State to Purchase Land for Natural Resource Protection

State to purchase land for natural resource protection

The state of Illinois will purchase a 15,500-acre undeveloped tract in Cass County to protect natural resources and create recreational areas.

Gov. Jim Edgar said last week the tract, which includes a mixture of farm fields, pasture and forest, would become the largest property owned by the state.

The land, which will be managed by the Department of Conservation, is near the border of Cass and Menard counties, about 60 miles southwest of Bloomington.

Edgar said recreational activities for the land could include hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing and nature appreciation. "We are committed to preserving the rich, natural resources of Illinois for the benefit and enjoyment of our children and their children," he said.

Edgar said the state will purchase the land from Commonwealth Edison for $8.75 million.

The purchase will not be financed through general revenue funds, but rather through existing land acquisition funds in the department's budget and bond funds to be retired with federal money, he said.

Conservation Director Brent Manning said the site will be the state's first comprehensive natural resource and conservation reserve.

"This particular land acquisition will come up once in a lifetime," he said. "Fifteen-thousand acres of contiguous land with a single owner doesn't happen very often."

However, with the sale goes a loss of about $60,000 in property taxes for Cass County. Donald Petkus, senior vice president for Commonwealth Edison, said most of that amount could be replaced through lease-hold agreements.