FEATURE ARTICLE

Happy Birthday, Earth Day!

The 30 years from the birth of Earth Day in 1970 to Earth Day 2000 seems to span more than three decades and the dawn of a new century. The environmental movement of the '70s defined the concerns and fears over the state of the natural world, demands for information to be made public, problems to be fixed, and that the polluters should "pay."

The 30-year experience has revealed many surprises and brought many dramatic changes. The sobering news is that problems developed over many decades cannot be reversed in a year or two, and in many cases knowledge and technology are not up to the task.

While many polluters have addressed the problems they helped create, we now have the uncomfortable knowledge that every individual bears responsibility and has the ability to impact the restoration and protection of their environment.

The Internet has now provided the key to unlocking information about both problems and fixes. This information revolution is empowering groups across the nation.

(See Internet resource listing on page 42.)

In another unthinkable revolution, the Chicago area is now a national model for biodiversity preservation! Chicago Wilderness and the Chicago Biodiversity Council project has developed a regional atlas and an implementation handbook. All that is needed now is "implementers" on the private scale as well as local park and forest preserve districts.

Read on for some updates from Northeastern Illinois, a hotbed of environmental activity in our state. Park and natural resource agencies from across the state can gain insights and information from these organizations, their plans and programs.

Protecting Natural Areas in Your Community
Insights from NIPC's latest guidebook
BY IRENE HOGSTROM, ASLA
There is a growing movement in northeastern Illinois to protect and restore natural areas, including wetlands and streams, prairies and savannas, and woodlands.

Leading this movement, called Chicago Wilderness, is a coalition of over 100 organizations that recently completed a "Biodiversity Recovery Plan."

The plan imagines a region "filled with life...where the evening air is rich with bird calls and the scent of flowers... where children splash and play in clean creeks, and peer below the surface of the water at fish and other aquatic creatures... where people learn to gently and respectfully enter back into a positive relationship with the nature

Illinois Parks and Recreation * March/April 2000 * 41

Green Sites to See
Chicago Wilderness ................................www.chiwild.org
Citizen Watershed Protection ................. www.terrene.org
Green Lights and Energy Star .................www.epa.gov/greenlights.html
International Institute for Sustainable Development.............. www.iisd.ca
Lake Michigan ......................................... www.epa.gov/lakemich
Livable Communities ..............................www.livablecommunities.gov
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.......... www.nipc.cog.il.us
Openlands Project.................................. www.openlands.org
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ............. www.epa.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3 ...............www.fws.gov/r3pao/barr

— compiled by Judy Beck

that surrounds them...and where rare plants, animals and natural communities are nurtured back to health and offered a permanent home next to our own—to the benefit of our health and our economy—in preserves large enough to sustain them forever"

Among other things, this plan identifies a critical role for local governments, including park districts, cities and counties, and wastewater agencies, in achieving this vision. To assist, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) has developed a guidebook for Protecting Nature in Your Community. The objectives of the guidebook are to educate local government entities regarding the benefits of biodiversity in their communities and to provide them with the tools to enable protection and restoration within existing and newly developing urban areas.

There are a host of reasons for protecting natural areas and biodiversity at the local level. They include quality of life, recreation, aesthetics. For example, it has been documented that natural areas, parks and open space create a high quality of life that attracts tax-paying businesses and residents to communities.

There are also strong economic reasons for protecting natural areas. A pair of 1998 studies by The Trust for Public Land found that while land conservation projects caused a short term rise in local property taxes, over the long term communities that had protected the most land enjoyed the lowest property tax rates. Natural landscapes—including prairies, woodlands, and wetlands—also control erosion, help retain stormwater, help clean the air of pollutants, mitigate global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and help shelter and cool our homes.

It is estimated, for example, that the economic benefits generated by a single acre of wetland are between $150,000 and $200,000.

The recommended roles of local governments range from developing environmentally sensitive land use planning and zoning and subdivision regulations, to improving their management of stormwater and wastewater. Local governments, particularly park districts, are encouraged to prioritize natural areas in their open space open space acquisition programs, and to actively manage and restore existing natural areas. Local governments also are encouraged to promote the use of native vegetation for landscaping and to require better protection of streams, lakes and wetlands from the effects of new development.

Numerous local examples and references are provided to help local governments that are interested in these protection and restoration techniques. The guidebook is available from NIPC's Publications Department (312.454.0400). A complete list of NIPC publications can be found on its Web site: www.nipc.cog.il.us.

