Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project South Cook County Communities Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project 2 ChicagoMade Wilderness possible Millennium with generous Reserve support Green Infrastructure from the Searle Funds at The Supported Chicago by the Searle Community Funds at The Chicago Trust Community Trust The Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project Supported by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project participants during the multi-year process: Project Team: Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Task Force project coordinators: Nancy Williamson, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Chris Mulvaney, Chicago Wilderness Planner and GIS specialist Dennis Latto, South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association Community Liaison: Jason Berry, City of Blue Island Climate change information to communities: Abigail Derby Lewis, The Field Museum Lead Consultants: Dennis Dreher, Geosyntec Consultants Eric Neagu, Weaver Consultants Group Also: Andrew Pelloso, Geosyntec Consultants Matthew Bardol, Geosyntec Consultants Jeff Ekegren, Weaver Consultants Group For questions and additional information on the CW MR GI process and products please contact: Nancy Williamson, IDNR [email protected] 815-263-9857 Chris Mulvaney, Chicago Wilderness [email protected] 773-417-6257 For information on the GIS layers assembled in this work and available to communities please contact: Dennis Latto, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association [email protected] 708-922-4604 Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Project Team gratefully acknowledges all the time and input from the following participants during this process. The following agencies and organizations participated in developing the green infrastructure mapping protocols and mapping workshops to produce the underlying GI network of openspace, parklands, floodplains, and other available GIS information to establish, after ground-truthing with the local communities, the Core Green Infrastructure Network map, shown on the accompanying maps. Active Transportation Alliance, Leslie Phemister Openlands, Li Dong Hong Cardno JFNew, Megan Lewis South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, Reggie Greenwood City of Blue Island, Jodi Prout South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, Ed Paesel Forest Preserves of Cook County, Chip O’Leary South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, Tom Vanderwoude Friends of the Chicago River, John Quail The Field Museum, Doug Stotz Governors State University, Jon Mendelson The Nature Conservancy, Karl Gnaedinger Governors State University, Karen D’Arcy The Wetlands Initiative, Paul Botts Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Barry Walker The Wetlands Initiative, Jill Kostel Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Program, Suellen Burns Trails for Illinois, Steve Buchtel Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Program, Lisa Cotner U of I Extension, Margaret Burns-Westmeyer Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Program, John Legge US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, Gene Fleming Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Program, Diane Tecic US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Deborah Orr Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Steve Byers US Fish & Wildlife Service, Shawn Cirton Metropolitan Planning Council, Josh Ellis USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rand Briggs Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Dan Feltes WRD Environmental, Zach Taylor Openlands, Ders Anderson 2 Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure Numerous municipalities, park districts, and other local jurisdictions participated in workshops to review the draft Core Green Infrastructure Network and to help identify green infrastructure Opportunity Areas – shown on accompanying maps. Local jurisdictions participating in the workshops: Alsip Park District, Jeannette Huber Riverdale Tree Commission, Frank Vaughn Blue Island Park District, Bob Manthei Village of Calumet Park, Robin Streets Calumet City Park District, Thom Miller Village of Glenwood Patrick McAneney Chicago Heights Park District, Frank Perez Village of Homewood, Max Massi Chicago Park District, Zhanna Yermakov Village of Homewood, Jim Tresouthick City of Blue Island, Marisol Barrera Village of Homewood, Paula Wallrich City of Blue Island, Bob Houlf Village of Lansing, Travis Bandstra City of Blue Island, Sean Terry Village of Midlothian, Karen Kreis City of Blue Island, Urban Forestry Board, Val Kehoe Village of Olympia Fields, Joseph Alexa City of Calumet, Denise Rzonca Village of Olympia Fields, Jeff Cartwright City of Calumet, Bryan Swanson Village of Olympia Fields, Kathryn Mangan City of Oak Forest, Jake Melrose Village of Olympia Fields, Susan Moroney Dolton Park District, Kendall Parrott Village of Park Forest, Sarah Coulter Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, Cheryl Vargo Village of Park Forest, Rob Gunther Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, Dave Ward Village of Park Forest, Roderick Ysaguirre Lan-Oak Park District, John Wilson Village of Riverdale, Dawn Haley Midlothian Park District, Evelyn Gleason Village of Riverdale, Loree Washington Oak Forest Park District, Cindy Grannan Village of Robbins, Ernestine Beck-Fulgham Posen Park District, T.J. Whitcomb Village of Sauk Village, Gary Halcomb Riverdale Tree Commission, Helen Denham Village of South Holland, Jeff Hon Village of South Holland, Brian Smith Local governments and state and county agencies, consultants and NGO’s also provided information that helped inform the green infrastructure Opportunity Areas mapping process. Active Transportation Alliance, Leslie Phemister Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Jim