ParkLands Foundation the Recipient of Good News
By Scott Richardson;srichardson@pantagraph.com
The ParkLands Foundation, which works to restore areas to their natural settings along the Mackinaw River, has received two pieces of good news.
The private organization has received a 52-acre easement to expand a critically endangered tall grass prairie at its recently acquired Letcher Basin Nature Preserve in Woodford County.
ParkLands also received word that the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission has designated 78 acres at the northwest portion of the Merwin Nature Preserve in McLean County as the state-recognized Merwin Savanna Nature Preserve and Nature Preserve Buffer.
The action provides the tract added protection against encroachment. Passive outdoor activities such as nature viewing and hiking still are allowed. But possible projects, such as a dam on the river or pipelines and utility lines, are unlikely to invade the preserve, even through eminent domain.
Paperwork to designate the remainder of the Merwin Preserve as an Illinois Land and Water Reserve also is under way. The status affords less protection than the nature preserve title, but it permits more activities, including hunting and fishing.
"This is a very exciting time for us," said ParkLands board President Mary Horgan, a certified naturist and Master Gardener. "I’m pleased with the Illinois nature preserve designation. This will afford our property long-term protections. And, the notion of easements is a new concept for us. It’s a new conservation tool."
ParkLands members are especially proud to receive the state nature preserve title, said ParkLands Vice President Angelo Capparella, a biologist and ornithologist at Illinois State University. They view it as a testament to the group’s high-quality restoration project at the site.
ParkLands had other tracts designated as state nature preserves in the past, but they were native remnant parcels that somehow survived the years, he said.
The action also means ParkLands may apply for grants and assistance from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. IDNR and ParkLands biologists are already collaborating on a comprehensive ecological restoration plan for the area, he said.
The nature preserve area is a good one for angling for smallmouth. Though fishing won’t be allowed along a short stretch of the north bank of the Mackinaw River as a result of the nature preserves action, the same stretch of river is accessible from the south bank or by boat, stressed Capparella.
ParkLands sought input from the Illinois Smallmouth Association before starting the nature preserves process, he added.
The Land and Water Reserves area remains open to fishing.
The state will allow ParkLands to continue a doe-only deer hunt every year on the natural preserve as well as the land and water reserve. The program is part of a successful management strategy to control white-tail numbers and promote the growth of native plants, he said.
Illinois has 336 nature preserves in 81 counties totaling 45,046 acres, and 140 land and water reserves in 60 counties totaling 38,522 acres.
Landowners interested in more information on nature preserve dedication, land and water reserve registration and natural areas preservation can contact the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, 1 Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, or phone (217) 785-8686. Visit http://dnr.state.il.us/INPC/index.htm.
The easement in Woodford County amounts to a gift of nearly $400,000 from four landowners, Sherri Thornton, Matt Fraker and Greg and Christie Kennett. Fraker and Christie Kennett serve on the ParkLands Foundation board.
The parcel is adjacent to the 141-acre Letcher Basin Nature Preserve which ParkLands purchased through a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
Plans call for the restoration of the tall-grass prairie to provide a buffer of natural vegetation to help preserve the quality of the Mackinaw River and provide a place for public use and education. Capparella said biologists hope the tall-grass prairie will become home to endangered birds, including the Henslow sparrow and raptors.
A box for barn owls also has been put in place. Though the species has been all but wiped out in Illinois, reports have surfaced of sightings in the area.
"This is going to be a fantastic prairie restoration in southeastern Woodford County," he said.
Horgan noted that laws give tax breaks to landowners granting conservation easements.
Learn more at www. ParkLands.org.
Outdoor Connection
Contact information was apparently left out of the GO! Cover story on Outdoor Connection last week. Call Hal Graff at (309) 829- 6141. The number is also available at www.outdoor-connection.com.
Bike giveaway
This is the last call to apply to be one of three people who will receive a free hybrid bicycle from the McLean County Wheelers How Bikes Change Lives Giveaway. The club wants to illustrate how bicycles can have positive life-changing experiences on people.
Winners, who will be selected by a committee, will receive a bike valued at $350, a helmet and an invitation to take part in the club’s training rides that begin in May. Though not required, the goal is to encourage winners to ride a 30-mile route in the annual Ride & Stride bike/walk event sponsored by the club and the American Red Cross of the Heartland.
A condition is that winners agree to be interviewed by the Pantagraph later in summer about their experience.
To enter, write a short essay that explains why you want to take part. Email entries to srichardson@pantagraph.com or send them to Scott Richardson at The Pantagraph, 301 W. Washington St., Bloomington, 61702-2907. Deadline is March 31.
Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Phone (309) 820- 3227 or email srichardson@pantagraph.com Read past outdoor and fishing columns or take part in online discussions at www.pantagraph.com/blogs.
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Bike giveaway
This is the last call to apply to be one of three people who will receive a free hybrid bicycle from the McLean County Wheelers How Bikes Change Lives Giveaway. The club wants to illustrate how bicycles can have positive life-changing experiences on people.
Winners, who will be selected by a committee, will receive a bike valued at $350, a helmet and an invitation to take part in the club’s training rides that begin in May. Though not required, the goal is to encourage winners to ride a 30-mile route in the annual Ride & Stride bike/walk event sponsored by the club and the American Red Cross of the Heartland.
A condition is that winners agree to be interviewed by the Pantagraph later in summer about their experience.
To enter, write a short essay that explains why you want to take part. Email entries to srichardson@pantagraph.com or send them to Scott Richardson at The Pantagraph, 301 W. Washington St., Bloomington, 61702-2907. Deadline is March 31.
Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Phone (309) 820- 3227 or email srichardson@pantagraph.com Read past outdoor and fishing columns or take part in online discussions at www.pantagraph.com/blogs.
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