Looks like our biggest state park, in IL, is about to get a whole lot smaller.

More lawmakers trying to sneak something through, the legislature, last minute.

http://www.stltoday.com:80/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/942D5162612CD17F862572F10015C6C7?OpenDocument


:confused:

Had something about it on channel 3 news yesterday.

What are they going to trade for it, a land fill ?

Wouldn't doubt it.

amusement park like six flags

LOL
I know just being a smart @$$.
Can never have enough of those (amusement parks), right !




.

http://www.stltoday.com:80/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/942D5162612CD17F862572F10015C6C7?OpenDocument

try this one

Has anyone here ever been to this state park ?

If so what is it like ?

Has anyone here ever been to this state park ?

If so what is it like ?

I was there last weekend. It is a great park. The old park area is very thick. 4 point restriction on 20000 acres

We camped, it has no electricity or water, and it was us and one other group of campers in the whole place. A park there would suck.. Who do I need to call?

Yeah it kinda sucks that they are planning to do this. I read in The southern today that all this does if it passes now is give the IDNR premission to look into planning this, not to go ahead full out with the deal.
I really hope it does not pan out, the hunting and fishing aspect of that park put a lot of money into Perry County, if they want to build something why not build it off next to the new shooting range at Sparta or Rend Lake resort?

I have several friends that own 100's of acres within a few miles in all directions of super lake that all bought the ground for the purpose of waterfowl & deer hunting.This kind of B.S. would put a big damper on all sort of private owned and paid club hunting in that whole area.The worst part if something like this would go thru is the DNR not doing all their homework or our great state Reps. telling the DNR how it's going to happen, and all the wildlife that is very abundent everywhere would suffer the most.
It's all about who can pad their pockets the most and not think about the wildlife or the little guys that spent their hard earned money to have something to call their own to enjoy now thru their retirement years.Plus these guys also doing what they can to their property to perserve conservation.I guess while i'm on my soap box, soon as there is something great for all general public to enjoy with their families that is (FREE) our great government has to start sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.
I'm done and could go on with more, just wanted to vent alittle!!

This was hot discussion in our library yesterday, then the southerns article today...the thought just makes me want to throw up. I do not want to live next to a freaking holiday world....take your (I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)ed urban spawl and sprawl yourself back where you came from. Pyaramid is such a wonderful place....prime mushroom ground, prime fishing, hunting...oh this cannot be allowed to happen. Dan Reitz stutters that there is no deal, they are just wanting to give permission for this to occur just in case the plan gets floowed hrough by the devloper....AUUGGHH
Thanks for letting me vent too!

tahts B.S i like that place those guys come up with to much stuff to build there isnt that many people down that way (sorry to iffend anyone that is down there) but really i think we should keep the park and not get a ammusment park

I think our great state of IL ranks 48th in public land available. That is terrible, and now they want to hock some of it for this garbage?

Let em buy their own land. Hell it feels as if they are takin mine.

:confused: We were suppose to be getting a busch gardens here for over 10 years now I know and now Drury Inn is out there where it was suppose to be. Also if you went to another Busch Gardens it would say visit our new marion il location coming soon but it never happened...One major concern was the water supply.....There has been talk here for years and years about one. But there was also talk for years and years about a baseball stadium coming in and I guess that finally happened so I don't know (more tax dollars).......I heard rumors about one coming down around LOE as well and we didn't like the idea either because all the trafic and noise and taking our woods out..and the poor wildlife....I don't think it would be such a bad idea to have one for the kiddies and families with nothing to do , but I think there is a right place for it. Like in TOWN! LOL ........anyway just my thoughts...

I'm with you guys as far as it not being able to support itself. I guess my questions is if this happens, can we direct the swap to be something that we can live with? I can't imagine where the developer is going to come up w/ 500 acres of swappable ground (in the area) that is equal in resource value to us as taxpayers, sportsmen, naturalists,conservationsists, etc.

I wonder where the 5,000 acres of "trade" ground is. Must not be much if it isn't even mentioned. I've never been to Pyramid SP but I don't like this idea at all. Idiot poloticians.

Seems like there would be too many environmental hold ups to develop a piece of old strip ground like that. I hope it falls through.

