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"The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Field
Station will be to river research what the world-renowned Scripps
and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institutes are to ocean research,"
Blagojevich said. "Lewis and Clark's already excellent river
research programs will find a world-class home over the Mississippi
River, where they will continue to produce insights into
agribusiness and tourism in Illinois, and the environmental and
economic impact of rivers to the state, nation and the globe."
The $6.8 million was included in the fiscal 2007 state budget
passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Blagojevich.
The governor announced the funding Monday at Lewis and Clark's
Godfrey campus with state Sen. William R. Haine, D-Alton; state
Reps. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, and Daniel V. Beiser, D-Alton;
and U.S. Rep. Jerry F. Costello, D-Belleville. To date, Costello has
secured more than $3.5 million in federal funds for the project,
which have been used for site planning and educational outreach
programs.
Construction on the new field station is expected to start in the
spring of 2007, and the facility is expected to open in the spring
of 2008.
The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center is the
product of a unique educational partnership between Lewis and Clark;
the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences; the University of Illinois Department of
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; the Natural History
Survey in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The center is also in affiliation with the
Nature Conservancy, Illinois Rivers 20-20, Illinois Natural History
Survey of Alton, the Great Rivers Land Trust and the Center for
American Archeology.
The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center was
founded four years ago. Its mission is to promote better
understanding and sustainable use of the Mississippi, Missouri and
Illinois Rivers, their watersheds, and the communities that use and
depend on them. The research work to be performed at the field
station will use a holistic approach to explore questions central to
maintaining a major river system as a viable environmental, economic
and recreational resource.
"Understanding the elements required to sustain a healthy river
system is critical for not only environmental health, but also for
economic health," Costello said. "An upgraded lock-and-dam network,
while also balancing environmental needs along the river system, is
important for commodity transport down the rivers to the Gulf of
Mexico and on to world markets."
Lewis and Clark and district communities will benefit directly
from the educational and economic impact that the field station will
bring to the area. Lewis and Clark's faculty will have the
opportunity to work directly with the faculty of the University of
Illinois and staff from the Natural History Survey, thereby
enhancing current academic offerings for both Lewis and Clark and U
of I. Lewis and Clark students will also benefit from the exposure
to emerging career opportunities in river ecology, natural resources
management, ecosystems management, watershed management and
environmental sciences. District residents will also benefit from a
permanent education center attracting scientists and students from
throughout the world. The educational research facility will have a
permanent economic benefit to the area, as scientists and students
will add money to the local economy. The center will help market the
region as an outstanding and unique location for the study of
ecology and the management of large rivers and flood plains.
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"We are located at the confluence of three of the nation's greatest
rivers," said Haine. "These rivers are part of a large, complex
system that supports tremendous biodiversity and agricultural
productivity. The rivers have played a vital role in the development
and growth of the state of Illinois. The research performed at the
center will help maintain the viability of the river systems and
watersheds. By studying both the environmental and economic impact
of the rivers, we will gain a better understanding of how they can
provide benefits in the future, while still maintaining an
ecological balance." The center will include numerous
environmentally friendly, energy-efficient design elements,
including long-wearing bamboo floors and a grass-covered roof. Lewis
and Clark will seek Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design certification for the building. This certification is one of
the nation's highest recognitions of projects that incorporate
"green" design principles. The new center will also be consistent
with Blagojevich's Green Buildings Initiative, which encourages the
use of green design elements wherever possible in state-funded
construction projects.
"The center will be LEED-certified and will be one of the most
environmentally advanced facilities in the state," Hoffman said. "In
addition to providing invaluable research, it will demonstrate how
development and environmental concerns can go hand in hand."
"The center will provide invaluable research that will have
applications throughout the world, and it will also have an economic
impact on this area," Beiser said. "Researchers, environmentalists
and educators from the U.S. and other countries will be coming to
the center. The time they spend here will be a plus for our local
economy, and their studies will help create an international
reputation for the area among researchers."
Lewis and Clark President Dale Chapman added that the center is
already having an impact as a result of its symposia and internship
programs. "NGRREC has hosted or co-sponsored five symposia on
rivers, with the most recent being the Cache River Conference in
southern Illinois," he said. "The meetings have earned an
international reputation for NGRREC. The research conducted by the
organization's interns has also resulted in national exposure for
the work that is being done."
Dr. Gary Rolfe, director of the center, said history has shown
the importance of the rivers. "Large rivers are subject to impacts
from development and crop production," he said. "These changes, in
turn, can affect migrating waterfowl, habitat, shore and water
birds, fish, riparian forests, swamps and marshes, fresh water, and
water recreation activities. Because of their importance, rigorous
research and education programs must be strengthened and developed
to enhance and protect these rivers. Equally important is advancing
our understanding of the social and economic impacts within the
watershed in order to enhance the sustainability of all the
communities that depend upon their survival."
"The Natural History Survey has been conducting research on the
Illinois and Mississippi rivers for more than 100 years," said Dr.
David Thomas, chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey.
"However, the center will be a place where we can do very
sophisticated ecological research and provide great training and
educational programs for faculty, students and the public."
[News release from the governor's
office] |
