Illinois Mixed Bag: Some Starved Rock trails closed for project

Oglesby, Ill. — Several trails at the most visited state park in Illinois will be closed until June for upgrades and repairs, according to DNR.

As previously reported, Starved Rock State Park is undergoing an $18 million project to improve bridges, stairways and well-worn sections of trails within the park.

Starved Rock officials announced in mid-March that a portion of the trails system was closed, and that most impacted areas are located between the visitor center and French Canyon, one of numerous canyons located within the more than 2,600-acre park. Access to French Canyon from the visitor center will be closed until June, as will access to a trail head within the parking lot of the Starved Rock Lodge.

Also, Campanula Trail between French and Wildcat canyons will be closed, as will the Brown Bluff Trail directly above the canyon. Trails located near Tonty Canyon, as well as a trail between Tonty Canyon and LaSalle Canyon, also are closed, as is a staircase from the west entrance to the park to a boat ramp located on the Illinois River. DNR and park staff have promised to provide updates on the work as the busy summer season nears.

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‘Snake Road’ Closes for Annual Migration Period

Wolf Lake, Ill. — Snake Road, a 2.7-mile-long gravel road that runs through the LaRue Pine Hills research natural area in the Shawnee National Forest, has closed until at least the end of May. The Shawnee closes the road each March as migration of reptiles and amphibians’ species travel down a single stretch of the road protected by the National Forest Service.

Wildlife Biologist Mycah Scoggins said they usually close Snake Road March through May, depending on when staff start seeing snake movement. The purpose is to protect many species of snakes including some that are endangered or threatened.

“The road’s been closing since 1972, but we don’t have any long-term data sets about the snakes here and that’s something that we are now collecting so that hopefully in the future we’ll have years and years of data to look back on and be able to see if there are changes, if there are impacts,” Scoggins said.

Interested onlookers can still walk the road by foot, but its encouraged to stay on the road and use caution. Scoggins added that locals have become very involved in Snake Road, so much so that they have a volunteer program where volunteers collect snake data for the forest service called Snake Sentinel.

The area now has at least 22 different species of snakes, with three of those species being venomous.

Bill Would Tighten Rules on Ginseng Harvest

Springfield — State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, recently saw advancement of the bill she sponsored to strengthen the state’s Ginseng Harvesting Act.

House Bill 5021 requires license holders to provide proof of licensure upon request, expands penalties to include attempted violations, and allows for more flexible license suspensions. The bill also authorizes the seizure of equipment used in illegal harvesting, with proceeds from any sales directed to the state’s Wildlife and Fish Fund.

Harper said the goal is improving enforcement and accountability in an outdoor activity that also features an opportunity for profit for Illinois ginseng hunters.

“At the end of the day, it’s about taking care of our environment, supporting responsible growers, and ensuring these resources last for generations,” Harper said.

HB 5021, filed by Harper on Feb. 4, was passed by the Agriculture and Conservation Committee on March 18. It was immediately placed on the House calendar for a second reading.

Future of Rock River Dams Purpose of Hearing

Moline, Ill. — The future of a dam on the Rock River continues to be debated, with its future still uncertain. The Steel Dam and Sears Dam have been sites of fatal accidents, and efforts have been underway to examine ways to mitigate the safety risk and prevent future tragedies.

One lawmaker engaged local residents and users of the river during a March 16 public hearing, where various safety proposals for the dams were shared. State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, said the goal of the hearing was “to give people who live, work, and play near the Rock River a chance to share their views.”

The hearing included preliminary findings from the safety study conducted by DNR, and included a public comment session.

“DNR’s safety study will give our municipal and community leaders powerful insight into alternatives that protect the environment and recreation on the river, while ensuring the river is as safe as possible for that purpose,” Halpin said.

A research group also provided five potential solutions to make the river safer near the dam that could cost between $10 million and $25 million. At the public hearing, several local residents said they believe the solution is education, not widespread changes at a cost of millions of dollars.

State’s First Black Carp Discovered in Oklahoma

Oklahoma City — The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation confirmed a species of invasive carp that had not previously been seen in the state has been discovered. A black carp was found in a private pond in McCurtain County.

State and national efforts have been underway to control black carp in the U.S., with the Illinois DNR launching a bounty program to encourage reports of the fish back in 2015. Illinois and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been tracking the carp’s spread across the Mississippi River Basin.

“Outside of Oklahoma, the majority of these fish have been caught incidentally when commercial fishers are harvesting other target species,” according to an ODWC bulletin. “Less than 1% of Black Carp harvested under the bounty program have been caught with recreational fishing gear.”