With IL's slow bureaucratc process I don't see it happening any time soon, regardless.

well I really don't think there is enough of a population to support a thing like this. People from St Louis won't drive down here to it ( hopefully) and if 1 in 5 people from every small town with in 100 mile went to it that still would not be enough to justify operating a park the size they are talking about.

The St. Louis and Metro East folks mostly go to Six Flags. If any did go to a new amusement park it would mostly draw from those same folks. No, I don't think there's enough population in the area to support it either. Besides, what this world really needs is not another theme park.

Idiot poloticians.

Isn't that redundant?

ON HOLD!
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/06/07/top/20514301.txt

Lets make sure this is really on hold, right now.
I will try to find out if this is definitely on hold for now.

Even if it is, we have to let the Legislature, DNR, Governor, people that think they can buy our state parks or national forest, ect...., all know that this is not going to happen in our state.
DON'T wait till it is to late or this resurfaces here or somewhere else. ;)
Make sure your voice is heard.

Just got a e-mail from a person who was at a meeting about Pyramid today (6/7)
Here is the e-mail =

"I would say it is time to start the calls. There was a meeting with environmental groups to discuss the trade of the 5000 acres at Pyramid. It looks like the trade would include the big lake on the newer lands purchased just a few years ago. That lake is now the waterfowl refuge. This trade would allow a group, with a promise, to come in and develop a complex that they refer to as a "mini Branson". The land they have to trade has no lake and could not be considered equal trade. As we said before, that is not the real issue.
These properties were purchased in the public trust and they belong to the people of Illinois. The precedent that this would set is dangerous. Every local unit of government would be encouraged by this to work on trading and developing other public lands.
The IDNR was at the meeting and had no clue if federal funds had ever been spent on this area.

Calls should be made to:

David Luechtefeld 618 243 9014

Dan Reitz Representative 618 443 5757

Mike Bost Representative 618 457 2990

I would also recommend that you call your own Senators and Representatives. I think our message should be that we are against HB 29, because of the precedent that it sets for public lands, and that public lands were meant to be held in public trust for all Illinois residents."




I also was told by Senator David Luechtefeld, about an hour ago, that it is not on hold & he did not know when it would be voted on.
He also told me he was at this meeting & he would still like to see this happen in his district.
He also told me this ground was being leased out for farming right now.
I asked him isn't there a lake on this ground ????? "yes"
They surely arn't farming the lake are they ???? He said "no"

:confused:

FOUND THIS HERE (http://tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=21214&folder_id=588)

Study Finds IL Far Behind in Open Space Protection
http://tpl.org/graphics/public/print_button.gif
Print Version (http://tpl.org/tier3_print.cfm?folder_id=588&content_item_id=21214&mod_type=1)
Contact: Beth White, The Trust for Public Land, 312-427-1979 x101
March 1, 2007: Illinois ranked in the bottom third of states in spending for open space, and dead last by a wide margin in the Midwest in state-owned protected land, according to Illinois State Land Conservation Funding, a report released today. Illinois has gone from spending an average of nearly $50 million a year on open space acquisition in the early 2000s to averaging less than $10 million annually over the last few years.(Report attached as PDF for download at the bottom of this page.)
To begin to address an estimated need of $3 billion to protect and maintain Illinois' natural areas and parks, the Partners for Parks and Wildlife (PPW) calls for at least $100 million in new funding annually by the state and a commitment to fully fund existing programs at approximately $50 million a year.
"Illinois has not invested sufficiently in protecting open space for parks and natural areas. The state needs to make a commitment to save our open land and preserve our natural heritage for Illinois' future generations," said Jonathan Goldman, the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF), which authored the report in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land.
The report documents the results of underfunding open space in Illinois:

