The City of Evanston held a community meeting on January 15, 2014 where the Illinois Department of Natural Resources gave a presentation on opportunities for a partnership.

1. Opportunities for
Evanston-Illinois Partnership
City of Evanston
Morton Civic Center
January 15, 2014

2. Overview
 General Background on IDNR
 Who we are/ How we work
 Asian Carp
 Great Lakes Leadership
 Millennium Reserve
 Coastal Management Program
 Background and Initiatives
 Illinois Lake Michigan Implementation Plan
 Coastal Community Assistance
 Possibilities for the Harley Clarke Facility
 Questions and Answers

3. Some of DNR’s Responsibilities:
 State Lands Management (Parks)
 Resource Conservation







(Fish, Wildlife, Forestry, Private lands- including
Hunting and Fishing)
Conservation Law Enforcement
Mines and Minerals Regulation
Water Resources Regulation (drinking
water, floods)
Realty and Environmental Planning
Architecture, Engineering and Grants (Projects)
Strategic Services (Licensing, permits, education)
Illinois State Museum

4. IDNR- Making a Difference
 Manage 324 State Parks and
“Illinois DNR
supports 90,000 jobs
and $32 billion
worth of economic
activity.”
Facilities with 45 million
visitors annually.
 Annually review 21,000
economic development
projects to assure no adverse
impacts to state natural
resources.
 Permit energy production
(mining, oil and gas, etc.)
supporting 50,000 jobs.
 Manage water supply for 7
million people in 200
communities, and regulate
floodplains/controls.

5. Examples of IDNR Programs and
Initiatives
 Asian Carp and Invasive Species
 Regional Great Lakes Leadership
 Millennium Reserve: Calumet Core
 Coastal Management Program

7. Asian Carp Control Strategy
Framework
Goal: Prevent establishment of selfsustaining carp populations in the
Great Lakes
A collaborative effort of federal, state
and local agencies.
Transition from single point of defense
at the electric barriers to multi-tiered
approach.

9. High Impact Invaders
Sea Lamprey in the 1920’s
Zebra Mussels in the 1980’s
Quagga Mussels in the 1980’s

10. Making Lemonade
Governor Pat Quinn
signed a deal with a
Chinese Food processing
company to purchase 50
million pounds of Illinois
River Asian Carp creating
180 direct and indirect
jobs.

11. If You Can’t Beat Them- Eat Them

12. Great Lakes Mississippi River
Inter-Basin Study (GLIMRIS)

14. GLIMRIS Alternatives

15. Alternative 3

16. Alternative 4

17. Providing Leadership to Great Lakes
Organizations
 Great Lakes Commission
 Council of Great Lakes Governors
 Governor Quinn is Co-Chair
 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
 Great Lakes Compact Council/Regional body

18. IDNR Conservation Congress
 Illinois Conservation Congress is a way for IDNR constituents to
propose and advocate actions that can protect and conserve the
natural resources of the State of Illinois.
 The Conservation Congress process gives the public an
opportunity to help IDNR set priorities on a wide range of natural
resources issues.
 Opportunities to engage with IDNR through Conservation
Congress:

Online survey of conservation issues
 Open week of Jan. 13: www.dnr.illinois.gov

Live webcasts: Thursdays with IDNR - www.dnr.illinois.gov





January 23: Habitat Restoration & Protection
January 30: Land & Water Management
February 6: Outdoor Recreation
February 13: Partnerships to Promote Education & Volunteerism
February 20: Communications & Customer Service

19. MILLENNIUM RESERVE
Shaping the Future of
the Calumet Region
Suellen Burns
Senior Advisor – Millennium Reserve
Illinois Department of Natural
Resources
January 15, 2014

20. Overview

21. Ecological Region of Significance
Snowy egret
Wilson’s phalarope

22. Industrial Heritage and Legacy
Chicago West Pullman and Southern Railroad
served US Steel and Pullman.
Republic Steel (built 1876) at Avenue O & Calumet River
Calumet River: a working river

23. Polish
Irish
Yugoslavian
Czechoslovakian
Swedish
Serbians
Slovenians
Italian
German
Croatian
Austrian
Mexican
(~1926)
African American
(post WWII)
Community
100th Street Train
Station c. 1900
St Archangel Michael
Serbian Orthodox Church
106th and Torrence

