ILLINOIS OUTDOOR HALL OF FAME BANQUET FEB. 19 IN SPRINGFIELD

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. - Tickets are available for the fourth annual Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet, to be held on Saturday, February 19th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.
Those attending will join in honoring the lifetime achievements of conservationists Kenneth Fiske, W.D. Klimstra, Brent Manning and William Rutherford as they are inducted as the newest members of the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame. The event will also honor future conservationists, as ten scholarships are awarded to students planning careers in the field of conservation.

“Illinois is a better place to live, work and recreate, thanks to the contributions to our great outdoors made by the individuals being honored as new Hall of Fame members this year,” said Joel Brunsvold, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and chairman of the board of directors of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. “The Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet is a special event and we’re delighted to be honoring these special people. I encourage everyone with a love of the outdoors to join us in Springfield on February 19th for this event.”

Individual tickets for the banquet are $50 each, with sponsorship ticket packages also available. Proceeds will benefit the Illinois Conservation Foundation grant and youth conservation scholarship programs. Last year, the ICF grant program awarded $45,000 in grants to 30 organizations, groups and agencies for environmental, habitat and natural resource projects. The first ten recipients of the ICF Youth Conservation Scholarships will be recognized at the banquet.

The 2005 Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees were selected from among dozens of individuals nominated by citizens and organizations throughout the state. They include the following:

Kenneth V. Fiske, Woodstock - Ken Fiske has, for more than 50 years, provided private and professional efforts on behalf of open land protection and conservation. Fiske was named Illinois Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1952. Fiske was the founding executive director of the McHenry County Conservation District, retiring in 1985. He has served as a board member of the Corporation for OpenLands, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, McHenry County Conservation Foundation, the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts and McHenry County Soil and Water Conservation District. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation honored Fiske and his wife as 2004 Refuge Volunteers of the Year for efforts in the preservation and restoration of bird habitat in Hawaii and Florida.

Dr. W. D. Klimstra, Carbondale - The late Dr. Willard D. Klimstra was the founding director of the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, serving from 1951 to 1988. As director, Dr. Klimstra supervised the efforts of graduate students whose research and professional accomplishments continue to provide benefits to wildlife and natural resources conservation nationwide. Klimstra was a pioneer in wildlife ecology and mined land reclamation. He helped draft legislation on reclamation and conservation, the Illinois Nature Preserves System Act, and the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, chaired the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and was a member of the Endangered Species Protection Board.

Brent Manning, Wheaton - Brent Manning served as Director of the Illinois Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources from 1991-2003. During his tenure, the state acquired more than 85,000 acres for conservation and outdoor recreation; developed the Illinois Conservation 2000 program, Illinois Conservation Congress and state-federal Illinois River basin protection measures; led implementation of a state habitat stamp program, the Illinois Environmental License Plate program and the Illinois Conservation Foundation; and developed the ENTICE education program for school teachers. Manning now serves as executive director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

William L. Rutherford, Sr., Peoria - William Rutherford has been involved in environmental stewardship, open space preservation and wildlife conservation for more than 65 years. Rutherford helped found the Forest Park Foundation, which acquired and donated land for local and state parks and natural areas throughout central Illinois. He founded Wildlife Prairie Park, which was donated to the state in 2000. The state park is named in honor of Rutherford and his wife Hazel, who passed away in 2000. Rutherford also worked toward acquisition and establishment of the Rock Island State Trail in central Illinois. He served as director of the Illinois Department of Conservation in 1969 and led the acquisition of Goose Lake Prairie and Silver Springs state parks in northeast Illinois.

The Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame will also present Director’s Awards. Recipients include:

Great Plains Drywall, the Corporation of the Year
Pheasants Forever, the Organization of the Year
Jeff Ketelsen as a Friend of the Foundation.

The ten winners of the Illinois Conservation Foundation Youth Conservation Scholarships to be introduced at the banquet are:

Caitlin Allen, Homer (Heritage High School in Broadlands)
Paras Bhayani, Homewood (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy)
Wesley Bryan, Louisville (Clay City High School)
Heather Busse, Farina (South Central High School)
J.C. Capel, White Heath (Mahomet-Seymour High School)
Nicole Evans, Hoffman Estates (Hoffman Estates High School)
Sarah Gillespie, Newton (Newton Community High School)
Drew Griffiths, Port Byron (Riverdale High School)
Emily Mahan, Baldwin (Red Bud High School)
Marcin Tomkowiak, Chicago (Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences)

The banquet will include a social hour, silent auction and raffle, dinner, Hall of Fame induction ceremony and a live auction. For tickets and sponsorship information or for more details on the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet, contact Tracy Shafer, Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, phone 217/785-5091, or visit the Illinois Conservation Foundation web site at www.ilcf.org.

The Illinois Conservation Foundation, an IRS 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in 1995, has raised more than $20 million to support the programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For more information on the ICF, contact Executive Director Jess Hansen at 217/785-2003.
 

###

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page