Des Plaines River Communities GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MAPPING PROJECT Funded by Boeing Lead collaborators: • Illinois Department of Natural Resources • The Field Museum • The Wetlands Initiative • Geosyntec Consultants • Conservation Design Forum • Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership

Chicago Wilderness is a regional alliance leading strategy to preserve, improve, and expand nature and quality of life. By connecting leaders in conservation, health, business, science, and beyond, we tackle challenging issues to ensure a resilient region.

Building on a 20-year legacy of Landowners: engaging landowners collaboration, our broad alliance of in conservation actions member organizations advance work Beyond the Choir: building and in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and sustaining a broad, representative, Michigan. and active constituency Data: applying technology and Chicago Wilderness leverages data to accelerate collaboration members’ collective strengths to drive one regional strategy through the following focused eff orts: Using this cross-disciplinary and measurable approach, Chicago Oak Ecosystems: ensuring a future Wilderness addresses critical for oaks and their ecosystems challenges and inspires meaningful Priority Species: conserving a change. We harness adaptive and targeted group of species to benefi t innovative thinking, apply solid our region’s lands and waters science, and connect diverse Water as a Resource: constituencies. addressing regional water issues through conservation action Learn more at: www.chicagowilderness.org

The Des Plaines River Communities Project was funded by:

[ Table of Contents ]

BACKGROUND - Overview 0 3

What is Green Infrastructure? 04

Green Infrastructure Benefits 06

Green Infrastructure & Climate 08

MAPPING PROCESS

Mapping the Core Green 12 Infrastructure Network

Mapping Opportunity Areas for Localized 15 Green Infrastructure

RESULTS

Map Products 23

Recommendations 27

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

Resources 44

References 46

Acknowledgements 46

APPENDICES

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background

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[ Overview ] • City of Park Ridge • City of Prospect Heights • Village of Wheeling This project used the Chicago Wilderness

Sustainable Watershed Action Team South Project Area (SWAT) process, to develop cross- • Village of Riverside jurisdictional green infrastructure maps • Village of Brookfield and recommendations for two sub-regions • Village of Lions of the Des Plaines River basin. The goal • Village of North Riverside was to help increase awareness of local • Village of LaGrange Park natural assets and build the foundation for long-term natural resource protection and stewardship through sustainable land-use strategies.

The project evaluated green infrastructure at two levels. The first level included the mapping of the existing network of core green infrastructure comprised of public and private open space and natural resources that conserves ecosystem functions, sustains clean air and water, and provides trails and greenways that benefit people and wildlife. The second level involved the delineation of Chicago Wilderness Sustainable opportunity areas for the implementation of Watershed Action Team sustainable localized green infrastructure strategies such as bioretention basins and The Sustainable Watershed Action Team planters, permeable paving, and naturalized (SWAT) was created in 2004 in response to an parks that utilize natural processes to reduce extensive municipal needs assessment watershed impacts to the Des Plaines River, conducted by a Chicago Wilderness (CW) its tributaries, and other aquatic resources as taskforce in conjunction with the Northeastern well as to reduce the nuisance and damage Illinois Planning Commission (now the caused by flooding. Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning).

While land-use decisions are made at the STUDY AREA local level, many municipalities and local units

The study area for this project includes two of government acknowledge their lack of technical capacity to strengthen their sub-regions within the Des Plaines River planning infrastructure (plans and ordinances) corridor, comprising a total of 13 communities. For reference to map, see and to promote sustainable development and protection of natural resources. Appendix A.

SWAT was developed to deliver customized, North Project Area cost effective direct technical assistance in • City of Des Plaines developing local plans, adopting protective • Village of Glenview ordinances, and assisting with other • Village of Mount Prospect sustainability projects. Village of Niles • • Village of Northbrook

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For information on previous SWAT the goal of supporting biodiversity. projects: Chicago Wilderness defines green infrastructure as: https://chicagowilderness.site- ym.com/?SWATProjects. “The interconnected network of land and water that supports biodiversity and provides habitat for diverse communities of native flora and fauna at the regional scale. It includes [ What is green infrastructure? ] large complexes of remnant woodlands, savannas, prairies, wetlands, lakes, stream Both nationally and regionally, the term corridors and related natural communities. “green infrastructure” has a range of Green infrastructure may also include areas meanings. That range is simplified here adjacent to and connecting these remnant into three categories. Across these natural communities that provide both buffers categories, green infrastructure can also and opportunities for ecosystem restoration.” be conceptualized at four different scales. This definition reflects both existing green LANDSCAPE-BASED GREEN infrastructure – forest preserve and park INFRASTRUCTURE district holdings, state parks, and designated natural areas – as well as opportunities for This is perhaps the meaning most expansion, restoration, and connection. commonly applied to green infrastructure. It is based in the idea that certain lands NATURE-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO GRAY have an inherent value that can be made INFRASTRUCTURE even greater when a part of a network. The Conservation Fund defines it this way: This definition of green infrastructure focuses on nature-based alternatives to Strategically planned and managed networks conventional “gray infrastructure” of natural lands, working landscapes and technology and engineering. other open spaces that conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated In this context, green infrastructure can be benefits to human populations. Under this used to describe products, technologies, and definition, the foundation of green practices that use natural systems – or infrastructure networks are the natural engineered systems that mimic natural elements – river corridors, woodlands, processes – to enhance overall environmental wetlands, grasslands – that work together as quality and provide utility services. The U.S. a whole to sustain ecological values and Environmental Protection Agency identifies functions. But green infrastructure also can green infrastructure techniques, such as include working lands, trails and other green roofs, porous pavement, rain gardens, recreational features, and cultural and historic and vegetated swales, which use soils and sites. vegetation to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, and/or recycle stormwater run-off. In addition BIODIVERSITY-BASED GREEN to effectively retaining and infiltrating rainfall, INFRASTRUCTURE these technologies also can filter air pollutants, reduce energy demands, mitigate In its Green Infrastructure Vision, Chicago urban heat islands, and sequester carbon. Wilderness adopts a related meaning for This plan integrates each of these meanings green infrastructure—one that focuses on into a single comprehensive view of green

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infrastructure. It encourages not only At the Community Scale sustainable land use and open space protection but also innovative, green At the community level, efforts can be made technology to restore and protect water and to incorporate GI maps and other natural resources. recommendations into municipal, county, and park district land use plans and maps. GI This plan emphasizes mapping, protection, principles can be used to shape land use and and restoration of green infrastructure in the zoning maps and provide a framework for very diverse Des Plaines River region. It more sustainable zoning, subdivision, recognizes that implementation of green stormwater, and landscaping codes as well infrastructure plans and policies should be as conservation design ordinances. This can undertaken at multiple spatial scales, from apply to new development as well as small sites to large regions. The figure below redevelopment and capital improvement highlights the range of scales. It also plans. GI principles also can influence land recognizes that effective green infrastructure acquisition and trail priorities of local park and implementation requires coordination and open space agencies. involvement by local governments, other government agencies, private organizations, At the Neighborhood Scale developers, and private landowners in order to maximize the benefits. Neighborhoods, both existing and new, can be transformed to incorporate conservation design principles. This means the subdivision review process includes open space protection, natural landscaping, and stormwater best management practices that preserve biodiversity and natural resource functions in the design of the neighborhood. SCALES OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Not only does this preserve and enhance the natural environment, it also brings nature The following are some examples of green closer to families and children. infrastructure planning and implementation at various geographic scales. A number of local governments in northeastern Illinois, including McHenry At the Regional Scale County, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, and Algonquin, have developed comprehensive The Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure conservation design ordinances for new Vision provides a regional framework for development on sensitive sites. The new green infrastructure mapping and planning Watershed Management Ordinance adopted (www.chicagowilderness.org). The current by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation project that is the focus of this report mapped District (MWRD) provides for protecting an integrated network of green infrastructure natural hydrology and water quality from the elements, such as stream corridors, wetlands, adverse impacts of development throughout and open space. The extensive land Cook County. Similar ordinances have been acquisitions of the Forest Preserve Districts of in place for a number of years in DuPage, Cook County are another example of regional Kane, Lake, and McHenry Counties. GI implementation that spans numerous municipalities and townships across the At the Site Scale county. Small sites, including residential yards,

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businesses, school grounds, and parks can • “Ecotourism” opportunities incorporate practices that treat stormwater as a resource and provide habitat for native SOCIAL species. This is accomplished through practices like bioswales, rain gardens, • Greenway, trail, and open space permeable paving, and natural landscaping. connections As an example, Blue Island has recently • Enhanced recreational opportunities become a local leader in the installation of • Community health and mobility green infrastructure demonstration projects such as rain gardens and rain barrels. COMMUNITY

• Contributing to communities’ identity and sense of place. [ Green Infrastructure Benefits] • Enhancing property values. • Expediting the development planning Green infrastructure is a vital and important process by identifying resource areas resource to every community. Green and corridors before development is infrastructure helps protect existing proposed. ecological and water resource systems and • Creating a vision of the future to guide their associated social and economic a community’s long-term planning functions. Preserving green infrastructure and goals and objectives. managing it properly can provide numerous • Providing a better means of evaluating related benefits. Some of the key green economic and environmental factors infrastructure purposes and benefits identified when making land use decisions. in the Des Plaines River planning area • Ensuring that development and open include: space activity are encouraged and established in appropriate and ENVIRONMENTAL compatible locations.

• Biodiversity and habitat protection Water Benefits • Improved water quality • Enhanced groundwater recharge Green infrastructure provides a more • Reduced flood damage sustainable, and often less expensive, • Reduced erosion alternative to managing water quantity and • Carbon sequestration quality. In contrast to grey infrastructure, • Resiliency to changing climate green infrastructure utilizes soils and vegetation to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, ECONOMIC and/or recycle precipitation and stormwater runoff. The U.S. Environmental Protection • Resiliency to changing climate Agency and others have thoroughly • Reduced life-cycle costs of documented many of these benefits, which infrastructure are summarized below. • Reduced flooding • Reduced erosion http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfra • Potential for expedited permitting structure/gi_why.cfm • Green industry jobs • Green marketing potential Flooding - Conventional stormwater • Green architecture infrastructure quickly sheds rain water and drains stormwater to rivers and streams,

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increasing peak flows and flood risk. Green cities with combined sewer systems, high infrastructure can mitigate flood risk by stormwater flows can also send untreated slowing and reducing stormwater discharges. sewage into our waters and basements. By Through practices like permeable paving and retaining rainfall from small to moderate-sized rain gardens, this is accomplished by holding storms, green infrastructure reduces runoff water in the soil, storing it temporarily in sand rates and volumes translating into lower or gravel, and using vegetation to return water pollutant loads. Green infrastructure also vapor to the atmosphere. treats stormwater that is not retained, greatly reducing contamination to area waterways A notable example of how green and wetlands. infrastructure reduces stormwater discharges is a demonstration project in Burnsville, Water Supply - Rainwater harvesting and Minnesota. An entire neighborhood was infiltration-based practices increase the retrofitted with rain gardens and compared to efficiency of our water supply system. Water a neighborhood where no retrofits occurred. collected in rainwater harvesting systems, like After two years, researchers showed that cisterns, can be used for outdoor irrigation runoff volumes were reduced by and some indoor uses, potentially, approximately 90 percent due to the significantly reducing municipal water use. infiltration, storage, and evaporation of water Water infiltrated into the soil can recharge provided by the rain gardens. groundwater, an important source of water for both public consumption and for maintaining Most of Chicago and some nearby suburbs natural baseflows to streams and wetlands. are served by combined sewers. While MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) In addition, using green infrastructure will eventually eliminate most combined practices like native landscaping can greatly sewer overflows, some basement flooding reduce the demand for irrigation of turf grass and other local flooding concerns will remain and conventional landscapes. Irrigation needs due to inadequate capacity of local sewers. can account for as much as 20 to 30 percent Green infrastructure can be used as a of the annual water usage in many complement to grey infrastructure in these communities areas to reduce the load on local sewers to address basement flooding while further Biodiversity & Habitat Benefits reducing combined sewer overflows and basement flooding. As it reduces the quantity The planning process for Des Plaines River of runoff entering combined sewers, green communities that is the subject of this report infrastructure also can reduce the amount of has led to the development of a green flow that requires pumping and treatment at infrastructure network map. Protection of MWRD’s treatment plans. green infrastructure networks, via public and/or private means, is critical to the survival Equally important to the flood prevention and health of biodiversity in the planning area benefits of engineered green infrastructure and the broader Chicago Wilderness Region. are the natural benefits of protected Chicago Wilderness has identified several key floodplains, wetlands, and stream corridors in benefits of protected networks. slowing, storing, and absorbing floodwaters. Protection of sensitive species - Within the Water Quality - Stormwater from developed planning area are several designated Illinois areas flushes many pollutants to our streams, Natural Areas and other high quality natural lakes, and beaches - including pathogens, remnants provides safe haven for rare or nutrients, sediment, and heavy metals. In threatened species of plants and animals that