24. Mid-1980s: 200,000 jobs lost
Wisconsin Steel: boom (1875) and bust (1982)
US Steel South Works: heyday (early 1900s) and today
“[Let’s] talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and
women of every race.” – Presidential candidate Barack Obama, March 18, 2008

25. Acme Steel – 1884-2002

26. Calumet Area Open Space Reserve
Calumet Area Land Use Plan
Opportunity to Build on Existing Efforts

27. America’s Great Outdoors
A promise to future generations…
 Reconnect
Americans, especially
children, to America's outdoors
 Build upon local priorities for
the conservation of
land, water, wildlife, historic, a
nd cultural resources
 Use science-based
management practices to
restore and protect our lands
and waters for future
generations

28. Shared Leadership

29. Steering Committee
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
 The Field Museum
 Openlands
 ArcelorMittal USA
 Forest Preserve District of Cook
County
 CSX Transportation
 Funk Linko Inc.
 Calumet Stewardship Initiative
 Illinois Department of Natural
Resources
 The Chicago Community Trust
 Chicago Metropolitan Agency for





Planning
Chicago Neighborhood
Initiatives
Chicago Park District
City of Chicago
Cook County
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley
Foundation
 Illinois International Port
District
 Metropolitan Planning Council
 Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago
 The Pullman Civic Organization
 South Suburban Mayors &
Managers Association

30. Steering Committee Duties
 Develop action agenda for environmental
restoration, outdoor recreation, and economic and
community development
 Identify projects and major policy initiatives of
regional significance
 Identify resources to carry out projects
 Create and implement short- and long-term work
plans
 Coordinate and engage with Indiana

31. State Agency Task Force
 Inform and consider
priorities and specific
actions of Steering
Committee
 Align and focus State of
Illinois resources and
authorities behind
Steering Committee
work plan
DCEO
DNR
DOT
IL EPA
HPA

32. Immediate Timeline
January 2014
 Steering Committee
report, recommendations, and action plan to
Governor Quinn
February 2014
 Announcement by the Governor

33. Examples of Partnership-driven
Projects and Accomplishments

34. Chicago Park District Wetlands Restoration
 Big Marsh and Hegewisch Marsh
parcels total over 400 acres of
natural wetlands near Lake
Calumet
 Restoring water levels necessary
to provide habitat and support
nesting for rare birds
 These sites are critical locations
for wetland bird populations in
the region
Lead Agency: Chicago Park District
Main Partner: IDNR

35. GreenCorps Calumet
 Green job training and invasive
species control at 15 city and
suburban sites
 Benefits both the local
ecosystem and economy by
hiring and training individuals
with barriers to employment
Lead Agency: City of Chicago
Key Partners: Chicago Park
District, FPDCC, IDNR, US EPA

36. New Funds for Southland Trails
Key connectors for the 100-mile loop of
Southland trails
 Cal-Sag Trail: new sections will connect
185,000+ people in 14 communities
 Thorn Creek Trail extension to 17.5 miles
Bolster:
 recreational opportunities
 eco-tourism
 related consumer spending in the region
Lead Agency: Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Key Partners: Active Transportation
Alliance, IDNR, Illinois Department of
Transportation, Openlands, National Park
Service, Trails for Illinois

37. Mighty Acorns
 Curriculum is correlated to the Illinois STEM Standards
 Fosters a personal connection between students and
natural areas in their communities
 First-step opportunities for conservation career
development
Lead Agency: Field Museum
Key Partners: Calumet Stewardship Initiative, FPDCC, IDNR

38. Tillman Maritime Academy
 This new program
offers environmental
education, job
training, and service
learning for lowincome, at
risk, primarily African
American young
people aged 16-24.
Lead Agency: Prologue
Current & Prospective Partners:
Blacks in
Green, GreenCorps, IL
Conservation Police – Marine
Unit, SSMMA,IDNR
Future Site

39. IDNR’s role in project examples
 Funding
 Technical assistance
 Program development
and/or
 Other supporting role(s) in each of these partnership-
driven projects

40. Long-term Goals
Strategic and focused investment in:
 Environmental enhancement
and outdoor recreation
 Economic redevelopment
 Stronger neighborhoods
and communities

41. Illinois Coastal Management Program
Illinois was officially approved
as a Coastal Management
Program on Jan 31, 2012
Purposes:
1. Support partnerships among governmental agencies, and organizations.
2. Strengthen local stakeholder capacity,
3. Initiate and continue effective coastal management.

