We've been preserving land like crazy!

2007 has been a hugely successful year for TLC's land conservation efforts!

At the December 17th board meeting, we officially hit - and passed - the 1,000 acre mark with the signing of five conservation easements totalling 383 acres! That took us to about 1150 acres)

And as of December 27th, we passed the 1,300 acre mark when an additional three easements (211 acres) and one land donation (44.6 acres) were signed by the board.

To put that into perspective, consider this:

A Section of Land is 640 acres - 1 square mile. TLC has now preserved more than two square miles of land in McHenry County. But, the impact of the land conservation projects TLC is completing will have more of an impact for more people in the county than a 2-square-mile block of protected land.

Two of our 2007 easements are to preserve farmland - a 158 acre parcel on the west side of Woodstock, and a 150 acre parcel on the northeast side of the City! For all future residents who drive the roads that pass these properties, they will be able to enjoy a scenic view of farmland, and will know that the land will not be developed - ever!

Seed Sharing Day

About two dozen people came out to Alden Township October 27th for the third annual "Seed Sharing Day" where local landowners open up their restored properties to other landowners from across the county to gather seeds of native plants for their own restorations.

TLC's Linda Balek worked with the WPPC's Carol Rice & Jim Keenen - and the five local landowners who opened their properties- to coordinate the event this year.

One feature of the event (shown above) is the collection of native seeds that local landowners gather prior to the event and make available to participants. This allows people to obtain seed for species that may have set their seed earlier in the year (like spring or early summer flowering plants).

This year, WPPC member and Nature Preserve owner, Jeanine Dammann brought along about two dozen small Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) seedlings that she claims grow like weeds by her house. People with savannas were encouraged to take the dogwoods for planting at their own properties. This is a beautiful, small native tree that grows in the understory of oak woodlands and savannas. The tree has clusters of small, white flowers in late spring, clusters of small, dark, blue-black fruit in summer, and reddish-purple fall color. Horizontal branches give the tree a unique layered appearance.

TLC's first FUNdraiser a success

Thank you to WGN radio's Kathy O'Malley and Judy Markey for hosting TLC's first FUNdraiser on Sunday, October 21st.

About 115 people attended the event at Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, and got to visit with the "Girlfriends" before, during and after a live auction that Kathy & Judy conducted for TLC.

Items ranging from an antique quilt to Oprah tickets caught the attendees' attention, and led to some fierce bidding competition!! By the end of the event, about $10,000 was raised through auction items and raffle ticket sales. The funds will make a big difference in TLC's ability to continue our record-setting land conservation work into 2008 and beyond!

Special thanks needs to go to board member Lorna Gladstone for bringing the "Girlfriends" to McHenry County, and for arranging for all of the amazing silent and live auction items. Another big thank you goes to Cheryl Perrone and Jody Powers for making everything run so well - they had things well organized before we even arrived to set up.

And a huge THANKS to Kathy & Judy!! They definitely put the "FUN" into fundraising!

Third Generation Oak Fund created

On August 4^th, an amazing thing happened at Glacier Oaks farm west of Harvard. Two families decided to hold a party to start raising money for a permanent endowment to help restore and preserve the County’s once vast oak-hickory woodlands in perpetuity.

People from throughout the Chicago region attended the party, and offered their financial, intellectual, and physical support to the cause. After the dust settles, it is expected that the event will have raised $4,000 to kick-off the 3^rd Generation Oak Fund that will be managed by The Land Conservancy for the purpose of ensuring there will be a third generation of oaks for future county residents to enjoy!

When European settlers began moving into McHenry County in the 1830’s, nearly 37% of the landscape was wooded – primarily with oaks and hickories. This was the first generation of oaks (since settlement). During the 40 years following European settlement, nearly 60% of those trees were cut to clear lands for farming, for fuel and for building purposes. The oaks that grew in their place were the second generation. Today, the second generation of trees covers just four percent of the landscape. These remaining trees are reaching 150-200 years old, and they are under enormous stress. Experts estimate that within 20 years, the remaining oaks could be gone, other than the ones that are found at managed, public natural areas like MCCD’s Glacial Park and Moraine Hills State Park.

The 3^rd Generation Oak Fund will help ensure that these trees will be a lasting and significant part of the local landscape forever.

Donations to the Fund can be made through TLC’s website: www.conservemc.org, by clicking on the Third Generation Oak Fund link on the right hand side of the window. Or, if you prefer, you can send a check made out to TLC (PO Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098), and write 3^rd Generation Oaks in the memo line. Thank you!

McHenry County Environmental Alliance

On August 29th, the newly formed (or perhaps I should say "forming") McHenry County Environmental Alliance met for the third time.

The group includes representatives from 23 environmental organizations that are working in McHenry County on a wide diversity of issues.

The Mission Statement is:
Within 10 years, McHenry County will be recognized nationally among counties its size for implementing successfully a sustinable environmental strategy for enhancing quality of life.

The initial projects that the group chose to focus on are:

1. Develop a Communication Strategy for getting more and better environmental news into the local media and develop a website for the public.

2. Develop and implement a "Scorecard"rating program for local municipalities to help publicize those who are doing things well (from a green standpoint), and those who are not.

3. Compile ordinance examples and have them available on the website for local officials and citizens to access for ideas for updating local ordinances to be stronger from an environmental standpoint.

Imagine McHenry County: Talking about Walking

Imagine a place where people can walk to the neighborhood store to get a carton of milk. A place where many kids can walk to school, walk to the pool, walk to the library. A place where folks walk to the bank, walk to the train, and even walk to work.

Okay, all this thinking about walking everywhere is making me tired! But, in a way, that's the point. Walking is exercise - and I know just one person who doesn't need more exercise! In other words, we can all do with a bit more walking in our daily lives.

Well, one of the interesting things that emerged from the Imagine McHenry County survey and public forum last year was that people want walkable communities. Sixty-three percent of people who attended the public forum thought it was very important to give people more transportations options, including to make communities more "walkable."

This notion actually correlates with another item that was identified as important to local residents: the ease of getting around by car, with 67% of survey respondents saying that this is important to them. Additionally, 82% of survey respondents thought it was going to be a big challenge in the future to have a county where it is easy to get around by car.

