Biodiversity RECOVERY PLAN Final Draft for Public Review September 1999 Preface This plan is the result of efforts by more than 200 people Larry Christmas of NIPC created the first integrated draft who participated in preparing background papers and in of the plan. Barbara Hill served as technical editor. workshops to address scientific and policy issues. These Special recognition is due to Elizabeth McCance and Tim have included taxonomic workshops that focused on Sullivan for their tireless work in organizing the many groups of species (mammals, birds, amphibians, etc.) and science workshops and the resulting work products. ecosystem types (forests, prairies, wetlands, etc.) The Also, recognition is due to Wayne Schennum of the plan has also been shaped by the work of the various McHenry Conservation District for his valuable contri- Chicago Wilderness Teams (Science, Land Management, butions to virtually all of the science workshops together Education and Communications, and Policy and Strat- with his integrative perspective. egy), as well as a wide variety of other workshops includ- ing the recovery plan review session during the 1999 Initial funding for development of the recovery plan Chicago Wilderness Congress. was provided through grants from the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency. Additional funding was pro- While no portion of the plan is the product of any one vided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, person, members of the Recovery Plan Task Force served the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife as editor/writers for one or more chapters or major chap- Service. Matching funds were provided by the Illinois ter segments. Laurel Ross, of The Nature Conservancy, Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, NIPC, and the John Paige and Irene Hogstrom Martinez of the North- Brookfield Zoo. eastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), Kent Fuller of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Tim A major strength of this plan lies in its creation through Sullivan and Elizabeth McCance of the Brookfield Zoo, a participatory process that assembled a broad based Ders Anderson of the Openlands Project, Susanne Masi consensus of expert opinion. If it is to remain valid and of the Chicago Botanic Garden and Jim Anderson of the become implemented, it must continue to be refined, to Lake County Forest Preserve District and the Chicago grow, and to incorporate new information as it becomes Wilderness Science Team all served in this capacity. Steve available. This is the intent as it is offered for wide pub- Packard of the National Audubon Society provided valu- lic comment. Comments are welcome at any time and able comments throughout and John Oldenberg of the can be sent to Chicago Wilderness in care of John Paige DuPage County Forest Preserve District provided essen- at the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, 222 tial input on the perspective of Forest Preserve Districts. S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606. Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1. Executive Summary: Chicago 6.3 Lake communities—status, recovery Wilderness and Its Biodiversity Recovery Plan goals, and recommended actions . .83 6.4 Near-shore waters of Lake Michigan . .88 1.1 Introduction . .5 1.2 The vision . .8 Chapter 7. Status of Endangered and Threatened 1.3 Key findings and recommendations . .9 Species: Assessment and Recommendations Chapter 2. The Values of Biodiversity 7.1 Importance of endangered and threatened species to the Chicago Wilderness 2.1 Overview of the values of biodiversity . .13 recovery plan . .89 2.2 Issues in evaluating the costs and benefits 7.2 Endangered and threatened species of protecting biodiversity . .15 within a community context . .90 7.3 Why are organisms rare? . .90 Chapter 3. The Biodiversity Challenge in 7.4 Threats and stresses to endangered an Expanding Region and threatened species . .91 3.1 How we got where we are today . .18 7.5 Protection status of listed species . .91 3.2 Current status and future of 7.6 Management and recovery metropolitan-wide development . .21 recommendations . .91 3.3 The impact of development on ecosystems . .25 3.4 Urban biodiversity . .30 Chapter 8. Preserving Land and Water Resources for Biodiversity Chapter 4. Overview of Assessment Processes 8.1 Introduction . .93 and Findings for Natural Communities and 8.2 Private landowners: initiatives Species of the Region for conservation . .93 4.1 Terrestrial communities . .31 8.3 Local governments: plans, ordinances, 4.2 Aquatic communities . .40 contracts, and strategies . .96 Chapter 5. Terrestrial Communities: Chapter 9. Ecological Management, Status, Needs, and Goals Research, and Monitoring 5.1 Introduction . .43 9.1 Introduction . .102 