Grant to spruce up White Pine Trail

Three grants could help Buffalo Grove spruce up the area around Buffalo Creek and a bike trail at Bernard Drive.

The village won a roughly $150,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the White Pine Trail project. The trail, about one-third of a mile, would connect the trail in Lions Park north to Bernard Drive.

"When we had public information meetings, we had a lot of support to connect that trail," said Greg Boysen, director of public works.

The village is waiting on two other grants they expect to receive, Boysen said, for stream bank stabilization.

One would be on Buffalo Creek and the other project would be at White Pine Ditch, a flood management project for the creek, all near Bernard Drive.

"We've done a stream bank stabilization plan for the entire golf course," Boysen said. "We've done it in stages as we've received grants."

Boysen said the banks of Buffalo Creek have been eroding, creating pollution in the water as sediment makes its way into the stream.

Boysen said the village is waiting on the other two grants to do the whole project together with the asphalt bike trail.

The village has about 48 miles of bike trail, with most of the pieces already connected.

"There aren't too many isolated pieces of path; this is a gap," Boysen said.

The project likely wouldn't start until next year if the grants are awarded.