DuPage forest district looks to protect endangered species

Endangered, threatened and rare species such as the blue-spotted salamander and the Blanding's turtle call these places home.

Even the federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid survives here, along with other fragile plant life.

That's why the DuPage County Forest Preserve District this week nominated five of its properties to become Illinois Nature Preserves.

The distinction would offer the current preserves additional ecological protection. But it would not stop visitors from enjoying activities currently allowed at some sites, like dog-walking, biking or horseback riding.

“We are saying we will abide by the state's guidelines for higher restrictions of what we do with the land, but that does not preclude people from enjoying it,” said Erik Neidy, the district's manager of natural resources. “It basically restricts all destructive uses to the trails.”

Only about 500 acres of the district's 26,000 acres are being considered: the 8-acre Glacial Ridge area of Churchill Woods Forest Preserve near Glen Ellyn; 76 acres within Des Plaines Riverway Forest Preserve near Burr Ridge; the 49-acre west grove of Meacham Grove Forest Preserve near Bloomingdale; the 257-acre Brewster Creek Marsh area of Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve near Wayne; and 111 acres of Swift Prairie Forest Preserve near Addison.

Neidy said each area was chosen either because it already has trails and parking lots that should be contained or, conversely, has no trails or parking lots and forest preserve staff want to keep it that way.

“We've spent a lot of time and investment to make these areas high-quality, and this will allow us to preserve these areas into the future, not knowing what political pressures might be,” Neidy said.

With the five sites now selected, forest preserve staff members will present their nominations to the Illinois Nature Preserve board this January in Springfield. The board will conduct an internal review process, then collaborate with forest preserve staff on features like maps and management plans that include prescribed burning and seeding. By May, the district hopes the measure will reach Gov. Pat Quinn's desk.

But these five sites aren't the only ones forest preserve officials want to receive extra protection. Neidy said there are about two dozen that deserve to become Illinois Nature Preserves, such as Waterfall Glen near Darien that is home to the endangered Hines emerald dragonfly.

For now, however, the district is focusing on smaller, lesser-used preserves so the staff can create outreach to acclimate visitors to the new rules. Those will include public forums, website announcements and signs with new rules and new trail boundaries.

“Waterfall Glen is a no-brainer, but its one of our most-used sites and we are starting small because we want to get that public education out there,” Neidy said.