Lake Co. forest district officials reviewing 57 possible projects
Trail improvements at the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve and repairs to Bonner Heritage Farm's barn are among projects that could be funded by the $185 million Lake County Forest Preserve District loan voters approved in November, officials said Monday.
A new fishing platform at the Wadsworth canoe launch, gravel trails at the district's dog exercise areas and natural restoration projects throughout the county also are on the list of 57 possible assignments.
Forest district officials reviewed the list - a document district deputy executive director Andy Kimmel called "a very rough draft" - during a planning and restoration committee meeting in Libertyville.
Of the $185 million the forest district got permission to borrow, $37 million - 20 percent - will be set aside for public-access improvements and habitat restoration efforts. The rest will be used to buy land.
The list unveiled Monday vastly exceeds the $37 million cap, so some paring down is needed. Committee leader Carol Calabresa, grateful for the community's strong support of the funding plan, is taking the job seriously.
"They placed a great deal of confidence in us," said Calabresa, a Libertyville Republican. "This is a huge responsibility."
Stabilizing the main barn at Bonner Heritage Farm near Lindenhurst, a job officials say could cost more than $500,000, should be a top priority, said Mike Fenelon, the district's planning director.
"Otherwise, that thing's going to come down," he said.
Other projects on the list didn't have the same sense of urgency but were seen as improvements to their respective communities.
Fixing the trail at Buffalo Creek preserve near Buffalo Grove is one such effort. Much of the trail is closed because it is under water from the nearby reservoir, Fenelon said; officials want to raise the trail and install bridges to keep it dry and open for hikers.
That work could cost $2.75 million to $3.75 million, according to district estimates.
A less-expensive but intriguing project would install solar-powered gates at 10 preserves. The devices would eliminate the need for rangers or local residents to open the gates each morning; however, they'd still need to be manually closed at night.
The proposal carried a $130,000 price tag.
The planning committee will discuss the possible projects again in February. The board could finalize the list in February or March, executive director Tom Hahn said.