Joel Brunsvold retired as director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources last week.

The announcement came as something of a surprise - at least to me.

Last summer rumors swirled about that Gov. Rod Blagojevich planned to replace Brunsvold. When Brunsvold survived the summer, I assumed he would ride out the rest of Blagojevich's first term.

Wrong again.

Brunsvold will leave an interesting legacy with the IDNR, a legacy not entirely of his own making.

I wasn't enamored with the choice when Brunsvold was named IDNR director. Brunsvold, a career politician, replaced Brent Manning as IDNR director.

Manning came to the IDNR with a strong background in the biological sciences. I felt then, and still feel today, that the IDNR director should have a strong background in biology.

As it turned out the problems Brunsvold faced during his time as IDNR director has less to do with science than timing - really bad timing on his part.

Brunsvold, an affable person who truly loves the outdoors, was essentially forced to preside over a reign of terror necessitated by deep budget cuts - $23 million to be exact. To paraphrase Curly Howard of Three Stooges fame, Brunsvold was largely a victim of circumstance.

That doesn't change the fact that the Brunsvold years won't be remembered fondly.

The budget cuts resulted in long-term employees losing their jobs. Although there were claims to the contrary, some of the firings seemed, to be polite, less than logical.

Budgets were slashed to ridiculous levels. Again, the budget cuts were not Brunsvold's idea - they were the result of reckless spending during the Ryan administration.

And, the IDNR went from one of the most media friendly state agencies I've ever encountered to one steeped in fear and secrecy. Biologists and site superintendents I'd known from years were no longer allowed to answer even the simplest of questions.

IDNR personnel were required to call Springfield to obtain permission to speak to the press. The situation was bizarre, as well as unwieldy.

This is one of the instances in which I believe Brunsvold was a victim of circumstance. Since other state agencies adopted this interesting approach to news management, the paranoia involving the media didn't appear to be Brunsvold's idea.

With budget cuts and controversy engulfing the department, morale bottomed out. Long-term employees were afraid for their jobs, and even more afraid to talk about their fears.

Things have improved in the past year or two, but the IDNR needs help on a number of levels.

This isn't to suggest that Brunsvold's term was without merit.

The World Shooting Complex, still under construction near Sparta, will be the shining star of the Brunsvold years. The Amateur Trap Shooting Association's Grand American will be held at Sparta for the first time this year.

If everything goes well, the Grand American could be an economic boom for Randolph County and Southern Illinois for years to come.

The state's licensing and harvest reporting systems were streamlined under Brunsvold - major accomplishments.

Despite those accomplishments, the last few years will not be remembered as a golden era of IDNR. After the things Brunsvold has been through, retirement certainly had to be an attractive alternative.

LES WINKELER is the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan. Contact him at les.winkeler@thesouthern.com, or call (618) 529-5454 x 15088.