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are rarely found outside of the green [ Green Infrastructure & Climate ] infrastructure network. Some Nature Preserve in Northbrook and Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester are examples of such high Recognizing the potential for changes in quality habitats. climate to disrupt their social and economic fabric, cities around the world are developing strategies for reducing greenhouse gas Support wildlife life-cycle needs - Many emissions, modifying programs to adapt to a important species of insects and animals warmer future, and engaging civil society in require diverse natural areas that contain “community mosaics” of wetlands, this effort. Green infrastructure, for example, has the opportunity to reduce our carbon woodlands, prairies, and stream corridors. footprint by reducing the energy consumption These large areas contain a diversity of habitat types that may be needed for mating, associated with providing potable water for non-potable needs (such as irrigation) and reproduction, and foraging. Examples of storing and treating stormwater (particularly in species that require such diverse habitats are sandhill cranes and the endangered combined sewer areas.) In addition trails within green infrastructure corridors provide Blanding’s turtles. mobility options, reducing reliance on the

automobile. Protecting large tracts of land from land use conversion - Chicago Wilderness, in its Because urban areas are responsible for Biodiversity Recovery Plan, has identified nearly three-quarters of global energy-related quantitative targets (i.e., acreages) for carbon emissions (Rosenzweig et al. 2010), protecting very large tracts of contiguous the early emphasis of individual cities and woodlands, savannas, prairies, and wetlands. these collaborations understandably was on

reducing greenhouse emissions (Wheeler Large preserves like the Forest Preserve 2008). holdings along the Des Plaines River provide large woodland/savanna habitat for sensitive Only recently, as the inevitability of a rapidly woodland birds, amphibians, and mammals. changing climate has become apparent, have

cities begun to focus on approaches to Migration Corridors - Functional green reduce risks in the face of climate change as infrastructure connections allow for the being of equal importance (Bulkeley and effective movement and migration of animal Betsill 2013). and plant species between sites. In the planning area this includes the riparian However, urban adaptation efforts focus on corridors along the Des Plaines River, as well protecting values like public health, as the North Branch Chicago River and Salt livelihoods, and infrastructure, with little Creek. Contiguous neighborhood tree attention paid to protection of urban nature, canopies can also provide these benefits. and the benefits nature provides to urban These corridors effectively link Forest residents. Preserves, parks, private preserves, and neighborhoods via greenways and landscape At the same time, cities and associated buffers. The value of these corridors is metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly enhanced when they include native plant for important to global biodiversity conservation. species such as monarch butterflies. Most cities have been founded in places that are biodiverse and functionally valuable to society, such as in floodplains, along coasts, on islands, or near wetlands. Today, urbanization continues to expand into these

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valuable habitats and into the hinterland ecosystem that can provide benefits to where society most often placed its biological wildlife and to people now and in the future. reserves (McDonald et al. 2008). Species Making urban natural areas and green spaces previously outside city limits may need to as healthy as possible is in itself a climate migrate through urban areas as they adjust to mitigation strategy because a healthy system a changing climate (Hellmann et al. 2010). will be able to deliver critical functions, Some metropolitan areas now contain including the capture and storage of carbon important populations of rare species (e.g., in soil and plant roots. Improving health and Blanding’s turtle and the Prairie White Fringed connectivity of urban green spaces also orchid occur in the greater Chicago region), serves as an adaptation strategy, providing made more vulnerable to extirpation by their critical habitat for wildlife needing to migrate typically small population sizes and and disperse through a difficult urban matrix, fragmented distribution patterns (McDonald and sustaining ecosystem services such as 2013). stormwater capture and reducing the urban heat island effect. Terrestrial natural areas in urban settings provide critical habitat for resident and In the absence of actions that adapt migratory native species, but tend to be small protection, planning and management and isolated remnants of formerly widespread practices, climate change has the potential to habitats that are increasingly vulnerable to jeopardize many biodiversity conservation loss and degradation from a host of urban- investments made in the Chicago Wilderness centric stressors (Kowarik 2011, Cook et al. region during the past 30 years. 2013). For the past five years the Chicago Green infrastructure offers the opportunity to Wilderness Climate Action Committee has restore and/or enhance the ecological focused on creating place-based resources to functions of these urban natural areas and help inform on-the-ground planning and other undeveloped or formerly developed management decisions. This process involved spaces to provide increasingly important, but translating downscaled climate change highly threatened, benefits to biodiversity and projections developed for the Chicago human communities of metropolitan regions Climate Action Plan (Hayhoe and Wuebbles (Goddard et al. 2011, Hostetler et al. 2011, 2008) into an understanding of how a warmer, Kattwinkel et al. 2011). drier and more extreme environment could affect regional biodiversity and, importantly, Likewise, freshwater biodiversity is threatened what actions could be taken to reduce the by both water withdrawal for urban impacts. consumption (McDonald et al. 2011) and the addition of pollutants from urban stormwater, A goal of this green infrastructure planning industrial, and residential sources (Alberti project for Des Plaines River communities is 2005, Blanco et al. 2011). to include climate in a meaningful way. Toward that end, the co-chair of the Chicago These biodiversity impacts are all projected to Wilderness Climate Action Committee accelerate as global urbanization trends provided the following information to the continue to increase (McDonald natural resource expert stakeholder group 2013). Creating green infrastructure plans and and the broader community stakeholder projects using a climate lens will help to group for their consideration in the planning ensure the resulting resources and process: general “climate science 101”; recommendations are developed from a overview of downscaled climate models for perspective of achieving a biodiverse urban the region; overview of anticipated impacts to

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biodiversity and people; co-benefits of green infrastructure projects (i.e., urban forest adaptation strategies) to climate mitigation and adaptation; asset-based climate change messaging for communities.

In addition, multiple place-based resources were provided to the stakeholder groups, including the Climate Considerations Guidebook for Natural Areas and Green Spaces in the City of Chicago (https://adapt.nd.edu/resources/1019), the Chicago Community Climate Action Toolkit (http://climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org/), the Climate Change Update to the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan (http://climate.chicagowilderness.org/) and the Climate Adaptation Guidebook for Municipalities in the Chicago Region (http://tinyurl.com/l2q57tw).

The information and materials are intended to contextualize climate change impacts for the Chicago Region and provide climate considerations for natural resource experts and decision makers to use and integrate into their green infrastructure planning and management processes.

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Mapping Process

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[ Mapping the Core Green the Millennium Reserve area in south Cook County. It also builds on the approach used in Infrastructure Network ] the regional Green Infrastructure Vision (GIV 2.0) but tailors it to more current and detailed Mapping green infrastructure for the Des data from this planning area. Plaines River planning areas was done at two levels. The first was the mapping of a network of existing core green infrastructure. In this EXISTING NATURAL RESOURCES AND context, green infrastructure includes both OPEN SPACE INVENTORY MAPPING existing open space and natural areas such as wetlands, stream corridors, and The project team assembled a GIS database woodlands. containing a number of natural resource and open space data sets. Initially, The Field In brief, the core green infrastructure network Museum staff compiled relevant data based map was developed through a three-step on the data sets used in the Chicago process: Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision (GIV) 2.0 project, as well as other SWAT GI 1) Developing an inventory of natural resource mapping projects. After the initial inventories and open space data using the expertise of were assembled, advice and assistance was the Field Museum and regional geographic sought from an advisory committee of experts information system (GIS) databases from regional and local natural resource and conservation organizations. These 2) Working with natural resource organizations included the Illinois Nature organizations to develop a draft green Preserves Commission, Illinois Department of infrastructure network map Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water 3) Working with communities to review and Conservation District, Forest Preserve District refine the map of Cook County, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, and local watershed and Some of the key purposes of a green conservation groups infrastructure network map include preserving and connecting habitats for flora and fauna, Data sources were then supplemented or providing natural storage and filtering of replaced by more current local data sets stormwater and flood waters, and connecting where appropriate, such as the addition of people and neighborhoods via trails and more refined mapping of streams and greenways. In a green infrastructure network, wetlands. every connection strengthens the network further. By identifying and mapping a The most important data layers with respect network, areas that have regional significance to habitat, biodiversity, and water resources are revealed and their values are better protection, regardless of whether they are understood by local community officials and currently protected or regulated, were agencies. This knowledge provides an identified through the advisory committee opportunity for communities to think process. These data layers became the regionally and act locally. foundation for what is referred to in this plan as core green infrastructure. Core green The process used in this project builds on infrastructure is the backbone of the green previous green infrastructure mapping infrastructure network, identifying and approaches used in other SWAT projects, connecting large clusters of ecologically such as McHenry County, Kane County, and important areas.

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Lake County The advisors endorsed several key Chicago • Open Space (CMAP, Field Museum, Wilderness green infrastructure planning National Conservation Easement principles, including the principle that the size Database) and connectivity of resource areas are of • Flood Control Projects as Open Space great importance. (MWRD) • Private Open Space – CMAP, Cook Elements of this approach include: County, Cemeteries • Protecting large core reserves (or • ComEd Right of Ways and ComEd nodes) Managed Prairies • Linking core areas with corridors (or • Regional Trails and Greenways (Forest landscape linkages) Preserves of Cook County, CMAP) • Protecting complexes of adjacent resource areas (e.g., wetland, Note: T&E locations were used for planning woodlands, and prairies) purposes but not explicitly shown on the final • Buffering critical areas from conflicting GI maps. activities or land uses A buffer of 200 feet, as noted above, was placed on the periphery of the most critical CORE NATURAL RESOURCE DATA natural resource and forest preserve layers. LAYERS This buffering approach was based, in concept, on the approach used in mapping In consideration of previous factors, the the Chicago Wilderness GIV. Buffers signify following core natural resource data layers that it is important to not only protect critical were included in the base mapping: resources, such as important habitat areas, but to also be sensitive to activities and lands • Water Bodies (Forest Preserves of uses in adjacent areas. Buffers also provide Cook County and USGS National mapping connections for natural resource Hydrography Dataset Water Bodies) areas that appear as separate polygons on a • Wetlands (2011 hyper-spectral refined map but actually function as an NWI from Forest Preserves of Cook interconnected complex from a habitat County) perspective. • Rivers – Forest Preserves of Cook County as polygons and USGS The use of a 200-foot buffer is intended for National Hydrography Dataset as line planning purposes, and is not necessarily features intended as a regulatory recommendation. • Canals – included in the National For comparison, various county stormwater Hydrography Dataset features layer management ordinances stipulate stream and • 100-yr Floodplain (FEMA/IDNR) wetland buffer requirements ranging from 25 • Remnant Oak Woodlands (Chicago to 100 feet, depending on resource quality Wilderness) and size. In comparison, recommended • Illinois Nature Preserves Commission - habitat buffers reported in some publications Feb. 2014 on green infrastructure can exceed 300 feet • Illinois Natural Areas Inventory - Feb. for sensitive wetland habitats or sites 2014 containing certain endangered or threatened • Threatened & Endangered (T&E) species. Species locations (IDNR - Feb. 2014) • Forest Preserves - Cook County and In addition to the core natural resource layers, the project planning area has a wealth of