The Biodiversity Recovery Plan
The Biodiversity Recovery Plan describes how we can save the plants and animals of the Chicago region in thriving habitats, and become the first metropolitan area where a rich culture and economy grow in harmony with nature. The plan is the result of three years of assessment and planning by representatives of the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council. It identifies the ecological communities of the greater Chicago region, assesses their condition, identifies the major factors affecting them, and provides recommendations for actions needed to restore and protect them into the future in a sustainable condition.

In order for the Biodiversity Recovery Plan to be successful, it must lead to the accomplishment of the following goals:
• Foster a sustainable relationship between society and nature in the region.
• Involve the citizens, organizations, and agencies of the region in biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Strengthen the scientific basis of ecological management.
• Protect globally and regionally important natural communities.
• Restore natural communities to ecological health.
• Manage natural communities to sustain native biodiversity.
• Develop citizen awareness and understanding of local biodiversity to ensure support and participation.
• Enrich the quality of the lives of the region's citizens.

Park districts tend to own the lands closest to dense concentrations of human residents. These lands have a critical role to play not only in providing habitat for native plants and animals, but also in offering urban children and adults an immediate opportunity to explore the beauty and magic of nature. Park districts can:
• Implement specific suggestions for ecosystem management found in the Biodi-

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versity Recovery Plan for any natural communities that may be within their ownership.
• Increase the amount of land within parks that can provide habitat for native plants and animals, including vegetation that provides food and shelter for migrating birds.
• Acquire or protect natural communities that are not yet protected and that may be too small to meet the acquisition criteria for a county or state conservation agency.
• Restore wetland, prairie, aquatic, and woodland ecosystems on park holdings.
• Educate the public about the importance of biodiversity. 

IRENE HODGSTROM, ASLA
is an associate planner for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.

Strategic Plan for Water Resource Management for Northeastern Illinois
BY DENNIS DREHER
The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission is in the process of developing a coordinated, strategic plan for managing the water resources of the Chicagoland region. This planning process is being supported through funding provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. It will address issues related to water quality, water supply, and stormwater and flooding.

The timing of the plan is particularly critical because of the tremendous amount of new development in the region. The Commission has forecast an increase in total population of 25 percent by the year 2020, with some of the outer counties nearly doubling in population. This development, if not adequately planned for, poses some very serious threats to our water resources. For example, historical development has caused serious damage to fish and aquatic life in nearly all of the region's urban and suburban rivers and streams, while most rural waterways remain in relatively good condition.

To help prioritizing issues and developing strategies, the Commission has assembled nearly 100 technical and policy experts on three task forces and a regional Water Resources Advisory Committee. To date, this effort has led to the identification and prioritization of 49 key issues. For perspective, following are critical issues in the categories of water quality, stormwater/flooding, and water supply, respectively.

• The vast majority of the region's urban and suburban streams and rivers still do not meet the "fishable/swimmable" goals of the federal Clean Water Act. This 1972 Act aspired "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters" which "provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife."

• Inadequate attention is being devoted to prevention of stormwater and flooding problems. Particular concerns include inadequate enforcement of stormwater and floodplain regulations in some areas, lack of comprehensive watershed planning, inadequate flood hazard mitigation planning, and failure to incorporate sustainable development principles in new development.

• With immense increases in population forecast in the outer collar counties (70 to 100 percent increases by 2020), the adequacy of groundwater and surface water supplies is an important concern. More specifically, there is only a limited understanding of the capacity of shallow aquifers and the effects of over-pumping and drought.

• Well over 100 strategies, identifying what needs to be done and by whom, have been developed to address these issues. These strategies will be the heart of a plan that is being drafted and will be released for public review and comment in July 2000. Consistent with Commission goals and policies, it is envisioned that the plan will establish a consensus that water resources should be managed more wisely, and that water in all its forms and uses will be viewed as a resource to be appreciated and utilized, and not a problem to be disposed of or hidden from view. 

DENNIS DREHER
is the director of Natural Resources for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. For additional information on the strategic planning process for water resource management, or for a complete listing of water resource issues, contact the Commission's Natural Resources Department at 312.454.0400. Also, see www.nipc.cog.il.us.

Greenways, Trails and Waterways
BY JOHN H. PAIGE
Year 2000 Greenways and Trails Implementation Program
In June 1997, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) adopted The Year 2000 Regional Greenways and Trails Implementation Program, consisting of a regional map and plan document. The map is an update of the first Greenways Plan map adopted by NIPC in 1992. It enlarges the system from 1,600 to 4,300 miles, many of which are additional stream miles, both with and without trails. The trail component alone doubled from 1,070 to 2,000.

