Environment a priority for Campton Hills, township

Officials in Campton Hills and Campton Township are joining forces to make the most of the open space and natural areas they share.

Village officials Tuesday voted to create an intergovernmental committee to evaluate and map out "green infrastructure" within both entities' borders.

Jim Kopec, a Campton Hills trustee, said the committee would inventory natural resources for planning purposes.

"The idea is to be able to characterize the open space so when somebody comes in with a plan, we know if a parcel is suitable for their type of development, or give them suggestions for what could be done,"said Kopec, a member of the newly formed committee. "We've got a lot of experts between the township and village. What we're trying to do is put together a team that is going to represent both interests."

The environmental group consists of officials and employees from both governments who will map wetlands, tree species and streams, among other infrastructure, Kopec said. The information will be compiled into a database that can be used in considering future development proposals.

The effort is expected to cost about $2,500. Kopec said Campton Hills is picking up the full tab because the village will use the same information to seek state and federal funding.

"The map and database will reflect the composition of the area in terms of natural resources and available land," he said. "We'll use it to start evaluating decisions that come before the boards so we understand fully what our environment looks like."