The Problem
Illinois’s dire fiscal situation continues to worsen year after year, and to turn this bad situation around it’s important to evaluate existing programs to ensure they’re necessary and effective. One such program that needs evaluation is the Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education (ENTICE) workshops from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Created in 2000, ENTICE is “a teacher training program” focused on natural resource education. The ENTICE workshops are meant to help teachers “enhanc[e] their natural resources teaching skills through science-based, hands-on, interdisciplinary instruction led by natural resources professionals, correlated to Illinois State Board of Education Learning Standards.” Teachers can also earn Continuing Professional Development Units through these workshops. Topics of upcoming workshops include “Incorporating Nature into Fine Arts,” “Online Frogs and Toads,” and “The Greater Prairie-chicken.”

Starting January 1, 2006, “the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ (IDNR) Division of Education implemented a policy requiring a registration fee per person per workshop.” Fees for the workshops range from $10 to $25. Taxpayer subsidies from the General Revenue Fund also support the program. There may be other aspects of the ENTICE program outside of the educational workshops, but these other aspects are not described on the IDNR website nor were IDNR officials forthcoming with details.

As a graph in the report illustrates, the number of teachers completing ENTICE training has dropped 83 percent from 2005 to 2010, but state funding has increased five percent in the same time frame. The program is continuing for fiscal year 2011, but it is unclear where the funding is coming from as the governor’s proposed budget zeroed out the program and the signed state budget does not explicitly appropriate funds.

The Solution
The waning popularity and increasing marginal cost of the ENTICE program are indicators that it is not the best use of taxpayer dollars, especially during an ongoing fiscal crisis. At a minimum, a substantial overhaul of the ENTICE program is necessary; the Illinois Department of Natural Resources should consider ending this program or have it be completely funded by user fees. Governor Quinn’s recommendation to zero-out this program in the Illinois State Budget for fiscal year 2011 should be applauded.

Why This Works
The status quo is difficult to overcome, especially when it comes to funding programs. Because of this it’s important to re-evaluate programs often to make certain that they are relevant, necessary, and meeting performance standards. It’s the duty of state officials to ensure that taxpayers get the biggest bang for their buck, and this can only be achieved if programs are adjusted based on their evaluations and ended if they are ineffective.

Many of these cuts may be difficult, but they are necessary. Inefficient programs are siphoning money away from core government services and needlessly adding to the burden of the taxpayers of Illinois. With billions of dollars in unpaid bills, low-priority programs such as the IDNR’s ENTICE program should be among the first programs to go.