Lake County Vision for Land Preservation

land-preservation-open-space
"To  realize a Lake County landscape where, by 2030, at least 20% of the County is preserved forever as natural areas, parks, trails, farmland, and scenic views."


In early 2009, Conserve Lake County initiated a visioning process that brought seventeen partners together to develop and adopt the Lake County Vision for Land Preservation above and secure the commitments needed to fulfill that vision. This coalition of partners became the Land Conservation Partners of Lake County. This is a bold but attainable vision.

The Need

Land preserved as open space is critical to a healthy Lake County and with the window of opportunity to preserve land quickly closing, there was an urgency to bring together the efforts of the many public and private organizations that had been working to preserve critical lands. With this new collective countywide vision for land preservation that encompasses private lands as well as lands under state, county and park districts, the vision is to preserve at least 20% of the county. 

2030 Vision

60,000 acres preserved (20% of county), requiring 10,850 acres to be preserved from 2010- 2030.

land-preservation-open-space-bikeProgress

As of October, 2011: 50,865 acres preserved (17.3% of county) with 1,715 acres preserved since beginning of 2010.

Partners

The Land Conservation Partners of Lake County is made up of seventeen partners who have unanimously and enthusiastically adopted the Vision for Land Preservation.

 

Governmental

Lake County Forest Preserve District

Lake County Planning, Building and Development

Libertyville Township

Illinois Nature Preserves Commission

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Land Conservation Organizations

Barrington Area Conservation Trust

Citizens for Conservation

Conserve Lake County (Formerly Liberty Prairie Conservancy)

Lake Bluff Open Lands Association

Lake Forest Open Lands Association

Openlands

Mettawa Open Lands Association

Watershed Groups

Upper DesPlaines River Ecosystem Partnership

North Branch Watershed Project

Fox River Ecosystem Partnership

Indian Creek Watershed Project

Flint Creek Watershed Project