Illinois DNR Newsbits - and First Message for Acting Director Callahan

Inside the IDNR March 2019

Governor JB Pritzker on February 19 appointed Colleen Callahan to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Prior to the appointment, Colleen managed her own communications consulting firm after serving for more than seven years as state director for USDA Rural Development in Illinois. During her tenure at USDA, she and her staff worked with local communities and businesses to generate a $1 billion increase in the Illinois rural development loan portfolio. Colleen also worked for 30 years in radio and television, serving as the agribusiness director for WMBD in Peoria. She was the first female president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Colleen grew up on a cattle and grain farm near Milford in Iroquois County. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. 

Information in this post was provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

From Acting Director Colleen Callahan:

“I am eager to work with the dedicated IDNR career staff, to learn from them and collaborate on ways to help meet the needs of enhancing Illinois’ natural resources. And, I welcome the opportunity to communicate the importance and impact of our natural resources and the diverse responsibilities of the Illinois DNR. From mines and minerals to our state museums and the management of lands; from parks to preservation of history; from water to wildlife…the oversight is vast and various. I’m also looking forward to connecting with those who use and those who depend on our state’s greatest asset, our natural resources. Not to mention, encouraging the experience of our parks, trails, lakes, preserves, hunting, and fishing…all without leaving Illinois!”

Illinois DNR Newsbits - March 2019

• Spring Turkey Applications: 2019 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Season permits still available after the lottery drawings will be sold over the counter by DNR Direct license and permit vendors beginning on March 12. Go to the IDNR website for more information:
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/TurkeyHunting.aspx 

• 2019 Licenses Now Available: Illinois fishing, hunting and sportsman combination licenses for 2019 are now available from DNR Direct license and permit vendors throughout Illinois, or online through the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov. The new license year in Illinois begins on April 1, and 2019 licenses are valid through March 31, 2020. 

• Fishing Information Booklet: The 2019 Illinois Fishing Information guide is available in PDF format online at this link: 
• https://www.ifishillinois.org/regulations/2019FishingGuide.pdf 
• Regulations in the guide are effective April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020. A reminder to anglers, and would-be anglers, that Illinois Free ishing Days for 2019 will be during the Father’s Day weekend – June 14-17. 

• Becoming an Outdoors Woman: Registration is open for the IDNR ‘Becoming an Outdoors Woman’ Workshop on June 7-9 at the Lorado Taft Field Campus in Oregon, Illinois. ‘Becoming an Outdoors Woman’ workshops are designed to provide introductory instruction and experiences in many outdoor-related activities and skills. The cost per person is $240, which includes meals, lodging, four instructional classes, use of class materials/supplies, transportation during the workshop, and more. Registration materials can be downloaded from the BOW webpage:
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/BOW/Pages/default.aspx 

• Seed Packets Available: The IDNR Mason State Nursery has developed a seed mix of Illinois native forbs and grasses that is suitable for use in developing a monarch/pollinator habitat. Tree seedlings are also available for sale. For complete ordering information, go online to the IDNR website: 
•  https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/Forestry/Pages/Tree-Nurseries.aspx. 

• Illinois Bobcat Preliminary Harvest for 2018-19 Season: Hunters and trappers in Illinois with 2018-19 Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Season permits harvested a preliminary total of 343 bobcats. The 2018-19 Illinois bobcat season was open from Nov. 10, 2018 until Feb. 15, 2019, and 1,000 permits were issued to hunters and trappers for the season. The harvest limit for the 2018-19 season was 375 bobcats. Hunters and trappers apply for permits for the bobcat season online through the IDNR website during the month of September. For a table with 2018-19 Illinois bobcat season preliminary harvest totals by open county, go to the IDNR website: 
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/ILBobcatHarvest-18-19.pdf 

• Reception at Dickson Mounds on Mar. 10 for New Director: Dickson Mounds Museum is hosting a welcome reception for the new museum director Dr. Duane Esarey on Sunday, March 10 from 1-3 p.m. The reception will provide an opportunity for the public to meet Dr. Esarey and learn about some of his plans for Dickson Mounds. No RSVP is required. Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open free to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Tours and special programs are available for groups with reservations. For more information call 309-547-3721. 

