The Eagles are Landing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 14, 2009
Contact: Kathi Weilbacher
314/416-9930 #111
They’re Back … the Eagles are Landing!
Eagle Days 2010 is January 16th & 17th at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
St. Louis—Those willing to brave a little cold weather will be rewarded with splendid views of America’s national symbol, the bald eagle, at the fifteenth annual Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. This year the event takes place Saturday and Sunday, January 16 and 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is located at 10950 Riverview Drive, just south of I-270.
Eagle Days features activities to entertain and educate the whole family about nature and history.
Bald eagles travel south each winter to the St. Louis area seeking their favorite meal—fish caught from the open waters of our big rivers. The rapids south of the bridge offer the raptors ideal fishing waters. Eagle Days visitors have an exceptional opportunity to view the birds up close through spotting scopes staffed by trained volunteers. The historic Old Chain of Rocks Bridge—part of the legendary Route 66—provides an excellent vantage point accessible to all ages.
There will be a chance to see a bald eagle closer still at live eagle programs repeated every 20 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, presented by the World Bird Sanctuary.
New this year will be special presentations on bird photography by local wildlife photographers Danny Brown and Jim Stokes at 9:00 a.m. each day in the program tent at the Missouri Bridge entrance.
The event will also feature Lewis & Clark re-enactors set up in a living history camp. Visitors can glimpse how the Corps of Discovery lived, cooked and made fire during their historic 1804-1806 voyage. The Lewis & Clark State Historic Site will bring a replica of the boats used during the expedition to the Illinois entrance of the bridge. Called pirogues (peer-ROWs), these craft were hand-carved out of massive logs. The east side of the bridge will also offer an educational display by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources throughout the event.
Those planning to attend Eagle Days are urged to dress for cold weather, and for safety considerations, leave pets at home.
The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is owned by the City of Madison, IL and was renovated in 1999 by Trailnet. It is one of the longest bridges exclusively for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the nation. The bridge is one of the main attractions of The Confluence, a linked system of parks, historic sites, interpretive centers and multi-use trails developed in a unique partnership of public and private agencies.
Eagles Days is made possible annually by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), The Confluence Partnership and the City of Madison, IL .In addition to the partnering agencies this FREE program is produced in partnership with: Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation, Metro-East Park & Recreation District, Illinois Conservation Foundation, Pettus Foundation, The Trio Foundation and US Bancorp Foundation.
The Confluence is a network of conservation, heritage and recreation attractions along America’s Great Rivers in the heart of the bi-state St. Louis region. This linked system of parks, historic sites, interpretive centers and multi-use trails is being developed by a unique partnership of public and private agencies. The goal of the Confluence Partnership is to reconnect people to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers.
Canoe the Mississippi River
An interesting account of the one man’s journey by canoe from the headwaters to the bayou.
http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/ireports/2009/12/15/neal.moore.cnn
Lawsuit aims to get land for bike trail
DNR seeks title for proposed bikeway
By CHRIS DETTRO
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Nov 29, 2009 @ 03:46 PM
Last update Nov 29, 2009 @ 11:32 PM
A condemnation lawsuit described as “friendly” by state officials is seeking to clear the way for a new bike trail in western Sangamon County.
The eminent domain suit seeks to find the heirs to about 6.5 acres of property of less than 100 feet in width that runs through Sangamon County west of Springfield. The trail eventually will stretch nearly 39 miles from Nilwood in Macoupin County to just inside the Menard County line.
“The only time we use eminent domain is for trails,” said Tom Flattery, director of the Office of Real Estate and Environmental Planning for the state Department of Natural Resources. DNR is the plaintiff in the suit, which lists dozens of names as defendants, but really concerns heirs of just four families, Flattery said.
He said the railroad purchased the right-of-way around 1910, and when it was abandoned, ownership of some of it reverted back to the original owners.
The problem is that two, sometimes three generations, separate the original owners from the current heirs.
“One has as many as 200 heirs,” Flattery said.