Yurik Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Health, Laurel Berman Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Christina Schroeder animalia project, Susan Ask Moraine Valley Community College, Stephenie Presseller Architectural Services Group, Inc., Royce Cunningham OAI, Mollie Dowling Audubon Chicago Region, Judy Pollock Openlands, Ders Anderson Bronzeville Visitor Information Center, Harold Lucas Prairie State College, Allessandra Cairo Center for Neighborhood Technology, Harriet Festing Robinson Engineering, James Hus Center for Neighborhood Technology, Jonathan Jackson Robinson Engineering, Ernest Roberts III Chicago Park District, Zhanna Yermakov Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Peter Mulvaney Chicago Wilderness, Suzanne Malec-McKenna South Metro Higher Ed Consortium, Genny Boesen Clean Energy Trust, Erik Birkharts South Suburban College, Nancy Burrows Cook County Department of Environmental Control, Kevin Schnoes South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority, Russ Rydin Delta Institute, Matt Harrison South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Jesse Bakker Delta Institute, Vanessa Roanhorse South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Holly Campbell Forest Preserves of Cook County, Kindy Kruller South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Ed Paesel Forest Preserves of Cook County, Chris Slattery South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Chris Poshek Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Arthur Pearson South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Thomas Vander Woude Greencorps Chicago, Edde Jones Southeast Environmental Task Force, Robert Kelliher Greencorps Chicago, Curtis McKinney Southeast Environmental Task Force, Tom Shepherd Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Lynn Boerman Spaceco, Inc., William Loftus Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Program, Lisa Cotner Tetra Tech, Adam Peterca Illinois Department of Transportation, Fabiola Quiroz The Field Museum, Mark Johnston Illinois Department of Transportation, Rick Wanner Trails for Illinois, Steve Buchtel Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Jan Carpenter University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Urban Planning & Policy, Kelsey Pudlock Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Ristau University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Urban Planning & Policy, Curtis Witek Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Tomkins University of Illinois Extension, Cook County Unit (Master Gardeners), Margaret Burns-Westmeyer Illinois Tollway Authority, Kelsey Musich University of Illinois Extension, Cook County Unit (Master Gardeners), Brigit Holt Illinois Tollway Authority, Reed Panther US Environmental Protection Agency, Judy Beck Illinois Tollway Authority, Bryan Wagner US Fish & Wildlife Service, Shawn Cirton Lyndon Valicenti US Fish & Wildlife Service, Louise Clemency Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Edith Makra US Representative Robin Kelly’s office, Rick Bryant Metropolitan Planning Council, Abby Crisostomo USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rand Briggs Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Ed Staudacher USDI National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, Diane Banta Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, John Watson V3 Companies, Tom Slowinski Weaver Consultants Group, John Talbot Chicago Wilderness Millennium Reserve Green Infrastructure 3 CMAP& Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision (GIV) was originally adopted by Chicago Wilderness in 2004. Working with The Conservation Fund and CMAP, Chicago Wilderness refined and updated the
Recommended publications
  • Climate Change Update to the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan
    Climate Change Update to the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan: What Does it Mean to the Calumet Region? Dr. Abigail Derby Lewis, Climate Change Ecologist The Field Museum A Changing Global Climate Higher temperatures Changing landscapes Wildlife at risk Rising seas Increased risk of drought, fire & floods Stronger storms & increased storm damage More heat-related illness & disease Economic losses Extreme Precipitation Copyright 2009, City of Chicago Higher Emissions: 31 days Projected number of 100- degree days per year in Chicago Lower Emissions: 8 days Copyright 2009, City of Chicago Impacts of Climate Change in Indiana Union of Concerned Scientists, 2009 **Climate protection policies, if implemented quickly, could reduce emissions significantly below the emissions scenario considered here Impacts of Climate Change in Illinois Union of Concerned Scientists, 2009 **Climate protection policies, if implemented quickly, could reduce emissions significantly below the emissions scenario considered here Climate Change Impacts: Vegetation Plant Hardiness Zones Projected to move northward Within next several decades: 5b – 6a* By end of century: 6b (L) – 7a (H) *Irrespective of future emissions scenarios (Hellmann et al. 2010) Climate Change Impacts: Animals Changes in Abundance & Distribution American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) National Wildlife Federation Climate Change Impacts: Animals Changes in Abundance & Distribution American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) National Wildlife Federation Responses of species will depend on their climatic tolerances and on responses of key species they rely on Climate Change Impacts: Animals Changes in Abundance & Distribution Photo by T. Meyer Specialists and threatened species likely to be most challenged (e.g., Karner Blue butterfly: Lycaeides melissa samuelis) Major Threats To Biodiversity • Habitat Destruction • Invasive Species • Pollution Clark and Pine Nature Preserve in Gary, Indiana.
