The Conservation Foundation Acquires 253 Acres along Fox River; City to Establish Dayton Bluffs Preserve

Ottawa, IL. – In an unprecedented partnership between The Conservation Foundation and the City of Ottawa, a new natural area preserve will be established for the citizens of Ottawa, Dayton Township and all of La Salle County.  The Dayton Bluffs Preserve, consisting of 253 acres along the Fox River, will be purchased by The Conservation Foundation for $2.1 million and leased to the City of Ottawa who will manage it as a public preserve.

“What’s really exciting about this acquisition is not just that we are preserving beautiful and ecologically valuable land along the Fox River, but that we are also partnering with the City to allow public access to the property,” said The Conservation Foundation’s President and CEO Brook McDonald.  “People need to enjoy this land and working with Mayor Eschbach and the city has been a real pleasure,” he said.

The Conservation Foundation will own the land and be responsible for its initial restoration and long-term ecological management.  The City of Ottawa will be responsible for daily access, security and general maintenance.

“The City of Ottawa is very grateful to The Conservation Foundation for acquiring the property and seeking our partnership so our citizens can enjoy this new preserve,” said Ottawa Mayor Bob Eschbach.  “This is a fine amenity to our community and helps forward our long-term plan of establishing a greenway and bike path along the Fox River,” he said.

The Dayton Bluffs property was one of the high priority sites identified in the recently completed Lower Fox River Land Conservation Plan, a plan facilitated by The Conservation Foundation with input from various stakeholders in Kendall and La Salle Counties.  The property rated extremely high ecologically in a 1999 study that inventoried high quality natural areas along the lower Fox River.  In that study, ecologists looked at the trees and other plants on the property and determined it ranked in a category of statewide significance.  Numerous pre-historic archeological sites have also been discovered on the property that will be preserved.

Eventually, there will be a small parking area for public access, biking and hiking trails, and perhaps even a small picnic area or two.  Overall, the intent of the property is to keep it natural.  Organized hikes led by naturalists will also be offered along with volunteer opportunities to help maintain the ecological integrity of the site.

Funding to The Conservation Foundation for the property’s $2.1 million acquisition was provided by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, Grand Victoria Foundation and the Hamill Family Foundation.

Dennis O’Brien, Executive Director of the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, noted that the purchase of Dayton Bluffs will secure a critical anchor point in a greenway along the Lower Fox River, which has been identified as a priority for conservation by a recent planning projected supported with a previous grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.

“The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation is pleased to help enable the purchase of this spectacular Illinois natural area,” said O’Brien.  “The project is well designed to protect and care for the high-quality wildlife habitat of the site and to allow for public access and enjoyment of the riverfront in its natural state.”

An additional $35,000 has also been raised toward the site’s initial restoration, which will take three years. The Conservation Foundation is seeking to raise an additional $150,000 over the next year to fund the restoration effort, which will primarily involve removing invasive plants from the forested areas, and establishing grasslands in the former farm fields that will gradually be allowed to convert back to forest over the next few decades.

The Conservation Foundation will be holding a local fundraiser at Chicago Skydive near Dayton on Saturday, June 22 to both raise awareness and funds for the property’s restoration effort.  Tickets are $50/person and people can register for the event at www.theconservationfoundation.org.

Established in 1972 by business and community leaders, The Conservation Foundation is a not-for-profit land and watershed protection organization, located in Naperville on a 60-acre farm.  The mission of the Foundation is to preserve and restore natural areas and open space, protect rivers and watersheds, and promote stewardship of our environment.  The Conservation Foundation just celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012.