42. Illinois’ Coastal Zone

43. ICMP Priorities
Economic
Development
Habitat &
Natural
Areas
Persistent
Toxins
Invasive
Species
Climate Change
Sustainable
Development
Priority
Waterways
Nonpoint Source
Pollution
Access &
Recreation

44. Illinois Lake Michigan
Implementation Plan (ILMIP)
 ILMIP is our blueprint for identifying and implementing
priority management activities in the Illinois Coastal
area.
 Goals of the plan were:
 To guide program direction and set funding
priorities for Coastal Grants Program.
 To increase the number and diversity of Coastal
and Lake Michigan stakeholders
 To develop a system to gather and prioritize
future stakeholder input.

45. Top Priorities
Chicago & Evanston
Chicago & Evanston:
• Improve habitat value of
urbanized areas
• Restore riparian areas for
wildlife habitat
• Green infrastructure to
reduce stormwater

46. Community Assistance: Climate Adaptation
Historically low water levels…
High Intensity Storms…

47. Community Assistance: Recreation
Goals:
1. To increase recreational access and
opportunities throughout the Illinois
Coastal Area.
2. To better connect land based trails and
water trails with their coastal
communities and amenities.
Photo by Kathy Siegrist, CASKA
Opportunities:
1. Access Points for Lake Michigan Water
Trail.
2. Extending lake shore trails where
feasible.
3. Creating known connections among
various trails and communities.
4. Supporting amenities for trail users .
5. Increasing awareness and publicity of
trails.

48. Coastal Grant Program
 Project Types- Education and
Outreach, Planning, Low Cost
Construction, Habitat Restoration, Land
Acquisition

49. The Ripple Effect: Building a Community
that Cares About Our Great Lake
Grantee: Park District of Highland Park
Project Focus: Interpretive signage, outreach materials,
and specialized scientific equipment to enhance
visitor learning about nearshore, dune, and ravine
ecosystems at the new Lakefront Interpretive Center.
Summer 2013
Project Spotlight

50. Stormwater from the Ground Up
Grantee: League of Women Voters
Project Focus: Public information campaign
to educate citizens about the problems
associated with stormwater
runoff, emphasizing actions that
individuals, communities, and regions can
take to alleviate flooding.
Summer 2013
Project Spotlight

51. Harley Clarke Opportunities
 Keeping Public Assets Public:





Coastal Education Center – open to public
Beach, park, and recreational access
Coastal Science Classroom for schools
A regional public meeting space
Coastal program for a prominent Lakefront
site is a great fit!

52. Additional Opportunities…
 IDNR service center for
local communities
 Restore and manage
natural habitats- training
and volunteer
opportunities
 Support lake- and
resource-based activity
generators (e.g.
kayaks, tours)
 Education and research
synergies with
Northwestern University

53. Potential Improvements to Harley
Clarke
 Upgrades to meet safety and
other building codes.
 Opportunities for improved
energy efficiency and
sustainability
 Demonstration site for
environmentally sustainable best
management practices (e.g.
water and waste management)

54. Potential Grounds Improvements
 Green Infrastructure to protect water
quality (e.g. permeable pavement
parking lots, rain gardens, bioswales)
 Lakefront habitat
management to promote
passive recreation (e.g.
birding, wildlife watching).
 Includes invasive/exotic
species removal and
native planting and
landscaping

55. Why is IDNR interested….
 Logical central lakefront location within our




coastal program boundary.
Excellent opportunity to expand education
and recreational activities.
Natural Resource Agency facility in
partnership with widely recognized Green
City.
IDNR’s Coastal programming is a great fit with
the Evanston Lakefront Master Plan.
Evanston is a special place ….IDNR feels that
there is a great opportunity for partnership.

56. Thank You
todd.main@illinois.gov
suellen.burns@illinois.gov
diane.tecic@illinois.gov