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NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF ILLINOIS FALL MEETING : 
Those of us who represented the Illinois Audubon Society at the three-day confer- | 
ence saw an outstanding color film--"Bear Grass Creek'!--on water pollution testing 
by a university. We also saw the CBS-TV film, "Rachel Carson's SilentSpring," 
which shows BOTH sides of the pesticides problem, Affiliates, please note: The 
T.A.S, has bought this film, and it will be available for your club showing. 
Write to Mrs, Lee Jens, 22W210 Stanton Road, Glen Ellyn, Il. 
Views on conservation problems were exchanged with the political candidates and 
with representatives of the Izaak Walton League, the Illinois Federation of 
Sportsmen's Clubs, the State Natural History Survey, and many other outdoor groups, 
The theme of the meeting was, “Illinois Needs Outdoor Recreation for Health and 
Better Living," Discussions centered on land acquisition, multiple use of land, 
education in ecology, saving waste areas, fighting water pollution, the Illinois 
Prairie Path, President Raymond Mostek described the problem of roadside blight. 
All who attended agreed that the time is now to keep America from being devastated 
by water pollution, bulldozing, and commercial exploitation, Land acquisition is 
demanded now before prices go up out of reach, The conclusion: if we preserve the 
natural areas we have now through proper use and controlled land management, and 
if we quickly acquire the remaining open spaces, then we can successfully pre- 
serve our Illinois heritage and maintain outdoor recreation for the future, 
--Betty Groth, Vice-President for Conservation. 
A GENEROUS GIFT 
One of Kishwaukee Audubon Society's long-time members, Mrs. E. P. Ellwood, and the 
Elwood family have given their estate on North First Street to the DeKalb City 
Park Board, The mansion will eventually be open to the public as a historical 
site. The estate grounds contain several acres of woodland and garden to be 
maintained in their natural condition, 
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TWO RECENT ACTIONS BY I.A.S. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
In Blue Island, 43-acre Central Park, the oldest park in the city, is being 
sought by St, Francis Catholic Hospital for further building expansion, The move 
is supported by Mayor John Hart and the Chamber of Commerce, It is being resisted 
by President James Anderson and the Blue Island Park District. The hospital is 
offering $50,000 for the land, buildings and facilities. The park, which contains 
tennis courts, slides, swings, open area, and a large building, could not be 
duplicated for less than $250,000. This would not include the price of the land, 
Blue Island has one of the lowest ratios of parks-to-people of any suburb of 
Chicago, The Illinois Federation of Sportsmens Clubs opposes the move, The 
Illiiois Audubon Society has voted to uphold the Blue Island Park District and has 
called upon Blue Island citizens to protect their park. 
The Board of Directors of the Society has voted to oppose the construction ofa 
huge civic sports stadium on the site of Soldier Field in Chicago and the grounds 
that it would further desecrate the lake front, Protests have been sent to 
Mayor Richard Daley, to the City Council, and to the press, 
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FIRST NATURE PRESERVE ESTABLISHED IN ILLINOIS 
Dedication of 786 acres of tllinois Beach State Park as the first Illinois State 
Nature Preserve was completed last fall by action of the State Department of 
Conservation, with the approval of the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission and 
the Governor, 
