Wonderful work by restoration volunteers!  Click on this link.

VSN Annual Report FY15

PSCC’s Conservation Land Trust Handbook (link below).  Most of you have contributed to this effort – thank you.  PSCC is working to increase the visibility of the work of non-profit conservation land trusts in Illinois, and we think the Handbook helps to illustrate our impact.  It’s a work in progress, but we hope it will be useful tool, whether it helps you connect with fellow land trusts or serves in a meeting with local legislators.

PSCC Handbook v1.0

Exciting news!  PSCC has been awarded a $48,000 grant from Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to help complete I-View.  Please see the press release link below.  We anticipate that I-View will open the door to more collaboration and focus towards achieving important statewide conservation goals.

Press Release ICECF

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/06/midwestern-cities

Economic Value of The Conservation Foundation’s 33,000 Acres of Preserved Land – Executive Summary

Those that do not look deep into nature may not see value in its preservation. However, recent work has explored the economic impact of the goods and services, or ecosystem services (ESS), that nature freely provides. Unfortunately, it is because ESS are “free”, e.g. one cannot derive a direct profit or cost off of their functionalities, development decisions do not factor in the economic ramifications of environmental degradation. This economic invisibility limits the urgency placed on protecting nature and has resulted in the destruction and degradation of natural areas, in turn imposing an unrecognized cost on society. In an attempt to combat this economic distortion and consequently promote future preservation initiatives, The Conservation Foundation (TCF) has valued the annual economic impact of the ESS provided by the approximately 33,000 acres that it has helped preserve at $210,273,428.83. This paper will explain why it was necessary to value natural areas, provide a high-level explanation of ESS, and discuss the valuation techniques used.

Click on this link below for the executive summary.

33,000 acres White Paper Summary

Nearly 50 conservation land trust leaders from throughout the state came together on February 26-27 at Starved Rock State Park to learn from each other, share ideas and explore new ways to expand our capacity to preserve more land in Illinois.  The 2015 PSCC Annual Meeting was a huge success at focusing on key strategic issues facing the conservation land trust community.

A special thank you to former House Republican Leader Tom Cross for helping us better understand how to talk to state legislators and develop meaningful relationships.

A special thank you to all of the wonderful presenters and volunteers who helped make this one of the best annual meetings ever!  Thank you all for attending and we hope to see you next year.

Illinois Audubon Society partners with Joliet Park District to expand Pilcher Park   Non-profit and local government join together to protect natural area   JOLIET, IL.  The Illinois Audubon Society today announced its acquisition of 80-acres adjacent to Joliet Park District’s Pilcher Park in Will County. With a generous $1.38 million dollar grant from Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, the Society purchased the property for $1.9 million dollars. The purchase price exceeds an all-time high in the Society’s history as a land trust. Pending the District’s receipt of an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant, the Society intends to sell the parcel to Joliet Park District (JPD) at a bargain-sale. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation assists nonprofit organizations and local governments in acquiring important natural areas and wildlife habitat. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has provided over $55 million in grant awards for the protection of habitat at 148 sites located in counties throughout Illinois.   Illinois Audubon Executive Director Tom Clay said, “This acquisition is truly a future model for land protection. We are adding 80-acres of high-quality woodland and wetland communities to one of Joliet’s most beautiful city parks at a minimal cost to taxpayers.” Clay added, “At a time when state and local governments struggle to make ends meet, this transaction demonstrates that private and public organizations can work together in cost-effective ways to protect our most critical landscapes.”   Joliet Park District Chief Executive Officer Dominic Egizio said the District plans to immediately begin working on the addition. “We will demolish existing structures, repair existing roads, address erosion in ravines, culverts and roadsides and align new trails for public use, connecting Pilcher Park to the added acreage,” Egizio said.   Pilcher Park and the surrounding tract offer an appealing mix of graceful ravines, lush bottomland forest and small winding streams. Harlow Higginbotham, an important figure in Chicago during the late nineteenth century, once owned Pilcher Park. Higginbotham was the president of Chicago’s extremely successful Columbian Exposition in 1893. In 1920, Higginbotham sold the parcel to Robert Pilcher, a businessman and self-taught naturalist, who eventually donated his acreage of virgin woodland to the City of Joliet with the stipulation that the land be left wild.   The 80-acre tract buffers Pilcher Park (413-acres) and is in immediate proximity to Highland Park (41-acres) and Higginbotham Woods (239-acres). Pilcher Park is a Category 1 Natural Area Inventory Site (INAI), meaning the site hosts documented high quality natural communities. Glen Marcum, President of Joliet Park District’s (JPD) Board of Commissioners said, “We have wanted to protect this Pilcher Park buffer for many years and today’s acquisition is cause for celebration.” President Marcum and the remaining JPD Board of Directors, Vice-President Art Schultz, Commissioners Tim Broderick, Brett Gould and Sue Gulas, intend to seek Illinois Nature Preserve status for Pilcher Park.   The mission of the Illinois Audubon Society is to promote the perpetuation and appreciation of native plants and animals and the habitats that support them. The Society is an independent, member supported, not-for-profit, statewide organization. Founded in 1897, the Society is Illinois’ oldest private conservation organization with 2250 members, 20 chapters (including Will County Audubon Society) and 19 affiliate groups. The Illinois Audubon Society has protected 3500 acres by investing $8.8 million to protect land and water throughout Illinois.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County, the country’s oldest, largest and greatest forest preserve,

