QUESTIONS and ANSWERS on 
ILLINOIS’ SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST 
Featuring WARREN R. DEWALT, I.A.S. Executive Director, and 
CHARLES J. HENDRICKS, Forest Supervisor. 
Illinois can be proud of its Shawnee National Forest. It lies in 
extreme southern Illinois and includes parts of ten counties within its 
boundaries. [he Shawnee is Illinois’ only link in the great national insti- 
tution, he National Forest Service. The Shawnee is an example of what 
can be done when we turn to our land with respect and stewardship; it 
demonstrates the rewards that can be realized from modest expenditures 
for reclamation and reforestation. 
This past summer I (Mr. Dewalt) had the opportunity of spending 
several hours discussing the forest with Mr. Hendricks. The following 
questions and answers were drawn from that discussion Fealsialente by 
Mr. Dewalt, answers by Mr. Hendricks): 
Question: Chuck, many people continue to be surprised when they hear 
that we have a National Forest in Illinois. How did the Shawnee ever get 
started? 
Answer: The Shawnee was authorized by Congress, the State of Illinois, and 
the President in response to public pressure from Illinoisans. The peo- 
ple were concerned about the area because vast acreages of land had 
been excessively cut, used for marginal agricultural crops, eroded and 
in many cases abandoned. People from all over the State, including the 
Chicago Tribune, were involved in this effort. The action to authorize 
purchase of land for the Shawnee National Forest came on August 
S01 933. 
Question: How many acres are now owned by the Forest Service in the 
Shawnee, and what percent is this of the total area within the Forest’s 
boundaries? Also, what is the maximum useful forestland that might 
be obtained? 
Answer: Current National Forest ownership is 250,000 acres within a gross 
area of 850,000 acres. Approximately 425,000 acres of the 850,000 acres 
classify as forest land. The total amount that will eventually become 
National Forest land depends on many factors. The will and desire of 
the people of the United States concerning public land ownership will 
have the greatest influence on how we move in the field of land 
acquisition. The type and amount of consideration that local govern- 
ment receives to compensate for the loss in the tax base is also a very 
important matter. This deserves careful thought and analysis by every- 
one who has an interest. 
Question: How many people do you supervise on the Shawnee, and what 
are your ranger districts? 
Answer: The Forest is divided into four Ranger Districts. Each is a separate 
administrative unit with headquarters in Elizabethtown, Vienna, Mur- 
physboro, and Jonesboro. About 65 permanent full-time personnel 
work in these four units and the Supervisor’s Office at Harrisburg. The 
