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State’s preservation efforts increaseBy JOAN MURAROSPRINGFIELD - Illinois1 efforts to preserve threatened natural areas moved ahead nicely during 1979, according to John Sehwegman, chief of the natural areas section in the state Department of Conservation (DOC)More natural areas were secured. Sehwegman said, than in any year since 1972Nine nature preserves were dedicated in the year, including one that expanded the existing preserve at Goose Lake Prairie state park Six of the nine involved parcels owned by DOC. Three others were privately owned landsTHE NINE sites among them totaled 837 acres, with individual tracts ranging from one to 322 acres.Three other tracts, two of them in northeastern Illinois, were also acquired for preservation but have not yet been dedicated. They include the West Chicago Prairie, of 152 acres located in western Du-Page county, and the Nelson Lake Marsh. 175 acres in7 'Kane county.In addition, preservation appears virtually assured for four other sites, three in northeastern Illinois. Schweg man said These sites, listed on the natural areas inventory. have been approved by DOC and are now awaiting final federal approval Federal funding under the LAWCON 'Land and Water Conservation funds) helps acquire such sitesThey are the Cotton Creek Marsh. 255 acres in McHenry county. Helms Woods. 200 acres in Kane county, and Braidwood Savanna, 190 acres in Will countyAMONG the nine sites dedicated during the year was the 10.4-acre Belmont Prairie in DuPage county The site is one of the three privately owned tracts dedicatedIn other areas of activity during the year, Sehwegman said that a prescribed burning program for prairie and marsh management improved more than 1,600 acres of such environments at 18 naturepreserves. The burns are used to help control •‘exotic” plant species (those which are not native to the areas being preserved), as well as to control encroachment of trees which would shade out desired plants, and remove waste veg etation whieh builds up on the soil surface and eventually inhibits plant growth, he said Burning also releases nutrients trapped in the soil to improve plant growth, and by eliminating excessive dry and flammable vegetation reduces the chances of destructive uncontrolled fires which can start accidentally, or be started by vandals The natural area sector during 1979 also dedicated and opened for use the Goose Lake Prairie Interpretive center.and through its staff was involved in the first prosecution under the state's Endangered Species act. Sehwegman saidDuring the year the section completed computerizing and analyzing a three-year catalog of natural areas listing all known areas of natural heritage significance within Illinois.Now. the staff plus DOC workers aided by field person nel from the Natural Land institute. will begin an update survey to determine which of the 1.089 sites on the inventor have been destroyed or severely disturbed since the in ventory was completed. Cqrt)-pletion of this update effort is expected this month. (Copley Newsservice)Bell reports on 1979Illinois Bell Telephone company invested nearly $634 million to maintain and improve day-to-day telecommunications during 1979, President Charles Marshall said in the company's annual report, released recently.‘‘Illinois Bell entered the seventies as the telephone company.’ Today we are much more than that We enter the eighties as leaders in the handling of information — a market virtually exploding with new opportunities for our professional and technological capabilities,” Marshal] said.He reported some 8,366,000 telephones in service at the end of the year, calling volumes averaging some 32,497.000 conversations a day, and net income of $259,306,000 for 1979 At the end of the year, Illinois Bell had 39,138 active employees and 13,610 pensioners Total employee compensation amounted to $1,084,208,686 in 1979, topping the $1 billion mark for the first time. It consisted of $818.4 million in salary and wage payments, $215.6 million in non-payroll benefits and $50.2 million in company Social Security taxes.Marshall noted that Illinois Bell’s productivity has been at a rate more than three time* the national average in recent years To. keep service good in the long run, though, we must price our products and services at realistic levels,” he said. 'rtThus, on December 21, 1979,” he added, we asked the Illinois Commerce comnjission for our first general intrease in local telephone rates in six years Rate relief is essential We simply cannot k supply service for the eighties at mid- * seventies prices.”
Newspaper Details
Orland Park Star Herald
Orland Park, Illinois, US
Thu, Mar 20, 1980
Page 33
Full Page
Clipped by
Marty A.
IL, USA 01 Aug 2024
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