THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
Published Quarterly by the 
BNO Lome Dabs © Ni :S © 6] ERY 
Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago 5, Ill. 
Number 125 March, 1963 
THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE 
By Raymond Mostek 
We can do it, but will we? 
If it has been said once, it has been said a thousand times: Illinois is 
a “conservation desert.” However, many conservationists are not yet aware 
of the extent to which this statement is true. Illinois has less state-owned 
land per thousand persons than any other state in the Union. Wisconsin 
has 89.73 acres; Indiana has 35.03; Iowa has 15.20; Missouri has 50.92, and 
Ohio, a state very similar to ours in economic, geographic and population 
make-up, has 24.74 acres per one thousand persons. Illinois can boast of 
a mere 5.18 acres; these figures are based on a recent survey. 
The Outdoor Recreation and Resources Review Commission, in 
another study, said that the Chicago area is woefully lacking in park and 
recreation space. Chicago rates last among the nation’s six largest metro- 
politan complexes in terms of total acreage devoted to public recreation. 
The Chicago area has less than 12 acres of public recreation land per 1,000 
persons; Detroit, the second largest metropolitan area in the midwest, has 
18 acres per 1,000 persons. 
The situation elsewhere: 
Whereas Illinois citizens have established but ten county forest preserve 
districts over a period of 45 years, Iowa has passed much stronger legislation, 
and 64 Iowa counties out of 99 have taken advantage of the law since it 
was first passed in 1955. In Wisconsin, under the dynamic conservation 
leadership of ex-Governor Gaylord Nelson (who has now been elevated to 
the U.S. Senate by grateful voters), a multi-million dollar land-acquisition 
program has been started. Pennsylvania and California are moving ahead 
with crash programs to set aside more land for state parks. New Jersey 
voters recently approved a huge bond issue to buy land; and in New York 
State, the voters were not content with approval of a $75,000,000 bond 
issue for more state parks; they okayed another $25,000,000 in a recent 
election. Kentucky has recently approved an $18,000,000 program and even 
little Connecticut is seeking $25,000,000 for an open spaces program. 
The present administration in Illinois has suggested stronger enforce- 
ment of tax laws to bring increased income. Many civic groups have sug- 
gested abolition of the Illinois Veterans’ Commission to save over $8 million 
annually. Tighter operation of the Illinois Puplic Aid Commission has 
also been urged as a means of saving Illinois taxpayers excessive costs. 
But despite all these facts, the social and economic needs of the people 
will continue to grow, if only out of population pressures. It is said that 
Illinois will need an added $41,000,000 for public school aid alone. Illinois 
is not a poor state — it has one of the highest incomes per capita of any 
state in the union. But even if reforms take place, they will not aid the 
park problem. 
[eel] 
