After the election of the new 98th General Assembly restarted the legislative cycle, the proposed amendment to the Downstate Forest Preserve Act to ban the development of any new sand, gravel, or other mining operation on land owned by a forest preserve was reintroduced on February 5, 2013 by Senator Michael Noland as SB 1344. It was again assigned to the Local Government Committee, where no action was taken before it was re-referred to Assignments on May 10th. The Elgin Area League of Women Voters supports this bill, but has taken the position that it should be expanded to include other natural resources, as well. The Downstate Forest Preserve District Act should be amended to ban the extraction and sale of natural resources, including gravel, coal, timber, oil, natural gas, and water, from forest preserves. Such an amendment would preserve the intent of the original legislation while serving to mitigate the inherent conflict of interest posed by the dual nature of the county board member/forest preserve district commissioner. Elected representatives cannot reasonably be expected to adequately and simultaneously promote economic development for the county while also protecting and preserving natural lands from development.
The passage of legislation to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Illinois in May, 2013 opens the door to a potential oil and natural gas boom that could bring jobs, investment, and tax revenue to parts of southern Illinois that really need them. But the rush to cash in on previously unreachable resources has many fearing for the consequences to the environment. The experience of other states shows that the aftermath of a fracking boom is often contaminated soils, contaminated surface waters, contaminated groundwater, and expensive remediation projects. Five southern Illinois counties lobbied unsuccessfully for a moratorium on fracking until the risks to public health, the health of the environment, and the general welfare are better understood. They were especially concerned with the potential for damage to the Shawnee National Forest and their local economies. Thousands of landowners have already sold the lucrative drilling rights for oil and natural gas, with more expected to in the near future. It is not unreasonable to think that counties and/or forest preserve districts might be tempted by potential revenue from the sale of drilling rights. Consideration should be given to protecting forest preserves, state and national parks, and other significant natural areas from the effects of fracking and other resource extraction techniques. Designating natural lands as a forest preserve or a national park no longer seems adequate.