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IDNR head praises Wildlife Prairie Park’s setup

Wildlife Prairie Park’s funding structure could be a model for other groups across the state.  That’s according to the head of the state Department of Natural Resources:

It’s been two years since state lawmakers approved a measure to transfer ownership of Wildlife Prairie State Park to a private, not-for-profit group.  The move allowed the park to better access private funding to pay for projects at Wildlife Prairie Park.  New IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal says that model could be used at similar places across the state amid proposed budget cuts:

“The sooner that we get it back into private hands and get the local money, the sooner we can get it back operational, and it looks to be like there’s been a lot of improvements already made.”

Wildlife Prairie Park has nearly tripled its membership since the private group took over operations.  Officials say private funding helped pay for bike trails, a petting zoo and butterfly habitat.