is seeking to fill the position of Deputy Director in the Department of Resource Management.

The Department of Resource Management’s primary function is to execute the mission of the

Preserve: “…to preserve, protect, restore and restock natural areas throughout the County.”

The Department is comprised of several sections, including Wildlife, Fisheries, Ecology,

Resource Management Crews and Project Management.

The Forest Preserve is in the beginning stages of executing the Next Century Conservation Plan

(NCCP), a long-term plan that was created to ensure the Preserve is a leader in urban

conservation (http://www.nextcenturyconservationplan.org/). The Department of Resource

Management will be responsible for meeting two of the NCCP’s major goals. One of the Plan’s

ambitious goals is to restore 30,000 acres in 25 years to Illinois Natural Areas Inventory

quality. The department is in the final stages of completing the Natural and Cultural Resources

Master Plan to establish a prioritization method to address this goal

(http://fpdcc.com/preserves-and-trails/plans-and-projects/natural-and-cultural-resourcesmaster-

plan/). The second goal is to implement a Conservation Corps that, by 2019, will

contribute at least 250,000 service hours to conservation based activities. The Corps will focus

on building partnerships that provide supportive workforce training for at-risk youth and

young adults.

The Preserve is seeking a highly motivated individual to help lead the Department of Resource

Management in its daily operations, and in addressing the goals established by the NCCP. The

Deputy Director position will require the ability to effectively oversee the planning,

implementation, and execution of large-scale projects and grant partnerships while fostering

positive relationships with staff, volunteers, contractors, the public, and other government

agencies.

The Deputy Director will collaborate with the Director on matters affecting the Department,

drawing on experience in forestry, restoration, and natural resource management. Candidates

should possess a full-range of experience and expertise regarding large-scale natural areas

management and conservation, giving due consideration to the region’s natural heritage, native

plant communities, and wildlife. Candidates should demonstrate comprehension of the unique

challenges and pressures presented by the urban-wildland interface within Cook County, the

second most populous county in the United States. Superior communication and technological

skills are a must, as well as the ability to navigate governmental processes and procedures.

Additionally, a good sense of humor is key!

If you think you are up to the challenge – apply now by sending your resume to Michelle Gage,

Director of Human Resources, at michelle.gage@cookcountyil.gov!

Salary: $101,711 Work Location: River Forest

Please see attached job description for further details and minimum qualifications.

WILD THINGS CONFERENCE 2015 Saturday, January 31st University of Illinois at Chicago Student Center East 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. www.habitatproject.org/WildThings 2015

People who care about the Earth – and do something about it locally –

will meet to study, have a good time, and develop skills and tools for conserving local wilderness and habitat.

Standard registration–$40 Online registration ends January 19, 2015 http://www.habitatproject.org/WildThings2015

• More than 90 concurrent large and small-group sessions will appeal to a wide range of interests.
• Keynote speaker Bill Kleiman of the Illinois Nature Conservancy tells the unexpected story: “How the Bison Came Back: Stewards and scientists restore human and natural communities at Nachusa Grasslands.”
• Presentations and workshops cover subjects ranging from habitat management, botany, and zoology to advocacy, history and backyard ecology.
• Rare opportunity that connects many like-minded and local organizations and individuals committed to conserving land and nature.
• A detailed schedule is available online.

To learn more or to register, visit http://www.habitatproject.org/WildThings2015