While some folks in some places seem to think that the answer to traffic problems is more and wider roads, it seems to me that more people are realizing that this old-fashioned idea of walking might be part of the answer. Again, 63% of the people at the IMC public forum thought it was important to create more options for moving around the county, including designing more walkable communities.

It is a fact that there will never be enough money - local, state, and/or federal - to build the roads that people want. There isn't even enough funding to maintain the roads we have today! We need to find new ways of solving the traffic problem - we can't expect to just throw more money at it.

I'm working from home today while new windows are being installed upstairs. Mid-morning, I took a break to walk to the bank. Our bank is 5 blocks away, and on my way there, I passed a grammar school, the high school, a rental shop, and a gas station with a convenience store. It occurred to me that I actually live in a walkable part of Harvard.

Thinking a bit beyond my walk to the bank, it occurs to me that a drug store, a hardware store, a pizza parlor, a diner, an ice cream shop, our auto service station, as well as assorted other small businesses are all within eight blocks if I walk in the other direction. I don't have to get in the car to visit any of these places.

The sad fact is that I rarely walk to any of those places. I hop in the car. It is much quicker. And, on a different day, I might have driven the five blocks to the bank. But not today. Today, I noticed that the weather was beautiful (70s, low humidity), plus I wasn't in a hurry to go somewhere. So, today I walked.

And I'm glad I did. I learned something. Or remembered something that I knew once upon a time.

When I was a kid, I walked to and from school - grammar school and then high school. I walked to the corner drug store for candy (or sometimes to buy cigarettes for my parents, but that's another story). I walked to my friends' houses. I could even walk to the beach - it was about a mile away, but it was an easy walk. My brother walked to the local barber. There was even a toy store near the drug store, and we walked there. We walked to the train station to meet Dad when he came home from work. And he walked to the station in the morning to catch the train into the City.

I know what you are thinking, and I'm just not that old!

This walking was a part of life in many "inner ring" suburbs of Chicago just 30 years ago.

Maybe it's time we remember how to build our communities like that again?

TLC's Bleg?

Apparently, there is a new term emerging in "blog-dom." That term is "bleg," and it refers to people who ask for donations on their blogs.

Why would someone do that?

1. Well, if you are reading an organization's blog, then you must have some interest in what they are doing, so maybe you would be interested in financially supporting their work?

2. They need the funds, and they figure that some people might not know that there is an opportunity to help support the organization that they are reading about.

3. It can't hurt to ask, can it?

There is a rule in fundraising that most people do not give money to an organization unless they are asked to do so. There are exceptions, but I believe that rule holds true for most.

I can share an actual experience I had where I broke the rule. Nearly six years ago, I heard about an organization and decided I wanted to become a member. I talked to their sole staff person, and he gave me a brochure. But, the brochure had no information about joining, other than some general statement that people could support them by becoming members. So, I asked the staff person what the cost of membership was, and he wasn't sure - said he would get back to me. I then checked the website, and the membership categories were listed there, as was the mailing address, so I wrote a check for $20 and put it in the mail.

What organization was this?

The Land Foundation of McHenry County (now TLC)!

I recall this personal experience whenever we send out membership renewals, when we insert a giving envelope in the newsletter, and when we send out a special appeal towards the end of the year! You have to ask people for their support, or else how do they know that you need it?

Most people (not that I am saying YOU are "most people") would have quit after the staff person was unable to answer their question. Many others would not have tried to find the website! I'm not saying that I'm special, it's just that I'm probably more stubborn than most folks, so I kept trying until I figured it out! And then a year later, when I was the first full time Executive Director at TLC, I tried to make sure that none of our friends - or potential friends - were left wondering whether or not their support was needed!

So, if you are already a member, THANK YOU! Our members make it possible for TLC to accomplish the wonderful things we do! If you are not yet a member, please take a moment to join - we need you! Visit: http://www.conservemc.org/membership.htm

Food & the Environment

I am reading a Barbara Kingsolver book "Animal Vegetable Miracle" - her first non-fiction book. It's about her family's year of living as close to the land as they could - raising their own food, and making the decision to buy only local food (with a few exceptions like coffee, flour & chocolate).

I'm not far into the book yet, but I like what I have read.

The family decided to move from Arizona to the family farm in Virginia (in the Appalachians) - they had grown increasingly concerned that living in Tucson was unsustainable. Not only was their food imported from who knows where, but their water was brought in from the Colorado River - a River that supplies water to millions of people before reaching Mexico where it is little more than a brackish trickle. One alarming thing was when they were told by the local government not to use their tap water in fish tanks because it would kill the fish. Presumably, the problem was high mineral content not chemical pollution, but even so, I know that would give me pause. Another stunning fact was that the average product item in the grocery store has travelled 1500 miles. How else do you think we get tomatoes in January?

While reading along, a recent conversation with one of our board members came to mind. While talking with Haje Black, owner of Saulte! Farm & Vineyard in rural Woodstock, I said something about the price of organic produce being a deterrent for some folks. She quickly replied that the cost of one chemotherapy treatment is $25,000 - in other words, it's all about priorities.

Another recent news story also came to mind: the high rate of human food imports from China that are rejected by the FDA -- even though the FDA only inspects about 1% of shipments. Some of the items rejected in April included apple juice, apple concentrate and frozen fish (which was deemed "filthy").

To me, the lesson learned from the story was that other nations do not have to meet our standards for food products that they ship here. They can use chemicals that are banned in the US because they are known to cause cancer. We have no control over their production processes, so for instance, fish often contain high levels of antibiotics that are illegal here. Why? Because the fish are raised in such polluted waters that they are sick, and need the antibiotics (and anti-fungal) medication to live long enough to get to market.

Think about the recent tragedy where many family pets died after eating pet food that was manufactured with a contaminated ingredient shipped from China. They were deliberately adding an industrial chemical to a pet food ingredient to increase the protein content of the product to boost the sale price. We only found out because dogs and cats became ill and died.

