Boiling blood over conservation issues

[Kevin Dells]

Seems im not even back a week and already my bloods boiling over conservation issue's.

Here's why...numerically of course

 

1. Iv'e been reading the threads about the mega cow farm being built on the Apple, iv'e read through everything everyone's written and i agree with all of you!Sounds like any fight we might have against such farmer has been laughed at by the courts and governments!

 

2. Why is it such a simple man as myself can see that in the county and county's surrounding the Apple River (via any mapping website!) there are thousands of acres of flat land nowhere near that river system that could be bought for a cow plant. Hence no poop floating where i fish!

 

3. For years guys like myself, Paul Trybul, Rich McElgott, Brian O'Kelley, Jude and many others who fish the kish,kyte and rivers nearby attend so many meetings to try and keep building of homes along the Kishwaukee Banks knowing it would spoil the quailty and asthetic values of the Kishwaukee.

 

4. Jeez i remember countless nights at my computer and on the phone with the EPA about how a builder right down the road from my old house had ton's of garbage blowing into the river all the time!A Green Friendly Builder as the article read in the Rockford register star! RIGHT!

 

So today i stop and pick up the Rock River Times a small free newspaper they give out at gas stations and low and behold i read this article just tonight. (article below) PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE FIFTH DISCUSSION TO BE DISCUSSED!!

 

 

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Editorial: A vision, a challenge, a proposal…The Rock River Trail: hike it, bike it, kayak it, canoe it!

 

 

Counties and some cities of the Rock River (counties in white, cities in red and Rock River watershed in blue).

By Frank Schier

Editor and Publisher

 

Ready for a hike, a little bike riding? How about some boating the old-fashion style with a paddle and even some camping gear?! You can hike the Appalachian or Pacific Coast trails. Rock River native Tom Bauschke did and wrote about each journey in this paper. Lets blaze a new trail on land and water! The Rock River Trail: Hike it, bike it, kayak it, canoe it!

 

Imagine traveling down from just under Lake Winnebago to the Mississippi River on or along the 287 miles of the Rock River, through 10 counties and 33 cities and villages. You could visit what was once the largest man-made sea in the country, the Horicon Marsh, camp in six state parks, float around three lakes and see two pyramidsnot counting the one thats supposed to be at the bottom of Lake Mills! By the way, theres at least 48 creeks to explore off the river, too.

 

Along the Rock River in Winnebago and Ogle County alone, you could enjoy three state parks, 11 forest preserves, 14 prairies and 15 creeks.

 

Just think of the huge inventory of natural areas and municipal and county parks in the 10 counties graced by the Rock River in Wisconsin and Illinois! Each county has a forest preserve district, and the major municipalities all have park districts.

 

Talk about tourism! Every chamber of commerce, convention and visitors bureau, hotel-motel and restaurant association should be thrilled with a Rock River Trail for hiking, biking and boating.

 

The states of Wisconsin and Illinois both have their state park systems and department of natural resources to help with such a project. Of course, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would have to be included because the Rock River is an international waterway, being a tributary to the Mississippi River, which feeds into the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Just so happens that this writer is a board member of Illinois Renewable Energy Association (IREA). I pitched this idea to our leaders there, Drs. Bob and Sonia Vogl, and they liked it. We had been wanting to have a Winter/Spring Meeting of the IREA for some time to complement the Renewable Energy Fair, Aug. 7 and 8, 2010, at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon, Ill.

 

See you on April 26

 

→ You are invited to the Winter/Spring Meeting of the IREA, April 16-17, 2010, at Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center, right here in Rockford.

 

The Friday, April 16, Morning Session, 9 a.m.-noon, will be Creating The Rock River Trail: hike it, bike it, canoe it, kayak it, in a similar style to that of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Yes, the 287 miles of the main stream of the Rock River runs through 10 beautiful counties in Wisconsin and Illinois. Heartlanders, come to help create our own scenic water and land trail to preserve, protect and promote our sometimes wild, always pastoral and historic river, with its many significant environmental and cultural treasures. In this struggling economy, lets bring some eco-tourism to our economies.

 

Points of discussion will include:

 

→ Existing inventory of campsites and assessment of county greenways plans for expansion of the campsite network.

 

→ Local, county and state promotional resources for existing and future assets.

 

→ The Rock River Sweep clean-up of the entire Rock River July 31, 2010.

