Protect, Preserve and Expand our Green Legacy: Old Plank Road Trail OLD PLANK ROAD TRAIL In the works for years, the 21-mile Old Plank Road Trail into Joliet was finally completed during the Centennial by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. It con- nects to Joliet’s municipal bikeway system, which, in turn, connects to the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail. This exemplifies the Green Legacy approach by closing a critical gap in the Grand Illinois Trail, thereby giving Joliet and many other neighborhoods and communities new connections to rivers and streams and better ac- cess to nearby forest preserves and parks. The trail passes through rare railroad prairie (Dewey Courtesy of Openlands Helmick Nature Preserve) and a wetland habitat with REGIONAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE more than 200 native plants and 160 species of birds. The creation of the Old Plank Road Trail si the result of Our region’s communities are connected through a network more than 20 years of the inter-governmental coopera- of open spaces and natural areas — greenways and trails, tion, involving state and local government and many wetlands, parks and forest preserves — from southeastern citizen volunteers. Presenting Sponsor for the Environment Wisconsin through Illinois to northwestern Indiana. A century ago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett un- veiled their Plan of Chicago, a framework for growth in the greater Chicago area. Their vision included a network of forest preserve districts, open spaces and trails that laid the foundation for the green infrastructure that so enriches the quality of life in our three-state Chicago metropolis. GREEN LEGACY PROJECTS The Old Plank Road Trail is a project of the Forest Preserve One of the priority goals of the Burnham Plan Centennial District of Will County. All of the Burnham Plan Centennial is to make real progress in closing important gaps in the Green Legacy Projects build on many years of hard work by region’s green infrastructure, and to build momentum for civic organizations, community residents, foundations and creating the nation’s greenest region during the next 100 government. They are the enduring legacy of Daniel Burn- years. Across the metropolitan area, the Burnham Plan ham’s Plan of Chicago, are critical to the long-term health of Centennial and the nonprofit organization Openlands have the region, and serve as catalysts for improving our quality of identified more than 20 “Green Legacy” projects that close life over the next 100 years. some of these critical gaps. When completed, these projects will help to: Courtesy of Openlands For more information about the Burnham Plan Centennial and its Green Legacy Projects visit • Complete Our Region’s Trail System • Connect Us to Our Rivers and Streams • Expand Neighborhood Green Space burnhamplan100.org • Protect Our Shoreline • Preserve Regionally Significant Open Space WISCONSIN ILLINOIS BURNHAM PLAN Hack-ma-tack Reserve BURNHAM PLAN CENTENNIAL CENTENNIAL Grand Illinois Trail Waukegan GREEN LEGACY Lakefront PROGREENJECT LEGACYS PROJECTSCOMPLETE OUR REGION’S TRAIL SYSTEM Burnham Greenway Kishwaukee River Openlands Lakeshore COMPLETECalumet-Sag Tr OURail REGION’S Preserve TRAILFox Riv erSYSTEM Trail BurnhamKankakee RiGreenwayverfront Tr ail Marquette Greenway Trail Deer Grove Preserve Calumet-Sag Trail D Old Plank Road Trail es Plaines Riv Fox River Trail r ve Kankakee Riverfront Trail x Ri Marquette Greenway Trail Fo CONNECT US TO OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS er Last 4 Miles OldChicago Plank Ri veRoadrwalk Trail Salt Cr (North) Little Calumet River Water Trail eek CONNECT US TO OUR Bloomingdale Trail RIVERSEXPAND AND NEIGHBORHOOD STREAMS GREEN SPACE Chicago Bloomingdale Trail Riverwalk Chicago Riverwalk LittleEnglew Calumetood New River ERA Tr Waterail Trail go River Chica Englewood New ERA Trail EXPANDPROTECT OURNEIGHBORHOOD SHORELINE Fox River Trail GREENLake Michigan SPACEMICHIGA WaterN Trail M Canal INDIANA I& Calumet Open Last 4 Miles (South) BloomingdaleLast 4 Miles Trail Space Reserve Burnham Greenway EngelwoodMarquette Plan New ERA Trail Cal-Sag ver ver Openlands Lakeshore Preserve Channel Marquette Plan ines Ri PROTECTWaukegan La OURkefront SHORELINE uPage Ri Grand Calum D Des Pla Calumet-Sag Trail et River Lake Michigan Water Trail Marquette LastPRESER 4 MilesVE OPEN SPACE Lockport-Joliet Heritage Park Greenway Trail Little Calumet River Rock Run Greenway MarquetteCalumet Open Plan Space Reserve Old Plank Road Trail Little Calumet River OpenlandsDeer Grove Pr Lakeshoreeserve Preserve Water Trail Hack-ma-tack Reserve Grand Illinois Trail Waukegan Lakefront Kankakee Sands PRESERVELockport-Joliet OPEN Heritage SPACE Park CalumetMidewin National Open Space Tallgra ssReserve Prairie DeerRock RunGrove Green Preserveway Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Hack-ma-tack Reserve Grand Illinois Trail Kankakee Sands Lockport-Joliet Heritage Park Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Rock Run Greenway ee River ExistingExisting and Proposed and Proposed Trails Trails Kankak A Water Trails Kankakee IS O Water Trails Riverfront Trail Kankakee IAN Green Infrastructure LLIN I Sands IND Green Infrastructure.