Lake County forest preserves to spend $30 million to buy more land
Lake County forest preserve holdings are primed to expand with the approval Wednesday of a bond issue up to $35 million to fund mostly land purchases.
The general obligation bond issue will be the second batch of $155 million authorized by voters in late 2024 for land acquisition, development and restoration.
The forest district board plans to spend $65 million of it for land preservation and acquisition, and $90 million for habitat restoration and public access improvements.
A bond issue last year generated about $25 million in proceeds, with $10 million allocated for development and $15 million for land acquisition.
The acquisition funds have all been committed as the district has closed on several properties and has others under contract, said Finance Director Steve Neaman.
Development and restoration projects take longer to design, permit and complete, Neaman added. About $1 million of those funds have been spent and another $6.2 million is under contract, with the remainder expected to be by the end of the year, he said.
As presented to the forest board Wednesday, $30 million of this next bond issue is committed to land acquisition.
“This is the money to actually continue with our land acquisition and restoration work,” said Ty Kovach, the district’s executive director.
About $5 million of the latest bond issue is targeted for restoration projects. Sites include Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda, the district’s largest at more than 3,000 acres; Wright Woods in Mettawa; Gander Mountain in Fox Lake; and MacArthur Woods in Libertyville. Deferred maintenance and solar and energy efficiency projects round out the list.
In a separate action, the forest board approved strategic objectives for 2026 to 2030.
“This is really our work plan for the next five years,” Kovach said. “We have a responsibility to put that money on the ground as promised.”
Among the priorities is communicating the impact and progress of referendum-funded land acquisition, public access improvements and habitat restoration projects, while explaining the need to land bank acquisitions that may not see planned work for awhile.
That applies to areas such as the former Route 53 right of way, Kovach said.
That could amount to 1,000 new acres for the district, but the resources to proceed with development are limited.
“We need to get the messaging out there,” he said.
mzawislak@dailyherald.com