Jim Hill guest speaker at chamber meeting
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Chester Chamber of Commerce's monthly meeting was held at the Eagles Club on March 15, at noon. The guest speaker was James "Jim" Hill, who has been with the St. Louis District Corps of Engineers since 1981. He has worked over 20 years in the Operations Division as a Park Ranger, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Natural Resources Specialist, and Project Manager. Jim has a BS in Forestry with a specialization in Environmental Impact Analysis from Southern IL University. He is currently an Operations Project Manager for the Kaskaskia River Project in Southwestern Illinois.
According to Jim, many improvements have been made by the Corps to the Kaskaskia River Lock and Dam, navigable waterway, and recreation area over the last two years due to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding, and Flood Recovery funding received due to the 2008/10 flood damages to the project. Improvements include: numerous repairs to the lock and dam structural components, channel dredging on the upper six miles of the 36 mile navigable waterway, dredging at the mouth of the river (confluence with Mississippi), dredging of silt in mouths of numerous oxbows connected to the river, construction of a portable water supply line and connection to the lock and dam site (ongoing), asphalting of all roads/boat ramp parking lots and campsite pads, installation of vault toilets, and picnic pavilion at the Corps recreation area (campground and day use area), installation of electric hookups at the 15 site campground, and construction of the .5 mile Kaskaskia Confluence Trail to the Mississippi River shoreline overlook and interpretive natural area known as the Kaskaskia River Confluence Heritage area.
He said that the Corps is partnering with numerous local organizations to develop brochures, outdoor exhibits, and a native stone amphitheater with large fire ring at the Confluence Heritage area. Partners include Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders, Inc., IL Historic Preservation Agency, Randolph County Historical Society, Tower Rock Stone, A&K Rentals and Construction LLC.
Additionally, the Corps worked with numerous partners to develop and conduct the first annual Eagle Day celebration at the Lock and Dam Recreation area on February 5, 2011. Despite foul weather, the event was a huge success. Partners included Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Chester Tourism Committee, the World Bird Sanctuary and Lisa's Bar and Grill.
The Corps team at the Kaskaskia River Project would like to expand partnering opportunities for additional special events to be held at the lock and dam site annually. The Corps would like to "outreach" and partner with other regional municipalities, organizations and agencies and support their special events and festivals. They would like to do educational programs for regional schools as well.
He emphasized that the Corps will be expanding efforts to promote visitation and tourism in the region, and other economic and quality of life enhancements, again through partnering and leveraging resources with all interested communities, organizations and agencies in the region.