Lt. Governor launches saveourstateparks.org

[Marc Miller]

Go to www.SaveOurStateParks.org to sign an online petition and send an email to Governor Blagojevich.

 

Here's the media release:

 

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn launches “Save Our State Parks” online petition drive

 

Log on to SaveOurStateParks.org to tell Gov. Blagojevich

to keep all our state parks open!

 

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, September 17, at 11:00 a.m. in the State Capitol Blue Room,

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will launch the “Save Our State Parks” online petition drive to prevent Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich from permanently closing 11 Illinois state parks.

 

On August 28, Gov. Blagojevich announced the closure of 11 state parks as part of his effort to slash $14 million from the budget of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

 

State parks which will be closed on November 30 include: Castle Rock State Park and Lowden State Park in Oregon; Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park in Sheffield; Illini State Park in Marseilles; Channahon Parkway State Park in Morris; Hidden Springs State Forest in Strasburg; Kickapoo State Park in Oakwood; Moraine State Park in Leroy; Weldon Springs State Park in Clinton; and Wolf Creek State Park in Windsor.

 

Illinois citizens can voice their support for saving all our state parks by visiting SaveOurStateParks.org, and sending a loud and clear message to Gov. Blagojevich that closing any of our state parks is not acceptable to the families and children of Illinois.

 

“All of us have a duty to maintain and protect our state parks for the next generation,” Quinn said. “We must leave no child inside.”

 

In the most recent year, there were more than 44 million visitors to Illinois state parks and recreation areas. Wildlife watching, hunting, and fishing contribute $2.4 billion to the Illinois economy each year, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Survey.

 

Last month, Lt. Governor Quinn organized an online petition at NoPayRaise.org where more than 17,000 Illinois taxpayers sent emails to Gov. Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones forcing the Senate to take a roll call vote rejecting political pay raises for the Governor, legislators, and other public officials.

 

Last spring, Lt. Governor Quinn spearheaded the grassroots movement which forced Gov. Blagojevich to abandon his plan to slash state funding for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the 4-H Society and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extensions in each county of the state. After a firestorm of public opposition, Gov. Blagojevich backed down and restored funding to all three vital programs.

 

As Lt. Governor, Quinn is the Chairman of the Illinois River Coordinating Council and the Rural Affairs Council. For more information on the online petition to save our state parks, please visit SaveOurStateParks.org.

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