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additional natural resource mapping. These connection was made. additional resource data were characterized as supporting green infrastructure. It was The maps were marked up and notes were established that the supporting data would be taken to describe the referenced changes, used on a case-by-case basis to inform additions, deletions, and connections. decisions about core green infrastructure mapping. The following are examples of After the mapping workshop, the mark-ups supporting natural resource data layers and were digitized and a refined core green information were available for the mapping infrastructure maps was prepared. The process: revised map was then shared with local • Hydric soils governments in two workshops – one for the • GIV 2.0 Layers southern cluster of communities and one for • Combined sewer service areas the northern cluster. Invited participants included municipalities, park districts, MWRD, CORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE and Cook County departments. MAPPING WORKSHOP To make the maps easier to interpret and Using the mapping data and assumptions understand, the various core green described above, the project team and infrastructure base layers were aggregated representatives of natural resource and into several categories. These were: conservation organizations participated in a half-day green infrastructure mapping • Public parks and preserves workshop. The foci of the workshop were • Private open space very large printed maps – 10 feet by 10 feet in • Other environmental resource areas size for the north cluster of communities and • Regional trails 6 by 6 feet for the southern cluster. The maps were color coded with all of the referenced Underlying resources, including floodplains, core natural resource data layers, including wetlands, and woodlands, were depicted buffers, all overlain on a screened aerial photo using cross-hatching and shadings. base. Supporting this map was the capability The local government participants were asked to digitally project additional supporting to review the maps and focus primarily on natural resources data on a screen. two types of possible revisions:

This map was used to guide resource experts • Open space or parks in the mapping of an interconnected green • Regional trails or connections to infrastructure network. At the workshop, the regional trails experts were engaged in three specific tasks. One category that was recommended for 1) Add any missing resources, such as newly addition, included parts of several school protected open spaces. campuses that were either in or adjacent to certain resource areas, such as floodplains or 2) Remove any mapped resources that don’t wetlands. There also were a number of meet the definition of GI. An example is public bikeways suggested for addition. The land parcels that are primarily impervious recommended changes and mark-ups from and/or developed. the local government workshops then were digitized and a refined core green 3) Make connections to adjacent isolated GI infrastructure map was prepared. resources to establish connectivity. Generally if adjacent resources were within 200 feet, a

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[ Mapping Opportunity Areas for communities in order to develop an ecosystem that is compositionally,

Localized Green Infrastructure ] structurally, and functionally similar to what originally existed. Investments in restoring The Opportunity Area mapping followed a “natural” infrastructure in urban areas are not similar three-step process as the Core Green only ecologically and socially desirable but Infrastructure mapping. often economically feasible based on the increase in ecosystem services and benefits. 1) Develop an inventory of relevant grey There are exceptional opportunities to infrastructure and capital improvement enhance and restore the functions and planning information using data provided by services of key ecosystems (e.g., floodplains, the participant communities and agencies. wetlands, prairies, oak savannas) within the Des Plaines River watershed. These 2) Work with experts from infrastructure and opportunity areas include the river corridor natural resource agencies to identify and its floodplain, tributary streams and opportunity areas. Participant agencies creeks, open or vacant spaces contiguous to included the Illinois DNR, Illinois Nature other habitat areas, existing habitat areas with Preserves Commission, Forest Preserves of infested with invasive species, and Cook County, and the Metropolitan Water threatened and endangered species habitats. Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Everything Upstream Affects Everything 3) Work with participant communities to Downstream. The successful restoration of expand and refine the opportunity areas any aquatic and/or terrestrial ecosystems identified by the natural resource depends entirely on making improvements organizations. Since the participant elsewhere in the watershed. Floodplain communities will be largely responsible for ecosystems and features (e.g., groundwater, implementation of the opportunities in their surface water, etc.) do not function as communities, this was the key step to the independent and isolated components of the process. watershed, instead they are part of a single integrated natural system. Hydrologically, it is There were two primary purposes for the necessary to capture and manage runoff opportunity area mapping. The first was to where it is produced in order to reduce runoff identify open spaces that could be restored to and peak discharges. Stormwater runoff is expand the core green infrastructure network. the number one cause of stream impairment These are generally categorized as Ecological in urban areas. Urban stormwater runoff picks Opportunity Areas. The second was to up and carries with it many different identify opportunities to retrofit and integrate pollutants such as sediment, nitrogen, technology based green infrastructure phosphorus, bacteria, salt, oil and grease, practices into urban areas of the watershed to trash, pesticides, and metals. The increased reduce runoff rates, volumes, and water velocity and volume of water from upper quality impacts to the core green watershed areas increases flooding, erosion, infrastructure elements. This second group is sedimentation, and nutrient enrichment and generally categorized as Technology-Based causes changes in stream morphology Opportunity Areas. downstream. Ecologically, changes in stream morphology (shape or physical structure) lead ECOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITY AREAS to degraded stream and floodplain habitats and biological communities. The presence or Restoration is the purposeful recovery and abundance of birds and other mobile animals management of plant and animal in the restored ecosystem depends largely on

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the health of other ecosystems in the regime, particularly the extent of hydrologic watershed that are within their ranges or connectively, duration of flooding, and territories. baseflow conditions. The physical conditions may be more favorable for weedy, non-native Floodplain Restoration. Riparian and species. Non-native invasive species that floodplain areas can be among the most initially colonize the exposed areas can have diverse ecosystems due to the interface a long-term impact on plant community between aquatic and upland terrestrial composition as they tend to grow rapidly, ecosystems. Floodplain restoration involves produce high levels of seed, and disperse restoring a stream’s access, fully or partially, these seeds effectively. to its floodplain to recover health (functional processes), integrity (species composition Once established, the invasive species may and community structure), and sustainability inhibit the establishment of native species, (resistance to disturbance and resilience). thereby reducing plant and animal biodiversity and influencing community succession. Dam Floodplain functions have been degraded or removals may contribute to or reinforce a lost in many urban watersheds, and it is often regional invasive species problem as they a direct trade-off between restoring these provide passage of seeds and propagules to floodplain benefits and the need for public downstream riparian areas. living spaces and services. In areas where the risk of non-native plant Dam removals on the Des Plaines River establishment is high, a more active and provide unique ecological opportunities to managed approach to vegetation restore valuable habitat within the floodplain establishment after dam removal is needed, (or riparian) zone and in the section of free particularly if species richness and flowing river that was formally impounded. biodiversity are restoration goals. Active Dam removals can result in changes to restoration should aim at stabilizing the physical or structural components and to flow exposed sediment with native vegetation and dynamics (i.e., variability, duration, frequency, preventing the establishment of non-native timing, etc.), which both influence riparian invasive species. Plantings of early vegetation structure. Integrating the successional native species and weedy native restoration of key physical processes (e.g., annuals can be an effective method of natural flow variability and channel starting natural succession processes and morphology) and active revegetation minimizing the establishment of undesirable enhances long-term sustainability. species. Seeding should be done over several years to accommodate climate and hydrology Floodplain Re-vegetation. Dam removal and variability, and the seed mixes should include drawdown will expose bare sediment that can species with a diversity of generalist species be colonized rapidly by riparian vegetation. that can adapt to the micro environmental These “mudflat” areas include the conditions that exist over a floodplain downstream deposits that are released and restoration site. transported from the impoundment and upstream sources and the newly exposed Floodplain Reconnection. Channel erosion surfaces within the former impoundment area. occurs as a result of fast moving and Rapid vegetation establishment on the turbulent water coming into contact with nutrient rich bare soils is dependent on the vulnerable and unstable soil surfaces. In presence of a viable seed bank or seed urban areas, increases in erosion and transport from upstream sources, the timing decreases in stream channel stability is of seed dispersal, and the new hydrologic typically associated with the high volume and

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rate of storm runoff. Down cutting or channel recommended as it provides for alternative incision results in floodplain loss and/or lower actions in response to actual conditions as connectivity. The loss of connectivity leads to they develop in the field, and addresses a loss of floodplain functions. There are underperformance relative to project opportunity areas where floodplain objectives in order to improve the probability reconnection (or expansion) can restore the of restoration success. interactions between the stream and its floodplain by increasing the frequency of For determining restoration direction and inundation. goals, it is helpful to consider the following benefits of floodplains: Reconnection can occur by lowering bank height, terracing, benching, contouring or Flood Control - Floodplains provide a excavating to create lower floodplains, and vegetated area where floodwaters can be raising the streambed through in-stream slowed, stored, and then gradually released structures (e.g., creation of riffle-pool back to the river or stream. The reduced sequences, varying sized rock, and large velocity and volume of water means reduced woody debris). Reconnection should be flood peaks and improved base flow applied where the stream is entrenched and conditions due to the slow release of water disconnected from its floodplain and there is stored in floodplain soils. The reduced enough area to restore sufficient floodplain velocity and volume of water can be linked width and habitat. directly to reduced risk and property damage.

Site Evaluation and Planning Erosion Control - Channel erosion occurs as a result of fast moving and turbulent water Prior to any restoration, a site evaluation coming into contact with vulnerable and process is needed to assess the suitability of unstable soil surfaces. In urban areas, the a selected site and the feasibility of uncontrolled volume and rate of storm runoff restoration. Criteria for evaluation should directly increases erosion, decreases stream include the appropriateness of landscape and channel stability, undermines infrastructure, land use setting, land use development and destroys habitat. Deep-rooted riparian regulations, hydrologic analyses for vegetation can effectively dissipate flow reconnection, desired benefits, accessibility energy, slow velocities, and promote soil to the site, soil properties for water retention infiltration. Floodplain Reconnection as and vegetation, potential seedbank, control of described above can also help to reduce invasive species, continuous habitat potential, erosion by allowing the flow to spread across and opportunities for financial (Illinois the floodplain, reducing velocities. Environmental Protection Agency Section 319, Waters of the U.S. mitigation, etc.) and Water Quality Improvement - Surface flow is community support. slowed by the vegetation, causing larger sediments and the pollutants attached or Any restoration project should have a long- adsorbed to sediment particles to settle out. term management plan to confirm the Smaller sediments, nutrients (nitrogen and ecosystem’s structure and function is being phosphorus), and pesticides will be removed maintained or restored. A management plan through vegetation uptake, geochemical needs to include monitoring and evaluation processes (sequestration, chemical methods to determine the conditions and/or precipitation, sorption), and microbial restoration progress of the project area. processes in the sediment. Without a Adaptive management, a flexible naturally vegetated floodplain area, urban management approach, is highly pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers

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would flow directly into the receiving rivers density and abundance to a level that does and lead to their impairment. not compromise the ecological integrity and allows the native species to succeed. Control Habitat - Floodplains can provide continuous involves suppressing, reducing, or managing habitat corridors that are critical for wildlife invasive species populations and preventing movement and access in urban area where the spread of invasive species from area the corridors have become fragmented, which where they are present. limits the range of key species and encourages the presence of opportunistic Control strategies include a variety of manual, invasive species. Restoring floodplains in mechanical, chemical, and biological urban areas can decrease fragmentation and methods. help sustain important aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal populations on both a local Manual methods are effective but resource and regional scale. intensive. Hand pulling, digging, flooding, mulching, controlled or prescribed burns of Invasive Species invasive plant species must be persistent over several years to reduce or eliminate the target The goal for any restoration project is to species population. develop a diverse and self-sustaining ecosystem that requires minimal Mechanical methods include hoeing, cutting, maintenance. However, the biggest threat to tilling, mowing, girdling, and chopping. any restoration or preservation project is the presence of non-native and aggressive plants Chemical control is the use of pesticides species. Non-native invasive species (e.g., (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides). buckthorn, reed canary grass, phragmites, Herbicides are among the most effective and garlic mustard, teasel, etc.) can destroy native resource-efficient tools, and the choice of landscapes by outcompeting native species herbicide (typically glyphosate or triclopyr) for light, nutrients, and moisture, because depends on the target population, stage of they begin their growing season sooner in the growth, presence of desirable species, and year, grow rapidly, produce high levels of proximity to water resources. State seed, and disperse these seeds effectively, application requirements for the use of and they do not have natural competitors to pesticides must be followed. keep their populations low. Invasive plants impact ecosystem functions by altering Biological methods range from the use of habitat structure (e.g., shifting from grazing animals to the introduction of natural herbaceous to woody plants) and architecture (non-native) enemies (e.g., parasites, (e.g., canopy height), changing nutrient pathogens, predators, etc.) of the invasive cycles and productivity, reducing the species. The long-term effectiveness and the availability of food and shelter resources, environmental impacts of releasing one modifying food webs, and lowering organism to control another are not fully community biodiversity in terms of the understood, and rigorous safety and number and quality of species present. regulatory protocols need to be developed prior to use of biological controls. Unless the opportunity area is in an isolated area, the complete eradication of invasive An integral part of a project’s long-term species is often not realistic. Once management plan should be invasive species established, invasive species are very difficult control. The control plan should be based on and costly to eradicate. It is more realistic to the resources available (i.e., money, control invasive species by reducing the manpower, and equipment) and on the best