So, where is this story leading? It leads me to one simple conclusion: buy local food. Know where your food comes from - not just the country of origin, but the actual farmer.

We do that with beef, buying what little beef we eat at the Woodstock Farmer's Market from Michele Aavang of Willow Lea Farm. Sure, it costs more, but I know that it doesn't have steroids or pesticides or hormones in it. I also know the cows are treated humanely. How do I know this? Because I know the farmer.

It's the same idea with the CSA farm share from Salute! (which should start in a couple of weeks). I know Haje. I have been to her farm and met Michelle the full-time farmer. I have toured the fields. There is no doubt in my mind that the produce we receive each week for 20 weeks (June-October) is fresh & organically raised.

There was a great statistic in Kingsolver's book: if everyone in America ate one meal a week that was comprised of all local ingredients, our nation would save millions of barrels of oil EACH WEEK! That's just from the reduced transportation of our food.

One meal a week. Any one meal. It could be breakfast on Wednesday!

Imagine & McEnvironmental Summit

I just realized why I haven't posted anything in two weeks. Every time I would open up the blog to start a new post, I would see the cute picture of the tiny toad, and think "how cute!" - then whatever I was going to write about would mysteriously evaporate from my brain!

We had a committee meeting outside on a picnic bench last night - it was very pleasant. We heard a couple of different frogs in the pond, or maybe it was a toad and a frog. The mosquitoes weren't bad until the sun set - which was when we promptly ended the meeting!

The committee - our Outreach Committee - had a couple of important issues to discuss:
1. what is the status of the Imagine McHenry County project, and
2. what is the purpose of our Outreach Committee! (The second item was resolved quickly, while the first prompted quite a bit of discussion!)

Imagine McHenry County, for those who do not already know, is a project that was started about four years ago by the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) to bring stakeholders together from the many interest groups in the county for the purpose of developing a shared vision for the county's future. Imagine conducted a communitywide survey in March 2006, followed by a community workshop in May 2006. The results were compiled and circulated, presentations were given to community groups like the County Board and the Council of Governments, and then on May 8, 2007, the Imagine board held a strategic planning session to determine where we go from here.

Now, a little background: I tried for two years to get appointed to the Imagine board. The former director of the MCEDC fought my appointment as the representative for the "Environment" special interest group. She wouldn't even return my phone calls - not even when I offered to take her to lunch to get to know her, and to talk with her about Imagine! Well, in November 2004, I was finally appointed.

So, once the board positions were fille, we had to figure out what we were going to do. We had some meetings with Ron Thomas, former director of NIPC (Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission), who talked with us about a similar effort he had been involved in up in Racine Wisconsin before coming to NIPC. He also had information on other similar programs around the country.

The gist of all the programs was that they included diverse stakeholders in a project to promote quality of life in the community - in terms of affordable housing, environmental quality, open government, good schools, traffic congestion, air quality, etc. A common theme was that the projects sought to involve many people from the community in crafting a vision for where the community wanted to go, and then kept them engaged in working on figuring out how to get the community there. They were all grassroots in that they did not look to the powers that be for approval - rather they sought to reflect the community will, and to engage the community.

Well, this is where Imagine has had a hard time getting traction. While we gathered information through a survey, and held a community workshop, we did a horrible job of following up with the participants to share the results with them, and to keep them engaged. It has been a year since the community workshop, and I feel like the board is no closer to having a shared vision, or in knowing how to move forward.

In the meantime, while Imagine has been spinning its wheels, the McHenry County Environmental Summit has emerged to bring all of the county's environmental groups together. We met in March and May, and came up with an agenda. We even started a blog to help us share information with each other, and have created three subcommittees to work on an environmental scorecard, conservation ordinance development, and communication.

And it isn't like the people working on the Enviro Summit don't have other jobs - it isn't like we aren't squeezing this "one more thing" into already full lives. The big difference is that we have a shared passion - a shared commitment - reflected in the mission and principles that we are developing together. And we all genuinely believe that we can make a difference by working together - that rising waters float all boats, and that the community of enviro organizations is stronger when we unite around the things we can agree on.

Maybe that helps explain why Imagine has had such a hard time. What unites us? Why do we all sit at the table other than because we were asked (or in my case, pushed our way on)? The mission was written before anyone was asked to join the board. The composition of the board was determined by the MCEDC who then sought to control the board membership - to the point where some early appointees actually dropped off before they even had all of the positions (23 spots) filled.

I think there is a lesson to learn here.

TLC's land protection efforts continue

At the May 7th TLC board meeting, permanent protection will be granted to nearly 94 acres of McHenry County land! Both project have been in the works for a couple of years.

Dutch Creek Conservation Area, a 37.5 acre TLC easement at Dutch Creek Estates subdivision in Johnsburg adjoins property owned by MCCD and another Dutch Creek easement held by the District. The easement comes with a long-term management agreement for the wetlands, riparian area along Dutch Creek, and the upland buffer areas. Funding for the management will be paid through the Homeowner's Association.

Haligus Road Sedge Meadow (I just came up with the name), a 56.4 acre wetland and upland buffer area in Lakewood at the Woodland Hills subdivision will be preserved forever by TLC through a permanent conservation easement combined with a long-term management agreement that will be paid by the Homeowners' Association.

Dutch Creek is considered one of the highest quality headwater streams in the Chicago area. Uncommon fish species like the Orangethroat Darter and various types of minnows are found there. While the development will have road crossings at two creek branches, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and US Environmental Protection Agency made sure that the construction of the road culverts would not disturb the fish during their spawning season which started about April 1.

The Haligus Road Sedge Meadow had not been thoroughly studied until a wetland delineation report was prepared for the subdivision proposal. With management, TLC expects to see this site flourish, much as the Prairie Ridge Fen in Woodstock dramatically rebounded over the last 10 years through our on-going management.

Both projects will provide excellent opportunities for local residents to experience what I like to call "Neighborhood Nature." Frogs, toads (like the baby American Toad in the above picture), turtles, and an abundance of birds will reside at and visit both sites. Dutch Creek will continue to provide a home for many uncommon fish species, and together, people and nature will thrive!

