2. Public Access Goal Goal: To provide every outdoor recreationist an opportunity to pursue his/her outdoor activity. The committee traveled to Springfield, Quincy, and Bartlett to solicit public input and discuss recommendations to accomplish goal.

3. Scope of Outdoor Access Public versus Private Landownership Type of Recreational Use (Trails/Consumptive/Non-consumptive) Land versus Water

4. Challenges With Providing Access on Public Land Limited Amount of Public Land Diversity of Competing Outdoor Activities Relatively Large, Increasing Human Population

5. Challenges With Providing Access on Private Land Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Parcelization of Landownership Urban Sprawl Cultural Changes

6. What do outdoor recreationists want from a public access program?

7. Access to Public Lands Determine availability and location of public lands Maximize outdoor recreational opportunities for all groups Develop, improve and maintain infrastructure on public lands Provide additional opportunities through land acquisition from willing sellers Update the definition of a public waterway

8. Access to Private Lands Liability Protection User and landowner relationships Needed incentives to open land to access Cash Tax Breaks Technical Assistance and Cost Share Free Labor Federal Farm Program Subsidies Wildlife Management Benefits

9. RECOMMENDATIONS Amend the Recreational Use of Land and Waters Area Act Develop a Program to Provide Access to public and Private Lands Create a State Water Trails Plan and a Model Heritage Water Trail Star Parks on State-owned Sites

10. Recommendation #1 Restore liability protection for private landowners who open their land for recreation Objectives: Reinstate the original protection for landowners Retain the current protection for landowners Protect landowners who contract with the IDNR

11. Recommendation #2 Develop a program to provide access to public and private land Objective: The IDNR needs to increase access to available land in Illinois for outdoor recreational purposes.

12. Recommendation #3 IDNR should create a State Water Trails Plan Objectives: Increases paddling related tourism throughout the State Expands public access to Illinois rivers and streams Accurately reflects the current recreational use of Illinois waterways Establishes designated watertrails on waterways identified in the Plan

13. Recommendation #3 IDNR should establish a model State Heritage Water Trail Objectives: The IDNR should establish one model state Heritage Water Trail outside of Northeastern Illinois between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012.

14. Recommendation #4 IDNR should establish a star park in every IDNR site. Objectives: Provide a place to enjoy the starry nightscape on each IDNR site. Initiate long-range planning to qualify one area as a Starlight Reserve/Dark-Sky Preserve Stop the increase in light pollution starting with State properties.

15. Where do we go from here?