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available science to determine the control ecosystem services such as flood control, methods or combination of methods that will erosion control, water quality improvement, be most effective and economical for the groundwater recharge, and habitat that would target species. In addition, the plan should otherwise cost communities significant include a list of native replacement species, if amounts of money through engineered a sufficient seed bank is not available, and a structures and systems. Floodplains can be management schedule based on the life-cycle restored or enhanced through replanting the characteristics of target species. appropriate native plant communities, reconnection to the stream or river, or habitat Engaging volunteers in the fight against improvement for wildlife. invasive species on both public and private lands can increase awareness of the impacts on native communities, build public support Wetlands for the challenge posed by invasive species, and provide additional labor for controlling Wetlands comprise seasonally inundated them. ponds, marshes, sedge meadows, wet prairies, and flooded woodlands. Wetland restoration enhances and expands existing Ecological Opportunity Area Descriptions wetlands within a specific area. Excavation for expanding the wetlands would follow the Streams natural topography of the land and hydrology would be established in a manner to minimize Streams and creeks within areas of poor construction costs. These expanded wetlands water quality and low flows are subject to would be capable of volume control and may heavy erosion and sedimentation. Invasive mitigate some of the flooding issues nearby species are frequently introduced to these and possibly further upstream. Invasive areas and the natural wildlife diminishes. species of plants would be removed and the Stream restoration reestablishes the natural appropriate native plantings would be environment of the stream and adjacent established. banks. In-stream structure can be restored or enhanced to provide a variety of velocity Prairie regimes and functional aquatic habitat by introducing a variety of sized rock, large Prairies once dominated more than 60% of woody debris, creation of pool-riffle the Illinois landscape, but today, less than sequences, and in-stream vegetation 0.01% of high-quality tallgrass prairie remains plantings. Stream banks can be reshaped in the state, most of which is due to the and/or stabilized with vegetation to help restoration or preservation of remnant areas achieve a self-sustaining, functional flow that (small pieces of land that were never would not require frequent maintenance. cultivated). A prairie is a mostly treeless Invasive species are removed and native landscape dominated by grasses and plantings are installed to create the intended wildflowers (or forbs). Prairies are composed natural habitat for wildlife. of plants seldom found in other habitats, and provide rare habitats for native insects, Floodplain butterflies and other pollinators, reptiles, birds, and small wildlife. Floodplains are the flat or nearly flat bottomlands bordering a stream or river that Prairie plants have complex, deep root experience occasional or periodic flooding. systems that are drought resistant, store Floodplains provide cost effective and reliable carbon, serve as habitat for of

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microorganisms, absorb significant rainfall, improve water quality and groundwater 2) Storm and combined sewer and inlet recharge, and reduce erosion and storm locations. Green infrastructure should be runoff. Many of the wildlife species that located to intercept runoff prior to draining to depend on prairie habitats have experienced storm inlets so that the runoff can be stored serious population declines due to the and treated prior to overflowing to the storm degradation and fragmentation of prairies. or combined sewer system. Over several years, invasive and non-native species would be controlled and managed 3) Vacant parcels. Vacant parcels in the and native plants reintroduced by seeding or proper locations can be used to create plugs. “Stormwater Parks” used to manage stormwater in a manner that is attractive to the neighborhood. Oak Savanna 4) Planned major capital development and An oak savanna is a community of scattered utility infrastructure projects, including sewer oak trees within a diverse matrix of forbs and main, water main, storm sewer, etc. Green grasses. Savannas may be defined by tree infrastructure practices integrated into the cover that ranges on average between 10% right of way such as permeable paving and and 50%, where the canopy is not closed so bioretention planters can be combined with that the herbaceous species receive plentiful other major capital improvements that already amounts of sunlight. Since oak savannas require significant pavement removal and serve as a transition ecosystem between the earth excavation. tallgrass prairie and woodland environments, they have an extremely high flora and fauna 5) Planned major road and parking lot diversity. Savannas rely on periodic construction and reconstruction projects, disturbances such as fire, grazing, and including full depth pavement replacement, drought to retain their ecological integrity. curb replacement and similar major work. As Prescribed fires are needed in savanna with the major capital improvements, these restoration projects, otherwise tree saplings projects provide the opportunity to integrate begin to grow unimpeded in the savanna permeable surfaces into pavement projects. taking over, shading out and eliminating the grass and forb species. 6) Planned streetscape projects. Streetscape projects provide an ideal opportunity to implement permeable paving and bioretention TECHNOLOGY-BASED GREEN planters. INFRASTRUCTURE 7) Stormwater problem areas, including Infrastructure Mapping flooding, nuisance ponding areas, etc.

Prior to the workshops with the resource The above date were intended to be used to experts and communities, existing data was screen for potential opportunity areas. For requested from each of the communities. The example vacant parcels with tributary areas data included: and located in the drainage area of a flood problem location could be flagged for 1) Topography. Topography can be used to potential stormwater parks. Similarly, areas of locate potential green infrastructure practices planned road or parking lot reconstruction or and determine the tributary area to the streetscape improvements within the practices. drainage area of a flood problem location

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could be flagged for incorporation of stormwater storage into permeable paving and other ROW systems. However, obtaining the information in a format that readily supported GIS screening proved difficult and instead the workshops with agency experts and community officials were used to identify opportunity areas.

Agency Workshop

A workshop was conducted with resource and stormwater infrastructure experts to help identify opportunity areas. Very large scale maps (approximately 10 foot by 10 foot) were prepared for each of the two project areas. On the maps, the experts identified opportunity areas based on their knowledge of the region. Each of the opportunity areas were captured on a datasheet that recorded a location code, the name of the identifier, a description of the location, and a description of the opportunity. The experts largely focused on Ecological Opportunities. However, a number of technology-based opportunities were also identified.

Community Workshops

Similar to the Agency workshop, two workshops were conducted with municipal officials and stakeholders. Separate workshops were conducted for the two project focus areas. The participants were directed to verify the opportunity areas identified by the agency experts and then to identify technology-based opportunities based on their intimate familiarity with their respective communities. As part of the exercise, the participants were directed to categorize each of the opportunity areas into a number of defined templates and to list the potential green infrastructure practices applicable to the location. As in the previous workshop, the recommendations were captured on data sheets.

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Results

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[ Map Products ] 3. Environmental Resource Areas (with buffer) CORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK MAP These areas are drawn in yellow green. They are comprised of waterways/lakes/streams, The green infrastructure mapping process, wetlands, oak woodlands, Illinois Natural described above, resulted in the creation of Areas Inventory (INAI) sites, and 100-year the Green Infrastructure Network Map (See floodplains that do not otherwise fit into the private or public open space categories. Appendices B – D). It is the intent of this plan that this map serves as the basis for spatial These areas were chosen to be included here green infrastructure planning in the 13 because they provide, or have the potential to communities and unincorporated areas provide, valuable natural functions such as throughout the larger planning area. The storm water management, aquifer recharge, Network Map provides an awareness of water filtration, and flora and fauna habitat. where important environmental resources lie Included in this category is a 200-foot buffer and reveals the interconnectedness of those around the outside edge of the original resources. mapped areas. Buffering was applied to forest preserves, Illinois Natural Area This map is dominated by the three shades of Inventory sites, Illinois Nature Preserve green that represent the principal, aggregated Commission sites, wetlands, remnant oak categories of green infrastructure network. populations, and waterbodies.

1. Publicly Protected Parks and Preserves In addition to these categories, the map also (with buffer) highlights some of the important underlying green infrastructure components. Specifically, These areas are drawn in dark green. They it includes symbology for floodplains, water, are comprised of Forest Preserves of Cook wetlands, and oak woodlands, as well as County, MWRD holdings, IDNR Nature regional trail information. Preserves and IDNR Land and Water Reserves, state parks, and municipal and Wetlands: This category is mapped in a pale district parks. These areas represent the blue pattern over the environmental resource portions of the planning area that are areas in yellow green (above) and identifies protected and managed by state or local areas of wetlands that were mapped in the agencies. These areas may or may not be National Wetland Inventory (NWI). open to the public. 100-year floodplains: Floodplains are 2. Private Open Space mapped in a blue cross hatch and reflect the official 100-year boundaries adopted by the These areas are drawn in light green. They are Illinois DNR and FEMA. comprised of land that is privately owned but either precluded from development or is Remnant oak woodlands: This category unlikely to be developed based on its current identifies areas of oaks woodlands and use. Private open space includes golf savannas that were mapped in 2013 by The courses, private conservation easements, Morton Arboretum following a protocol Commonwealth Edison rights of way, and adopted by Chicago Wilderness. These areas camps. are the last remnants of the vast woodlands that predated European settlement in the county.

Des Plaines River GI Mapping Project | www.chicagowilderness.org 23 Regional trails: These trails are highlighted in intended to illustrate green infrastructure red dashed lines and represent trails practices that could be utilized within this identified by existing trails plans collected land use. Practices could be implemented during the process. Many of these trails are within the right-of-way as well as within owned and managed by the Forest Preserves individual private lots. The template shows of Cook County. Some of the more notable permeable paving that could be installed in trails within the planning area include the driveways or within the street, either over the systems along the Des Plaines River, North entire section or within the parking lanes. The Branch Chicago River, and Salt Creek. In template also illustrates bioretention in the addition, the regional trails mapping includes right-of-way, either in the parkway between trail loops that are largely contained within the sidewalk and street or, potentially, in some of the larger forest preserves as well as medians where they exist or created where community bikeways that link to regional overly wide street widths would allow. trails. Bioretention rain gardens could be also be developed on individual lots through municipal rain garden technical and/or OPPORTUNITY AREAS MAP financial assistance programs.

The opportunity area mapping process previously described, resulted in the creation of the Green Infrastructure Opportunity Area mapping (see Appendices E – G). To assist in the mapping and to ease understanding of the proposed green infrastructure, the opportunity areas were organized into the following categories below. During the previously described workshops, presentations were prepared to ensure a common understanding of the template categories and then the participants were directed to assign a template category to each of the recommendations. The template categories are listed below, followed by more detailed descriptions and illustrations.

• Single Family Residential • Urban Multi-Family Residential • Downtown Commercial District • Big Box Commercial / Industrial / Institutional • Campus / Suburban Multi-Family • Stormwater Park • Right-of-Way Retrofit Urban Multi Family Residential (UMFR) - • Detention Retrofitting / Naturalization Multi-family residential is also a common land • Ecological Restoration use within the study area and can occur in either a more dense urban form as discussed Single Family Residential (SFR) - The single here or as a lower intensity suburban form family residential land use dominates the with more open space as discussed under a study area. This template as shown is subsequent template. For the urban form, the

Des Plaines River GI Mapping Project | www.chicagowilderness.org 24 lot is largely covered by building and paving downtown parking lot was repaved in with smaller landscape zones. Within this land permeable pavers. use, practices such as green roofs, permeable paving, and bioretention are Big Box Commercial/Industrial/Institutional appropriate. Due to the tight spaces, - The big box form of development is bioretention are likely to be in the form of ubiquitous throughout the suburbs, including planters that can accept runoff from building within the study area. Although the land use downspouts or adjacent pavement areas. may be retail or commercial, industrial or Permeable paving can be used for parking, manufacturing, or institutions such as patios, and walkways. A variation on libraries, the basic form of a large building permeable paving can also be used for with a large parking lot is common to them all. playgrounds where the permeable rubber The large parking lot areas that are often surface that provides fall protection is over-sized provide excellent opportunities to underlain by open graded stone similar to incorporate bioretention landscape islands. permeable paving. Further pavement reconstruction that is necessary from time to time provides an opportunity to convert from asphalt to more durable permeable paver systems.

Downtown Commercial District - Most of the suburbs within the study area were founded and developed prior to the turn of the previous century and include historic downtown commercial districts. As many communities are moving towards streetscape and other projects to revitalize their downtowns, significant opportunities exist to incorporate green infrastructure practices into these plans. West Union Iowa provides an excellent case study for integrating green infrastructure into downtown revitalization. West Union and other projects have incorporated permeable paving into the streets, sidewalks, and parking lots; bioretention into sidewalk planters and Campus/Suburban Multi-Family protected parking bumpouts; and green roofs Residential - Institutions such as onto individual buildings. Another more local communities colleges and suburban multi- example is in Riverside where an existing family residential developments are often

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developed in the form of a campus with multiple buildings, distributed parking areas, and large areas of open space. The large open space areas can often benefit from increased landscape that can also serve as bioretention for roof and pavement runoff. Parking lots can often be retrofit with bioretention landscape islands and/or permeable paving as illustrated in the template graphic.

