By IL Public Radio
Springfield, IL – When Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a budget measure last week ... it was thought there was enough money to keep open all 11 of the state parks slated for closure.
Despite a more than 2-million-dollar infusion of cash taken from state funds supposed to be set aside for special purposes ... 7 state parks will still close at the end of the month.
But four have been saved ... Hennepin, Channahon, Gebhard Woods and Kickapoo.
Stacey Solano ... spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources ... says the agency helped decide the parks' fate based on their locations. She says DNR wanted to keep at least one park open in each region facing reductions.
A spokeswoman for Blagojevich says others factors were trails going through the parks, and recreational opportunities like at Kickapoo.
She says the supplemental funding will help prevent further park shutdowns.
Governor Blagojevich says if legislators want more of his budget cuts restored ... including keeping open nearly a dozen historic sites set to close ... they'll have to sweep more money from dedicated accounts.
