title
REPORT
Department: Department of Resource Management
Request: Refer to Environmental and Sustainability Committee
Report Title: Restoration Status of Next Century Conservation Plan/Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan Identified Priorities
Report Period: 2015-2020
Summary: This document presents a five (5) year status report on ecological restoration achieved between the years of 2015-2020 in pursuit of the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) Next Century Conservation Plan (“NCCP”) goal of restoring 30,000 acres to ecological health by 2040.
The report includes introductory and background information on the Forest Preserves’ approach to meeting its land management goals, a set of maps that shows where important work has been accomplished, and descriptions of the preserves prioritized for restoration. These 30,000 acres are comprised of fifteen (15) priority landscapes, seven (7) Illinois nature preserves, and an additional set of thirty-eight (38) priority stewardship sites identified and ranked through the Forest Preserves’ Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan.
In the initial five (5) years since the NCCP’s debut in 2014, the Forest Preserves have dramatically expanded the number of acres under restoration from 5,800 to 12,200 acres, which equates to 40% of our priority lands under restoration. At our current pace and with appropriate funding, it is anticipated that our 30,000-acre NCCP goal can be achieved by 2035.
The work that has been achieved to-date is substantial and is critical to re-establishing healthy ecosystems for the benefit of the natural communities, plant and animal species, clean water, and long-term sustainability of our region.
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