State honors Kendall Co. preservationists

SPRINGFIELD -- State officials are honoring five landowners for promoting conservation and wildlife habitats on their properties.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will award the Wildlife Landowner of the Year for 2009.

Altogether the landowners are managing more than 1,000 acres of habitat for wildlife. They include Pat Hogan in Kendall County and Dan Sawicki of Ogle County.

The department's director, Marc Miller, says the five landowners have shown a commitment to conservation. That includes growing and maintaining native plants and shrubbery.