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            Registration open for Illinois Conservation Congress 
			Participants sought for regional meetings in February and March  Send a link to a friend
 
			
            
            [February 06, 2013] 
            SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois citizens 
			interested in natural resources protection and sustainable use, 
			outdoor recreation, and conservation stewardship are invited to 
			participate in the 2013 Illinois Conservation Congress. | 
		
            |  In advance of the planned statewide Conservation Congress session in 
			Springfield in September, regional meetings are scheduled for 
			February and March, and online registration for those meetings is 
			available through
			
			www.dnr.illinois.gov/ ConservationCongress.
 "Conservation Congress provides Illinois 
			residents with a direct voice to help guide the future of protecting 
			and enhancing the natural resources of our state, and I encourage 
			individuals and organizations who share our passion for conservation 
			and outdoor recreation in Illinois to register today," said Illinois 
			Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller. The mission of the Illinois Conservation Congress is to give 
			Illinois residents a formal process to propose and advocate actions 
			that can be taken by elected and appointed officials to protect and 
			conserve the natural resources of the state. The goal of the 
			Conservation Congress is to ensure, through professional management, 
			that sustainable use, recreational opportunities and enjoyment of 
			these resources are available for this and future generations. 
			 The regional meetings scheduled across the state in the coming 
			weeks will be used to gain interest and feedback from the public. 
			The regional meetings are scheduled at:  
				
				John A. Logan 
				College, CartervilleFeb. 19 and 20
				Heartland 
				Community College, NormalFeb. 26 and 27
				WIU campus, Quad 
				Cities campus, MolineMarch 4 and 5
				South Shore 
				Cultural Center, ChicagoMarch 12, 13 and 14
				Southwestern Illinois College, 
				BellevilleMarch 21 and 22
 
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			At the evening regional meetings, 
			participants will begin discussing five broad topics to focus 
			Conservation Congress deliberations for action this fall: 
				
				
				Sustainable resource development and extraction -- mines and 
				minerals, water resources, forestry, etc.
				
				Sustainable resource harvest -- outdoor recreation, wildlife and 
				fish conservation, hunting, fishing, etc.
				
				Sustainable provision of outdoor recreation -- recreational 
				public access, state parks, etc.
				
				Sustainable resource protection -- regulation, law enforcement, 
				etc. 
				Building bridges -- 
				developing new constituencies, professional development, 
				improving and growing partnerships For more information, to register for regional meetings and to 
			provide input to the Illinois Conservation Congress, go to
			
			www.dnr.illinois.gov/ConservationCongress Follow the Illinois Conservation 
			Congress at: 
            [Text from 
             
			Illinois Department of 
			Natural Resources 
			file received from 
			the
			
            
			Illinois Office of 
			Communication and Information] 
            
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