Proposed Route 53/120 extension studied by hikers

To give people a better understanding of the impacts of the proposed Route 53/120 extension through central Lake County, the Liberty Prairie Conservancy and the Sierra Club organized the second “Hike the Corridor” event on March 11 in central Lake County.

Seventy people from across Lake County walked a little under 3 miles through two residential communities, natural areas, and farm fields just south of current Route 120. Much of the hike traced the proposed 120 bypass route being considered by the Route 53 Blue Ribbon Advisory Council.

This area — called the Liberty Prairie Reserve — is part of a larger 5,800-acre area between Grayslake, Libertyville, and Gurnee where people, organizations, and government bodies have preserved 3,400 acres of open space. These many partners have also built a trail system and restored hundreds of acres of wildlife habitat.

Local, sustainable farming is also springing up. The Reserve’s 100 acres of certified organic farmland now support eight organic farms that employ 50 people and represent $2.5 million in economic value.

“Abstract lines on a map can make a large roadway like this look harmless and even appealing,” says Steve Barg, executive director of the Liberty Prairie Conservancy. “But it’s all too easy to ignore what the concrete would bury forever. When you hike the corridor, the impact on nearby farms, homes, and natural areas becomes real, and you can better understand what’s at stake and what could be lost. That’s why this kind of event is so important.”

Along the way, the hikers were told by the clubs about the harm that can be caused by road systems — salt spray, air pollution, disruption of groundwater recharging, water pollution, erosion, flooding, and habitat destruction. The group saw 17 species of birds while on the hike. These included ring-necked ducks, a great horned owl, sandhill cranes, nesting great blue herons and bluebirds.