Eight Ways You Can Help Keep Illinois State Parks And Historical Landmarks Open

The state of Illinois has recently made the decision to close 11 state parks and 13 historical landmarks.  By the reaction that my first article has recieved, I can rightfully say that many people in the great state of Illinois are not taking kindly to this measure.

Here are just a few of the comments that this issue has sparked over the past couple of days:

First, From Donna:

I have used Chanahon parks to bike ride. It’s beautiful, newly renovated park with a new building that is something to see. To fund these improvements and then close the park shows the inability of our Governor Blag and his administration to operate a fiscally responsible budget. We also spent time this year at Kickapoo State Park in Danville and this park is also on the Parks to be closed list. I am sick about this.

Then from Tom Burton:

I would happily pay higher fees to use these state parks. 4 of them are central around Champaign and I’ve frequented 3 of the 4. It’s too bad. I know these decisions are hard and I haven’t studied the reasons, but I can’t help be suspect of Illinois government.

Lastly, we have this from Mark Howland:

How many reasons do we need to get rid of our Governor? Unless it’s some total nut-job I will vote for anybody that runs against him. Charge a small fee and keep the parks open. How simple is that.

To Read The Rest Of The Comments, You Can Click here…

You can quickly see that these comments run the gammut of what is being felt by the citizens of Illinois.  Many feel that charging a small fee would help offset the $14 million needed for proper park funding.  Surrounding states currently have a system that charges a small fee to those that use the parks.  Indiana and Wisconsin both use this method, as well as many other states in this nation.

Many readers also feel that the current governor of Illinois is to blame for the budget problems.  They credit useless spending of taxpayer dollars on transportation, a governor who is ‘out of touch’ with his people, and one who might not have the whole state’s best interest at heart.  For those that feel this way, there is little more that could be done than to vote him out of office in the next election.

With that being said, there are a few initiatives to make the park and historical landmark closings a bigger issue. You can find eight ways that you can try to help keep Illinois’ state parks and historical landmarks open, by following the page-jump.

Eight Things That What Can We Do To Keep Our Parks And Historical Landmarks Open In Illinois

1. Write your Governor, Congressmen, and state lawmakers and tell them of your disapproval of these measures.  In order to be heard, be respectful, but get your point across.  You can find their contact information here.
2. Write your local, regional, and state newspapers a “Letter To The Editor” explaining your stance and why these parks and historical landmarks should not be closed.
3. Spread the word about what your state is doing.  Make people aware of the issue, then tell them how to get involved.  If all else fails, give them my website address(http://skinnymoose.com/adventurist) then they can read it for themselves.
4. Sign the petitions.  Petitions are a wonderful thing.  They let you join other people with the same interest and allow you to fight the battle with a larger group.  You can find a couple of the ones going around HERE, HERE, and HERE.  Then search for more Illinois State Park Closing Petitions, and sign them.  Get involved.  Sign them All.
5. Know that there is still time to get the word out, educate people on the issue, and that things can change.  If a mass movement takes shape, there is a greater likelihood that these parks will stay open and that your voices will be heard.
6. Write why these parks mean so much to you. Do you have a special interest in a certain park or historical landmark to be closed?  Have a special experience that keeps bringing you back?  Write them down and email them to me.  I may post them on this site at a future date.  You can email your favorite Illinois State Park moments by using my special Contact Page.  These will be used to draw up further interest in the cause.
7. Make a comment on this article, or even just leave your name, and I will pass them along to get your names on that list of people who support trying to keep these parks open.
8. Register to Vote, Then Vote!! Not enough can be said about participating in this easy process.  The lawmakers and decision makers are chosen by the people.  You have the voice to put in office the people that you think will best represent your ideas and values.  By not doing anything, you are showing that you may have a voice, but don’t care enough in making the final decision.  Get out there and vote come election time.

That just about sums up what can legally be done in this situation.  I have given you some ideas, but now it takes YOU to act.  Write the lawmakers, sign the petitions, educate the people, and vote, comment, and share your thoughts on this issue.

There are roughly THREE WEEKS left before Illinois begins shuting down the state’s historical landmarks.  On November 1, 2008, 11 state parks will be closed to the public.  Are you going to stand by and watch while the state takes away even more from it’s people?  Now is the time to act.

To See the full list of park closings, click here.

To get free email updates on this issue, click here.