ILlinois Natural Resources Advisory Board Senate Bill Amended

In the flurry of Illinois legislation introduced in late January of 2022, there were two bills that jumped out and struck many outdoor enthusiasts  as just plain wrong. I will be completely honest - even I had a immediate "What the hell??" knee jerk reaction to HB4713 and Senate Bill 3908. 

The short titles alone on House Bill 4713 and Senate Bill 3908 pretty much stopped everybody in their tracks. “DNR-ABOLISH ADVISORY BOARD”

I couldn't really believe that IDNR would intend to completely abolish the Natural Resources Advisory Board. I reached out IDNR spokesperson Jayette Bolinksi and received the following answer, 

“The language contained in HB4713/SB3908 is placeholder language at this time to accommodate legislative filing deadlines. The proposal is not finalized, and IDNR will be working with sponsors to file an amendment. 

IDNR has every intention of continuing the Natural Resources Advisory Board. However, state law established this panel 24 years ago, and today we believe the board can and should better reflect the diversity of the state, the current duties of the department as defined by state law, and those who seek to enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Illinois. 

IDNR receives advice from numerous boards and commissions on matters such as endangered species protection, climate change, and nature preserves. We work closely with conservation-focused organizations statewide to manage and protect wildlife, land, and water. We monitor comments on our social media channels and share that feedback with IDNR staff. This is an agency that values public feedback and participation in the decision-making process.”

That settled me a bit but also left me wondering, “Why not just write the bill the way you want it in the first place?”  But as we’ve learned, this is an all-too-common occurrence in the Illinois legislature. Get the bill filed and moving and fine-tune it down the road. 

Rather than go full tilt in opposition and stir up a frenzy I elected to take a wait and see approach. As promised, IDNR added an amendment to the Senate bill that clarifies much and more importantly DOES NOT ABOLISH THE NRAB BOARD. At the time of this writing, no similar amendment has filed with  the House bill. 

The full text of the amendment to SB 3908 can be found here. 

The language is much more clear, the NRAB board stays intact with changes to how members are selected and the make up of representatives on the NRAB board. 

It's still not without a couple of concerns, but certainly not the fright show we first saw introduced. 

Just my own personal perspective - I wish that they would have left in the requirement that one member of the board be over the age of 60. We are losing so many of our older hunters, and we know that retention of hunters is a problem. I think that  the board could benefit from having the older outdoor enthusiast population represented. 

I'm still not entirely happy with the removal of the duty of the board to advise IDNR on seasons and bag limits.  Nor am I crazy about removing the language that allowed the NRAB board to oversee grant applications and awards for certain types of grants. Taking this language out as it pertains to OSLAD  grants is a little disturbing as well "The Department shall provide for a public meeting to be conducted by the natural Resources Advisory Board prior to grant approval." Now, perhaps more than ever, we need for our governmental agencies to allow for public comment and to have a clear path for providing  that comment. Transparency is key. 

Still in all, the Senate bill amendment is an improvement, so we can only  wait and see a little longer if this bill continues to evolve as it makes it's way through committee if some additional clean up and some of the small seemingly nit picky things  end up getting addressed. 

What it does do well, is make the board a bit more diverse in it's make up and insure that at least 8 of those appointed are representing specific outdoor constituencies.  The amendment also adds this language to duties of  NRAB, which is likely to be considered  a plus many constituents:

"The development of informational and educational resources that promote a conservation - literate population; the development of innovative partnerships that assist the Department in accomplishing it's broad mission; the Department's grant programs; and the development of law and policy. "  

The board's main job has historically been to make recommendations to IDNR on a wide range of issues, including advising IDNR on seasons, bag limits, long-range policies that assist the IDNR in meeting its mission through review and suggestions of policy changes. The board assists in guiding the protection and conservation of the state's renewable resources. Additionally, NRAB  recommends to the IDNR Director which projects receive funding in the bike, boat, and Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant programs.

In the new amendment much of those core  duties have been added back in; albeit with a more modern and current language. 

In the end, we as IDNR constituents, still need to keep an eye on this, make our voices heard, and let the bill sponsors and the committee know  how we would like for the Natural Resources Advisory Board to be comprised and to function.