Kane County Forest Preserve District unveils 2016 to-do list

This year will be focused more on improving and maintaining what the Kane County Forest Preserve District already has rather than buying new land.

District officials unveiled the 2016 master plan to commissioners Friday. The plan grew from a workshop with commissioners designed to prioritize the limited amount of capital funds in the district's coffers.

Numbers show the district has about $319,000 available for the purchase of new land once some pending acquisitions come off the books. In contrast, the district has about $7.67 million in its development fund for projects. About $2 million of that many is earmarked to help build a pedestrian bridge in Aurora.

The district will use some of the remaining cash to improve access to its preserves and perform maintenance on some aging infrastructure.

Better parking, more trail connections and improved access to preserves for boaters are the main features on the to-do list:

1. Brunner Family and Raceway Woods pedestrian connection

2. Johnson's Mound north/south trail connection

3. Settler's Hill Golf Club youth course and building

4. Dick Young and Lake Run Forest Preserve trail connection

5. Burnidge Forest Preserve/ Tyler Creek trail connection to Randall Road

6. Raceway Woods Forest Preserve parking lot renovation

7. Fabyan Forest Preserve east boathouse renovation

8. Big Rock Forest Preserve parking/access

9. Buffalo Park Forest Preserve canoe access and picnic area

10. Oakhurst Forest Preserve drive, parking and boat ramp improvements

11. Big Rock Forest Preserve camp/equestrian trail expansion

All projects on the list were designed funding to-be-determined, or N/A. Having a master plan in place is a requirement for many grants, which district staff members plan to pursue in hopes of not having to draw down the district's finances any more than needed to get the work done.