• Music at the Museum March 14: On Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m., enjoy the Illinois State Museum’s monthly Music at the Museum concert featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Wil Maring and guitarist/fiddler Robert Bowlin. They combine their talents, smoothly blending elements from all roots music genres to create an original acoustic music all their own. Tickets will be available at the door at the Illinois State Museum in downtown Springfield.
• http://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/wil-maring-and-robert-bowlin 

• Dickson Mounds Kids Day Mar. 23: “Wild & Crazy…Things from the Museum Collections” is the theme for Kids Day at the Dickson Mounds Museum on Sat., March 23 from 1-3 p.m. The public is welcome to view a variety of artifacts from the Illinois State Museum’s collections, including various, rare mammal taxidermy mounts, shark jaws, whale bones, and exotic insects. Admission is free. Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. Call 309-547-3721 for more information. 

• Biology Program at Giant City March 10: Ever wonder what life is like as a field biologist? On Sunday, March 10 from 2-3 p.m. at the Giant City State Park Visitors Center, join botanist Chris Benda as he presents a program about the challenges and rewards of working outside in nature for a living. For more information, call Giant City State Park at 618-457-4836. 

• Learn to Paint March 16 at Giant City: On Saturday, March 16 from 1-3 p.m. at the Giant City State Park Visitors Center, join in an introduction to using landscape and nature themes in watercolor by local artist Marie Samuel. She will cover several ways to simulate texture in a two-hour guided step-by-step lesson suitable for all levels of experience. Dry brush, wet into wet, use of salt and rubbing alcohol for unusual textures, and wax resist will be explored, as well as an impressionistic way to simulate spring wildflowers. The program is free, but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836 for more information or to register. 

• The Genius of Frank Lloyd Wright March 23: The Illinois State Museum hosts a fast-paced program on the life and work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright on Sat., March 23 from 1-3 p.m. in the museum auditorium in Springfield. The program will be presented by master storyteller Timothy Totten, who has studied Wright for 30 years, visiting more than 300 Wright-designed buildings across the United States. This program is a partnership between the Dana-Thomas House and the Illinois State Museum in Springfield. 

• Beaver Dam Archery Deer Hunting: Archery deer hunting applications are available through March 30 for the special drawings at Beaver Dam State Park, Carlinville, IL and Goode’s Woods Nature Preserve. Prospective applicants can obtain an application either online or from park offices to apply to archery deer hunt at either site during the 2019-20 season. Park-specific applications offer 13 weekly intervals at Beaver Dam State Park and Goode’s Woods. Applicants must prioritize their hunting weeks and will be selected randomly in a lottery drawing. At Goode’s Woods, one permit (allowing two hunters) to archery hunt is allocated for each week throughout the statewide archery deer season. Beaver Dam State Park offers approximately 450 acres of hunting area. The hunting area consists predominately of upland hardwood forested acres with an interspersion of cropland and grassland. Goode’s Wood Nature Preserve, a 40-acre woodland nature preserve is located in northern Macoupin County and a satellite area of Beaver Dam State Park. For Hunter Fact Sheets and to obtain the Archery Deer Applications online:
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/FactSheets/Pages/BeaverDam.aspx 
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/FactSheets/Pages/Goode'sWoodsNaturePreserve.aspx 
• Drawings will be held on April 1 at Beaver Dam State Park. Only successful applicants will be notified by mail once the drawing is completed. Both areas require the harvest of an antlerless deer prior to harvesting an antlered deer. Disabled archery deer hunting is also available at Beaver Dam State Park through a reservation system to hunt from the disabled blind location. 
• For additional questions or to pick up an application, contact Beaver Dam State Park 14548 Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685, phone 217-854-8020. 

• Camping Reservations: It is time to make reservations for campsites and shelters for many Illinois state parks and other IDNR sites for 2019. Reservations can be made online through the Reserve America website at www.reserveamerica.com using a Visa or MasterCard. 

• Hunter and Boating Safety Education Courses: Register now for Hunter Safety Education and Boating Safety Education courses from the IDNR. Spring classes are being scheduled. Check the IDNR website for class dates and locations:
• https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/safety/Pages/VolunteerServiceCoordinators.aspx 

• Snowmobile Trail Grants Available: The IDNR is accepting applications for the Illinois Snowmobile Grant Program (SNOW) and the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund Grant Program (STEF). The SNOW program is a reimbursement grant program available to units of local government to acquire linear rights-of-way, develop or rehab areas solely for snowmobiling opportunities, or equipment costs. The STEF grant program is a reimbursement grant program available to any private snowmobile club or organization in Illinois having not-for-profit incorporation status with the state who possess minimum liability insurance coverage of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence on the snowmobile facilities to be operated under the scope of the proposed project application. The program will fund 100% of eligible development/rehabilitation and equipment costs incurred by a local agency that benefit public snowmobiling opportunities solely. The application deadline for these programs is 5 p.m. on May 1, 2019. For applications and more information: 
•  https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Pages/default.aspx