He described the suit as “a friendly condemnation suit.”
“We’ve agreed on value,” he said.
The state paid $1.1 million to Union Pacific in 2001 for the right-of-way that hadn’t reverted.
“It was a fairly clean trail and a relatively new railroad,” he said. “We knew specifically what we didn’t have clear title to.”
The defendants have until Tuesday to respond to the lawsuit.
Flattery said Sangamon County is trying to secure funding for a section of the trail, while the city of Springfield hasn’t made much progress.
“We’re land-banking the right-of-way,” Flattery said.
Sangamon County has a set of plans to develop a 5.5-mile section of the trail between Stuart and Centennial parks on the west side, according to Sangamon County Highway Engineer Tim Zahrn.
“We’re just waiting on getting funding,” he said. The initial section is estimated to cost $3.6 million.
The county has applied for federal stimulus dollars for the project but has heard nothing yet, he said.
Chris Dettro can be reached at 788-1510.
Rock River cleanup planned for next summer
By Lindsay Hocker, lhocker@qconline.com
A massive cleanup of the Rock River from the Quad-Cities to Wisconsin is in the works for next summer. Frank Masterman of Oregon, Ill., founder of The Great Rock River Sweep, decided to go big after a successful cleanup on the river’s banks in Oregon this summer. “I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge,”Mr. Masterman said. There are about 285 miles of Rock River from Horicon, Wis., to the Quad-Cities. So far, Mr. Masterman has identified 27 communities along the way that could participate. When Mr. Masterman decided he wanted the summer of 2010 cleanup to extend beyond Oregon, he said the project began to snowball. He’s said it’s still expandable, and he’d love for every community that touches the Rock to participate. He contacted EastMoline-based Living Lands & Waters after reading founder Chad Pregracke’s book, “From the Bottom Up,”which he said inspired him to make the idea a reality. Mr. Pregracke volunteered to be on Mr. Masterman’s board of directors after speaking to him. “I thought it was a fantastic idea,”Mr. Pregracke said, adding that the event will serve as a catalyst that will inspire people to take better care of the Rock River. Mr. Pregracke said Mr. Masterman has a good plan, and is the right person to make it move forward. Tammy Becker, programs managerfor Living Lands & Waters, said it’s been great to watch Mr. Masterman’s dreams for a large Rock River cleanup become reality. “I’m just excited to see somebody take it on and go big with it right from the bat,”Ms. Becker said. This project is important to Mr. Masterman because he knows the Rock River needs it. He said a cleanup is a way for people to take a step toward addressing pollution and restoring the river to its natural state. The Oregon cleanup happened in late June. The conditions were far from ideal — heavy rain occurred twice that week, and river contamination resulted in a massive fish kill — but the river was opened just in time for the group to succeed in removing 350 pounds of garbage that filled 75 trash bags from the Rock River and its banks.
The organization’s Web site is in the works. Quad-Cities residents will be needed for volunteer positions as site coordinators for the July 2010 cleanup. More information will be available soon.
Take in Some Eagle Watching from the Sam Vadalabene Trail
2009-11-29 20:34:59
ALTON – As the cold temperatures begin to set in, a few of Alton’s favorite winter guests have been spotted in the region.
Every January, experts anticipate nearly 1,000 eagles will migrate to the region, many reclaiming their winter nests along the Great River Road (Illinois Route 100) from Alton to Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park.
Beginning in late December and January, visitors can plan their own eagle-watching adventures, or they can take advantage of the numerous eagle meet-and-greets and touring opportunities available every day of the 2010 eagle season.
The Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau has released the 2010 Eagle Watcher’s Guide to lead the way for visitors. The guide features information about the American bald eagle, tips for eagle-watching, a series of driving routes for viewing the eagles, eagle-watching hot spots, photography workshops and opportunities, “eagle caching” adventures and a listing of all the eagle-watching events happening throughout the winter months.
Visitors can request the guide online at http://www.VisitAlton.com, call (800) ALTON-IL or pick it up in person at the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St. in Downtown Alton.
