Sound Policies for Sound Rivers

Conservation requires sound public policies, and sound policies arise only when vocal, informed citizens call for them. Money is required for restoration, monitoring, and enforcement. Effective conservation requires coordinated action that is out of reach for individuals acting alone.

PRN calls for Illinois lawmakers to promote better human uses of our waters and lands:

1. DNR and IEPA funding. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency lack funds to do their jobs protecting the state’s resources and providing lawmakers and citizens with scientific data. More funding is urgently needed, preferably through a reliable means that is immune from politics.

2. River corridor protections.Rivers and streams are greatly affected by human uses of streambanks and riverside corridors. Illinois needs new, state-wide policies to protect such corridors and to restore the most degraded. Restoration measures should include reconstructed wetlands and other features that help rivers regain health naturally.

3. Water and drainage laws. Illinois laws on water usage and drainage date from the nineteenth century, a time when water was plentiful and drainage simply meant pushing water out of sight. Water has become short. Ecological interconnection is better understood. Vastly better drainage practices are available. New laws and policies could help ensure that water diversions and drainage practices do not destroy aquatic communities and exacerbate flooding and droughts.

4. Information flows. Government can help citizens by providing full, prompt information on proposed pollution and mining permits (by the state EPA, DNR, and Department of Agriculture) and on permits to fill wetlands (Corps of Engineers). They should also make monitoring data and information on permit compliance and violations available online. It is time to harness the power of the Internet to enhance democracy!

5. Monitoring and enforcement. Too many people seem unaware of their duties under current laws, and the state itself knows too little about the conditions of waterways and the actions of polluters. We need better funding for monitoring of both waterways and polluting activities, as well as staff for outreach and education.

6. Wetlands protections. Illinois has lost over 90% of its wetlands and can afford to lose no more. Indeed, reconstruction efforts are needed. PRN is among the many groups calling on Congress to revise the Clean Water Act to clarify the original plan to protect all of the nation’s wetlands and to insist that further wetland losses be mitigated by offsetting restorations.

7. Farm policies. Farmers, farm communities, and river users alike would benefit if federal payments made to farmers were earmarked to reward good land uses, not greater production. Public policies should insist that all landowners act responsibly, in cities and in rural areas.

8. Stormwater inspections.The Illinois EPA should improve its efforts to monitor and improve stormwater runoff by enlisting the help of more Soil and Water Conservation Districts in inspections and enforcement.

Get involved with Prairie Rivers Network’s vision and policy work for Illinois’ rivers. Look for more information to come on this project. Tell us what you think – post a comment here!