THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
Published Quarterly by the 
ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IIl., 60605 
Number 139 September 1966 
The President's Page 
By Raymond Mostek 
The Illinois Outdoor Recreation Survey — In December 1965, the State of 
IJlinois through the Department of Business and Economic Development 
revealed a $193,750,000 program survey designed to expand open lands and 
recreation areas throughout the state. The meeting was held in Zion, III. 
at the Illinois Beach State Park Lodge. Copies of the survey are available 
at $3.00 a copy at Room 400, State Office Bldg., Springfield, Ill. 62706. 
An early announcement of this 184-page document was made in the 
February 1966 I.A.S. Newsletter. 
The book — called “Outdoor Recreation in Illinois” — is designed to 
qualify the state for land and water conservation funds. It helps identify 
recreation areas, present and potential; it makes projections, and helps 
formulate goals. It pays the usual tribute to the wonders of the state; it 
makes the usual plea that action must be started immediately if we are to 
attain our goals and fulfill our needs. About $77,500,000 would come from 
such federal agencies as: Housing and Home Finance Agency, Land and 
Water Conservation Fund, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Forest Service, National Park Service and the Soil Conservation 
Service. The State of Illinois would be responsible for another $77,500,000 
and $38,750,000 would come from local government sources. 
A summary of the findings indicates that the State of Illinois has: 
(a) The fourth largest population in the nation; (b) an urbanized population 
with 81% of the people living in urban areas; (c) the third highest per 
capita income in the country, and the highest of the midwestern states; 
(d) a large employment force; (e) increased boat and trailer camper reg- 
istrations. 
It further points out that Illinois has: (a) Only 565,178 total areas of 
public recreation land, (57 acres/1000 population — the lowest of any 
state; (b) over half of these acres, 320,774, is in federal ownership — much 
ef it in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois; (c) only 2.2% 
of the state’s area is now available for recreation if we include 225,600 
acres of private recreation land. The survey further reveals that nearly 
half of the recreation land lies in the 91 southernmost counties, areas with 
sparse population. 
Gov. Otto Kerner has revealed plans to make southern Illinois a 
tourist center. He hopes for a “convention hall” next to the lodge at Giant 
City State Park, an east-to-west river road trail to be named in honor 
of George Rogers Clark, and increased tourist facilities such as private 
motels, gas stations, restaurants, etc. It is hoped that sufficient care will 
be taken to guarantee the charm of the southern hill country. More bill- 
boards, honky-tonks, neon alleys, and hamburger strips, are something that 
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