News

Counties to Vote for More Nature

As the population of the Chicago metropolitan area continues to grow and spread across the landscape, vistas of woodlands and prairies become harder to find. However, several northeastern Illinois counties are working toward ensuring that open space does not become a thing of the past.

On January 9, the Forest Preserve District of Kane County voted to approve a spring referendum measure to determine if the district should sell $85 million in bonds to purchase additional acres of open space. If voters approve the referendum, scheduled for April 17, it would be the third such measure passed in Kane County since 1999 in favor of protecting open space.

Similarly, the Forest Preserve District of Kendall County voted on February 6 to raise a $45 million referendum to the voters. If Kendall County residents vote yes to increasing open space, their affirmation would preserve momentum from the county’s 2002 referendum. Since Kendall’s holdings are still relatively small, each new purchase builds the district’s preserves noticeably.

For more details about these and prior referenda, visit The Conservation Foundation’s Web site.

On April 17, McHenry County residents will vote on a $73 million referendum to help the McHenry County Conservation District purchase and restore 4,500 more acres of open land. The district, which currently owns more than 20,000 acres, hopes that through its continuous effort, it can provide a healthy habitat for native species, improve the water quality of McHenry County’s streams, reduce flooding, and preserve the sights and sounds of nature.

—Catherine Bendowitz