Continued Federal Funding
After an extensive review of Green River State Wildlife Area in northwestern Illinois, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found some activities at the site have placed the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in noncompliance with laws for receiving federal funds for wildlife restoration.
The Service has outlined measures that Illinois may take to bring the state into compliance and retain federal funding. Measures include discontinuing horseback field trials by March 15, 1999 and put-and-take (paid) pheasant shooting at the site by January 4, 1999.
A report prepared by the Service and released to the state concludes that horseback field trials are dominant uses at the site and take precedence over meeting wildlife management restoration purposes for which the site was purchased. Additionally, put-and-take pheasant shooting is not an eligible activity under the Federal Aid grant and must be stopped. Funding used in the acquisition of Green River was received by the state under a grant from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, administered by the Service. Illinois citizens will lose millions of dollars in federal funding for wildlife restoration projects if compliance measures are not met. Over the past three years, the state has received annual apportionments of $3.3 to $4.3 million in federal money for wildlife management projects throughout Illinois. The funds come from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program.
The Service takes very seriously its responsibility to see that federally funded projects continue to meet the purpose of the wildlife restoration program. At the same time, we want to ensure that Illinois citizens and wildlife can continue to benefit from the Federal Aid Program, said Bill Hartwig, Regional Director for the Service. It is our goal to assist Illinois in reaching compliance at Green River, and we have mapped out specific steps to help the state achieve that goal.
Hartwig said the report documents intense use of the 2,330-acre Green River property for horseback field trials for several months each year. Staff time needed to prepare for, administer, and provide clean-up for these activities, as well as almost exclusive use of the property and facilities during their operation, conflict with meeting stated wildlife management goals as well as preclude other recreational uses on the site.
In its report, the Service outlines actions, that if undertaken by the state, will put Illinois in compliance with laws and regulations governing use of Federal Aid funds. The Regional Director met with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Brent Manning on Nov. 12 to work out a three-part corrective action plan. The state was then given 30 days to prepare the plan.
Included in the required plan is: Part 1, a description of how Illinois would manage the site to meet their objectives as described in their grant proposal; Part 2, a description of how it is managed now; and Part 3, a description of the necessary corrective actions needed to move from the activities described in Part 2 to those described in Part 1. Sixteen actions are described in the report and in the corrective action plan.
Hartwig said, We are pleased at the progress and effort that has been made. We accept Parts 1 and 2 of the corrective action plan and are in agreement on 14 of the necessary 16 steps. The remaining two steps required include discontinuing horseback field trials by March 15, 1999 and put-and-take pheasant shooting at the site by January 4, 1999. The result will be better management of the area for habitat and native wildlife and expanded hunting and recreational opportunities for visitors.
Because Green River was purchased by the state using federal money, the state must comply with federal regulations and laws governing management and recreational use at the site, or risk losing its annual apportionment of federal funds for wildlife restoration. These Federal Aid funds are generated from excise taxes on sport hunting equipment including guns, ammunition, and archery gear. Revenues are then distributed each year by the Service through grants to state wildlife agencies for approved wildlife restoration projects. Apportionments to states are based on the states land area and number of licensed hunters. Funds are generally used by states to purchase land for wildlife management, hunter safety programs, and for specific wildlife restoration efforts.
We are committed to ensuring that the federally supported programs in Illinois provide the greatest benefit possible to wildlife and to those who enjoy the resource. Sportsmen and women who contribute to the Federal Aid Program through purchase of hunting equipment have the right to expect a return on their investment, Hartwig noted. We are concerned that only a small percentage of the people who support the Federal Aid program can realize its benefits with the current management policies at Green River.
Green River, located southeast of Rock Falls, Ill., once encompassed a unique combination of wetlands and grasslands. The site was purchased by the state in 1940 using Federal Aid funds specifically to restore the unusual prairie wetlands and to maintain and restore populations of a variety of native birds and mammals associated with these habitats. These wildlife management goals are outlined in the states grant for acquisition of the property. In addition, Part 1 of the Corrective Action Plan focuses on the management practices necessary to achieve those objectives. Implementation of Part 3 will bring the state in alignment with the grant requirements.
Horseback field trials are competitions in which hunting dogs locate released game birds in the field, with handlers, judges and spectators following along on horses. These events require large areas of land and extensive work to prepare and maintain courses and trails. Green River has hosted horseback field trials for decades, and management of the property has slowly shifted from an emphasis on managing the sites unique prairie wetlands and native wildlife to maintaining trails, facilities, and other activities associated almost exclusively with field trials.
Current management of the property, according to the report, facilitates field trials rather than benefitting native wildlife. For example, appropriate wildlife management activities, such as prescribed burns to maintain prairie habitat, have been compromised by focus on mowing, food plot plantings, and trail maintenance for field trials.
Put-and-take pheasant shooting operations involve release of pen-raised birds in designated areas for immediate harvest by shooters who have paid a fee. The activity is not eligible for funding through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. The Services review found that put-and take pheasant shooting at Green River during state hunting seasons precludes hunters from enjoying other hunting opportunities at the property, a situation that does not comply with terms of the purchase of Green River with federal money. As with horseback field trials, staff time required to conduct put-and-take pheasant shooting takes personnel away from more beneficial wildlife management activities at Green River.
I want to make it clear the Service understands the recreational interest in horseback field trials and put-and-take pheasant shooting, Hartwig said. But this agencys obligation is to uphold the standards and requirements of the Federal Aid program and ensure its benefits to the resource and the stakeholders who support it.
Copies of the Services report may be obtained by calling the Federal Aid Program, located in the Regional Office at Ft. Snelling, Minn., at 612/713-5130. An executive overview and text of the report and final corrective action plan are available by accessing the Services Region 3 Web site at http://midwest.fws.gov
