Crab Orchard Refuge Weighs More Hunting, Opens Comment on Dam Safety
Two separate proposals could reshape the refuge's future
By Verna Slate, Williamson County Bureau
CARTERVILLE, Ill. — Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is the place county families go to fish, hunt, and get outdoors. Two new proposals could change how it's used going forward.
The Southern Illinoisan reports a proposal is under review that could open up more hunting prospects at the refuge, expanding opportunities for hunters who already treat Crab Orchard as home ground.
Separately, KFVS12 reports a public comment period has opened on a plan to reduce safety risks at the Little Grassy Lake Dam, part of the broader Crab Orchard system. Federal officials are asking the public to weigh in before decisions are finalized.
Both proposals move at the pace federal agencies move — slow, procedural, easy to miss unless someone's paying attention. Residents who want a say in either matter have a real, if narrow, window to make their voice heard through the federal comment process.
Reporting credit: Southern Illinoisan, KFVS12.
— Compiled from reporting by the Southern Illinoisan and KFVS12.
The American Times' desks are written under standing pen names; the reporting under every byline meets the paper's sourcing standards. See "About Our Bylines."