Illinois River Council
Link: http://www.standingupforillinois.org/feature.php?id=151
On Tuesday, October 2, 2007, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will hold the quarterly meeting of the Illinois River Coordinating Council (IRCC) during the Governor�s Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System in Peoria at The Holiday Inn City Centre, Salon C. During the meeting, the Illinois River Conservation Award will be given out to the Nature Conservancy.
The IRCC was established in 1997 by the General Assembly to coordinate policies and initiatives to restore the Illinois River Watershed. Lt. Governor Quinn has been the chairman of the council since 2003.
�Working together, citizens, organizations and government agencies have made great progress in conservation and restoration on the Illinois River,� Quinn said. �There is a strong need to continue this important work and give the future residents in the Land of Lincoln a better river than we inherited.�
Last June, Lt. Governor Quinn traveled to Poland and signed a Sister River agreement between the Vistula River and the Illinois River. The Sister River partnership aims to exchange scientific research and protect the environment of both rivers.
Ms. Anna Ronikier-Dolańska, the Mazovian Curator for Environment from Poland�s Mazovia region (around Warsaw and the Vistula River), will attend the conference as a guest of Lt. Governor Quinn to promote the Sister River agreement.
Over the last 10 years, the Illinois River Coordinating Council has been essential in protecting the Illinois River Watershed by implementing preservation and restoration initiatives. Under Lt. Governor Quinn�s leadership, some of the IRCC�s accomplishments include:
� Created and promoted the Illinois Dam Safety Initiative, which works to educate the public about the dangers of dams by increasing river signage to communicate hazards, and provide funding for both signs and potential dam removals or modifications;
� Re-opened the Illinois River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program with $100 million of state and federal funds. This federal, state and local partnership will restore over 40,000 acres, and improve water quality and wildlife habitat in the watershed;
� Advanced the concept of beneficial re-use of river sediment into the award winning �Mud to Parks� program that dredges river-clogging sediment and transports it by barge to other areas in Illinois where topsoil is needed to grow prairie plants and trees for parks and other natural areas;
� Created and sponsored the annual �It�s Our River Day� event to involve citizens in conservation, education, and recreation of the State�s rivers;
� Winning national designation for the Illinois River Road Scenic ByWay to encourage nature and historic-based tourism in Central Illinois; and
For more information about the IRCC or the 11th Biennial Governor�s Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System, please visit www.CleanWaterIllinois.org.