Right-of-Way Retrofit - In many suburbs, up to 25% of the land cover is transportation right of way. Further electrical transmission right of ways abound. Aging streets in many older communities are often in need of major rehabilitation or even complete reconstruction. This presents opportunities to reconstruct the streets in permeable pavers, to introduce bioretention into parkways and medians, and implement other measures to reduce the runoff impact of what is often considered the most polluting land use. Stormwater Parks - Cities and suburbs often have small land areas of either vacant parcels or small, underutilized parks. Depending on their topographic position in the landscape, drainage systems can often be modified to accept runoff from adjacent properties or rights of way. Through generous bioretention landscapes mixed with community amenities such as public art, permeable playgrounds (see Urban Multi-family), and small gathering areas, the spaces can be enlivened while also filtering and retaining runoff. Drainage and Detention Naturalization - Detention has been required within northeastern Illinois since the middle 1970s and many of the older facilities are dry bottom detention basins where attempts are made to maintain a turf landscape. Even within wet detention basins, turf vegetation maintained to the waters edge has led to significant shoreline erosion. In many cases these dry and wet bottom detention basins can be naturalized with native species better adapted to the wet conditions and with denser root

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systems that can better protect shorelines Protection of river, stream, and wetland from erosion. resources that are sensitive to changes in watershed hydrology is best achieved if all of the communities in a watershed work together to develop consistent ordinances that support sustainable stormwater management and green infrastructure designs for new development and redevelopment. Working with ordinances and education programs, local governments can maximize the opportunity for every drop of water to be treated with green infrastructure practices, such as rain gardens, before it moves offsite.

Low impact development (LID) employs a combination of creative site planning and Ecological Restoration - As part of the innovative stormwater management practices mapping process, many areas of open space to reduce stormwater runoff, protect water were identified as opportunities to implement quality, and protect natural resources and native landscapes to improve habitat and habitat. This recommended approach water quality as well as expand the core embraces green infrastructure designs as well green infrastructure network. as principles of “conservation design”. The objectives recommended here can be accomplished through updates to traditional [ Recommendations ] development codes, particularly zoning,

subdivision, stormwater, and landscaping The green infrastructure mapping process ordinances. resulted in a number of implementation recommendations. These are organized into The recent adoption by the Metropolitan the following three broad categories: Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of the

Watershed Management Ordinance provides

for protection of natural hydrology and water 1. COORDINATE IMPLEMENTATION quality from the adverse impacts of BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, development throughout Cook County. This AGENCIES, AND LANDOWNERS ordinance, which requires compliance by

local governments throughout Cook County, One of the central themes of the Des Plaines also offers new protections for floodplains, River Communities Green Infrastructure Plan riparian areas, and isolated wetlands. is the opportunity, and need, for coordination (https://www.mwrd.org/irj/portal/anonymous/ between the local governments, agencies, managementordinance) and landowners to achieve many of the goals and objectives of the Plan. This is particularly In contrast to the new requirements of the true because green infrastructure resources MWRD ordinance, in most communities the do not observe political boundaries. related development ordinances are out of Recommended, coordinated planning actions date. In particular, it is common to find and opportunities follow. incompatibilities between advanced stormwater ordinances and outdated zoning, Low Impact Development Ordinances subdivision, and landscaping codes. It is recommended that local development codes

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be evaluated and updated regarding their requiring that stormwater controls be applied provisions for natural area protection, natural to address the full impact of site development landscaping standards, impervious area rather than only to the change in hydrologic reduction, and standards that recognize and conditions. For example, for a redevelopment incentivize creative designs for parking lots project, stormwater controls should mitigate and roadways, such as permeable paving, for the full area of imperious cover rather than bioswales, and rain gardens. only the increase in impervious cover. This will facilitate the design of advanced runoff To assist local governments in reviewing and volume reduction and detention designs for updating their ordinances for consistency smaller projects, thereby reducing flooding with green infrastructure principles, a and water quality problems throughout comprehensive ordinance checklist existing communities over time. (developed by Geosyntec Consultants and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Further, local governments should review and Planning) is included as an Appendix to this amend their codes to incorporate adequate plan. The checklist was derived from regional protections for natural resource areas and national sources and has been applied to identified in the green infrastructure network several dozen communities’ ordinances as map. In particular, protections for remnant part of recent watershed planning projects. woodlands, wetlands, and other natural areas The checklist addresses ordinance provisions should be provided. for: • Stormwater drainage and detention Local Examples: • Soil erosion and sediment control • Floodplain management The Village of Brookfield recently updated its • Stream and wetland protection stormwater ordinance to formally adopt • Natural areas and open space provisions of the MWRD Watershed • Conservation design Management Ordinance. In reviewing and • Landscaping adopting the new requirements, the Village • Roads and transportation lowered some of the thresholds for • Parking when/where the ordinance will apply. This will • Water efficiency and conservation ensure that smaller residential and • Pollution prevention commercial development and redevelopment projects become opportunities for Recommendations: progressive runoff volume reduction and storage designs. See: Local governments should use the ordinance https://www.municode.com/library/il/brookfiel checklist in the Appendix to review and revise d/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR their local zoning, subdivision, landscaping, _CH48DEIMSU_ARTVIWAMAOR and stormwater ordinances to encourage and/or require low impact development With the newly adopted Stormwater approaches, consistent with the new Management Ordinance in place, the Village stormwater requirements of the Watershed also sponsored a “Stormwater Summit” to Management Ordinance. discuss new construction methods for managing, preventing, and mitigating Where appropriate, local governments should flooding. The Stormwater Summit’s purpose consider lowering the thresholds for the size was to do outreach to builders and of development projects that are subject to developers who invest in the community, to the new MWRD stormwater requirements. get them up to speed on the new ordinance, Local governments should also consider and to share ideas for best practices. The

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Village’s Community and Economic There is an array of techniques that can be Development Department targeted training used protect, restore, and expand green toward commercial and multi-family infrastructure within the broader planning area contractors, developers, and brokers who do and individual communities. These business in town. Attendees included a techniques should be targeted specifically to variety of business and real estate sectors. lands mapped in the green infrastructure The Village has additional meetings and network, but also should be used in a outreach planned for the coming year. dispersed fashion on smaller areas throughout the planning area (e.g., wetlands, The City of Chicago requires that stormwater woodlands, greenways, etc.) that have local control be provided and the ordinance importance. Recommendations are provided standards be met for all development projects for each of the following techniques: regardless of existing land use or cover. Thus, through infill and redevelopment projects, the City will eventually be retrofit to meet current Acquisition by Public Agencies stormwater standards. This is consistent with building codes that typically require an entire Open space and natural area acquisition is building be retrofit to meet existing building one of the principal methods recommended code if the building is improved by more than for protection of areas identified in the green 50%. infrastructure network map. It is a method that has been used with great success by the Integrate Green Infrastructure into Regional Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), Grey Infrastructure Plans Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and other open space agencies in protecting The MWRD has already developed watershed thousands of acres of open space within the based stormwater plans and the Tunnel and planning area. Reservoir Plan (TARP) to address combined sewer overflow problems. These plans, which While the FPCC and IDNR have been leaders rely primarily on traditional grey infrastructure in natural area protection, other entities also practices, go a long way to solving regional play a significant role. Local park districts and flooding problems. However, green departments and the MWRD also have infrastructure implemented on a dispersed substantial holdings in the core green basis throughout local watersheds could infrastructure network. further reduce local flooding and drainage concerns, keep water out of basements, and Recommendations: reduce flows into the TARP system that will eventually require pumping and treatment at a The FPCC, IDNR, park districts and municipal wastewater reclamation facility. In addition to park departments, townships, and other state local governments, transportation agencies, and federal agencies should continue to residents, and businesses can be part of acquire natural open space, with a priority green infrastructure solutions that are placed on areas identified in the green described in the later section on infrastructure network map. In particular, Institutionalization of Green Infrastructure these entities should focus on opportunities Implementation. to protect Environmental Resource Areas that provide connectivity between already protected natural lands. 2. PROTECT CORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Park districts, park departments, municipalities, and townships should identify

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green infrastructure priorities in their master protection and restoration of the Kent Fuller plans. In particular, they should identify and Air Station Prairie, 32-acre remnant of a implement opportunities for protecting local tallgrass prairie. The prairie contains over 160 Environmental Resource Areas that are part native plant species and is being actively of the green infrastructure network and managed to control invasive species. The educate their constituents about the value of adjacent Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive natural resources. Center is an award winning facility. The Tyner Center illustrates the many aspects of the prairie environment and leads visitors to pathways through the property to experience the changes in the prairie through the various seasons. The Tyner Center serves as a showcase for “green technology,” featuring a number of innovative practices including a geothermal heating and cooling system, solar panels and a “green roof”. The Tyner Center has been certified by the U. S. Green Building Council as LEED Platinum, the highest possible designation under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. For more information, see: http://www.glenviewparks.org/facilities- parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairie-tyner- center/.

Where appropriate, open space entities should strive for intergovernmental Conservation Easements and Nature partnerships to leverage resources and to Preserve Dedications create “mosaics” of natural communities for protection of plants and animals that require Privately owned natural areas and open connected tracts of land to survive. In spaces can be voluntarily dedicated for long- particular, assemblages of wetlands, stream term protection under a conservation corridors, prairies, savannas, and woodlands easement provision. Under this provision, should be targeted. these areas remain in private ownership, but the rights to change the use are given to a FPCC, IDNR local park districts, Cook County controlling agency, usually an entity whose and other local agencies should coordinate mission includes the protection of open their efforts to promote ecotourism resources, spaces. Conservation easements provide an such as parks, natural resources, and similar effective method to preserve open space for points-of-interest. future generations. Another option for private landowners is Local Example protection of land through the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC). Land enrolled Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie and Evelyn in the Illinois Nature Preserves System (either Pease Tyner Interpretive Center, Glenview: dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve or The Village of Glenview and the Glenview registered as an Illinois Land and Water Park District have been regional leaders in Reserve) confers the highest level of protecting and managing natural areas. protection for land in Illinois. The landowner Perhaps the most notable example is the retains title to the property and neither

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program provides public access to the land. Conservation Fund (LAWCON), additional The INPC partners with landowners to protect land has been protected in an expanding land that has been recognized for its high buffer on the east side of the preserve. For ecological value or otherwise serves to buffer more information, see: or protect such land. Land with high http://savetheprairiesociety.org/about- ecological value could include a prairie, 2/about-the-prairie/. woodland, or wetland that has largely survived undisturbed or supports populations of 1 or more of the State’s list of endangered Targeted Land Use Planning and Zoning and threatened species. The two land- protection programs available through the Some communities in the planning area have INPC provide flexibility in working with adopted goals in their land use and landowners who wish to voluntarily protect comprehensive plans that emphasize wise their land. A number of FPCC holdings, such land use and development decisions that as Wolf Road Prairie (see above) and Somme protect green infrastructure. The more Nature Preserve in Northbrook, are dedicated forward-thinking plans focus on protection of Nature Preserves. natural resources and the environment, preserving environmentally sensitive areas, Recommendations: preserving farmland, providing aesthetically pleasing places, and preserving and Save the Prairie Society, Openlands, the enhancing existing surface and groundwater Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, and resources. related organizations should continue to identify private land opportunities for Some of these plans, like the Des Plaines protecting critical natural areas, buffers, and River Communities Green Infrastructure Plan, connections within and supporting the further identify and map key elements of mapped green infrastructure network. green infrastructure, including:

Local governments and conservation organizations should continue to educate • Existing open space private landowners and developers about • Regional Trails and Bikeways opportunities to set aside land for • Greenways conservation as well as farmland protection • Wetlands purposes. • Floodplains • Lakes and streams Local Example: • Remnant woodlands

Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester: Wolf Road Prairie has been characterized as one of the highest quality black soil prairies east of the Mississippi River. At its core is an 80-acre dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve that includes high quality prairie, oak savanna, and wetland remnants. The Preserve has been protected through cooperative efforts of Save the Prairie Society, FPCC, and IDNR. In recent years, with the support of grants from the Open Land Trust and Natural Areas Acquisition Fund and the Land and Water