Illinois has lost more than 90 percent of its original wetlands, 99.99 percent of its original prairie, and currently has 424 state and 24 federally listed threatened and endangered species within its boundaries.
Illinois ranks last by a wide margin among Midwestern states in acres protected per capita, with only 1 percent of its land owned by the state.
Illinois spent $2.67 per resident on open space annually during its peak years of investment, while Ohio spent $4.36, Minnesota spent $5.76 and Wisconsin spent $9.80. Funding in Illinois has since dropped by about 80 percent. Parcels of open land are getting more expensive as real estate values rise, and many are lost to development. The report shows that rural farmland real estate prices have risen 68 percent statewide from 2000 to 2006, and in places like Chicago's collar counties, development is happening at a ferocious rate. Kendall County, for example, is the third fastest growing county in the nation. With reliable state funding, Illinois can begin the process of acquiring important parcels of land before the cost becomes prohibitive or the opportunities are gone.
Illinois' drop in funding is the result of the end of a four-year program to protect open space and diversions of funds from two long-term programs, the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund (OSLAD) and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF). Both OSLAD and NAAF are supported by dedicated funding from the Illinois' Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT). "But while that revenue has increased with the real estate boom, the state has taken away millions of dollars slated for parks and natural spaces through budgetary procedures. In fiscal year 2006 alone, more than $35 million was diverted," noted Lenore Beyer-Clow, Policy Director from Openlands.
"When the laws were written, funding for these open space programs was tied to the real estate market, so that when land starts being increasingly developed, more resources are available to create parks and save habitat. This was well-crafted legislation based upon sound public policy. We need to restore our commitment in Illinois to using these funds only for protecting natural areas and creating new parks and playgrounds," said Beth White, Chicago Area Director, The Trust for Public Land.
Partners for Parks and Wildlife is calling for new state investments of $100 million per year to protect open space. "The report lists a menu of options for Illinois to consider to create a dedicated funding stream, including new land acquisition funding in any capital spending plan for Illinois and increasing the RETT," said Ted Flickinger, the CEO and President of the Illinois Association of Park Districts.
PPW also calls for this year's state budget to fully fund OSLAD and NAAF and to appropriate the RETT funds from past years that haven't been spent for other purposes. The total would be $63 million this year ($35 million for OSLAD and $28 million for NAAF). "Our calculations show that in the years ahead, the RETT will generate more than $50 million annually for open space. Allocating adequate funds for conservation will facilitate the steady support needed to preserve these special places for recreational opportunity and to conserve our natural heritage," said Michael Reuter, acting State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois.
Partners for Parks and Wildlife is a grassroots coalition working to secure and increase funding for open space and park acquisition, natural area preservation, wildlife habitat protection and recreational opportunities in Illinois. PPW was created in 2004 when more than 130 organizations came together to advocate against state funding cuts for open space. www.partnersforparksandwildlife.org (http://www.partnersforparksandwildlife.org/)
The Illinois State Land Conservation Funding report was prepared with the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

And this HERE (http://illinois.sierraclub.org/conservation/openspace.htm)

Open Space

The Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter's Land Campaign focuses on the creation, protection and management of public lands across Illinois. Consider:


Illinois is the nations 4th most populous state and is the 24th largest in area. Yet we rank 48th out of 50 in the amount of open space per capita.
Less than 5% of the entire state is protected as open space in parks, forest preserves, nature preserves, conservation districts, etc.
The need - the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources (IDNR) needs $85 million to acquire already identified critical lands for state parks, nature preserves, and other crucial habitat.
The demand - voters in northeastern Illinois have voted time-after-time to tax themselves to raise money to buy natural lands and open space. Since 1997, DuPage co. - $75 million, Will co. - $70 million, Kane co. - $70 million, McHenry co. - $68.5 million, Lake co. - $140+ million, Kendall co. - $5 million, townships, towns, park districts - $80 million.

Looks like it's going to be more of a white elephant than the Mid-America Airport. Just something to show they're bringing state tax money into their districts, but nothing to show for it. All hat and no cowboy.

Just stated the facts that IL ranks 5th in the nation in population, and 48th in public land per capita. This is unacceptable.

Now your turn...

This will be worse a deal than the " Shooting Complex" in Sparta. Already local towns cannot book events at times which events are held at the shooting complex because small towns with only one or two police who usually rely on the county or state police for backup are on there own because all the other police are at the shooting complex.Events at the shooting complex tie up local resources. Resources local people pay for.Just ask the people who live in Evansville IL .


HUH ???
Whats the reference in/with Evansville about ?


