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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY’S BUSSE FOREST NATURE PRESERVE FOR RECEIVING A CHICAGO WILDERNESS EXCELLENCE IN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION ACCREDITATION, AND THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY’S POWDERHORN LAKE HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT FOR RECEIVING A CHICAGO WILDERNESS FORCE OF NATURE AWARD
WHEREAS, on October 22, 2025, the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Busse Forest Nature Preserve was honored with a Platinum Accreditation, the highest level possible, from the Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Accreditation Program, and the Forest Preserves’ Powderhorn Lake Habitat Restoration project was honored with a Chicago Wilderness George B. Rabb Force of Nature Award at a ceremony at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Accreditation Program recognizes the organization’s management of the largest and highest-quality natural areas in the Chicago region and highlights projects that set an example of best practices in natural resource management and ecological restoration; and
WHEREAS, the 1,213-acre Busse Forest Nature Preserve is the seventh largest nature preserve in the State of Illinois and is part of the 3,558-acre Ned Brown Preserve, popularly known as Busse Woods in northwest Cook County near Elk Grove Village, Illinois and receives tens of thousands of visitors each year who seek out the preserve for outdoor recreation and nature exploration; and
WHEREAS, Busse Forest Nature Preserve protects a mosaic of habitats including woodlands, a sedge meadow, shrub swamp, and freshwater marsh, and the subtle changes in the site’s topography and soils foster an intermingling of natural communities and create a hot spot of biological diversity, including over two hundred seventy (270) native plant species, including several state-listed species; and
WHEREAS, the George B. Rabb Force of Nature Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose conservation, restoration, advocacy or educational activities in the region are inspirational examples for others; and
WHEREAS, the Powderhorn Lake Habitat Restoration project was completed in 2023 and restored more than 100 acres of wetlands by reconnecting the Forest Preserves’ 50-acre Powderhorn Lake to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ 950-acre Wolf Lake; and
WHEREAS, Powderhorn Lake is located within Powderhorn Forest Preserve on the southeast side of Chicago, an area that has been shaped by significant urban and industrial development and yet still harbors a globally rare dune and swale habitat and is considered one of the most biodiverse natural areas in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Management Program supported the development of a hydrology plan for Powderhorn Lake that the Forest Preserves did not anticipate being able to implement due to cost and complexity; and
WHEREAS, Audubon Great Lakes, a long-time Forest Preserves conservation and community engagement partner, secured funding from the Great Lakes Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct this visionary and ambitious project leading to the successful hydrologic reconnection between Powderhorn Lake and Wolf Lake, reestablishing vital marsh habitat for migratory birds, thriving fish nursery, and reducing flooding and erosion in neighboring communities; and
WHEREAS, the Powderhorn Lake Habitat Restoration project also benefitted from the support of numerous other partner organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Chicago Park District, The Wetlands Initiative and others and demonstrates what is possible through the collective expertise, coordination, and collaboration of dedicated partners.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves Cook County, congratulate the staff and partners involved in both the Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Accreditation and George B. Rabb Force of Nature Award and thank them for their commitment to the mission of the Forest Preserves; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to the awardees as a token of appreciation for their service to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the residents of Cook County.end