Key Recommendations of the Chicago Wilderness Plan

The Chicago Wilderness Plan is for a great future for nature and people. [Back to the plan.]

Key Recommendations of
the Chicago Wilderness Plan

1. Land that is already preserved for conservation must be managed in such a way that biodiversity is protected and restored.

The continued degradation of existing preserves is a major threat to sustaining and enhancing biodiversity and to the quality of life in the region.

Deliberate action must be taken to halt the shrinking of the ecological habitat in these precious areas. Management action must be taken to restore natural processes, where possible, and compensate for their losses. Prescribed burns must be carried out in many preserves. Invasive species — the plants and animals that can dominate natural communities to such a degree that most of what is native is killed off — must be controlled. And programs to monitor the progress of management must be implemented.

2. More land with existing or potential biodiversity benefits must be preserved.

The only way to counteract the problem of fragmented habitat that threatens the survival of plants and animals is to make the areas they live on larger and of higher quality, and to build functional connections among the habitat islands.

Large tracts of land are critically important to:

• Birds and other animals that will not reproduce successfully within small areas of habitat. For example, the endangered Henslow's sparrow nests only in unobstructed, open prairies larger than 80 acres. Some grassland sites need to be as big as 1,000 acres to support the full community of grassland birds.

• Animals that need varied habitats during their life cycles. Many species of frogs and turtles, for example, need both water and dry land at different times in their lives. And while red-tailed hawks build their nests high in the trees, they require open fields for hunting prey. This argues in favor of protecting large mosaics of natural communities so diverse habitat needs for individual species can be met.

• Animals and plants that need to be far from the potential stresses caused by humans. Badgers require a large territory and prefer habitat isolated from people. And the yellow ladyslipper orchid is such a tempting target for thoughtless picking or transplanting that its best chance for survival is in a location far from forest preserve parking lots or picnic areas.

3. Management of streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the surrounding lands must be greatly improved by state agencies, local agencies, water reclamation districts, and private landowners in order to protect water quality and biodiversity.

One of the most significant effects of human settlement on the Chicago Wilderness region's natural environment has been the negative impact on streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands from draining, filling, damming, channelization, erosion, and pollution.

• The highest priority is to maintain the remaining high quality streams and lakes, those that support high numbers of native species. The number of stream segments that support high quality aquatic habitats is a measure of the effectiveness of our water resource management efforts.

• Attention should be given to changes in ground water levels for terrestrial communities and wetlands.

• Restoration of meanders and riffles should be considered.

• Local agencies should seek alternatives to expanded discharges into high quality streams.

4. More monitoring and other research needs to be conducted in order to understand the effects that human disturbance and ecological restoration efforts are having on biodiversity.

It's not a simple task to understand an ecosystem. If local land managers are expected to do the best possible work to maintain and conserve biodiversity, they need to be supported by continuing scientific research that can guide them in choosing the most effective management actions. And further management efforts should be conducted in ways that continue to evaluate what works best.

The plan's objectives for research include:

• Compiling a prioritized list of research needs and conducting research projects that assist scientists and land managers in conserving biodiversity.

Controlled burns are an essential management tool. Photo by James Rowan.

Natural areas are a vital recreational resource. Photo by Karen Engstrom.

Restoring wetlands leads to many benefits for people. Photo by Kim Karpeles/Life Through the Lens.

Monitoring ecological health helps improve management actions. Photo by Kim Karpeles/Life Through the Lens.

Our natural areas provide unique labs and classrooms. Photo by Richard Jacobs/Root Resources.

A volunteer removes invasive non-native mustard plants. Volunteers play a key role in biodiversity conservation. Photo by Kim Karpeles/Life Through the Lens.

• Understanding the effects of human activities. The impact of the uses of land adjacent to natural communities has barely been studied. For example, when decisions are being made about road expansions, citizens will want to know what effect road salt has on nearby plant populations.

• Understanding the effect different restoration and management techniques have on various natural communities and individual species.

• Understanding the genetic diversity among different populations of the same species. For example, the prairie white fringed orchid was once a common plant of the region, but now it survives only in small preserves located many miles apart. Information on the plant's DNA will help scientists decide whether to crossbreed plants from different locations.

