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Dear Illinois Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) supporter,
Your action is needed immediately to ensure $9 million – funded directly through license and stamp fees paid by hunters and anglers – is not diverted from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) budget to other purposes. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever urge you to contact Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich immediately and urge him to veto the $9 million in budget sweeps that includes money generated by the State Pheasant Fund, Illinois Habitat Fund, State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Fund, Illinois Habitat Endowment Trust Fund, Wildlife and Fish Fund and the Fish and Wildlife Endowment Fund. This proposed bill (SB790) violates Illinois State Law (Public Act 95-0853) by diverting funds dedicated to specific purposes. It also violates the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C 669) and endangers $15 Million in Federal Aid coming to Illinois for wildlife habitat annually.
The IDNR has already been stripped of 25 percent of its staff due to budget cuts and hiring freezes since 2001. The sweeping of funds from the Department's budget could adversely impact this agency's ability to continue its outstanding work in the area of habitat, wildlife, and natural resources conservation.
As a Pheasants Forever and/or Quail Forever member, you are part of a network that totals over 9,000 in Illinois, and part of Illinois's outdoor community that numbers over 1.1 million. Contact Governor Rod Blagojevich by clicking here and urge him to act in accordance with state and federal law by vetoing the aforementioned budget sweeps in SB790.
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