A unique feature of the Year 2000 plan is that it supplements the 1992 plan with a distinct focus on objectives and action recommendations to implement the plan's proposed greenways and trails. In the course of developing the plan, participants in the process identified numerous actions that would contribute to implementation. The action recommendations are not necessarily site specific, but indicate general priority areas for action and the types of actions that are needed.

Development of the program was sponsored by the Illinois Prairie Trail Authority and was carried out by NIPC in cooperation with the Open lands Project. Funding was also provided by the IDNR and the FPD of Cook County.

Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan
The Northeastern Illinois Water Trails Plan proposes a coordinated regional system of water trails for non-motorized boating. It presents an extraordinary opportunity to make 480 miles of the regions streams and lakes safe for canoeing and kayaking. The plan proposes 174 access and portage sites on ten of the region's waterway, the majority of which are already established or need only minor improvements.

Illinois Parks and Recreation * March/April 2000 * 43

A key action recommendation of the plan is to form a water trail committee for each water trail to orchestrate the implementation, management, and maintenance of trails that require action by more than one jurisdiction. NIPC, Openlands Project, and the Illinois Paddling Council have committed to this major step towards implementation and have begun forming water trail committees, creating initial agendas, and attending the meetings. 

JOHN H. PAIGE
is the director of Planning Services for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.

Tools To Save Open Space
Ideas from Corlands
BY NANCY L KASZAK
Approximately 660,000 acres of land in the Chicago region are at high risk of being developed in the next 10 years—threatening wildlife habitats, recreational opportunities and the overall quality of life. Similar threats exist throughout Illinois.

Communities are struggling to find ways to allow development without loosing our treasured open lands. Answers are urgently needed. Fortunately, there are now many tools available to park and forest preserve districts to save this land.

A district can approach a landowner and negotiate a voluntary sale of the property. This may be an effective tool if the owner is willing and the district has the necessary funds available. However, the local government may not have the money immediately available to it for the purchase.

Furthermore, the owner may not find it in their interest to sell to the local district, particularly if a prospective developer is offering a price based on the land's development potential. Alternately, a district could take the property through exercise of its eminent domain. However, this is a lengthy and expensive process.

Increasingly, districts have been using alternative routes to acquire needed open space. As a district reviews its options for preserving open lands, it is important that the district be aware of all the tools now available to it.

The following describes these tools.

Nonprofit Conservation Organizations
Nonprofit organizations such as CorLands, the Trust for Public Land, the Conservation Fund, The Conservation Foundation and the Nature Conservancy are dedicated to preserving open space for public enjoyment. These organizations assist local governments by quickly providing funds and experience to acquire open space. They then transfer the land to the local government when the agency obtains acquisition funds. Both federal and state land acquisition money is now available.

These nonprofit organizations, having gained land acquisition experience, can help districts negotiate acquisition arrangements that meet the particular concerns of an owner. For example, the owner may be concerned about his/her current property or income taxes and the tax implications of a sale. An owner may be willing to transfer the land upon his/her death, but wants to live on the land for the rest of their life. An owner may be willing to transfer title to the land, but only if they can trade that land for another parcel. An experienced conservation organization can explore with owners their concerns and structure transfers that are mutually beneficial.

Conservation Easements
An alternative to transfer of title is the transfer of conservation easements. A district can now ask that an owner keep title to the land, but transfer a conservation easement. A conservation easement is a written agreement between a landowner and a government agency or nonprofit conservation organization, such as CorLands. This agreement restricts land uses that develop or disturb certain characteristics of the property.

Conservation easements can provide several benefits to the district and the landowner. Conservation can be achieved without acquiring title to the land. The terms of the easement can be specifically tailored to the district's interest, while providing reasonable flexibility to the owner. The granting of a conservation easement has been recognized as a charitable gift. The owner can realize benefits in their federal income and estate taxes. The owner may also benefit by a reduction in local property taxes because the fair market cash value of the property restricted by an easement will likely decrease. 

NANCY L. KASZAK
is the executive director of CorLands. Resources used for this article include "Under Pressure: Land Consumption in the Chicago Region 1998-2028, Openlands Project, Chicago, Illinois, 1999.

JUDY BECK
is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Agenda for Action Regional Team Leader - Lake Michigan. Beck also is a 20-year commissioner with the Glenview Park District and a past president of the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

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