Cicadas (or is it locusts?) are coming!

There was an excellent article in the April 22nd Chicago Tribune Home & Garden section on the upcoming "invasion" by the 17-year periodic cicadas, brood XIII.

These red-eyed bugs were last seen in this area in 1990 - I lived in Vermont then, so do not remember that invasion, but I do remember the one prior - 1973. The noise. The bugs. The bulgy red eyes. The noise.

Well, they are set to return in late May. In 1990, they emerged on May 25th. Their emergence is triggered by their body temperature. Once they reach 64 degrees, they emerge from the soil and begin their brief above-ground lives!

Here is a link to Ms. Botts' blog Chicago Gardener: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/chicago_gardener/2007/04/nymphs_no_probl.html

As she points out repeatedly, cicadas are not evil - they may have bulgy red eyes, and may fly into people sometimes, and may seem to be everywhere, and of course they make that noise, but they are not evil. The insects have just one purpose when they emerge - to mate with other cicadas. Once that is done, the females lay their eggs in tree branches, and then they all die off - leaving those cool-looking shells behind.

The only caution I have found is to cover newly planted shrubs and newly planted small trees with tulle (ballerina skirt netting), but only if you actually have cicadas in your neighborhood. If your neighborhood did not have them in 1990, you will not have them this year. And , if your subdivision was built since the cicadas last appearance, you likely will not have them because the soil that the nymphs were living in is now gone.

So, if you are a light sleeper, buy some ear plugs, but otherwise, just sit back and enjoy this marvel of nature - years from now you will be talking about where you were during the 2007 cicada invasion!

Here is a link to another website: cicadamania that has links to a lot of cicada-related information. http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/category/brood-xiii/

Mixed Election Results

Congratulations to MCCD for a big referendum win. The $73 million will help preserve about 4500 acres - just over 1% of the land in the county. Our community's future needs this, and so much more!

Nunda Township had mixed results - the open space plan passed by a good margin, but the funding to implement it appears to have failed by a couple dozen votes. I think this is the fault of the state statutes that dictate a rather onerous process for townships to establish and fund open space programs. The statutes require putting two questions forward, and even dictate the specific language that must be used.

I certainly hope the township goes for it again - they were so close, and despite what the local paper says, the township open space effort is not a duplication of services! Most of the township is not covered by a park district, and the parcels targeted for purchase (about 700 acres) will never be protected by MCCD. Here's to a successful vote next time!

The Water Authority vote failed. Kudos to the folks who at least got the issue into the public arena. I suspect that not only did the big blue signs (that the Illinois Assn of Realtor's money paid for) have an impact, but the vote represents the lack of awareness among the populace that there even is a problem. As long as unlimited water comes magically out of the tap, I suspect that most folks won't even think about where the water comes from!

Sadly, TLC member Dorothy Otis lost her re-election bid for the Marengo City Council. She will be missed!

Finally, three more TLC members are now elected officials! Congratulations to Nancy Gonsiorek, Marty Sobczak and Michael Walkup on their recent election victories. Nancy, President of the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee, was elected to her local school board, Marty, retired teacher, was elected to the Greenwood Village Board, and Michael, owner of Walkup Heritage Farm in Crystal Lake, was elected to the Crystal Lake Park Board.

Crowley Sedge Meadow burned!

Walking across the recently charred landscape at TLC's Crowley Sedge Meadow near Harvard, I actually caught myself doing a little dance! The site has never looked so beautiful!

This has always been one of my favorite places - the 6.7 acre "diamond in the rough" that TLC actually purchased in late 2003. I say "actually" because I am still amazed that we took that leap, especially at that time. McHenry County land is expensive, and in 2003, our finances were still a bit iffy. Yet, when it came right down to it, we knew that if we didn't buy the property, it would be lost - either through development or neglect.

After the fire, seeing all the blackened sedge tussocks (mounds of clumping grass) extending across the property, I knew that we had done a very good thing. TLC took a chance on a small site - a site that is on MCCD's natural areas inventory, but is too small and isolated to make it onto their acquisition list. Yes, a small site that the experts consider a high quality natural area worth protecting, yet because of its location and size, it would have been lost - if not for TLC.

The most common misunderstanding about TLC is that we are part of MCCD. Folks don't understand how we are different. Where do I begin?!

(1) We do not get tax money to pay our staff or to buy land. We raise our budget from private sources that include members and charitable foudations.

(2) Imagine a future where every child will be able to walk to a natural area - that is our vision for the county. You won't have to get in a car and make a special trip to experience nature - it will be part of your community - part of where & how you live, regardless of your income.

(3) We focus on preserving those resources that would otherwise fall through the cracks - those places like Crowley Sedge Meadow that all the experts say are worth preserving, but that no one else has the time or the will to save.

(4) We work primarily with private landowners to help them leave a legacy of natural lands for future generations. The vast majority of land in the county is, and always will be in private hands. TLC helps individual landowners make permanent commitments to keeping the land they love undeveloped.

I think that TLC fills a unique niche in McHenry County, and we accomplish things for land protection that - in all likelihood - would not be accomplished if we were not here. There are plenty of 6.7 acre parcels across the county that have homes on them - and you can bet that there will be plenty more in the years to come, but how many thriving sedge meadows are there? I'm thrilled to know that because of TLC - and our awesome cadre of volunteers, this little sedge meadow will be here forever!

Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority vote

I just received a packet in the mail from the Alliance for Land Agriculture & Water, the group that has spearheaded the creation of the water authority.

To be clear, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County has not taken an official position on the water authority - there are several positions represented on our board of directors.

Personally, I lean towards supporting the authority, and did in fact make a small donation to help them buy signs, but I live in the municipality of Harvard, which is excluded from the boundaries, so I cannot vote on the issue.

Back to the packet of information I just received. Included in the materials about the authority was an article by David Brandt, the NRCS Resource Conservationist for McHenry County. Dave wrote a very nice article supporting the authority - not in his official (guv'mint) capacity, but as a 25+ year resident of McHenry County.

