The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will now join the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or IDNR. This merger will help with the Department of Natural Resources, by adding historic sites, which attracts nearly 1-million unique visitors a year and a tax-credit program that generated over $1-billion. IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal stated that by combining these office, the IDNR will be able to further their services and programs throughout the state of Illinois, while at the same time create efficiency and savings to taxpayer dollars. Some of the new Division of Historic Sites duties, will be operating sites that preserve and celebrate Illinois’ heritage. That would include upkeep and work on sites connected to Abraham Lincoln, such New Salem and the Old State Capitol, and other famous Illinoisans. The Lewis and Clark expedition and the Cahokia Mounds are two others who will now be under the new division. For more updates to the IDNR, visit their Facebook and Twitter pages.