Illinois Department of Natural Resources Performing Routine Maintenance

For Immediate Release – January 30, 2026

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be performing routine maintenance to the Government’s boundary line throughout the West Okaw Unit of the property.

The IDNR leases the roughly 6,400 acres known as Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The IDNR managed property is divided into two units, the Kaskaskia Unit (Allenville) at roughly 3,700 acres and the West Okaw Unit (Bethany) at roughly 2,700 acres. With most hunting programs over, this is the ideal time for boundary inspection and maintenance. If you are an adjacent landowner to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property, portions maintained by the IDNR, you may observe people walking the boundary line behind or around your property. Due to the nature of the terrain and equipment required you may also see people completing this work utilizing a UTV around the property and on easements.

The lease requires this periodic maintenance around the boundary which includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Replacing worn out, missing, or broken boundary signs and posts, as well as clearing brush around existing signage. There will also be an effort to mark trees at specified distances between the boundary sign posts. Trees along these portions of the boundary line will be painted at chest height with an orange, 4 inch horizontal stripe. Spacing will be from 25 to 50 feet between painted trees, depending on visibility. This will help the visiting public to differentiate between government and private property.

Please remember that storage on and encroachment of government property is strictly forbidden. Therefore, we ask that you please take this opportunity to ensure that any and all private property is removed from government ground.

Thank you in advance and please feel free to call our office at 217-665-3112 if you see anything concerning or need further information.