I'd like to quote a few facts from Dave's article, just to give anyone who is undecided something to think about:

"...every bit of water we use in McHenry County comes from the ground."

"McHenry County's population will almost double by 2030 to about 500,000 people."

"Some municipalities have projected growth of up to 1280% of [their] 2000 [population]. Yes, that's correct, 1280%!"

"In 2000, the folks in Algonquin Township were using groundwater at a rate faster than the aquifer can supply it."

"I have heard that the protesters of the Water Authority say conservation is a good idea but the water authority is a bad one. Come on, who's conserving water? ... Developers and Mayors say [the water authority] is going to stop growth and that nobody can tell them what to do in their town or 1 1/2 miles out of it.... Maybe that is the problem. They have 100% of the power and nobody better get in their way. Currently, I cannot think of a single municipality with an ordinance addressing groundwater use or protection. Who's looking out for my drinking water supply? Nobody. Who's looking out for the rural folks' drinking water supply? Nobody. Who's looking out for the urban water users' water supply? Nobody. Who's looking out for the farmer who has a new subdivision sucking up groundwater right next to their well? Nobody."

Connect the dots. The water authority will have one job: to protect the water resources in the authority from overuse. The taxes will be minimal (for a $250,000 home, about $15 a year). As one friend of mine said "It's cheap insurance. If our water is overused, all our property values will fall, and we sure aren't gonna get Lake Michigan water."

For more information, call 1-866-649-9049 or email a-law@onebox.com .

Construction Season in Full Swing

Last Friday, I went out to see the progress being made on a creek crossing at a subdivision in Johnsburg. TLC is supposed to be taking a conservation easement on the creek and associated buffers sometime this spring, and I wanted to see the construction activity for myself.

The site is a mess - with all this rain we have had, there is mud everywhere. Deep ruts in the access lane, piles of topsoil heaped in various places. But, the creek water was clear.

Despite the fact that it was raining when I was out there, and it had rained heavily just two days before, the creek water was clear, and I saw minnows (or darters) swimming in the cool water.

The visit got me thinking about construction sites in general. They are a mess. There is no getting around that. The question is always whether the mess is being contained to appropriate locations on the property so that it doesn't spill over onto neighboring properties, onto the public roads, or into natural areas.

To manage the mess, most developers use silt fencing to contain the mud that wants to run-off of the site each time it rains. For larger sites, the silt fences should be combined with things like sediment traps, straw bale dams (to slow flow heading down hills), and even stabilization through seeding with a "cover crop" such as annual rye grass.

Construction sites that disturb more than one acre of soil are required to have a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Inspections related to these permits are performed by the McHenry County Soil & Water Conservation District in Woodstock. Additionally, most construction projects of any size are covered by the Stormwater Ordinance for the county.

If you suspect that a construction site isn't doing enough to prevent damage to surrounding properties, or to safeguard wetlands and streams flowing through the construction site, please contact the Soil & Water office at 815-338-0099 x3. If the project is in a municipality, contact the Village Hall about the problem. If the project is in an unincorporated area of the county contact the County's Planning and Development department 815-334-4560.

Westwood Woods Burned

As Spring officially arrived in Woodstock (at about 7 pm Tuesday, March 20th), volunteers successfully finished a "controlled burn" in the wooded area at Westwood Conservation Area on Woodstocks southwest side.

A low line of flames crept steadily across the woodland floor, burning off years of accumulated leaf litter. As TLC land protection specialist Linda Balek put it: "It was just how we like it - slow." Slow is another way of saying "safe"!

In the coming months as woodland plants start to grow, it will be interesting to see if the fire helped encourage the growth of native woodland species.

Volunteer workdays at the site are the fourth Saturday of every month from 9 am - noon. The next event is Saturday March 24th, and features garlic mustard removal, chorus frog song identification, and continued brush removal in the woods.

New volunteers are always welcome. No experience required, we specialize in on the job training!

McHenry Co Enviro Summit a Success

What do you get when you put 40 local environmentalists in a room together for 6 hours?

That may sound like the punchline to a joke, but it was serious business for the people who gathered at McHenry College on March 17th for the inaugural McHenry County Environmental Summit.

Excellent facilitator, Peter Lopatin (who declared himself to be "Switzerland" since he did not have allegiances to any specific organizations), guided the group through several exercises to create a priority agenda for projects that the group of organizations could pursue to advance a stronger environmental agenda in the county.

Peter Benkendorf, Catalyst at Involvement Advocacy, was the event's instigator, working with Maia Tipton from the McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program, Bill Donato from the McHenry County Defenders, Janet Trafelet from the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water, and myself, to organize the event.

About 20 environmental organizations - some non-profit, some government - were identified in McHenry County. Each group was asked to have 1 or 2 representatives at the event. The spirit of the event was to try and build a community of organizations that work together on certain projects in order to help make McHenry County a leader in environmental sustainability within 10 years.

After giving each organization 3-5 minutes to describe their mission, strengths & challenges, the group dove into a traditional SWOT analysis, calling out Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that the community of enviro organizations faces. The SWOT analysis then led to small group work identifying specific actions that the group could take to advance a common agenda.

Actions Identified included:

- Create an Annual Scorecard for the environment. This could look at air quality, water quality, land protection, development regulations, enforcement of ordinances, and myriad other topics. The idea would be to move the county towards sustainability by recognizing the good things that are happening, and challenging the bad.

- Setting up a local list serve and webforum for environmentalists to share information with each other. Right now there is a lot of information & experience in the community of people and organizations, but no effective way to share that information.

- Working with communities to change ordinances to make conservation design the standard rather than the exception.

Next steps will be to develop a working group around each of the action items, and to start moving the agenda forward - together!

Participating Organizations:

Alliance for Land, Agriculture & Water

Barrington Hills Conservation Trust

Boone Creek Watershed Alliance

Cary Park District

Crystal Lake Park District

Friends of the Fox (Invited)

Fox River Ecosystem Partnership

Illinois Dept of Natural Resources - Private lands program

Kishwaukee River Ecosystem Partnership

McHenry County Conservation District

MC Conservation Foundation

MC Defenders

MC Schools Environmental Education Program

MC Soil & Water Conservation District

Nippersink Creek Planning Committee (Invited)

PACE

Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter, River Sentinels

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County

The Wildflower Preservation & Propagation Committee

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service

Burn Season is upon us!