    [Show full text]
  • 1998-Fall.Pdf
    Fall 98 Cover F&B_ Fall 98 Cover F&B 12/24/15 9:45 AM Page 3 Chicago EXPLORING NATURE & CULTURE WFALILL 19D98 ERNES S FIRE AS A FRIEND • T HINKING LIKE A SEED Fall cov 02 - 12_ Fall cov 02 - 12 12/24/15 10:10 AM Page cov2 is Chicago Wilderness? Chicago Wilderness is some of the finest and most signifi - cant nature in the temperate world, with roughly 200,000 acres of protected natural lands harboring native plant and animal communities that are more rare—and their survival more globally threatened—than the tropical rain forests. CHICAGO WILDERNESS is an unprecedented alliance of more than 60 public and private organizations working together to study and restore, protect and manage the precious natural resources of the Chicago region for the benefit of the public. Chicago WILDERNES S is a new quarterly magazine that seeks to articulate a vision of regional identity linked to nature and our natural heritage, to celebrate and promote the rich nat - ural areas of this region, and to inform readers about the work of the many organizations engaged in collaborative conservation. Fall cov 02 - 12_ Fall cov 02 - 12 12/24/15 10:10 AM Page 1 CHICAGO WILDERNESS A Regional Nature Reserve Keeping the Home Fires Burning or generations of us inculcated with the gospel according them, both by white men and by Indians—par accident; and Fto Smokey, setting fire to woods and prairies on purpose yet many more where it is voluntarily done for the purpose amounts to blasphemy. Yet those who love the land have of getting a fresh crop of grass, for the grazing of their horses, been wrestling with some new ideas about fire—new ideas and also for easier travelling during the next summer.” that are very old.
    [Show full text]
  • Chicago Wilderness Region Urban Forest Vulnerability Assessment
    United States Department of Agriculture CHICAGO WILDERNESS REGION URBAN FOREST VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND SYNTHESIS: A Report from the Urban Forestry Climate Change Response Framework Chicago Wilderness Pilot Project Forest Service Northern Research Station General Technical Report NRS-168 April 2017 ABSTRACT The urban forest of the Chicago Wilderness region, a 7-million-acre area covering portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, will face direct and indirect impacts from a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of urban trees and natural and developed landscapes within the Chicago Wilderness region to a range of future climates. We synthesized and summarized information on the contemporary landscape, provided information on past climate trends, and illustrated a range of projected future climates. We used this information to inform models of habitat suitability for trees native to the area. Projected shifts in plant hardiness and heat zones were used to understand how nonnative species and cultivars may tolerate future conditions. We also assessed the adaptability of planted and naturally occurring trees to stressors that may not be accounted for in habitat suitability models such as drought, flooding, wind damage, and air pollution. The summary of the contemporary landscape identifies major stressors currently threatening the urban forest of the Chicago Wilderness region. Major current threats to the region’s urban forest include invasive species, pests and disease, land-use change, development, and fragmentation. Observed trends in climate over the historical record from 1901 through 2011 show a temperature increase of 1 °F in the Chicago Wilderness region. Precipitation increased as well, especially during the summer.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Landscapes in the Chicago Wilderness Region: a Climate Change Update to the Biodiversity Recovery Plan
    Changing Landscapes in the Chicago Wilderness Region: A Climate Change Update to the Biodiversity Recovery Plan Version 1.0* April 2012 Prepared by the Chicago Wilderness Climate Change Task Force * This plan is the first iteration needed to create momentum for climate action for nature in the Chicago Wilderness region. Climate change science, policy responses, and funding are changing rapidly. This is considered a living plan that will remain flexible in the face of evolving circumstances. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sections Section 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………....3 Section 2: Climate Change and Terrestrial Communities………………………………......16 Section 3: Climate Change and Aquatic Communities………………………………….....32 Section 4: Climate Change and Green Infrastructure……………………………………...46 References.............................................................................................................................51 Figures and Tables Figure 1.1: Map of Chicago Wilderness…………………………………………………...59 Figure 1.2: Similarities and Differences between CCAP and CAPN……………………...60 Box 1: Past Climate Changes and Projected Future Trends in CW Climate System….......61 Table 1.2: Climate Change Impacts to Taxonomic Groups………………………………... Figure 2.1: Climate Change as a Threat Amplifier………………………………………63 Table 2.1: Broad Brush Matrix Table of Communities X Climate Change Impacts X. Existing Threats…………………………………………………………………..........….64 Table 2.2: Detailed Table of CW Terrestrial Community Type and Climate Change Impacts …………………………………………………………………………….
