Kane County forest preserve adds 44 acres to Campton Twp. site

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County has added about 44 acres to Meissner-Corron Forest Preserve in Campton Township, officials said.

The acquisition fills in a wedge-shaped section within the northeastern portion of the preserve, which now totals 665 acres.

The site is adjacent to an area that Campton Township Open Space manages. Combined, the agencies protect a contiguous 1,126 acres of natural area in the complex, according to the forest district.

“The beauty in the protection of this parcel is in the shape,” forest district Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur said in a news release.

“Like a missing puzzle piece locking-in, we’ll now be able to see a more intact picture of the natural landscape of Kane County. There’s also a sensitive ecological area that is already protected at Meissner-Corron Forest Preserve,” he added.

An Illinois Nature Preserve was dedicated on the site in 2015 as Meissner-Corron Prairie and Sedge Meadow, Haberthur said.

“The permanent conservation of this parcel protects the interior of Russel Fen, and buffers the vulnerable plant species from animal predation and invasive species infestation,” he added.

The Forest Preserve District invested $947,965 in the 44.45-acre addition. A $190,000 acquisition grant from the Prairie State Conservation Coalition will help fund the purchase.

“We’re always open to new and effective partnerships,” Haberthur said. “We want to be on the cutting edge of conservation, and right now that is Prairie State Conservation Coalition.”

The Meissner-Corron acquisition brings the total land that the forest preserve district manages to 24,228 acres.