5.2 Forested communities—status and 9.2 Techniques and guidelines for ecological recovery goals . .43 restoration and management . .102 5.3 Savanna communities—status and 9.3 Monitoring and adaptive management . .109 recovery goals . .48 5.4 Prairie communities—status and Chapter 10. Education and Communication recovery goals . .50 10.1 The role of communication and 5.5 Wetland communities—status and environmental education . .114 recovery goals . .54 10.2 Goals and actions for biodiversity 5.6 Minor community types . .59 education and communication . .119 5.7 Threats and stressors to terrestrial 10.3 Conclusion . .123 communities . .62 5.8 Recommended action . .65 Chapter 11. Role of Key Players 5.9 Research needs for maintenance and recovery of biodiversity in the Chicago 11.1 Introduction . .124 Wilderness region . .71 11.2 Role of government agencies . .124 11.3 Role of private sector . .135 Chapter 6. Aquatic Communities: 11.4 Role of volunteers . .137 Status, Needs, and Goals 11.5 Conflict resolution and intergovernmental cooperation: recommending a comprehensive 6.1 Introduction . .74 process for managing growth . .139 6.2 Stream communities—status, recovery goals, and recommended actions . .74 Literature Cited . .140 3 Appendices Table 4.4 Sum of Acres from Illinois Natural Areas Inventory by Community Type 1. Chicago Wilderness Terrestrial and Grade . .35 Community Classification System . .144 Table 4.5 Sum of Acres in Protected or 2. Crosswalk between Chicago Wildnerness Other Significant Natural Areas by Communities and the National Standard Community Type . .36 for Community Types . .155 Table 4.6 Sum of Acres in Protected Areas in 3. Glossary of Scientific and Common Illinois Counties by Community Type . .39 Names . .157 Table 4.7 Conservation Targests for 4. Preliminary Results of Community Recovery Based on Status, Importance, Workshop Assessments . .160 and Distribution . .41 5. Chicago Wilderness Aquatic Table 4.8 Terrestrial Species Assemblages (or Classification . .162 species in the case of mammals) of Consern 6. Priority Groups of Endangered and or in an Overall Declining Condition . .41 Threatened Plant Species in Chicago Table 4.9 Terrestrial Species Assemblages which Wilderness . .164 are Critical or Important to the Global 7. Tools for Communication and Conservation of the Assemblages . .42 Education Efforts . .168 Table 4.10 Summary of the Aquatic 8. Chicago Wilderness Member Community Types in the Chicago Wilderness Organizations:Their Mission and Classification System . .42 Significant Regional Achievements . .169 Figure 6.1 Flow Chart for Determining Stream 9. Examples of Natural Landscaping and Watershed Status . .76 Installation and Maintenance Cost . .178 Table 6.1 Stream Based Species Features 10. Conflict Resolution and Intergovernmental of Concern . .78 Cooperation. A Model for Growth Figure 6.2 Priority Watersheds in Northeastern Management. .179 Illinois . .79 11. Recommendations and Action Table 6.2 Preliminary Assessment Showing Statements . .181 Exceptional Lakes . .84 Tables and Figures Table 6.3 Preliminary Assessment Showing Important Lakes . .85 Table 3.1 Growth Forecasts for the Chicago Wilderness Region . .22 Table 11.1 Major Public Land Owning Agencies Information . .125 Figure 3.1 Ecosystem Health and Human Activity . .25 Table 4.1 Terrestrial Community Types in the Chicago Wilderness Classification System . .32 Table 4.2 Crosswalk between Chicago Wilderness Communities and National Standard for Community Types for those Communities which are Globally Rare . .33 Table 4.3 Terrestrial Animal Assemblages Identified for Conservation Planning . .34 4 Chapter 1 Executive Summary Chicago Wilderness and Its Biodiversity Recovery Plan Many of the surviving natural communities of the 1.1 Chicago region are of national and global significance Introduction for conservation. The region is blessed with both richness and opportunity for its conservation. Yet research indi- cates that we are experiencing a steady decline in both 1.1.1 Chicago Wilderness: who we are, native species and communities. For example: what we are accomplishing. • In a review for this plan, the Chicago Wilderness “Chicago Wilderness” refers to nature and to the people Science and Land Management Teams found that and institutions that protect it. Chicago Wilderness is more than half of the major community types of the 200,000 acres of protected conservation land—some of region were at the highest level of conservation con- the largest and best surviving woodlands, wetlands, and cern due either to the small amount remaining or to prairies in the Midwest. It is also the much larger matrix the poor ecological health of the remaining examples. of public and private lands of many kinds that support • A 1995 survey of DuPage County forest preserves nature in