Eagle Meet and Greets happen every Saturday in January from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau. As part of a partnership with the World Bird Sanctuary again this year, visitors can learn more about this beautiful bird of prey from a professional handler. Demonstrations are free, and each visitor will receive a free postcard. While at the Visitor Center, eagle enthusiasts also can pick up a free Eagle Watcher’s Guide, area information and restaurant and lodging options. Call (800) 258-6645 or go to http://www.VisitAlton.com for information.
For visitors and eagle enthusiasts looking for professionally guided eagle experiences and educational programming, there are a number of eagle tours and events happening from January through February:
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days, Grafton
Scott Isringhausen, site interpreter at Pere Marquette State Park, will be presenting informative programs about bald eagles this winter. There will be a short video presentation followed by an observational drive to view the eagles. All programs will begin at the park’s visitor center on Illinois Route 100 at 8:30 a.m. Reservations are required. Dress warmly. For information or reservations, call (618) 786-3323.
Dates: Dec. 28 and 29; Jan. 9, 10, 11, 25, 26 and 27; Feb. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 17, 20, 21, 24 and 28; March 3, 6 and 7.
A Day in Eagle Country, Alton and Grafton
Take a daylong adventure of eagle and wildlife spotting with Bluff City Tours. The tour includes transportation by motor coach or trolley, professional tour guide, continental breakfast and lunch at Pere Marquette. All tours depart from and return to the Upper Level Parking Lot at Alton Square mall off Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. Tours last from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are required. For reservations, call (618) 466-8693.
Dates: Jan. 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 and 30; Feb. 3, 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20.
Bald Eagle Festival, Grafton
Come and enjoy the splendor of eagle season at Pere Marquette Lodge for the inaugural Bald Eagle Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10. The event is free. For information, call (618) 786-2331 ext. 0.
Eagle Meet and Greet Sundays, Alton
Come see a live bald eagle up close and personal at the National Great Rivers Museum, 2 Lock and Dam Way. Ask and learn about their species and habitats. Enjoy this free program from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, 24 and 31, and Sunday, Feb. 7. For information, call (877) 462-6979.
Sample of Eagle Country Tours
Enjoy a 75-minute tour viewing bald eagles in their habitat. Tours will be departing from both the National Great Rivers Museum and Alton Visitor Center on weekends in January and February. The cost for this “sample” tour is $5 per person. Tours are filled on a first-come first-serve basis. Go to http://www.VisitAlton.com for tour times. For information, call Bluff City Tours at (618) 466-8693.
Masters of the Sky, Alton
Witness the “Masters of the Sky” birds of prey demonstration at the National Great Rivers Museum, 2 Lock and Dam Way, on Presidents Day Weekend, Feb. 13, 14 and 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come see eagles, falcons, owls and other birds of prey at this educational and informational program presented by the World Bird Sanctuary. Admission fee: $5 for adults; $3 for children 12 and under; 3 and under are free. Three shows each day: 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. For information, call the National Great Rivers Museum at (877) 462-6979.
Most eagle-watchers plan all-day adventures all around Alton, including watching the eagles in the early-morning hours, breaking for lunch at a restaurant and spending the afternoon browsing shops in Grafton and Alton. For those wishing to spend extra time and make eagle-watching a winter getaway, there are numerous eagle-watching getaway packages at hotels and bed and breakfast inns in Alton, Grafton and Elsah, viewable online at http://www.VisitAlton.com.
[New Shawnee Project from SIUC]
BY CODELL RODRIGUEZ THE SOUTHERN | Posted: Monday, November 30, 2009 12:00 am
CARBONDALE – Four Southern Illinois University Carbondale faculty members and three semesters-worth of a multimedia class set out to show Southern Illinois the natural wonders to be found in their back yard.
The project, “The Shawnee Forest: Illinois’ Hidden Gem” includes a book and a multimedia Web site. Students documented the natural beauty, the people and the history of the forest and visited areas such as Little Grand Canyon and Cache River.
