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Partnership produces "greenprint" survey for Illinois By Mike McCurdy and Lynn McClure By Mike McCurdy and McClure Illinois has a proud heritage as a prairie state graced with areas of natural beauty and historic importance. But recent decades have made it clear that the state's vast woodlands, prairie, and farmland are being fragmented and lost to urban sprawl at an alarming rate. As a national land conservation organization, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) tracks voter support for open space funding. There have been many recent ballot victories for local conservation measures in Illinois. The Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) completed a comprehensive survey of public opinion in April of this year and found that residents in the northeastern portion of the state were concerned about the rate of development in their area and were very supportive of preserving what open space remains. The survey found that these respondents also were willing to pay higher taxes to protect publicly accessible open space. Late last year, TPL and IAPD compiled information on a "greenprint" survey. This study detailed the three- to five-year capital needs of Illinois' park districts, forest preserve districts, and conservation districts. The assessment included state park needs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The greenprint survey includes: • additional acres planned for purchase • cost for acquiring those acres • cost for renovation or restoration of currently held acres and facilities • cost for new recreational facilities The needs are staggering. The Open Land Trust (OLT) and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) programs have enabled agencies to acquire and improve thousands of acres of recreational land. But the need for land conservation and improvement funding in Illinois far outpaces the amount of money provided through these programs. To make matters worse, in the spring of 2002, the financial support for OSLAD and OLT was severely cut due to the state's fiscal crisis. IAPD and TPL believe that something must be done to secure dedicated 24 Illinois Parks and Recreation
state funding for parks and open space for future generations. What is the need? Analysis of the surveys sent to all IAPD member districts revealed the following. • In order to meet public demand for parks and open space, local and state agencies would need to acquire more than 83,000 acres over the next five years. • The cost to acquire these 83,000-plus acres is projected to be nearly $1.2 billion in current dollars. The longer we wait, the more the land will cost • The Illinois Department of Natural Resources plans to acquire 40,000 additional acres for the state park system over the next five years. • The Chicago Park District plans acquisition of 250 additional acres at a projected cost of $50 million over the next five years.
• Renovation and restoration funding needs for existing parks and recreational facilities in Illinois are estimated to be in excess of $600 million. • Funding for new construction of public recreation facilities approaches $1.2 billion. • Total funding needs for all IAPD member agencies responding to the survey are in excess of $2.9 billion over the next five years. The need dearly is present. And with state funding in question, the ability of Illinois' park districts and forest preserves to keep up with public demand is severely hampered. Where do we go from here? Illinois will continue to face the challenges of growth, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area, during the remainder of this decade. Over the last twenty years, the demographics of this growth have been characterized by the consumption of land at an alarming rate that far exceeds the increase in population. Additionally, Illinois' growing aging population has increasingly diverse recreation needs. Our legislators had the foresight to respond to this challenge in the past by creating the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development and the Open Lands Trust programs. These programs have enabled park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to acquire thousands of acres of recreational lands and to make necessary improvements to those parklands — but Illinois can and should 26 Illinois Parks and Recreation
do more. IAPD and the Trust for Public Land advocate the following. Restore funding to the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development and Natural Areas Acquisition Funds. The recent state fiscal crisis has led to dramatic reductions in funding for open space acquisition and improvement funding. The real estate transfer tax had been earmarked to provide a dedicated source of revenue for these two programs with 35 percent for the OSLAD program and 15 percent to the Natural Areas Acquisition Funds program. OSLAD in particular has had a strong track record of success and accountability. Funding for these programs should be restored to these levels by the General Assembly at the earliest opportunity.
Reauthorize permanent funding of the Open Lands Trust. In 2003 the Open Lands Trust program will expire unless the Illinois General Assembly reauthorizes the program and continues to provide funding. This program has been an important source of funding for open space acquisition by park districts, forest preserve districts, and conservation districts. For Illinois to meet current needs and those of an expanding population in the future, continuation of this program with increased levels of funding is critical. Provide greater local incentives and increase flexibility in the use of Open Lands Trust funds. Currently, OLT requires a 50 percent match for all grants. While this level of match gives local governments incentive to provide funding to receive grants, this state funding source could be used to leverage additional local funding. For example, land conservation programs in other states require not only a local match, but also give higher priority to projects from local governments that have established a dedicated source of local funding, beyond one-time appropriations of existing local government revenues. Further, some state programs require that proposed projects be consistent with local government land use plans, or they give additional consideration to projects that are part of a comprehensive local government plan for open space protection. Increased flexibility in the use of the funds— for example, allowing money to be used toward the acquisition of sites that increase recreation—might also provide more incentives for local park districts. Mike McCurdy is a project manager for the Trust for Public Land's Chicago Field Office. Lynn McClure is the public relations director for the Illinois Association of Park Districts. The report "Illinois Land at Risk: A Statewide Assessment of Public Park and Green Space Needs," sponsored by The Trust for Public Land and the Illinois Association of Park Districts, was released in October 2002 and is available online at www.tpl.org and www.lLparks.org.
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