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One of the primary ways to implement land clustering and conservation development use policy is through zoning and other (discussed below). ordinances. In that vein, it is important that Cook County and local cities and villages The North Cook County and Will-South Cook review and revise their zoning, subdivision, County Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other development related ordinances to (SWCD) should utilize the Des Plaines River be consistent with the policies and Communities green infrastructure maps as recommendations of their land use plans and they advise local governments, private land the Des Plaines River Communities Green owners, and agricultural producers on natural Infrastructure Plan. Ideally, the county, resource issues. In particular, the SWCDs municipalities, and other local governments should incorporate green infrastructure maps will work cooperatively to achieve a in its Natural Resource Information reports for consistent approach to natural resource all zoning and land use changes that it protection at local, watershed, and regional reviews. scales. Local Example: Recommendations: The Village of Brookfield has updated its Cook County, municipalities, townships, and zoning ordinance to address opportunities to other local governments should develop local reduce the impact of residential development green infrastructure maps and plans and redevelopment on existing stormwater consistent with the principles and mapping of and flooding problems. One of their zoning this plan. The development of local green requirements is to limit the maximum amount infrastructure maps should consider small- of imperviousness in residential lots and scale opportunities for resource protection developments. They require a minimum of and greenways. 40% green or open space for all properties zoned single family residential. See: Local governments should incorporate green https://www.municode.com/library/il/brookfiel infrastructure elements into their land use d/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR plans and zoning maps, with a priority on _CH62ZO_ARTIIDI. protection of critical natural resources, open space, and linked greenways. Greenway Connections Local governments should link development and redevelopment priorities to natural A greenway refers to public or private open resource constraints and opportunities, space that is concentrated in a linear manner particularly streams, lakes, floodplains, along a natural or artificial corridor. wetlands, and woodlands. Development Greenways can provide connectivity between should be avoided in the most sensitive adjacent natural areas, provide buffers for natural resource areas. linear features such as streams, and sometimes serve as corridors for recreational Tools such as overlay protection districts or trails. should be implemented to clearly identify sensitive areas where development intensities In the creation of the green infrastructure should be limited. Overlay districts can be network map, a number of greenway structured to provide advance knowledge of corridors were mapped along existing stream site constraints to developers as well as to and river corridors and regional trails, identify creative design techniques such as lot particularly highlighting the Des Plaines River, North Branch Chicago River, and Salt Creek

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corridors. In addition, advisors from natural Local governments, in cooperation with resource agencies and organizations conservation organizations like Openlands identified a number of potential smaller-scale should identify and offer incentives for private connections between existing open spaces landowners to donate lands (or cash in lieu of and mapped natural areas. Protection and land) or conservation easements to protect enhancement of greenway opportunities can important greenways such as stream be achieved by a variety of mechanisms corridors and wetlands. including public acquisition, conservation easements, developer donations, natural Greenway planning and preservation entities landscaping, and ecological stewardship. should promote public awareness and provide technical assistance regarding Recommendations: greenway protection to private landowners and homeowners associations. The County, local governments, park districts, the FPDCC, Openlands, and other open Trails, Bikeways, and Water Trails space organizations should collaborate to link local parks and open spaces to existing and A remarkable regional trail and open space planned portions of the Des Plaines River network has been planned and largely Communities green infrastructure and open implemented under the leadership of the space networks. forest preserve district and its local partners. This Green Infrastructure Plan identifies The FPCC and local park districts and opportunities for municipal and park district departments should be leaders in establishing trails, bike lanes, and greenways to new and expanded public greenways, interconnect to these regional facilities. particularly along the Des Plaines River, North Connectivity can be further enhanced when Branch Chicago River, and Salt Creek, and residential redevelopment, parks, businesses, their tributaries. Where appropriate, the and commercial developments incorporate organizations should collaborate with the local greenways, trail linkages, and bikeways MWRD to improve public access and where people live, work, recreate, and shop. ecological functionality to MWRD land holdings. Trail connectors are key elements of the green infrastructure network. Trails are the Local governments should identify and utilize primary facilitator of time spent in nature in a suite of creative greenway preservation America’s urban areas, and in Illinois trails are tools such as linkages identified in land use the most desired recreational and non- plans, intergovernmental agreements, motorized transportation amenity. They community buffers, and natural resource promote active communities, improve health overlay districts. and well-being, link communities and open spaces, and connect people to schools, jobs, Local governments should encourage the and commercial centers. The Plan maps the interconnection of open space and regional trail network and some municipal greenways during the zoning and subdivision bikeways and promotes the development of approval process. Further, they should work an interconnected network of non-motorized with landowners and developers to trails. It advocates access for a variety of encourage the permanent preservation of users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and greenway connections to provide equestrians where appropriate. It also opportunities for habitat enhancement, supports implementation of an expanded recreation, and environmental education. water trails system for non-motorized watercraft.

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Municipalities should promote and plan for Much like greenways, successful trail walking and biking throughout their planning and implementation requires communities, including improving the safety, extensive coordination between local accessibility, and convenience of non- governments, open space agencies, regional motorized travel. planners, transportation agencies, and private land owners and developers. With the When looking for project funding, trail leadership of CMAP, Openlands, the FPCC, planners and implementers should cast the Active Transportation Alliance, and others, widely for resources, beyond the traditional efforts within the Des Plaines River federal transportation programs. In recent Communities planning area to implement years, tens of millions of dollars from public regional trail corridors have been very health agencies and health -related industry, successful. Notable examples are the such as health insurance companies, have previously referenced trails along the Des funded non-motorized transportation plans, Plaines River, North Branch Chicago River, facilities and amenities in the Chicago area. and Salt Creek corridors. Examples such as The 606 and the Cal-Sag Trail demonstrate private interests funding Recommendations: public trails.

Local governments, Cook County Highway While identifying and appealing to non- Department, FPCC, Chicago Metropolitan traditional trail funding sources is critical to Agency for Planning (CMAP), Northwest complete an interconnected trail network in Municipal Conference, West Central the Des Plaines River Communities planning Municipal conference, Openlands, IDNR, area, trail planners and implementers may IDOT, and other agencies should continue lack the experience and capacity to do so. coordinating their efforts to plan and The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for implement trail corridors and bikeways Planning and IDNR should partner with area throughout the planning area to provide non-profits working in trails and greenways to effective, safe connections between bring non-traditional trail funding sources to communities and existing and future open the table. They should also develop space areas. workshops to expand local agencies’ ability to leverage non-traditional funding for trail Representing regional consensus, trail and and bikeway development. bikeway connections within the planning area identified in the Northeast Illinois Regional In the identification of priority trail and Trails & Greenways Plan and recent CMAP- bikeway corridors, planners should identify led plans should receive priority in trail riparian, utility, and abandoned rail line development efforts. A formal process for corridors as multiple use greenway including new trails in the plans should be opportunities to accommodate trails, wildlife clarified for local agencies to accommodate corridors, and vegetative buffers. both new opportunities and changes that Water Trails affect existing recommendations. Local governments, park departments, and Local governments should promote, FPCC should utilize the Northeastern Illinois incentivize or require connecting new Regional Water Trails Plan as a guide in the residential and commercial development to development and expansion of a network of local and regional trails within their land use stream and river canoe access facilities. approval process.

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Coordinated efforts should be undertaken to in altered “hydric soils”. These actions restore expand opportunities and eliminate the hydrology, or natural water saturation and constraints to expanded water trail access. inundation conditions, thereby allowing native Where appropriate, multi-objective wetland vegetation and wildlife to return. approaches that benefit aquatic habitat, water Similarly, the removal of the Hoffman Dam on quality, flood relief, and paddling access the Des Plaines River has restored aquatic should be pursued. habitat and improved water quality in the vicinity of the dam and also opened upstream reaches of the river to fish migration. The mapped green infrastructure network identifies thousands of acres of altered floodplains and stream and wetland buffers that present an important opportunity for the re-introduction of native vegetation to cleanse water and enhance wildlife habitat.

A prairie restoration includes reestablishing native forbs and grasses on a site that was once there prior urban development or managing an existing native prairie remnant, a small piece of prairie that has never been completely altered, to improve the native Ecological Restoration of Degraded plant community. Prairie restoration is a labor Landscapes of love, as it requires three to five years to remove and control invasive species, perform The Des Plaines River Communities planning prescribed burns (around year 3), and area contains a number of high quality natural establish a healthy, diverse prairie plant areas. Most of the best areas are mapped as community through seeding and planting a Illinois Natural Area Inventory (INAI) sites and complete range of species over multiple are protected and managed by the FPCC. years. However, most of the local landscapes and natural areas have been greatly altered since Woodland/savanna restoration can be a more the beginning of settlement by Euro- challenging task, and it can take many years Americans in the 1840s. Notably, large areas to re-establish woodland that has been cut of former wetlands have been drained, largely down. Nonetheless, woodland replanting and to facilitate agricultural production and urban restoration are can have substantial benefits if development. Similarly, the region has lost the undertaken in the vicinity of remnant majority of its original oak-hickory woodlands woodlands that are in good ecological and savannas. Only a tiny fraction, less than 1 condition. For example, planting oaks in a percent, of Illinois’ original prairies have residential neighborhood or open space that survived intact. borders an oak-hickory woods can effectively expand the habitat for certain bird and While these losses are a cause of concern, mammal species that need extensive native they also present opportunities for restoration tree cover and travel corridors between and expansion of existing green wooded remnants. infrastructure. With respect to wetland restoration, there have been very successful Recommendations: projects involving the removal of subsurface drainage tiles and closing of drainage ditches

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Forest Preserves of Cook County, park development and filling for decades by districts, and other local governments should residents and community members who target opportunities for ecological restoration valued its importance. of degraded landscapes (small and large- scale) in their comprehensive plans, with a Although well intentioned, lack of natural particular focus on areas within the green areas management allowed impenetrable infrastructure network and within identified thickets of invasive buckthorn to choke out greenway corridors. desirable plant species and a monoculture of invasive reed canary to occupy almost 5 Forest Preserves of Cook County, park acres of wetland soils before restoration districts, and other local governments should efforts began. The Prospect Heights Natural identified ecological opportunity areas where Resources Commission initiated a volunteer restoration could be funded by serving as effort by holding workdays every other Waters of the U.S. mitigation sites or through Sunday year round to remove invasive plants, federal and state grants, such as the Section collect and distribute native seed and plant 319(h) nonpoint source pollution grant. thousands of native plant plugs made possible through a ComEd Green Regions Forest Preserves of Cook County, Openlands, grant administered through Openlands. The relevant county, state and federal agencies, Prospect Heights Natural Resources and watershed groups should provide Commission and volunteers will continue with technical and policy assistance to local their hard work to increase storm water governments and land owners to identify, retention and filtration and improve plan, implement, and monitor opportunity biodiversity and habitat for the abundant areas for landscape restoration. wildlife that calls the Slough their home. See: http://phnrc.com/the-slough-restoration.html. Forest Preserves of Cook County, park districts, local governments, and volunteer groups should develop management plans to 3. ADVANCE STRATEGIES FOR enhance and protect habitats with OPPORTUNITY AREAS conservative (or rarer) plant species and threaten and endangered species. Ecological Opportunity Areas

Note: Additional site-specific Natural resource experts and representatives recommendations for ecological areas are from the communities identified many considered in more detail in a later section of opportunities throughout the north and south this report (see Advance Strategies for project areas. A few of the identified Opportunity Areas) as part of the discussions ecological opportunity areas are highlighted during the opportunity area mapping process. below.