The faculty members overseeing the project were Bill Freivogel, director of the School of Journalism; Phil Greer, assistant instructor in photojournalism; Bill Recktenwald, senior lecturer in journalism and A.J. Stoner, visiting assistant professor in journalism. Greer said despite Shawnee Forest being just a drive away for people in the region, the project will show them a side of the region many have never seen.
“There are just some very beautiful pictorals in the book and on the Web site,” Greer said. “I think Southern Illinois, when they see this, are going to be quite shocked, quite proud of this area.”
Photos chronicle the area throughout the seasons and stories and photos show the unique people who make their home in the Shawnee area. One such story follows Velna Dobbs, who became Postmaster of Karber Ridge and now owns and rents out the building that houses the local U.S. Post Office.
Greer said the project shows a part of Illinois that many people in the state are unaware of.
“Southern Illinois is unique and has for years been looked at as the stepchild of the state,” Greer said.
Recktenwald said they hope the book serves as a coffee table book and encourages people to consider it as a gift for the holidays.
Greer said the credit for the quality of the project belongs to the students such as Cary Bryant, a senior in journalism from Centralia, and Bobby Samat, a recent graduate from Springfield. Samat said the project allowed him to visit places he had always wanted to visit but never did. Greer credits Samat with bringing in a great deal of quality photographs during the summer.
“Bobby definitely filled in some of the void left in the summer and took some very fine photos,” Greer said.
Recktenwald said it was important to make the project multimedia because students need to experience how technology changes the field of journalism.
“It’s the journalism of tomorrow,” Recktenwald said.
Bryant, who worked on the Web site, said the project was a great experience and feels that she is much better prepared for life after college because of it. In addition to the work experience, she said it was also just a really fun time.
“It’s great to look back on it and say I was a part of that,” Bryant said.
Urbana’s bike-lane plan available for public viewing
By Tim Mitchell
Sunday November 29, 2009
URBANA – Area bike riders and motorists can learn about plans to install additional bike lanes – and remove some on-street parking to make way for those lanes – in Urbana during an open house next week.
The open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St.
Urbana civil engineer Jennifer Selby said the city plans to begin the implementation of its bicycle master plan in 2010.
The master plan, approved by the Urbana City Council in April 2008, calls for setting up a network of bicycle routes. Selby said the long-term goal is to have dedicated bicycle lanes from one end of the city to the other.
The bicycle master plan calls for installing a total of 4 miles of new bike lanes on Race Street from Windsor Road to Pennsylvania Avenue, on Philo Road from Florida Avenue to Washington Street and on Washington Street from Vine Street to Philo Road.
Selby said the city would like to remove on-street parking spaces on the three streets and convert those spaces into dedicated parking lanes.
Selby said the current proposal calls for removing 22 parking spaces on Race Street between Montclair Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, 25 parking spaces on Philo Road between Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Street and 30 parking spaces on Washington Street between Vine Street and Philo Road.
Selby said the purpose of the open house is to give people affected by the proposed changes a chance to look at the plans and to provide comments on them.
“People can look at some preliminary plans and look at some aerial maps,” Selby said. “We’ll have some before and after images to provide people with the existing views and the proposed views.”
Selby said city staff will be available to receive verbal comments, and open house participants can also leave comments on comment cards.
The Urbana Traffic Commission will meet at 4 p.m. Dec. 8 at the city council chambers to make a recommendation after taking into consideration comments made at the open house.
Selby said the city council will then consider the recommendation at a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 11, 2010.
Construction of the new bike lanes is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2010.
Route 66 Publicity Ride Photos
Please take a look at our photos from the ride.
New Community Bike Path Connection
LAKE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVES
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
NOVEMBER 5, 2009
CONTACT:
Bonnie Thomson Carter, President, 847-367-6640, bcarter@lakecountyil.gov Tom Hahn, Executive Director, 847-968-3338, thahn@LCFPD.org
Committees approve new land buys, provide community bike path
connection
Additions to several forest preserves, a land exchange and a community
bike path connection were among items approved by the Lake County Forest
Preserves’ Land Preservation and Acquisition Committee and the
Finance, Administrative and Revenue Facilities Committee at their
November 5 meeting.