March is typically the start of "prescribed burn" or "ecological burn" season for natural land managers. Fire is the easiest way to manage many natural lands, as it clears out accumulated vegetation and keeps invasive brush and weeds in check.

Unlike native plants, non-native species tend to have shallow root systems that are more vulnerable to the effects of fire. Native plants can easily withstand even an intense burn on the surface, because their roots stretch down 5-15 feet.

I have heard questions raised about whether ecological burns contribute to global warming by releasing carbon into the atmosphere. While there is a carbon release during the burn, the fact is that natural areas sequester (store) much more carbon in the soil through their deep and dense root systems than what is released during a burn.

As much as 90% of a prairie plant's biomass (roots, stems and leaves taken together) is stored under the soil surface in the root system! So, while there may be a short-lived boost in carbon released during a burn, over the course for the following year season when the plants are growing and continuing to build their root system, a much greater amount will be stored in the soil.

Unfortunately, in the unincorporated areas of McHenry County, the decision has been made that while natural area managers can burn prairies and wetlands in March, they cannot burn any accumulated brush piles until open burning season in April & May if the brush piles are within 500' of a residential dwelling.

Pace it off, and you will see that 500' is quite a distance! In my Harvard neihborhood, 500' would be more than two blocks away! This ruling by the Planning & Development department will hamper management of these natural areas. In addition to an IEPA burn permit, the county now requires a county burn permit (which must be applied for at least 10 days prior to the burn), and if there are brush piles on the property, the burn plan must include provisions for protecting the brush piles from burning while the area around them burns.

As more developments are proposed to have natural lands within them, the use of ecological burns is likely to become more common, not less. It is customary during the management of natural lands to cut invasive brush in the winter, and then burn the area in the spring (usually as early as March, but no later than mid April because desireable plants are often growing by then). The accumulated brush piles are typically burned down during the ecological burn. This just makes sense.

I think it is a ridiculous rule! As you can see from the photo at top, burning a meadow in the spring can generate a lot of smoke, just as burning a brush pile can. How is it okay to burn the wetland in March, but not the associated piles of brush in the wetland? Both are part of ecological management of a natural area!

Also, consider this, when TLC conducts an ecological burn of a natural area: we have a permit from IEPA and the county; we notify the local fire department and dispatch; we take steps to notify neighbors; we have at least 6 people to participate in the burn, including at least one experienced burn leader; we only burn if the weather conditions are appropriate (wind, humidity, etc); and we have safety equipment including rakes, shovels and backpack water sprayers to manage any problems.

When your neighbor decides to burn his pile of landscape waste in April, he may only bring along a case of beer. But that's okay in McHenry County, since it is open burning season!

March 6th program a success

On March 6th, TLC and the McHenry County Farm Bureau hosted a seminar for landowners in McHenry County with attorney George Covington, to help them understand the tax laws related to conservation easements.

About 40 landowners or their advisors attended the seminar. Attendees were enthusiastic about the program. The follow-up surveys showed that people found the information to be helpful and the speaker to be excellent.

Farm Bureau provided lunch after the program, and many people stayed for the meal and fellowship.

A note about the Farm Bureau facility on McConnell in Woodstock: they have high speed internet, a projector and large screen, plus a laptop computer which can be used to show power point programs or even to access websites live with the audience.

A big thank you to Dan Volkers, McHenry County farm Bureau Manager for being such a great host for the program. We are hoping to work together on another seminar in the summer to help explain the county's farmland preservation program.

Great article today in the Trib

I wanted to share a recent article from the Chicago Tribune about land conservation. The reporter did a nice job of telling the story of what is happening in the region with regard to land trusts protecting land.

I have to take a moment to "brag" a bit about TLC's 2006 accomplishments that are mentioned in the article! According to the article, a total of about 620 acres were protected in the Chicago region last year by land trusts - well, 406 of those acres were in McHenry County!! Read on!

--------------------
Keeping land safe from development --forever
--------------------

By Dave Wischnowsky
Tribune staff reporter

February 20, 2007

As development crept closer, Searle and Sue Wadley began to worry about the future of 100 acres of plush forest and sprawling wetlands they own in north suburban Antioch.

They feared their precious acreage would rise in value until they or a future owner couldn't help but sell it, and it would be razed for a new subdivision or a mega-store's parking lot. So this winter, the Wadleys joined a growing number of private landowners and signed a conservation easement that will permanently bar development on their property.

They can continue to live there, manage the land and sell it to whomever they want, but no one will ever be able to pave their piece of paradise.

Critics say it's a bad idea to make any land-use decision for perpetuity, since today's landowners have no idea what issues will face tomorrow's citizens.

But with urban sprawl rapidly swallowing farmland, forests and wetlands in the Chicago region, conservation easements are the fastest-growing mechanism locally for preserving natural areas, conservation experts say.

"I think the word about conservation easements is just starting to get out there," said Lisa Haderlein of the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. "People in the Midwest are starting to recognize what they've known in other parts of the country for a long time: These are valuable tools."

By committing to easements, landowners give up a potential windfall from developers, but receive in exchange federal income tax write-offs, a reduction in property taxes and peace of mind about their land's ultimate fate.

In 2006 alone, officials say, more than 620 acres were conserved through easements in the Chicago area. North of the city, rapidly growing Lake County is a leader, having more than 2,000 acres protected with easements this decade.

Nationwide, the number of acres under conservation easements swelled between 2000 and 2005, from 2.5 million to 6.3 million, according to Jim Wyerman of the Land Trust Alliance, a Washington, D.C., group representing more than 1,600 land trusts.

`Pressure to sell'

"And it's continuing to rise," he said. "For some people, it's the only way they can afford to continue to run a working farm or ranch. There's just such high pressure to sell, and property values continue to rise on land with development potential.

"That's forcing some landowners to sell off slices just to pay their property taxes."