Less than 5% of the entire state is protected as open space in parks, forest preserves, nature preserves, conservation districts, etc

I was wondering does Shawnee National Forest fall in that 5% ?
I know its fed land.

The Evansville IL Chief of police resigned his position because the city of Evansville booked boat races the same weekend as the Evansville Days Picnic. He said he did not have enough man power to police that big of a crowd because usually he would have the county and some state police to help out. But because there was a event at the shooting complex that weekend they (the shooting complex) would have priority when it comes to policing man power.This would put the Evansville police short and the chief didn't want to be responsible.Local officials should have the local peoples interests at the top of their priority, not tryin to get the money out of tourists pockets.If this amusement park goes through it will only make the situation worse for Southern Illinoisans.I don't care how many $7.00 an hour jobs it brings in.

Thanks for explaining, I thought you were talking about Evansville In.

Big surprise… Gov. Blago knew about this, and had ordered the developer to keep his mouth shut about it.





News > Illinois News > Story
Developer told to keep mum on Illinois resort plan
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
06/10/2007

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration has ordered private developers not to talk about plans for a huge new resort near Pinckneyville until Blagojevich himself can announce it, sources say.

Some lawmakers who support the project say that public relations directive could be endangering the proposal.

"People have asked, 'If these (developers) are credible, why don't they answer the phone?'" said state Sen. David Luechtefeld, R-Okawville. He is among several lawmakers who say they learned late last week of the administration's gag order and now are pressing to have it lifted.

The Toney Watkins Co., a Glen Carbon-based investment group, wants to build a Branson-like, 5,000-acre resort near Pinckneyville, possibly under a controversial land swap arrangement with the state. That controversy has been heightened in the past week by the dead silence of the company and its lobbyists, to the point of failing to even answer reporters' phone calls. Advertisement

Several legislators and company officials confirmed Friday that the reason for the silence is a directive from Blagojevich's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which has been involved in talks on the project and could potentially offer financing or other assistance for it.

Belleville consultant Geri Boyer, who is working with the developers, said the gag order was contained in a letter from the agency. "It says we are not allowed to talk with the press until the governor announces the project," Boyer told the Post-Dispatch.

She didn't specify what the letter referred to and said she couldn't provide more details because of the agency's confidentiality directive. She said she and others are pressing the agency to allow the developers to say more. "We really would like to talk with you," she said.

Chicago attorney Walter R. Dale, general counsel and vice president for the Toney Watkins Co., also confirmed on Friday the existence of the letter, though he said he couldn't detail its contents because it wasn't in front of him. He said the company's public silence has been partly because "we're trying to get a clear reading on what we're allowed to discuss" as laid out in the letter.

A spokesman for the economic development agency initially denied on Friday that the agency has told developers not to discuss the project. When pressed specifically about the letter that Boyer and Dale said the developers received from the agency, the spokesman would neither confirm nor deny its existence.

"I'm not sure what letter she's referring to," said the spokesman, Andrew Ross. "We're aware of the project, but that's for the developers to talk about." He declined to comment further.

A message left with Blagojevich's office Friday wasn't returned.

Lawmakers who have been talking to developers for more than a year about the proposal said they learned of the gag order during a closed meeting with the developers' representatives on Thursday. It came to light after legislators asked the developers why media reports kept highlighting the lack of available information about the company and its plans.

"One of the things we jumped on them about was, 'Why haven't you answered your phones?' They said (the administration) said, 'Don't discuss this,'" said Luechtefeld.

"We were upset about that. It looks suspicious when you can't get anyone to pick up the phone," Luechtefeld said. " … This (proposal) is something that can fall apart in a hurry. People who invest in this … if there's any doubt in their minds, they just go somewhere else."

Luechtefeld and state Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, another participant in the meeting, said there are concerns that the gag order has complicated an already difficult quest to get the project started.

"I wish they would have told me this earlier, so I would have had an answer for people who asked why (the developers) weren't returning calls," said Reitz. Like other lawmakers from the area, he views the resort proposal as a potential economic boon for the depressed Southern Illinois region. "They need to start telling people what this is about."