New Preserve Additions
The committees approved purchasing the following properties:
● A 16.5-acre addition (Lageschulte property) to Grassy Lake
Forest Preserve at a cost of $1,188,000. Purchase would expand the
preserve’s acreage to approximately 689. The property is located in
Cuba Township on the south side of Kelsey Road and is bordered on the
east by the preserve. Acquisition of this property has been a high
priority for more than 10 years. Preserving this land allows for the
protection of high quality oak woodlands and provides a valuable buffer
for the Flint Creek wetlands.
● A10.5-acre addition (Worozaken property) to Grant Woods Forest
Preserve at a cost of $535.000. It would expand the preserve’s total
acreage to approximately 1,119. The property presents a park-like
setting and is bordered on the north and west by Grant Woods. The
acquisition allows for future trail access and parking off of Rollins
Road.
● A 9.5-acre addition (Braun property) to the Fox River Preserve
and Marina at a cost of $28,500. It would expand the preserve’s
total acreage to approximately 599. The property is located in Wauconda
Township just north of Robert’s Road. Acquisition enhances the
preserve’s holdings and allows for expansion of wetland restoration
opportunities.
The proposed land buys meet continuing land acquisition goals to
preserve more open space, protect and restore wildlife habitat, create
new trails and improve public access to new and existing preserves.
Each purchase is contingent on approval by the Forest Preserve Board of
Commissioners at their November 10 meeting and on a final closing in
approximately 60-90 days. If all actions are successful, the additions
will join an extensive network of open spaces totaling more than 27,400
acres that create the Lake County Forest Preserves.
Land Exchange with Fremont School District 79
The committees also approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of
approximately 21.6 acres of land to Fremont School District 79 in
exchange for approximately 43.6 acres of property owned by the School
District. The School District has approved the intergovernmental
agreement for the land swap. The exchange is contingent on final
approval by the Forest Preserve Board at their November 10 meeting.
In September 2009, the Forest Preserve Board purchased a 77-acre
addition (Tekampe property) to Ray Lake Forest Preserve in Fremont
Township. Following the acquisition, the Forest Board began negotiations
with Fremont School District 79 to exchange 21.6 acres of the Tekampe
parcel for 43.6 acres of school property located adjacent to the
preserve. The original 77-acre purchase, together with the land exchange
with Fremont School District 79, will net 97.6 acres at Ray Lake Forest
Preserve, placing that preserve’s total acreage at approximately 516
acres.
The land exchange allows the Forest Preserve to enhance its open space
and wetlands preservation program through the control of large wetland
and drainage areas located behind the school. The exchange also provides
outdoor classroom connections for the neighboring schools, and offers
the School District a way to provide for future school expansion.
County of Lake Bike Path Connection
An intergovernmental agreement with the County of Lake for a new
community bike path that will connect to the Lake County Forest
Preserves’ Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) in Deerfield was also
approved by the committees.
The agreement grants a right-of-way to the County of Lake for the
construction of a segment of the Deerfield Road Bike Path and for future
road expansion. The County of Lake will build the $1.6 million trail and
bicycle/pedestrian bridge along the south side of Deerfield Road from
Thornmeadow Road westward and across the river where it will connect to
the existing DPRT. The County will own and maintain the newly
constructed bike path. The Forest Preserve will maintain the section of
trail that connects the new path to the DPRT. The County of Lake will
fund the project.
For a program calendar or additional information about your Lake County
Forest Preserves, call 847-367-6640 and request a free copy of the
Horizons quarterly magazine or visit online at www.LCFPD.org.
# # #
Note: Maps for each project are available online at www.LCFPD.org under
News, or by email at shawkins@LCFPD.org.
Please consider the environment before printing this email. Note our
new email addresses are @LCFPD.org
Illinois Trails & Greenways 
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