Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (INDR) policies cover a wide range of actions and activities including how to name sites, handling agricultural leases, camping reservations, etc. There is a standard internal process for review of new and revised policies, the Exotic Species policy was recently revised to include additional species.

On the Exotics, the policy had not been reviewed since its inception and, in the interim, many new species have become serious problems on our sites or in nearby states. We polled a panel of experts, including some non-IDNR biologists, to come up with a list of the ones we should be most concerned about. Additionally, the listing of a species in our policy provides a level awareness to non-biologists (such as park staff) as to what species are most likely to be on immediate concern and provide some de facto prioritization for focusing control efforts. Finally, the list also provides some pro-active direction for efforts such as the Illinois Invasive Plant Species Council, which Ben Dolbeare (conservation coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources) coordinates.

Bob Szafoni
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Email contact 1-23-06