Some states, such as Florida, have heard complaints that conservation easements could stifle development on land close to urbanized areas, causing growth to spill into rural regions. Carol LaGrasse of the Property Rights Foundation of America in New York is against conservation easements. She said they "put a straitjacket on the future of farms and farmers."

"They tie the land up, and you have no flexibility for changing conditions," said LaGrasse, who warned people who agree to an easement to pay close attention to the details of their ommitment.

Until recently, by far the most common way to save open space in Illinois was for non-profit groups or the government to simply buy it. But officials say strategies have begun to shift. Limited money is available to purchase land, and private citizens are realizing that the power to protect land is in their own hands.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement through which a landowner continues to own property, but gives up the right to develop it. The restriction remains with the land forever.

Landowners can determine the restrictions placed on their property, officials said, but a conservation organization is required to hold the easement to make sure it is honored.

Started in 1970s

Although conservation easements have existed since the late 1970s, they only recently began gaining popularity in Illinois and other Midwestern states. That's in part because of a law passed by Congress in August that improves income tax incentives for modest-income landowners, officials said.

The law extends from 5 to 15 years the time a landowner can benefit from tax deductions that are based on the appraised value of an easement. It also raises the cap on those deductions from 30 percent of a landowner's adjusted gross income to 50 percent--and 100 percent for qualifying farmers.

The law applies only to easements signed in 2006 and 2007. But legislation introduced in late January by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) could make the tax benefits permanent.

In addition to the federal income tax benefits, landowners see their property taxes shrink as valuations go down. Tim Girmscheid, of Liberty Prairie Conservancy in Grayslake, said an easement generally reduces the open-market value of the property by about two-thirds.

Illinois ranks 39th among all states with about half of 1 percent of its land protected by private entities, including conservation easements, according to the Land Trust Alliance.

In Lake County, where 24,000 acres of farmland are expected to be developed by 2020, the Liberty Prairie Conservancy has helped place easements on about 4,500 acres since 1977. About half of that land has been protected since 2000, Girmscheid said.

The McHenry County Land Conservancy completed eight easements covering 406 acres in 2006. That compares with 20 easements covering 255 acres over the previous 14 years combined.

The Conservation Foundation of Naperville, which covers DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, put four of its 17 easements into effect in 2006, on 120 acres.

In 1988, when the Wadleys bought property within sight of southern Wisconsin's Wilmot Mountain ski slope, the couple didn't imagine it would be threatened by sprawl so soon.

But since 2000, Antioch's population has surged from about 8,800 to more than 13,700, with ground already broken for more stores and residential areas.

So on Jan. 3 the Wadleys put an easement on the land where they live alongside more than 130 bird species, including the endangered sandhill crane and yellow-headed blackbird. Searle Wadley said that although the tax incentives are a benefit, "The big attraction for us is the perpetuity."

Girmscheid said property held privately under a conservation easement stays on the tax rolls, bringing in revenue--albeit less than if it were developed--to help pay for municipal services and schools. Land owned by non-profit environmental groups or government entities brings in no tax revenue. What's more, under an easement, private owners pay for any upkeep
to the land.

Because easements protect open space and keep the land in private hands, they are attractive to local governments and county forest preserve districts, where resources are limited.


Meeting goals

The easements can help local governments meet their goals for preserving open space without directly costing them money. The Lake County Forest Preserve District recently shelled out $14.5 million in tax dollars to buy 145 acres near Wauconda. By comparison, the Wadleys' 100 acres were conserved at no up-front cost.

"When you think about it, the federal and state governments can't possibly buy all the lands that have high-quality natural resources on them," said Dan Lobbes, director of land preservation for the Conservation Foundation of Naperville. "Conservation easements are another way to make sure that those lands are protected."

----------

dwischnowsky@tribune.com
Copyright (c) 2007, Chicago Tribune

Open Space referendums coming

On Election Day in April, McHenry County voters will be asked to vote on two open space referenda:

- Nunda Township residents will be asked to support a Township referendum asking for $20 million to preserve open space in the township. This is the Township's second attempt at establishing a township open space district - their 2004 effort did not pass, but by a very slim margin.

This letter I received from Lori McConville at "Nunda Neighbors for Open Space" explains the effort quite well:

"Nunda Township Residents again have the opportunity to preserve some of the remaining open space in their township with the Nunda Township Open Space Plan and the Bond Referendum which will be on the April 17th ballot. Nunda Neighbors has organized to inform citizens of the benefits of the plan and to persuade a passing vote. We are asking for your endorsement to help support our efforts.

"As you may know, the measure did not pass in 2004, but came very close. It is our position that acquiring open space is an effective strategy for local governments to manage growth. The Plan aims to purchase open space parcels, 50 acres or larger, funded by a $20,000,000 bond referendum. Parcels have been identified throughout the township to achieve the Plan Goals and Objectives of groundwater protection, storm water management, farmland preservation, protection of high-quality natural areas, and to preserve our overall quality of life. The Plan will help protect home values, help control taxes, maintain the rural atmosphere that we enjoy, and provide protection for our groundwater.

"Some significant economic benefits from preserving open space include stabilizing taxes and reducing the need for community services. Local governments that protect the most open space enjoy the lowest tax rates. With the proper balance of open space in a community, fewer schools, roads, and infrastructure are needed, and therefore costs for maintaining existing services and facilities are more manageable. Open space also attracts businesses, as they look for high quality of life when choosing places to build, relocate and grow. Also, open space provides vital community services such as flood control and the collection and cleaning of water naturally without expensive filtration systems.

"Open Space is financially AND environmentally responsible, and we completely support and commend Nunda Township for “Growing Smart.” Please visit our website at www.nundaopenspace.com for more information.

"Open space doesn’t fill our schools or use our roads. It is quiet, controls taxes, and provides us a breath of fresh air. It is the perfect neighbor!"

The other open space referendum question will be put to all county voters by the McHenry County Conservation District, asking for $73.5 million to protect approximately 4,500 acres of land throughout the county. You may recall that MCCD last ran a referendum in 2001, where they were successful in securing $68.5 million in funds. Those funds have been spent purchasing approximately 7,000 acres of land in the county at sites ranging from Camp Algonquin along the Fox River to Glacial Park near Richmond and Ringwood, Brookdale between Harvard and Woodstock and Pleasant Valley between Woodstock, Huntley & Union.

