19 months after Kane County Forest referendum, 38% of the money is spent

Kane County Forest Preserve District officials have spent about $19 million of the $50 million cash infusion local voters provided in a 2017 referendum. In the last 18 months, district commissioners added 1,465 acres to local preserves, leaving officials about 500 acres short of their minimum goal for investing the funds.

Heading into the referendum, forest district officials said they intended to focus their purchases on expanding existing preserves. That's proven true in the purchases made so far. The 325 acres added to the Muirhead Springs preserve in Elgin is the largest example of that so far. The added land makes Muirhead a 1,011-acre preserve. Other purchases include:

• 262 acres added to Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn

• 133 acres added to Cardinal Creek Forest Preserve in Hampshire

• 114 acres added to Bowes Creek Woods Forest Preserve in Elgin

• 87 acres added to Fox River Shores Forest Preserve in Carpentersville

• 86 acres added to Big Rock Forest Preserve in Big Rock

• 85 acres added to a yet-to-be-named forest preserve in Big Rock

• 84 acres added to Binnie Forest Preserve in West Dundee

• 77 acres added to Ferson Creek Forest Preserve in St. Charles

• 75 acres purchased to create the Chicago Premium Outlets Wetland Forest Preserve in Aurora

• 71 acres added to Sauer Family Prairie Kane Forest Preserve in Elburn

• 26 acres purchased to create a yet-to-be-named forest preserve in St. Charles

• 22 acres added to LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles

• 7 acres added to Raceway Woods Forest Preserve in Carpentersville

• 6 acres added to Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia

• 5 acres added to Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora

Forest district Commissioner Maggie Auger, who leads the commission's land acquisition committee, said a lot of thinking goes into each land purchase.

"We've been able to protect land along creeks at Big Rock Forest Preserve, Ferson Creek Forest Preserve and LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve," Auger said. "These riparian areas are hot spots for biodiversity. We've also invested in a

beautiful woodland in Big Rock Township that will create a new 85-acre preserve. It's amazing to see what we've been able to accomplish with the support of our residents, and we've still got more in the works."

There will be a new chairman of the district's land acquisition committee come December. Auger did not seek re-election.

Commissioner John Hoscheit was one of the leading voices informing voters about how the referendum proceeds would be used in 2017. He said the district will release a full report after the commission uses the remaining $31 million. The commission earmarked about 80 percent of the overall funds to buy 2,000 to 2,500 acres of land. The remaining 20 percent is for capital improvements designed to make the preserves more accessible to the public.

"This is really just Phase One," Hoscheit said. "It's important that we communicate this information to our constituents so they know their money is being invested wisely."

The total land holdings of the district now stand at 22,284 acres.