Local Example: Forest Preserves of Cook County is restoring and repairing the ecological communities The Prospect Heights Natural Resources within a number of the forest preserves as Commission, with the support of the Prospect part of their vision of restoring and conserving Heights Park District and the City of Prospect native landscapes. Local natural resource Heights, started to restore a treasured experts would like to see the current turf wetland in the heart of their community in the areas within Westchester Woods and Brezina summer of 2014. Original land surveys from Woods restored to the appropriate native 1838 show that the 30 acre Slough is a habitats or ecological communities (e.g., natural wetland, having been saved from

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wetland, mesic prairie, savanna, etc.) to allow for greater biodiversity of native species. The former landfill with Mount Prospect is an opportunity to create native habitat areas. Local natural resource experts indicated that Restoration would include: the expansion of the reservoir in Mayfield • Introduction of native vegetation to Park (Westchester Park District) by the increase biodiversity. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of • Invasive species removal with on- Greater Chicago provides an opportunity to going monitoring in the area. develop native ecological communities to allow for greater biodiversity of native Local natural resource experts see an species. opportunity to restore areas of the Des Plaines River floodplain with the planned Local natural resource experts would like to removal of the Dempster Street Dam (Des see the quarry area in the Village of Lyons Plaines), Touhy Dam (Park Ridge), and Dam developed into recreational open space with #4 (Rosemont). Elements may include: native ecological communities, such as • Riparian buffer reconnection by wetlands, prairies, and woodlands. lowering bank height, benching, contouring or excavating to create Roadsides can serve as corridors for the lower floodplains, and raising the spread of invasive plant species as streambed through in-stream windblown seeds are scattered up and down structures. the road allowing for the establishment of • Riparian buffer, wetland, and upland new populations that can spread to adjacent habitat restoration that allows for the areas. Roadside areas, such as I-294 near greater biodiversity of native species. Route 34 (Ogden Avenue) and Route 171, • Active native plant reestablishment on were identified by natural resource experts as newly exposed sediment. the main areas for invasive species • Invasive species removal with on- management and/or removal with on-going going monitoring in the area. monitoring. The City of Des Plaines indicated an interest The North Branch of the Chicago River in floodplain restoration where homes are riparian buffer areas within Glencoe were being acquired within the flood zone. identified by natural resource experts as Restoration would include: areas for invasive species management • Riparian buffer reconnection by and/or removal. lowering bank height, benching, contouring or excavating to create The Commonwealth Edison right of way lower floodplains, and raising the presents an excellent opportunity for native streambed through in-stream habitat restoration. A remnant prairie and structures. sedge meadow exist within the right of way • Riparian buffer, wetland, and upland that can be protected by removing invasive habitat restoration that allows for the species and restoring the surrounding areas. greater biodiversity of native species. Restoration would include: • Invasive species removal with on- • Restoration that allows for the greater going monitoring in the area. biodiversity of native species within the different habitats (e.g., wetlands, The City of Prospect Heights would like to sedge meadows, and prairie). restore three different areas (McDonald Creek • Invasive species removal with on- near Walnut Woods, McDonald Creek near going monitoring in the area. Somerset Park, and the tributary of McDonald

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Creek between the public library and Lions Park) to improve riparian habitat and Urban Farming and Community Gardens functionality and reduce erosion. Restoration practice may include: There is a growing movement to support “local food” through urban farming and • Streambank stabilization using native community gardens. CMAP has been at the vegetation to reduce erosion. forefront of identifying municipal strategies for • Riparian buffer reconnection by local food through comprehensive land use lowering bank height, benching, plans and urban agriculture ordinances. contouring or excavating to create Beyond the local food benefits, these types of lower floodplains, and raising the initiatives help preserve or restore permeable, streambed through in-stream functioning landscapes that help maintain structures. water infiltration, reduce stormwater runoff • Riparian buffer, wetland, and upland and basement flooding, and reduce urban habitat restoration that allows for the heat island effects. greater biodiversity of native species. • Invasive species removal with on- Recommendations: going monitoring in the area. Local governments are encouraged to work The Village of Mount Prospect would like to with CMAP, NRCS, North Cook and Will- restore the streambank and buffer area along South Cook County SWCDs, and other Weller Creek to introduce riparian habitat and organizations to develop policies, plans, and provide recreational opportunities. ordinances to protect local farms and to expand opportunities for urban farming and • Streambank stabilization using native community gardens. vegetation to reduce erosion. • Riparian buffer, wetland, and upland Local Examples: habitat restoration that allows for the greater biodiversity of native species. Chicago Advocates for Urban Agriculture • Invasive species removal with on- (AUA): Chicago AUA is a coalition that going monitoring in the area. supports sustainable urban agriculture and community gardens in the Chicago area. They The habit areas adjacent to the roadways and have developed a web-based Urban railways near Busse Woods Forest Preserve Agriculture Resource Guide and an online District were identified by natural resource Urban Agriculture Directory that lists dozens experts as areas for invasive species of urban farms and gardens in and around management and/or removal. Chicago. http://auachicago.org/resources/chicago- Forest Preserves of Cook County is restoring urban-agriculture-directory/ and repairing the ecological communities within a number of the forest preserves as City of Chicago Urban Agriculture Zoning: part of their vision of restoring and conserving Recently adopted changes to the Chicago native landscapes. Local natural resource Zoning Ordinance allow agricultural uses like experts identified a specific area for community gardens and urban farms in many restoration within the Forest Preserves. There parts of the city. The zoning amendments is an opportunity within Camp Pine Woods to define community garden and urban farm restore the floodplain hydrology to develop uses, identify where each use is permitted, sedge meadow and wet mesic wood habitats and establish regulations designed to with native vegetation. minimize potential impacts on surrounding

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property and help maintain the character of Ogden Avenue Streetscape Improvements: Chicago’s neighborhoods. More information Ogden Avenue passes through the is available through the City’s Department of Communities of Brookfield, Lyons, and Planning and Development: Berwyn and is largely older commercial uses http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/d throughout its length within these cd/supp_info/urban_agriculturefaq.html communities. Enhanced landscapes integrated with bioretention systems and The City of Chicago has implemented a areas of permeable paving within parking lots number of urban agricultural plots. Princeton and cross streets could greatly improve the Farms is a recent example that incorporates quality of stormwater runoff that discharges stormwater management to fully meet the directly to Salt Creek while providing Chicago Stormwater Ordinance while also significant visual enhancement to the corridor. incorporating a passive irrigation system to reduce the demand on the City potable water Brookfield Public Library: The library is a system. highly visible location with a large number of visitors. Identified potential improvements included converting the diagonal parking Technology-based Green Infrastructure stalls to permeable paving and installing Opportunity Areas bioretention within the landscape islands surrounding the parking stalls Implementation of technology-based green infrastructure practices can be conducted Broadway Avenue Streetscape using a two pronged approach. The first Improvements: The Broadway avenue prong would be to move forward with specific commercial district is near the Brookfield projects identified during the mapping Library discussed above and Gross Middle process. A selection of those opportunities School is located on this reach of Broadway, are discussed further below. The second making it a very visible location and prong would be to institutionalize exploration opportunity for children and adults to observe of stormwater green infrastructure the system. Opportunities at this location opportunities as part of the planning and include reconstruction of the center median design of every significant capital as bioretention, installation of bioretention improvement plan. planters in the sidewalks, and repaving with permeable paving within the parking lots 1. Implementation of Identified Green and/or portions or all of the street cross Infrastructure Opportunities section.

Representatives from the communities Des Plaines Redevelopment Parcels: .A identified many opportunities throughout the number of parcels that have vacant or north and south study areas. A few of the otherwise underutilized buildings were identified areas are highlighted below. identified as being opportunities for redevelopment as urban multi-family or Brookfield Streetscape Improvements: The commercial using green infrastructure Village of Brookfield identified streetscape practices such as permeable paving and improvements. The project is identified in bioretention. their Comprehensive Plan and could include a range of green infrastructure practices such In Niles, a number of Right-of-way locations as bioretention sidewalk planters, bioretention were identified for introduction of green bumpouts, and green roofs. infrastructure practices consistent with Illinois

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DOT’s ILAST principles. These included integrated into larger capital improvement Oakton Street and Milwaukee Avenue. plans such as repaving, streetscape, and major capital improvement plans. This can be facilitated by developing a process for evaluating green infrastructure components as part of every capital improvement project and preparing engineering standards for typical elements of green infrastructure. While every project may not lend itself to the incorporation of green infrastructure practices, a deliberate evaluation process should be followed to inform the decision making process.

In Glenview, a number of areas were Recommendations identified in the general vicinity of the Glen View Naval Air Station site. The identified Through a deliberative process, review short templates were right-of-way, downtown, and and long term capital improvement plans and commercial identify opportunities to incorporate green Examples stormwater management elements into the projects. Riverside permeable paving parking lot. The Village of Riverside recently installed a new Conduct an inventory of flooding and parking lot in their downtown area on East drainage problem areas and/or develop Burlington Street. The lot includes permeable stormwater assessments of the community interlocking concrete pavers and native drainage and detention systems to identify landscaping. locations where the system is inadequate along with their tributary areas. In combined West Union Iowa downtown green streets sewer areas, also identify and map locations project. With funding from the Iowa Economic of basement backups. Development Authority, CDF assisted West Union Iowa in developing an integrated main Overlay the capital improvement plans with street revitalization and green streets project. the flood problem and tributary area maps to Based on the plan, funding was obtained assist in prioritizing projects with integrated from a wide range of sources to assist in green infrastructure practices. implementation of the plan that includes permeable paving streets and sidewalks, Develop guidance for sizing and designing bioretention sidewalk planters, and green infrastructure practices. The guidance intersection and midblock bioretention should identify key factors to be incorporated bumpouts. The project also features a into the sizing process, including drainage geothermal districtwide heating and cooling area, soils, site context, both regional and site system that many of the historic buildings in specific performance standards, and the downtown area are tappe into. hydrologic and hydraulic sizing procedures.

2. Institutionalization of Green Assemble and prepare standard engineering Infrastructure Implementation details for green infrastructure practices such as permeable paving and bioretention Technology based green infrastructure systems in different contexts such as parking practices are most cost effective when lot islands, street bumpouts, and sidewalk

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and building planters. Example engineering The Chicago Public Schools, Chicago details and specifications that could be Department of Water Management, MWRD, developed are listed below. Many of these Openlands, and Healthy Schools Campaign already exist within various manuals and have partnered to replace deteriorating documents. asphalt school grounds with new and • Curb cuts (with energy dissipation) to permeable playgrounds, landscape, gardens, allow gutter flow to be diverted into athletic fields, and paving at elementary swales and bioretention areas schools around the City. The program has • Permeable pavement cross sections brought needed playground improvements to • Permeable pavement mixes (for distressed schools while also providing green pervious asphalt and pervious infrastructure stormwater storage to assist concrete) DWM and MWRD in reducing neighborhood • Bioretention cross sections flooding and reducing combined sewer • Bioretention soil mix and gravel overflows. To date, improvements have been specifications made to ten schools and more schools are • Filter fabric specifications for us in planned. The program won an award in 2015 various green infrastructure from the Illinois Association for Floodplain components and Stormwater Management (IAFSM).

Examples Storm Lake Iowa recently completed their Green Infrastructure Plan for Water with CMAP has recently expanded their Local assistance from CDF. As part of the process, Technical Assistance Program to include CDF’s team conducted a stormwater flooding assessment of stormwater issues into their and pollutant loading analysis. Those planning processes. analyses along with sampling that was conducted by the City to identify bacterial The Chicago Department of Transportation loading “hot spots”, were used to develop a has developed their Sustainable Urban short to medium term plan to implement Infrastructure Guidelines (SUIG). The intent of specific green infrastructure projects. A long this document is to institutionalize use of term plan to eventually retrofit most all of the green infrastructure as well as renewable community with green infrastructure practices energy, recycled materials, and may other was also developed, with priority given to sustainable practices. The manual provides land uses that generate the highest runoff guidance for the planning, design, and volumes and pollutant loads. A green construction of all urban infrastructure within infrastructure toolbox and template land uses the City. As of this writing, Volume 1 of the were developed similar to what was used for Guidelines is complete. Volume 1 outlines the this SWAT project. vision, purpose, goals, and objectives of the program as well as a process for integrating Charles City Iowa is an urban village in sustainable urban infrastructure, including northcentral Iowa. Although the area green infrastructure in the planning and surrounding the community is much more design of projects within the City. The rural than the Des Plaines River watershed, document primarily focuses on work within the City itself is quite similar to the Des the right-of-way but addresses non-ROW Plaines communities with a downtown urban projects as well. The as-yet unpublished core and historic single family and multifamily Volume 2 outlines standards and specific residential neighborhoods all constructed guidelines for sustainable urban prior to modern detention requirements and infrastructure. storm sewer sizing standards. As a result the community suffers from locations of poor

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drainage and undersized storm systems that lead to nuisance flooding problems. Because of the form and density of the neighborhoods, there is no available space to introduce conventional stormwater detention. At the same time, due to the age of the community, many of the streets are in poor condition. To address these conditions, CDF developed stormwater models of a number of its neighborhoods and used these models as well as community input to identify flood and drainage problem areas and locations of under-capacity drainage systems. CDF then utilized a previously prepared pavement condition index mapping of the entire City to select streets most in need of repair that are also located within the drainage areas of flood problem locations to prioritize implementation of permeable paving streets within the City. To date approximately 25 blocks of permeable streets have been constructed and two more blocks are being designed.

