plant. The agreement reached on the project included assurances that the land will be safe, Smith said. And the Pritzker administration last year said the state negotiated a deal ensuring taxpayers would not have to pay for remediation costs. So-called Asian carp, which are invasive across the United States, include silver, bighead, grass and black carp. Silver and bighead carp are particular threats to native species as they have no natural predators in American waterways and likely never will, meaning their populations can grow uncontrollably. Invasive carp were introduced in the 1960s to get rid of chemicals in aquaculture and other facilities without using chemicals. But after flooding in the 1980s and '90s, they escaped into the Mississippi River basin and spread to 31 states. Progress on the project has been a long time coming, Smith said. Congress identified the site as a place to deter invasive species in 2015, according to IDNR. 'We've had three presidents, multiple Congresses … two, three governors from Illinois, multiple governors from Michigan' as well as several project managers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said. 'With this property secured, construction can move forward.'
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois finalizes deal for land near Joliet needed for stalled invasive carp prevention project
The state of Illinois on Friday finalized its acquisition of a 50-acre piece of land needed for a project to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp, construction that has drawn the support of both Gov. JB Pritzker and President Donald Trump. 'This is something that we've been waiting for for over a decade,' Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said. 'It's very good progress.' The state earlier this year postponed construction on the Joliet-area project, with state officials saying they didn't want to move forward because they anticipated a federal funding shortfall. Then, two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it supported the project and that funding was available, though Pritzker and Trump still managed to snipe at each other at the time. Midwest Generation, an energy company that had owned the parcel, donated the land after the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approached the company about acquiring the property. Midwest Generation donated the land 'in support of the project,' company spokesperson Erik Linden said. Acquiring the land, which includes riverbed access for the Brandon Road lock, will help enable construction at the lock and dam there. The work is intended to stop the spread of invasive carp, which could pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes region's native species, ecosystems and billion-dollar fishing and boating industries. The property transferred Friday is needed to complete the first part of a three-phase project, according to IDNR spokesperson Jayette Bolinski. Additional upland property will eventually also need to be acquired, Bolinski said. The land transfer that was finalized Friday 'enables ongoing construction to proceed on schedule,' said Don Jodrey, director of federal relations at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Trump earlier this month blamed Pritzker for not allowing the project to start, while the federal government, he said, has already begun work on it. The Pritzker administration said it halted the work earlier this year in part because it was worried needed federal funding wouldn't come through, as the Trump administration had pulled back on unrelated projects. The land had previously been a key sticking point for the project, with some advocates worried it might be contaminated as it's the site of a former coal plant. The agreement reached on the project included assurances that the land will be safe, Smith said. And the Pritzker administration last year said the state negotiated a deal ensuring taxpayers would not have to pay for remediation costs. So-called Asian carp, which are invasive across the United States, include silver, bighead, grass and black carp. Silver and bighead carp are particular threats to native species as they have no natural predators in American waterways and likely never will, meaning their populations can grow uncontrollably. Invasive carp were introduced in the 1960s to get rid of chemicals in aquaculture and other facilities without using chemicals. But after flooding in the 1980s and '90s, they escaped into the Mississippi River basin and spread to 31 states. Progress on the project has been a long time coming, Smith said. Congress identified the site as a place to deter invasive species in 2015, according to IDNR. 'We've had three presidents, multiple Congresses … two, three governors from Illinois, multiple governors from Michigan' as well as several project managers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said. 'With this property secured, construction can move forward.'