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons Learned from Chicago Wilderness—Implementing and Sustaining Conservation Management in an Urban Setting
    Diversity 2012, 4, 74-93; doi:10.3390/d4010074 OPEN ACCESS diversity ISSN 1424-2818 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity Review Lessons Learned from Chicago Wilderness—Implementing and Sustaining Conservation Management in an Urban Setting Liam Heneghan 1,*, Christopher Mulvaney 2, Kristen Ross 3, Lauren Umek 1, Cristy Watkins 4, Lynne M. Westphal 5 and David H. Wise 3, 6 1 Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University, 1110 W Belden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 2 Chicago Wilderness, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 3354 SES, 845 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; E-Mails: [email protected] (K.R.); [email protected] (D.H.W.) 4 The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 5 USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 1033 University Place, Suite 360, Evanston, IL 60201-3172, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 6 Institute for Environmental Science & Policy, School of Public Health West, Room 529, 2121 West Taylor Street (MC 673), Chicago IL 60612, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-773-325-2779; Fax: +1-773-325-7448. Received: 12 January 2012; in revised form: 30 January 2012 / Accepted: 6 February 2012 / Published: 15 February 2012 Abstract: We summarize the factors that shaped the biodiversity of Chicago and its hinterland and point out the conservation significance of these ecological systems, addressing why conservation of Chicago’s biodiversity has importance locally and beyond.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change in the Windy City and the World
    CHICAGO COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION TOOLKIT CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE WINDY CITY AND THE WORLD A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE SCIENCE IN THE CHICAGO REGION Find this and other climate action tools at Environment Culture and Conservation climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org A Division of Science INTRODUCTION Research conducted by The Field This booklet provides Chicago Museum from 2008 to 2011 shows that leaders and residents with a basic Chicago residents generally think understanding of climate climate change is real and is an change as it relates to our important issue that needs to be addressed. region, so they can take action informed by scientific, global, and local But… they often don’t understand how it knowledge. relates to their lives or what they can do about it. WEST RIDGE FOREST GLEN MILWAUKEE CORRIDOR This booklet is informed by studies conducted by Field Museum anthropologists in PILSEN seven communities BRONZEVILLE throughout Chicago (see map). The studies NORTH KENWOOD- were commissioned OAKLAND by the Chicago Department of RESEARCH Environment to engage diverse COMMUNITIES SOUTH CHICAGO communities in the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Visit ROSELAND http://fieldmuseum. org/climateaction to download reports. ECCo • climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org • 1 INTRODUCTION This booklet also presents best practices The examples in this booklet also in climate action from the Chicago show the power of building on region, from The Field Museum’s communities’ strengths—such research. They demonstrate the diverse as DIY skills, frugality, conserving water, and creative ways in which and growing food—to implement broad communities are responding to climate action strategies in climate change. locally meaningful ways that will encourage widespread participation.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report2012
    AnnuAl RepoRt2012 1 The Chicago Wilderness Region Embedded in one of North America’s largest metropolitan regions and stretching from southeastern Wisconsin, through northeastern Illinois, into northwestern Indiana and southwestern Michigan is a network of natural areas that includes more than 370,000 acres of protected lands and waters. These natural areas are our wilderness, and they are home to a wide diversity of life. Thousands of native plant and animal species live here among the more than 10 million people who also call the region home. The Chicago Wilderness Alliance Chicago Wilderness is a regional alliance that connects people and nature. We are more than 260 organizations that work together to restore local nature and improve the quality of life for all who live here, by protecting the lands and waters on which we all depend. Our four key initiatives—to restore the health of local nature, to protect green infrastructure, to mitigate climate change, and to leave no child inside—reflect our commitment to using science and emerging knowledge, a collaborative approach to conservation, and a caring for both people and nature, to benefit all the region’s residents. The members of Chicago Wilderness include conservation organizations, cultural and education institutions, volunteer groups, local, state and federal agencies, municipalities, corporations, and faith-based groups. 2 2012 Chicago WildeRness: the hub foR uRbAn ConseRvAtion A MESSAGE froM thE ChAir, ViCE ChAir, And ExECutiVE dirECtor We are approaching the 20th We are still innovating. Our multi-scale approach to greening infrastructure is unique to this region. anniversary of the Big Idea that Our holistic approach to climate mitigation became Chicago Wilderness.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature: Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies for Biodiversity Sustainability
