The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...

. The IDNR operates the state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

s and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 and game

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 mines, operates the Illinois State Museum

Illinois State Museum

The Illinois State Museum is the official museum of the natural history of the U.S. state of Illinois. The headquarters museum is located on Spring and Edwards Streets, one block southwest of the Illinois State Capitol, in Springfield, the state capital...

 system, and oversees scientific research into the soil, water, and mineral resources of the state.

History

The former Illinois Department of Conservation was reorganized into the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by executive order in 1995. The reorganization, codfied into state law by Public Act 89-50, also added functions of the former Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals to the agglomerated agency

Organization

As of 2009, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources was divided up into 16 offices and bureaus

• Administration
• Architecture, Engineering and Grants
• Compliance, Equal Employment Opportunity and Ethics
• Director
• Law Enforcement
• Land Management
• Legal Counsel
• Legislation
• Mines & Minerals
• Public Events, Programs & Promotions
• Public Services and Education
• Realty & Environmental Planning
• Resource Conservation
• State Museums
• Water Resources
• State Surveys

Today

As of fiscal year 2006, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources had a budget of $187.1 million Its headquarters is located at 1 Natural Resources Way, Springfield, Illinois 62702, adjacent to the fairgrounds of the Illinois State Fair

Illinois State Fair

The Illinois State Fair is an annual festival, centering on the theme of agriculture, hosted by the U.S. state of Illinois in the state capital, Springfield. The state fair has been celebrated almost every year since 1853. In 2008 there were more than 700,000 visits, up five percent from 2005,...