Manning is a man with a plan
EXITING THE SYSTEM: GOV. BLAGOJEVICH'S ATTACK ON ILLINOIS OUTDOORS | Ex-IDNR chief has some ideas about mitigating continued cuts
''The operator is not available. Exiting the system. Goodbye.''
Frequent automatic telephone message at Starved Rock State Park
'I am heartsick by this,'' Brent Manning said. Everybody has their breaking point. Manning, who served the longest tenure as the head of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (and the Department of Conservation before it), finally reached his.
It came with the additional $14 million line-item cut this month by Gov. Blagojevich to the budget of the IDNR, an agency that has seen its workforce whacked by nearly a quarter since Blagojevich took office. The latest cut might take out more than 100 staffers.
It had Manning, a member of the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, breaking his relative silence on the gutting of the IDNR, an agency he built into one of the most respected in the country under Govs. Edgar and Ryan.
In a phone interview this week, Manning did more than kvetch and take political potshots. He said the crisis offers a chance to push a remake of the IDNR.
''Within the state of Illinois, the IDNR needs to be governed by a commission,'' he said.
The idea originally was pushed by Conservation Congress, a group pulled together during Manning's reign in the 1990s but discontinued under Blagojevich.
Manning envisioned a commission selected from something like the Conservation Congress, which featured representatives from park districts, forest preserves and conservation, hunting, fishing and paddling groups. He thought it might be best to use the IDNR's five-region setup, with one or two commissioners from each region.
''The idea is still viable, still good,'' he said.
Asked if he envisioned geographic- or population-based representation on the commission, he said: ''I would think geographic.''
Then the commission would select a director.
''In my heart of hearts, [the director] needs to be selected through a nationwide search by headhunters,'' Manning said.
He said it would need to be somebody experienced with the agencies and ''experienced with politics -- with a small 'P.'''
Then he added: ''I can think of a couple of people throughout the United States who fit into that category.''
OK, whom?
First was Jeff VerSteeg, a former rising star at the IDNR hired away by Colorado. But Manning wasn't sure VerSteeg could be lured back. Another was Kirby Cottrell, the former head of the office of resource conservation. But Manning wasn't sure he could be lured out of retirement.
And what about himself?
''I have an interest to see it constructed,'' said Manning, who is now the executive director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
His concern with throwing his name in is that it would bring a lot of baggage because of his extended tenure with the IDNR.
''I would be more interested in seeing it happen than doing it personally,'' he said.
Then the nitty-gritty, the lifeline to keep the idea afloat: dedicated funding. He pointed to Missouri and its one-eighth of 1 percent tax.
''Sure, there are going to be ups and downs, like any budget,'' Manning said. ''But at least it would be proportionate to the state's economy.''
That's what is galling about Blagojevich's attack on Illinois outdoors through his cuts to the IDNR: They're grossly bigger than cuts in other areas.
The ongoing savaging of Illinois outdoors by Blagojevich had Manning thinking about the big picture in other ways, too.
''If the budget cuts stick, there will have to be a reconvening of something like Conservation Congress to delineate goals and objectives,'' he said. ''Then talk to the administration and whoever is running on the opposing ticket and try to get as many ideas on the platform as possible.''