MCCD currrently owns approximately 20,000 acres, or 5% of the land in McHenry County. While 20,000 acres may sound like a lot, consider this: in DuPage County, the Forest Preserve District owns 14% of the land in the county. Having driven through DuPage County many times over the years, I would conclude that they did not preserve enough land!

We're talking about the future character of the county, our water supply, and our health! Open Space is a great neighbor!

TLC Annual Meeting huge success

Nearly 200 people attended TLC's Annual Meeting on January 28th at Bull Valley Golf Club to hear speaker Orion Samuelson talk about the future of farming in McHenry County.

Guests included a number of county board members, municipal leaders from Woodstock, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, and Trout Valley. State Senator Pamela Althoff wanted to attend, but had to take care of a cold that day.

Attendees helped raise nearly $3000 at a silent auction and raffle. Silent auction items were donated by many local businesses, and were chosen to feature farm-related businesses in the county. Silent auction donations included: Joel & Linnea Kooistra: birthday party on their farm. Ken & Beverly Eriksen: red oak tree from their nursery. Prairie Pure Cheese in Belvidere: gift box with three varieties of locally produced cheese. Willow Lea Farm in Greenwood: gift certificate for natural beef from their farm in Greenwood.

The event included recognition of 2006 easement donors Walter & Madeline Bolger, who placed the county's first ever agricultural preservation easement on 69 acres of their farm south of McHenry. The farm has been inthe Bolger family since 1863 when Thomas Bolger acquired the land. Great-grandson Walter is the fourth generation of his family to work the farm, and while the land may one day pass from the Bolger family, it will remain forever farmland thanks to the generosity and courage of Walter and Madeline.

Recognition was also given to David Hall, Trout Valley Village Trustee and Alan & Jeanine Dammann for their efforts to preserve oak trees in the county.

Trustee Hall single-handedly took on Commonwealth Edison to get the company to utilize appropriate pruning practices when cutting trees in the utility right-of-way. They were spreading the fungus known as "oak wilt" by not cleaning their equipment between trees. Given that the county's oak resources have been depleted by 90% from the 1830's, any effort to reduce the spread of disease among remaining trees can make a big difference.

The Dammanns were recognized for the marvelous restoration they have done on their oak woodland in Bull Valley, and for their decision to dedicate the land as an Illinois Nature Preserve. The dedication will help ensure that the woodland (approximately 10 acres) will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Tax Law benefits expanded through 2007

From 1991 to 2005, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) protected about 285 acres of private land in the county by working with landowners, communities and developers. By the close of 2006, that number had reached nearly 700 acres, and is poised to double again in 2007.

The diversity of land TLC is protecting these days is growing as well. Until recently I think most people saw TLC as a group that preserved wetlands and other undevelopable properties, but this is changing. In 2006, we preserved nearly 300 acres of prime farmland, through two different easements; this land would have been developed with hundreds of homes. In both cases, the landowners chose not to sell for development. They chose conservation as their legacies instead.

A new federal tax incentive for donations of conservation easements, enacted in August 2006 and providing special adjustments to help farmers and ranchers, is expected to prompt more large-scale conservation. But the benefits expire at the end of 2007, so time if of the essence!

To refresh your memory: A conservation easement is a legal restriction which a property owner may place on his or her land to limit the type and amount of development that may take place on the property. People grant conservation easements to protect their land, historic buildings or scenic values from inappropriate development while retaining private ownership. The owner conveys the right to enforce those restrictions to a qualified recipient such as a land trust, a public agency, or a historic preservation organization.

The opportunity that Congress presented to landowners through the end of 2007 will make it much more attractive for private landowners of even modest means to benefit from the donation of conservation easements on the land they love.

The new law:
▪ Raises the deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30 percent of their taxable income in any year to 50 percent;
▪ Allows qualifying farmers to deduct up to 100% of their taxable income under certain circumstances; and
▪ Increases the carry-forward of any unused deduction amount from 5 years to 15.

Unless extended, these provisions will apply only to conservation easements donated in 2006 and 2007.

Any landowner wishing to take advantage of this remarkable benefit may request further information from The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, PO Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098, or contact me directly at lhaderlein@conservemc.org, or 815.337.9502 ext 13.

Potential donors are urged to get advice from an experienced tax professional on how the benefits might apply in their specific situations.

2006 was record year for TLC!

Eight land protection deals totaling 406 1/2 acres were completed by TLC in 2006. This brings our total of protected acres in McHenry County up to nearly 700 acres (692). WOW

One of the easements is the first agricultural easement in McHenry County! 69 acres just south of McHenry along Green Street/Barreville Road. The land is owned by Walter and Madeline Bolger, and has been in the Bolger family for nearly 150 years! The land provides an important buffer to MCCD's Stickney Run conservation area, and the State's Moraine Hills State Park.

Another 2006 easement was the largest ever for TLC, coming in at 250 acres! Yep, that's no typo, 2-5-0, two-hundred and fifty. Located off of Crystal Springs Road in Bull Valley, this easement ties together several protected properties that TLC already has in the Powers Creek drainage of Boone Creek. The easement includes about 1/2 mile of the creek, and a high quality wetland area.

More details on these and the other deals will come soon, along with some photos!

Greetings!

It's a new year (although it hardly feels like January)!

One of TLC's goals for 2007 is to become a bit more tech-savvy. So, I thought, why not try creating a TLC blog?

Once we get the word out to our members that we have a blog, we are hoping they will check in frequently to see what the latest, greatest news is at TLC.

AND, we hope they (you!) will take the time to send us their (your) thoughts, comments, criticisms, ideas, whatever comes to mind!

So, browse our posts, and let us know what's on your mind?

Is there a great property we should know about? A problem at one of our sites? A potential member or volunteer we should contact? An event we should know about? Let us know!

Thanks! Lisa Haderlein, Executive Director