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DNR Head Says He'll Be Honest About Budget
It's going to take a new attitude, but one state government agency director thinks it's possible. Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller says he's going to spend this year proving to outdoorsmen that the agency will be honest about how it spends money. Miller wants the agency to enact new fees, and raise some existing fees, with the extra $20 million going to programs and new staff. Miller points out that the agency has about 1,300 workers, which is about half of what the number was at its highest.

Miller says one of his goals is to hire a turkey biologist, because the position was left empty for six years while the popularity of turkey hunting increased across the nation.

One of the new fees would be for parking at state parks. Miller says he doesn’t think gatehouses at park entrances would work, so he's considering allowing an annual parking pass and daily passes, with park staff checking each day on whether vehicles had a pass.

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 24 09 by Newsroom
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