 

→ How we can support the Clean Water Act and set up a system of pollution monitors on the Rock River, rated the most polluted major river in Illinois.

 

→ The preservation of farmland and wetlands, as well as the prevention of flooding through the sale of agricultural land credits or purchase of agricultural easements to contain urban sprawl, as well as a program to promote adoption of strong Conservation Design Ordinances on the local and county levels along the entire Rock River.

 

→ Returning smaller tributaries and the larger streams to their original state, with the possibility of restoring and expanding wetlands.

 

→ High school science class/professional design competition for most powerful micro-hydro, shore-station generators and storage systems to be awarded at the Winnebago County Green Business Awards this fall.

 

→ The Friday, April 16, Afternoon Session, 1-5 p.m., Show Me The Green: Green practices for small businesses. Rick Brooks, Outreach Program Manager for Professional Development & Applied Studies at UW-Madison, will present an operative workshop on how small enterprises can build on the local advantage by creating community networks of sustainable, independent businesses. Limited seating. More on this part of the program will be appearing in upcoming articles.

 

→ Saturday, April 17, weather and water permitting, well canoe the Rock River from Oregon to Lowell Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting below Oregons dam, paddle to scenic Castle Rock State Park (1.5 hours, $35), or to Grand Detour, the home of John Deere (3 to 4 hours, $50) kayaks, canoes, paddles and life preservers provided, or bring your own kayak or canoe for free! May be canceled because of extreme weather or river conditions. Rain site CoCo Key Water Resort. For reservations and inquiries on both days events, click on Contact Us at www.illinoisrenew.org. Deadline April 10.

 

The April 16 meeting is sponsored by: The Rock River Times, Friends of the Rock River, Rockford River District Association, Native American Awareness Committee, Winnebago County Green Business Awards, Rock River Sweep and The Best Western Clock Tower Resort & CoCo Key Water Resort, 7801 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61108, (815) 398-6000 Toll Free: 1-800-358-7666, e-mail: dwight.hopfauf@clocktowerresort.com.

 

You may purchase meals at resort or local restaurants. Single or double rooms available for $89 each at the Clock Tower Resort & CoCo Key Water Resort.

 

Yes, we can build the Rock River Trail, and many will be surprised how much of it already exists! We just have to market what we have.

 

E-mail frank.schier@rockrivertimes.com if you would like to volunteer to help with the April 16 meeting at the Clock Tower Resort.

 

Counties the Rock River runs through:

 

Fond du Lac, Dodge, Jefferson, Rock, Winnebago, Ogle, Lee, Whitside, Henry and Rock Falls

 

Cities and villages along or near the Rock River, Wisconsin:

 

Waupun, Mayville, Horicon, Hustisford, Watertown, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Edgerton, Indianford, Janesville, Afton, and Beloit.

 

Illinois:

 

South Beloit, Rockton, Roscoe, Machesney Park, Loves Park, Rockford, Byron, Oregon, Grand Detour, Dixon, Rock Falls, Sterling, Lyndon, Prophetstown, Erie, Hillsdale, Joslin, Moline, Coal Valley, Milan, and Rock Island.

 

Major tributaries of the Rock River

 

Crawfish River, Bark River, Yahara River (Four lakes of Madison), Sugar River, Pecatonica River, Kishwaukee River, Leaf River, Kyte River, Green River, Hennepin Canal and 48 creeks.

 

Parks and natural areas on or near the river, a partial listing, with a focus on Winnebago and Ogle counties:

 

Horican Marsh, Sinnissippi Lake, Aztalan State Park, Lake Mills, Lake Koshkonong, J. Norman Jensen Preserve, Nygren Wetland Preserve, Millrace Isle Preserve, MackTown Forest Preserve, Hononegah Forest Preserve, Atwood Forest Preserve, Sportscore I, Forest Preserve Headquarters, Rock River Bike Path, Beattie Park and Indian Mounds, Davis Park, Blackhawk Park, Klehm Arboretum, Bell Bowl Prairie, Hinchliff Preserve, Indian Hill Forest Preserve, Fuller Preserve, Severson Dells, Jarrett Prairie Nature Preserve, Babson Hollow, Bryon Dragway Prairie, Stronghold Hill Prairie, Lowden State Park, White Pines State Park, Castle Rock State Park, Lowden Miller Forest, Rock River Yellow Birch Stand, Nachusa Grasslands, Sinnissippi Farms, Prophetstown State Park, Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area, and Mississippi River.