• Developing baseline inventories for groups that have not yet been widely studied. For example, little is known about the insects and other organisms that live in the soil, yet we know their existence is crucial to the health of plants visible above ground. Since no one knows how many soil organisms there are now, we currently have only indirect ways of evaluating how management actions affect biodiversity within the soil.

• Studying plants and animals that are classified as threatened, endangered, or of special concern on state and federal lists more thoroughly, so we can better understand their breeding systems, habitat requirements, and threats to their populations. Issues such as understanding the genetic distinctiveness of isolated small populations of rare plants will be important. With this knowledge, we have a better chance of saving these species from extinction.

• Developing and implementing a regional monitoring protocol to help identify progress toward recovery goals and needed adjustments in management activities and to identify emerging critical research needs.

5. Citizens' awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation should be increased as should the level of opportunity for participation in programs and efforts that enhance biodiversity.

Understanding and support from the public are essential to the success of any important civic endeavor, including the implementation of this plan.

The topic of sustaining biodiversity is just beginning to be taught in schools and conveyed by the media. Many citizens who already have a strong environmental ethic -- and may understand the importance of the biodiversity of the tropical rainforests -- have yet to be introduced to the global importance of the Chicago region's natural treasures and the danger of the continuing loss of local native species.

A long-term biodiversity education effort will help future generations make better informed environmental decisions, while a short-term strategy is aimed at informing the public about current, pressing issues related to local biodiversity protection and restoration.

The business community also has a role in biodiversity conservation efforts. Increased recognition that the natural areas of the Chicago region are an economic asset will help spur involvement and support for protection.

6. Local and regional development policies should reflect the need to restore and maintain natural areas and biodiversity.

Almost every day, public officials have an opportunity to help preserve and enhance biodiversity. While officials have many objectives to balance in decisions that involve land use, biodiversity should be among their priorities.

Collectively, our 320 municipalities and 10 counties in the Chicago Wilderness region review and guide the design of hundreds of land development and redevelopment proposals every week. Each proposal represents an opportunity to preserve or restore habitat to some degree. On-site open space systems, landscaping styles, stormwater absorption techniques, setbacks and buffering standards, and habitat management criteria can all be substantially influenced by staff and public officials as projects are reviewed at plan commissions, zoning boards, and municipal and county boards, and councils. To make a true difference in biodiversity conservation and restoration, municipal and county officials should inventory habitats, identify restoration opportunities, plan open space systems, and encourage supportive engineering and subdivision design techniques that allow habitats to sustain themselves over time.

The marketplace is changing, spurred on by homeowners fascinated by their backyard habitats, corporate campuses colored with native landscape restorations, and a new generation of developers designing communities that return stormwater to the soil and retain and restore natural landscape systems for residents.

Municipal and county officials should take biodiversity into account in reviewing and approving developments. Municipal and county comprehensive plans, ordinances, engineering practices, and training for staff all need to be adjusted so that impacts on biodiversity are considered in each step of the development review process.

Natural landscapes require much less time, money, and effort to maintain once they are established. Long-term needs for irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are virtually eliminated. Instead, controlled burning or mowing may be needed every one to three years.

Regional planning efforts should also incorporate biodiversity conservation within their priorities. For example, Lake, DuPage, and Kane counties are currently in the process of jointly creating stormwater regulatory policies, which could have critical impact on biodiversity. And state and regional transportation planning sets policy under which hundreds of road repair and construction projects are carried out each year. High standards for biodiversity protection should be adopted and applied in these and other regional efforts.

Few regions in this country have taken such progressive steps to protect their natural heritage. Through participation and support from caring individuals and the development and execution of wise policies by public officials, the Chicago metropolitan area can become one of the first places in the world to undertake this progressive and historic task.

Chicago Wilderness Plan overview

Goals of the plan

How can you help?

Organizations that have approved the plan

Where to learn more

The same machines that destroy nature may be harnessed to restore it — but wisdom and good science must sit in the driver's seat. Photo courtesy of Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

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