What has been revealed is that the developers envision a $100 million theme park and tourism destination — including music entertainment venues, golf courses, a BMX bike-racing facility and other amenities — near Pinckneyville, a town of about 5,400 people 70 miles southeast of St. Louis. Developers ultimately hope to have 5,000 acres of land for the project.

It's difficult to find an undeveloped piece of land that size (It's more than 10 times the entire acreage of Six Flags St. Louis). Among the proposals the developers have brought to lawmakers is for the state to provide 2,000 acres of land from the north side of nearby Pyramid State Recreation Area, in exchange for the same amount of land currently under private ownership, with an option for another 3,000-acre trade later.

The 20,000-acre state park in Perry County is Illinois' largest, and environmentalists have raised concerns about turning over any of it for private development. Legislation is pending in Springfield to allow the land swap, but Reitz and other supporters of the project view that as a last resort and are pegging their hopes instead on talks between the developers and private landowners in the area.

Pinckneyville sits in Illinois' economically devastated coal-mining region, and local and state officials have tried for years to come up with ideas to provide investment and jobs to the area. Lawmakers in the past week have said the resort proposal could potentially create 2,500 jobs.

But media attempts to talk to the developers themselves have been mostly fruitless. Dale, the company's executive vice president, said that's partly because key company officials have been out of town lately and were caught off-guard by the controversy that arose when talk of the land swap spread through the Legislature last week. He also noted the administration's letter requesting confidentiality.

Dale said details that have been reported about the company's plans so far are accurate, but he declined to offer further details yet.

Big surprise… Gov. Blago knew about this, and had ordered the developer to keep his mouth shut about it.


Reading that article did nothing to boost my already absent confidence in this state's leadership or lack thereof.:mad:

that guy dont know the difference between right and left god i hate that guy and hate is a strong word in my books he dont do anything with Southern Illinois ever but when he decides to do something he takes away from the outdoors, recreation people and he stops all hunting if they do put it in there and probably fishing to that guy is such a pain in everybodys ass :mad:

Got this right off Blogo's site///

http://www.illinois.gov/gov/privacy.cfm

PREAMBLE
Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the Governor's Office that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees. The access to this information is not intended to be used to violate individual privacy, nor to further a commercial enterprise, nor to disrupt the duly-undertaken work of any public body independent of the fulfillment of any rights of the people to access to information.

Here is what I wrote him... And you can too... HERE (http://www.illinois.gov/helpdesk/contact.cfm)

Sir,
I am concerned about the land "deal" in the works at Pyramid state park. A few Facts... IL is the 24th largest state in area; 4th in population, and 48th in public land per capita. Yet we barter what little land we have for a theme park? This is unacceptable to take land from the people to give to a private entity.

As for the gag order on this project, your own web site states...

"PREAMBLE
Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the Governor's Office that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees. "

A gag order disallows me "Full and complete information regarding" this affair.

Thank you for your time,
Respectfully,
Bob Rutkowski

Talked to one of my buddies who just bought 500 acres east of super lake and his land would be part of this land deal.He also told me that if this bill gets voted down that (dig -a- ditch)will pass the bill anyway, sounds like some under the table money being done.So from the way he talks as long as the Gov. is involved what anyone has to say isn't really going to matter.If I hear anything else from my other buddies who own ground down there i'll try to pass it on.

What do you expect from a government that considers everything south of I-80 to be a subordinate state that they can leech from to fill their coffers. Our governor has to kow tow to Mr. Daley and his machine in Chicago so of course he doesn't respect the rights of gun owners, hunters, fishermen, or any other people who love the outdoors.

Rumor has it amendment, HB 29, is being pulled. :)

Hopefully we will find out more very soon.

I hope that this company will still do something, in the area, BUT NOT at the expense of losing state park ground !!!

Rumor has it amendment, HB 29, is being pulled. :)

Hopefully we will find out more very soon.

I hope that this company will still do something, in the area, BUT NOT at the expense of losing state park ground !!!

Could this rumor have been started by the very people trying to pass HB29 ?

Let everyone think the coast is clear so they can slide it in under the radar, wouldn't be the first time or last that has happened.


PS. Have any IBS pins ?
I'll just have to bug you until you remember to send them.. :D


.

hey found out tonight that if they take so much refuge then they have to give the same amount of refuge back but in a different place in illinois

I thought there was some kind of federal law protecting wetlands or something like that.