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Resources & references

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[ Resources ] Chicago Botanic Garden: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/research/iden tifying_threats/invasive ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION RESOURCES Native plants and landscaping Illinois Natural History Survey links: Guidelines for developing and managing a http://wwn.inhs.illinois.edu/~kenr/prairienative restoration project links.html Society for Ecological Restoration http://www.ser.org/resources/resources- USDA Natural Resources Conservation detail-view/guidelines-for-developing-and- Service plant database: managing-ecological-restoration-projects http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/ Illinois Wildflowers: Prairie establishment and landscaping http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/ Illinois Department of Natural Resources: http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalherit Harman, W., R. Starr, M. Carter, K. Tweedy, age/prairie/table.htm M. Clemmons, K. Suggs, and C. Miller. 2012. A function-based framework for stream References on Illinois tall grass prairies assessment & restoration projects. EPA 843- Illinois Natural History Survey: K-12-006. US Environmental Protection http://wwn.inhs.illinois.edu/~kenr/prairiebiblio. Agency, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and html Watersheds, Washington, DC.

Tools needed to restore oak savannas: Chargin River Watershed Partners, Inc. and http://www.oaksavannas.org/ Biohabitats. 2009. Floodplain restoration and storm water management: Guidance and User’s guide to wetland restoration, creation, case study. and enhancement http://www.crwp.org/files/floodplain_restorati NOAA and U.S. EPA on_sw_management_march_2009.pdf http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/pdf/pub_wetlan ds_restore_guide.pdf Shafroth, P.B., J.M. Friedman, G.T. Auble, M.L. Scott, and J.H. Braatne. 2002. Potential Engineering Field Handbook on wetland responses of riparian vegetation to dam restoration, creation, and enhancement removal. 2002. BioScience 52(8):703-712. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Orr, C.H., and E.H. Stanley. 2006. Vegetation Service: development and restoration potential of http://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNon drained reservoirs following dam removal in WebContent.aspx?content=17765.wba Wisconsin. River Research and Applications 22:281-295. Invasive species identification and control Northeastern Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership: http://www.niipp.net/ GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES Midwest Invasive Plant Network: http://mipn.org/control/ Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure The Nature Conservancy: Vision http://www.invasive.org/gist/handbook.html Chicago Wilderness and The Conservation Fund: Native plant alternatives when replacing non- https://datahub.cmap.illinois.gov/dataset/gre native plants en-infrastructure-vision-2-2-giv-refinement

Des Plaines River GI Mapping Project | www.chicagowilderness.org 44 Green Infrastructure Vision 2.3: Ecosystem Climate Change Update to the Biodiversity Service Evaluation Recovery Plan CMAP and Chicago Wilderness: http://climate.chicagowilderness.org/index.ph https://datahub.cmap.illinois.gov/dataset/gre p?title=Main_Page en-infrastructure-vision-2-3-ecosystem- valuation Chicago Community Climate Action Toolkit GIS Data for the CW Green Infrastructure http://climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org Vision and the Ecosystem Service Valuation https://datahub.cmap.illinois.gov/dataset/gre Milkweed for Monarchs Plant Guide en-infrastructure-vision-data http://monarchjointventure.org/images/upload ***It is important to note that the green s/documents/MilkweedFactSheetFINAL.pdf infrastructure mapping data layers developed for your sub-region of the Des Plaines River Climate Adaptation Guidebook for watershed as part of this project are a more Municipalities in the Chicago Region refined, up-to-date version of the regional http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/livability/sustain dataset available through CMAP*** ability/climate-adaptation-toolkit

Interactive Web Map of the CW Green Climate Considerations for Management of Infrastructure Vision Data Natural Areas and Green Spaces in the City of http://maps.fieldmuseum.org/giv/ Chicago https://www.academia.edu/6444016/CLIMAT E_CONSIDERATIONS_for_MANAGEMENT_of SUSTAINABLE ROADS RESOURCES _NATURAL_AREAS_and_GREEN_SPACES_in _the_CIT_Y_of_CHICAGO Sustainable Urban Infrastructure, Chicago Department of Transportation http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/c ORDINANCE AND CODE RESOURCES dot/supp_info/sustainable_urbaninfrastucture guidelines.html Ordinance checklist for green infrastructure compliance - developed by Geosyntec in IDOT-ILAST partnership with CMAP http://www.idot.illinois.gov/assets/uploads/fil es/transportation- Code Review for Blackberry Creek developed system/reports/desenv/enviromental/i- by Conservation Design Forum last%20v%202%2002.pdf Supplement to Kane County Stormwater I-LAST Project Environmental Sustainability Technical Manual developed by Conservation Rating System Scorecard Design Forum http://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/10 157/48743/I-LAST+Scorecard.pdf Example of stormwater ordinance enacted by the Village of Brookfield NACTO- National Association of City https://www.municode.com/library/il/brookfiel Transportation Officials d/codes/code_of_ordinances http://nacto.org Village of La Grange Park Downspout Disconnection Assistance Program CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURCES

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[ References ] Kowarik I (2011) Novel urban ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation. Environmental Alberti, M (2005) The effects of urban patterns Pollution 159:1974-1983 on ecosystem function. Int Reg Sci Rev 28:168-192 McDonald RI, Kareiva P, Forman RTT (2008) The implications of current and future Blanco, H, McCarney P, Parnell S, et al (2011) urbanization for global protected areas and The role of urban land in climate change. In: biodiversity conservation. Biol Conserv Rosenzweig C, Solecki WD, Hammer SA, 141:1695-1703 Mehrotra S (eds) Climate change and cities: First assessment report of the Urban Climate McDonald RI (2013) Implications of Change Research Network. Cambridge urbanization for conservation and biodiversity University Press, Cambridge, UK protection. Encyclopedia Biodivers 7:304-313

Bulkeley, H and Betsill, MM (2013) Revisiting Rosenzweig C, Solecki W, Hammer SA, the urban politics of climate change. Environ Mehrotra S (2010) Cities lead the way in Policy 22:136-154 climate-change action. Nature 467:909-911

Cook EM, Hale RL, Kinzig AP, Grove MJ Wheeler SM (2008) State and municipal (2013) Urban–suburban biodiversity. climate change plans: The first generation. J Encyclopedia Biodivers 7:304-313 Am Plann Assoc 74:481–496

Goddard MA, Dougill AJ, Brown TG (2011) Scaling up from gardens: biodiversity conservation in urban environments. Trends [ Acknowledgements ] Ecol Evol 25:90-98 This project was made possible by a grant Hayhoe K, Wuebbles D (2008) Climate from Boeing. change and Chicago: Projections and potential impacts. City of Chicago Project coordinators http://www.chicagoclimateaction.org/filebin/p Nancy Williamson, Illinois Department of df/report/Chicago_climate_impacts_report_Ex Natural Resources (IDNR) ecutive_Summary.pdf Chris Mulvaney, Chicago Wilderness

Hellmann JJ, Nadelhoffer KJ, Iverson LR et al GIS specialist (2010) Climate change impacts on terrestrial Mark Johnston, The Field Museum ecosystems in metropolitan Chicago and its surrounding, multi-state region. J Gt Lakes Climate change information to Res 36 (Suppl 2):74-85 communities Abigail Derby Lewis, The Field Museum Hostetler M, Allen W, Meurk C (2011) Conserving urban biodiversity? Creating Ecological Opportunity Areas Analysis green infrastructure is only the first step. Jill Kostel, The Wetlands Initiative Landsc Urban Plann 100: 369-371 Lead Consultants Kattwinkel M, Biedermann R, Kleyer M (2011) Dennis Dreher, Geosyntec Consultants Temporary conservation for urban Tom Price, Conservation Design Forum biodiversity. Biol Conserv 144:2335–2343

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• Lake County Stormwater Management We also thank the following individuals for Commission, Andrea Cline their invaluable services throughout the • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District project: of Greater Chicago, John Watson • Northwest Municipal Conference, • Mike Walczak, Northwest Municipal Christopher Staron Conference • Northwest Municipal Conference, Mike • Tammy Wierciak, West Central Municipal Walczak Conference • Oakton Community College, Ken Schaefer • Nora Beck, Chicago Metropolitan Agency • Oakton Community College, Virginia for Planning Stopinski-Donnelly • Carrie Asselmeier, Chicago Wilderness • Prospect Heights Natural Resources Intern Commission, Kari Spiegelhalter • Kathleen Falk, Chicago Wilderness Intern • Prospect Heights Natural Resources • Elizabeth Braatz, Chicago Wilderness Commission, Agnes Wojnarski Intern • Salt Creek Greenway Association, Valerie • Remi Ketchum, Chicago Wilderness Intern Spale • The Conservation Foundation, Stephen McCracken The following agencies and organizations • The Field Museum, Doug Stotz helped to develop the green infrastructure • Upper Des Plaines River Ecosystem mapping protocols and participated in the Partnership, Gary Paradoski workshops to produce the Core Green • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Infrastructure Network map, shown on the Service, Rand Briggs accompanying maps. • Village of Glenview, Kelsey Atkinson • Village of Glenview, Robyn Flakne • Chicago Metropolitan Agency for • Village of Glenview, Kirsten Triller Planning, Nora Beck • Des Plaines River Valley Restoration Project, John Kolar The following municipalities, park districts, • Forest Preserves of Cook County, and other local jurisdictions and Deborah Antlitz organizations participated in workshops or • Forest Preserves of Cook County, Andrew provided information to review the draft Donakowski Core Green Infrastructure Network map • Forest Preserves of Cook County, Diana and to help identify green infrastructure Krug Opportunity Areas – shown on • Forest Preserves of Cook County, Chip accompanying maps. O'Leary • Forest Preserves of Cook County, Kristin • Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Pink Planning, Nora Beck • Forest Preserves of Cook County, James • City of Des Plaines, Scott Mangum Ziemba • City of Park Ridge, Kim Alexander • Geosyntec Consultants, Mark Willobee • City of Prospect Heights, Steve Cutaia • Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, • City of Prospect Heights, Dan Millen Steve Byers • Northwest Municipal Conference, Mike • Kane County Development Department, Walczak Karen Miller • Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission, Agnes Wojnarski

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• Prospect Heights Natural Resources For information on the GIS layers Commission, Dana Sievertson assembled in this work and available to • Prospect Heights Natural Resources communities please contact: Commission, Kari Spiegelhalter • Prospect Heights Park District, Kathy Mark Johnston, The Field Museum Nowicki [email protected] • Village of Brookfield, Dan Kaup 312-665-7415 • Village of Brookfield, Ken Blaauw • Village of Brookfield, Keith Sbiral • Village of Brookfield, Emily Egan • Village of Brookfield, Jason Shallcross • Village of Glenview, Robyn Flakne • Village of Glenview, Angela Korabik • Village of Glenview, Nathaniel Hoerger • Village of La Grange Park, Brendan McLaughlin • Village of Lyons, Frank Torres • Village of Mount Prospect, Jeff Wulbecker • Village of Mount Prospect, Nellie Beckner • Village of Niles, Daniel Randolph • Village of Niles, Bruce Sylvester • Village of North Riverside, Guy Belmonte • Village of Northbrook, Cynthia Rogers

• Village of Northbrook, Laura Bell

• Village of Riverside, Ed Bailey

• Village of Riverside, Jean Sussman • Village of Riverside, Mike Collins • Village of Wheeling, John Dakarian • West Central Municipal Conference, Tammy Wierciak

For questions and additional information on the Des Plaines River green infrastructure mapping process and products please contact:

Nancy Williamson, IDNR [email protected] 815-263-9857

Chris Mulvaney, Chicago Wilderness [email protected] 312-224-8094

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APPENDIX A PROJECT STUDY AREA

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Appendix B - Green Infrastructure Network Map: North Community Cluster Appendix C - Green Infrastructure Network Map: North Community Cluster Appendix D - Green Infrastructure Network Map: South Community Cluster Appendix E - Opportunity Areas Map: North Community Cluster Appendix F - Opportunity Areas Map: North Community Cluster Appendix G - Opportunity Areas Map: South Community Cluster