    The Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature: Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies for Biodiversity Sustainability Kerry Leigh, ASLA CW Climate Change Task Force FluidClarity, Ltd. What is Biodiversity? 3 Levels of • Genetic diversity- the genetic variability among Biodiversity individuals within each species or population 1)Genes • Species diversity- the number & abundance of 2)Species 3)Ecosystems different species in a region or ecosystem • Ecological diversity- the variety of ecosystems • Functional diversity- variety of functions such as energy flow & matter cycling needed for survival of species & communities Why is Biodiversity Important? ¾ Genetic diversity: the most basic component for long-term species survival (*ability to adapt*) & the continued evolution of new species. “If natural selection is the paintbrush of evolution, then genetic diversity is its palette” -J.A. Bailey (2001) Why is Biodiversity Important? ¾ Species diversity: plant, animal, & insect species interact & depend upon one another for what each offers e.g., food, shelter, oxygen, soil enrichment ¾ Species’ abundance & distribution are dynamic, relative to a variety of factors, including climate ¾ As climate changes, the abundance & distribution of plants & animals also will change ¾ Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve the “web of life” that sustains all living things Why is Biodiversity Important? ¾ Ecosystem/functional diversity: provides the conditions & drives the processes that sustain the global economy
    [Show full text]
  • Chicago Wildernes an Atlas of Biodiversity
    AnAtlasof Biodiversity PROTECTED LAND IN THE CHICAGO WILDERNESS REGION Federal Lands state parks county preserves and city parks privately ownED nature areas nature preserves and scientific areas x o F D e s P la i n e s LAKE MICHIGAN e g a P u D Little Calumet N 0510 Miles K a nk akee AnAtlasof Biodiversity Chicago Wilderness,An Atlas of Biodiversity, is a publication of the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council. The members of the Council include: Brookfield Zoo Canal Corridor Association Chicago Academy of Sciences Chicago Botanic Garden Chicago Park District City of Chicago, Department of Environment The Field Museum Forest Preserve District of Cook County Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Forest Preserve District of Will County Friends of the Chicago River Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois Natural History Survey Illinois Nature Preserves Commission Kane County Forest Preserve District Lake County Forest Preserves Lake Michigan Federation Lincoln Park Zoo McHenry County Conservation District Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Morton Arboretum The Nature Conservancy Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission Openlands Project John G. Shedd Aquarium Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter Urban Resources Partnership US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District US Environmental Protection Agency, Region V US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office US Fish & Wildlife Service USDA Forest Service USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service USDI National Park Service Funds for this publication were provided
    [Show full text]
  • Green Infrastructure Vision
    Green Infrastructure Vision Green Infrastructure Vision Study and Report Drafted by: The City of Crystal Lake Planning and Economic Development Department And Cowhey, Gudmundson & Leder With assistance from : Environmental Defenders of McHenry County Fox River Study Group Illinois Nature Preserves Commission McHenry County Conservation District Openlands The Land Conservancy Adopted: March 2011 Introduction and Purpose The Green Infrastructure Vision was drafted to be a stand alone document providing back- ground and broad based guidance for the City’s Green Infrastructure chapter within the Com- prehensive Plan. The Green Infrastructure Vision is important as it identifies the green resources and possible site strategies located within the City. The 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Green Infrastructure chapter takes it another step further and identifies a goal and specific ac- tions and success indicators for each of the resource areas and site strategies. The Green Infra- structure Vision and Green Infrastructure chapter work together to provide a wealth of informa- tion on the City’s natural features and future actions that can maintain these features and adopt new site strategies. Green infrastructure can be defined in two primary ways and both are important to understand the complete green infrastructure vision. The term can be used to identify a greener, more envi- ronmentally sustainable version of typical gray infrastructure; for example, permeable pavement for parking lots or roadways or a natural bio-swale versus a drainage pipe. In this context, green infrastructure describes products, technologies, and practices that use natural systems that mimic natural processes—to enhance overall environmental quality and provide utility services.