 

From the Feb. 24-Mar. 2, 2010 issue

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So why is it that Officials think the the dirtiest most polluted river and it's tributarys in Illinois deserves this

renovation yet the same officials will let a mega cow farm be built right next to one of Illinois's smallest Class "A" streams in Illinois? This is great news and im all happy that they are proposing this for the Rock but it's kinda late isn't it?

1.Theres already factory's all along the rock that have for years been dumping pollution in it.

2.Why didn't they think about the Kish and Rock BEFORE they approved all the housing to be put up.

3.Why are they contridicting themselves constantly by their actions and allowing Factory's, housing, and Mega Farms to be built along rivers to begin with??

 

This article claims they want to make the Rock a "Wild and Schenic River" there are guidelines for such status and any of the above knocks it out of qualification.

 

Perhaps this meeting would be good to attend and perhaps maybe when the happy guy announcing his brainchild dreams of turning the "Most Polluted" into a pristine with HUGE amounts of work and funding somebody could ask brainchild why not stop the "Best" in Illinois from being destroyed with very little effort...A no from the courts to grant permits to build mega poop farms.

 

In my mind that would be a great start!

[Mike G]

Kevin,

 

Welcome home. I am glad to see your heat on the topic. I live in northwestern Winnebago Co. You are talking about us.

[Kevin Dells]

Mike,

 

Yeah Rockford and the Kish were my home for most of my life. Guys around the ISA know my passion for conservation in our area, it's almost more important to me then the fishing.

 

I will say this about the northwest rivers at least, after living in North Carolina for three years i came to the realization that Illinois is a much cleaner place to live and enjoy. Down there the country is beautiful with it's rolling hills and mountains,many different species of tree's, rocky area's it's almost if i was to compare to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan and Wisconsin.

 

BUT the amounts of garbage everywhere just spoils the whole thing,I have never seen a more pigged up state with the trash and roadside dumping it's everywhere.

 

So maybe now iv'e seen how the other half live im really going to be conservation bandwaggoning.To get straight to the point though, these things listed above we pushed for and fought for diligently for years and years it just makes me a bit crazy when i read somebody thinks this is all brand new, their thought to begin with, and their just going to change it no problem.

Perhaps we'll bump into each other on the water or at a meeting Mike.I'll be the guy carrying no fish and a full garbage bag!

[Jim J]

and it will be raining...

[Kevin Dells]

and it will be raining...

 

 

Funny....Very Funny!!!! LMAO

[Norm M]

and it will be raining...

 

To merely say it will be raining is like saying hell will be warm.

[Gary L]

It seems to me that the last time he was in town and we had an outing planned on the Kishwaukee it rained the night before and the river came up about 9'. Then again I am getting older and forgetful.

 

Welcome back to Illinois Kevin I think your friends in the ISA have missed you and your passion.

[Kevin Dells]

Thanks Gary, good to be back.

 

Now about this target i have on my back as the rainmaker!!

 

After talking to paul this past week it seem's in my defense of course that the past two years the Kish has seen some record floods and very unfishable conditions,Um i was 1000 miles south of the Kish and experiencing high drought conditions where i was!

 

Could it be i planned the events and maybe other visitors or guides brought it with them??

 

Could it possibly have been Paul working against me to make me look bad by bringing rain in droves?

 

Paul does hold my old ISA title as Northwest Coordinator maybe a plan to overthrow my once title?

 

Either way i still catch bigger smallies then he does...hehehehehe!

 

Then again he now has better hair then i do!!!

Besides this season i pledge i will bring bigger and better things to the table then silly old rain, im bringing Tornado's, Microbursts galore and a possible typhoon! Batten down the hatches!

[Gary L]

You are still the same old Kevin and the ISA is lucky to have you back. I hope things go well for you in Illinois!

[jim bielecki]

I wanted to encourage ISA members to report back on what they learned about this if anyone attended.

 

I also wanted to highlight the Rock River Clean-up is July 31st. I wish this date was in the spring…it’s so much cooler weather to work in.

 

I agree that their efforts are too little too late...that's often the case.

[Jim J]

I can't decide which is more important, hair or smallmouth.

[jude]

Hair.