I've posted this before, but I think it merits repeating. Call/e-mail your STATE representatives and senators. Don't get nasty or threatening, but politely let them know that you are adamantly opposed to the selling or swapping of ANY DNR land, and that you will be watching. As a long-time Endowment member of the NRA, I can attest to the fact that this works-been doing it for almost 40 years. Way too often politicans will vote for a friend's bill, or trade a vote for a favor, IF they don't think thier constitutients care. However, just a few calls can sway thier decision. If you don't call/write/e-mail now (and vote in every election), don't complain later. I've already called my senator and rep, and I'm about 300 miles away and will probably never visit Pyramid, but we taxpayers CANNOT allow this proposal to set a president.
You can find your representatives/senators phone # at: Illinois General Assembly.

Good idea Gus!

I think they ought to put a water slide in at Lincolns Tomb. They could have water pour out the nose on that statue of Lincoln. You know the one everybody rubs the nose of. It would probably help the local economy.

I'm sure they would be ok with that, as long as its not in chicago.

Don't suggest it to 'em. They're liable to do it.

Here is an E-mail, that another IBS director got today, from Senator David Luechtefeld


There are negotiations going on at the present time with a private landowner to purchase property for this development. Hopefully these talks will be successful.

Thank you for your concern on this issue.

Sincerely,

David Luechtefeld
State Senator - 58th District

June 19, 2007, 4:38PM
Ill. Officials Back Branson-Like Resort
By JIM SUHR Associated Press Writer


PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill. — Perry County officials voted unanimously Tuesday to back plans for a sprawling resort complex rivaling Branson, Mo., saying the economically struggling area has "nothing to lose."

The Board of Commissioners also dismissed environmentalists' concerns over a land swap proposed by the developer, Glen Carbon-based Toney Watkins Co. The company wants the state to give it 2,000 acres from the 20,000-acre Pyramid State Recreation Area in exchange for an identically sized parcel nearby.

Toney Watkins said in a statement Tuesday that it wants to develop a state-of-the-art destination and convention resort near this 5,500-resident community about 70 miles southeast of St. Louis, with lodging, food, sports and entertainment in one location.

The company said the development _ which would be within a 12-hour drive of more than 164 million people _ would include music entertainment venues, golf courses, camping and fishing, and a BMX bike-racing area.

"Perry County is (the company's) location of choice, and it is the hope of the organization that the state will help (it) bring this project to fruition," the company's statement read.

County Commissioners said the proposed project is vital to this area, stung in recent decades by a slide in local coal mining and the recent loss of 440 jobs when the county's biggest employer, a plant where DVDs and compact discs were made, closed this spring.

The county's unemployment rate _ now about 8 percent _ is among the highest in the state.

"We think it's time to take a chance and embrace the prospect of economic development, jobs, tourism and a better quality of life for our citizens," said James Booker, the panel's chairman. "We would be foolish if we didn't explore that opportunity, and we would be doing the people of Perry County a disservice if we did not.

"To put it simply, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Booker suggested the state left the county with few other options _ first it acquired 16,000 acres to expand Pyramid state park seven years ago without local input, then promises that the land would draw economic development and tourism never materialized.

Toney Watkins has said the plan and its 2,500 jobs would boost the region's struggling economy and assuage environmentalists.

Booker said some outsiders who oppose the project "couldn't even locate Perry County on a map."

The company has asked Illinois lawmakers to help them establish a relationship with the state's Department of Natural Resources and identify a "suitable" parcel of land within Pyramid.

That legislative push was put on hold recently after environmental groups questioned whether the state should part with parkland and whether development would harm grasslands where they say the Henslow's sparrow and other rare birds have thrived.

On Tuesday, Booker said that the county respects the environment: "As the people who live here we have a greater stake in our land, water and air than anyone else."

"We believe that this project can exist in Perry County, and in many ways improve upon the land we have now" by making better use of land already mined for its coal, he said.

PS. this from a HOUSTON, TEXAS news source!



I copied this off another site. Thought everyone should be aware that they are STILL willing to give up our state parks for a tourist trap. :(


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