    [Show full text]
  • Wooded Communities Varied Over Time and Space
    22 AN ATLAS OF BIODIVERSITY woodedwooded commcommunitiesunities illars PPof Mighty Cathedral Aisles rees in the Chicago Wilderness region once grew as lone sentinels on the Tprairie. They grew in open groves and sun-dappled woodlands where they sometimes attained the noble shapes that reminded visitor Ellen Fuller of cathedral pillars 150 years ago. These wooded communities varied over time and space. They blended into each other The crown of a bur oak on their borders. The categories we have created (Quercus macrocarpa) to describe them are only rough descriptions spreading out as wide as it of nature. is tall recalls the open savan- nas of pre-settlement times. Climate, soils, topography, and drainage set The Millennium Oak, located limits on the kinds of natural communities that at The Morton Arboretum can live in our region. Other forces shape the in Lisle, Illinois, pre-dates landscape within the limits created by these Illinois’ 1818 statehood. factors. In our landscape, in the thousands of years before large-scale settlement, fire was the most important shaping force. In those times it was the frequency and intensity of fire that determined whether a giv- en piece of ground would be an open grove or walnut (Juglans nigra). The understory in these a dense forest. We can arrange the pre-settle- woods was equally varied. Some had thickets ment wooded communities on a shade gradient, of shrubs like American hazel (Corylus ameri- and when we make such a division, we find that cana) and wild plum (Prunus americana). Other our shade gradient is also a fire gradient.
    [Show full text]
  • 2002-Spring.Pdf
    Chicago EXPLORING NATURE & CULTURE WILDERNESSSPRING 2002 chicagowildernessmag.org WILD KIDS WILD YARDS WELCOME BACK WHOOPERS What is ChicagoWilderness? Chicago Wilderness is some of the finest and most significant nature in the temperate world, with a core of roughly 200,000 acres of protected natural lands harboring native plant and animal communities that are more rare – and their survival more globally threatened – than the tropical rain forests. isCHICAGO an WILDERNESS unprecedented alliance of 143 public and private organizations working together to study and restore, protect and manage the precious natural ecosystems of the Chicago region for the benefit of the public. www.chicagowilderness.org Chicago WILDERNESS is a quarterly magazine that celebrates the rich natural heritage of this region and tells the inspiring stories of the people and organizations working to heal and protect local nature. www.chicagowildernessmag.org OPPOSITE: Prairie smoke from East Main Street Prairie in Cary, Illinois by Pat Wadecki. Prairie in Cary,Illinois Prairie smoke from EastMain Street CHICAGO WILDERNESS A Regional Nature Reserve Everyday Heroes hese days the people universally venerated as Martha hadn’t planned to start a campaign, but she was heroes are the firefighters and policemen who, by alarmed at what she saw and cared enough to do something Tdint of character and training, throw themselves about it. into mortal danger to care for others. Their altruism, Young Jean-Luc Mosley and Cora Thiele (shown here) are duty, and courage are inarguably heroic. heroes in my eyes, along with their compatriots featured on But I find I don’t have to look as far as that for heroes.
    [Show full text]