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Woods & WetlandsNews |
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Woods & WetlandsNews |
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| { Meetings | O Outings |
| Vote on April 13th |
Lake County harbors the largest number of endangered plant and animal species of any county in the entire state. It also offers an excep-tional variety of natural areas that provide homes to these species. These areas must be preserved and made more accessible to wildlife and humans through habitat restoration, creation of trails, and expansion of public education facilities.
Only a few years remain to preserve the remaining desirable open space in Lake County as Forest Preserves. It will cost less now to fund land purchases, since bond interest rates are at record lows, and land values continually rise.
The referendum is supported by a diverse coalition of business people,
environmentalists and concerned citizens. Co-chairs Joyce O'Keefe of the
Openlands Project and Richard Brown of Cambridge Homes have brought together
these groups, including W&W, under the Friends of the Forest Preserves
banner. All are working actively to promote passage of the referendum by
teaching the great value of the Forest Preserves.
| Visit the Friends of the Forest Preserves Website! |
The annual cost to the owner of a house with a market value of $200,000 will be less than $20. A small price to pay for ensuring a high quality of life for Lake County residents.
You can help today! Passage of this referendum is not guaranteed, and
will rely on reaching thousands of ambivalent voters. Click 
to volunteer your support, or contact the Campaign at 549-9412.
Clean Water FundThe Clean Water Act requires polluters to apply for pollution permits, and it requires the states to control those permits to assure the health of our lakes and streams. Every year Illinois issues permits to over 5,000 industries, sewage treatment plants, and other facilities for hundreds of tons of toxic pollutants and sewage. After 25 years of permits, Illinois EPA has identified over 300 rivers, lakes, and streams impaired by pollution, but lacks funding for cleanup. Meanwhile, they spend up to $5M annually writing permits. HB1690, sponsored by State Rep. Andrea Moore (R-Libertyville), and SB948, sponsored by State Sen. Lisa Madigan (D-Chicago), establishes fees for water pollution permits that:
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Tollway ReformState Representative Lauren Beth Gash has sponsored two bills. HB2800 requires the independently financed Toll Authority to pay for the land and services provided to it at taxpayer's expense by the Department of Transportation. HB2806 requires the Toll Authority to comply with the Environmental Protection Acts, the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act and the Interagency Wetland Policy Act, and gives the Department of Conservation the authority to veto any project which would jeopardize the continued existence or habitat of listed species, or any project which does not comply with these Acts. Meanwhile, in their thinly disguised $8M promotional campaign for Rt. 53, the Toll Authority's "Lake County Transportation Improvement Project" has begun chanting a predictable mantra for "something big" and "positive." |
IL Parks FundGeorge Ryan has proposed $160M for more open space in Illinois. With 70% of the population, and only 2% of public lands in our region, we deserve to bring those funds home. Our legislators are excited about this, and we have identified several key sites around our territory for them to keep in mind as they work on the budget. Help us push this forward! |
Change Glenview Board April 13thby Jane RanzGlenview Trustees have ignored their residents' concerns about suburban sprawl and preserving Glenview Prairie at the Air Station. Their misuse of the TIF program has prompted a lawsuit from the Metropolitan Water District All this has inspired a slate of candidates determined to restore representative government to the village board. Lawyers Rachel Cook, Donna Pappo and John Crawford have formed "Glenview First, giving voice, restoring choice" promoting smart growth and restrained spending. They feel that money and massive development have taken priority over the current quality of Glenview Village Life, and promise "respectful government." For information, call 604-3478. |
Reform Hawthorn Woods on April 13thBy Mary Ellen KasikHundreds of residents in Hawthorn Woods, frustrated with their board's ambition to attract a huge mall over their objections, cheered W&W Chair's comments at their hearing. Their slate of candidates is determined to preserve and protect their environ-ment: Keith Hunt, Julie Hamill, and Steve Riess oppose the mall, and the Rt. 53 tollway, favor wetland protection, and promise better land use planning with neighboring villages.Others?Wondering about your trustees? So are we! Let us know where they stand on environmental issues, and we'll spread the word. |
This parcel is currently owned by a corporate developer who has submitted several unacceptable plans for a high density housing development over the past few years, and now insists on an unrealistic selling price. This referendum will allow the courts to set a fair market value for the land, and authorize condemnation to force the sale. The village has the necessary funds, and no tax increase will result. Unlike unpopular condemnations of the past that were a hardship for the seller, this one awards an otherwise willing seller a generous profit over his purchase price, commen-surate with the actual potential of the site.
The
Smith Weekend and Symposium, an informative and fun event for adults or
the entire family, will take place at Ryerson Woods on May 15 and 16. Free
bird walks at 7:30 am each day, hands on workshops, up close animal experiences,
and other activities are being presented through a collaboration of the
Lake County Forest Preserves, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium,
and Lincoln Park Zoo.
Come for a just one event or the whole weekend! Call 948-7750 for more
information and registration, or visit the website (click the icon)..
In June W&W will help with the DPR Expedition by leading a water
quality presentation at one of the stops. Contact W&W for more details
at the beginning of June to help out.
 When you or your
friend join Sierra Club, it helps make the Club stronger. When you do it
using a W&W form, more of your membership contribution goes to W&W
for local action. Copy this invitation into an e-mail to your friends and
edit it so they know it's from you. E-mail
your friend
Friend -
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Senate Bill 641 would award a 25% tax credit on efficient appliances. It passed out of the Senate Revenue Committee March 18 with backing from its chair, Bill Peterson. He and Representative Andrea Moore, both from Lake County, are concerned about the rash of new electric power plant proposals threatening to industrialize rural areas and overdraw the aquifer. They see this bill as part of a better scenario. One proposed plant has been shelved in Island Lake, but another has already been permitted by EPA for 4,000 hours of operation per year in Libertyville.
Woods & Wetlands sees the legislation as a win-win scenario: If passed, these tax credits will encourage so-called "Negawatts" where people buy more efficient appliances, which cost less to own in the long run, and reduce our electricity needs. Until the utilities deploy nonpolluting sources of electricity, this is our most effective way to reduce air pollution and nuclear waste generation.
"Dear Colleague Letters" supporting this and other "green power" bills garnered over a hundred signatures from represen-tatives from both houses and both parties last year, so ultimate passage is now a real possibility. Additional legislation spon-sored by Adeline Geo-Karis last year, and by Andrea Moore this year include a $30M utility-paid trust fund for electric efficiency rebates. In addition, bills requiring dirty coal plants grandfathered from the Clean Air Act to finally clean up their emissions are in process, and overdue.
This initial success is owed in part to W&W activists. Several members
on the alert networks contacted their representatives supporting the legislation.
Bob Wargaski, a resident near Island Lake, has exposed the impacts of natural
gas electricity plants through extensive research. He's worked tirelessly
to persuade officials to choose protecting Moraine Hills State Park and
Black Crown Marsh over a huge power plant in countryside-zoned land. Promotion
of several electricity efficiency and green power bills was a major focus
of all groups in the Sierra Club IL chapter last year, and the support
we generated then will now need to be rekindled. We need your help.
Please volunteer to join our phone tree (680-6437x5) or e-mail
networks, and call your representatives.
| Use These Jewel Shop & Share and Dominick's Benefit
Days Coupons.
Just click Coupons, print them out, and turn them in at the checkout on any of the designated days. |
Members are invited to join the
W&W group's e-mail distribution lists. On the ALERTS list you will
receive infrequent timely posts from the Group Chair, primarily on local
issues. Some of these appear on this website, and if you subscribe you
will learn about them in time to help. The ISSUES list allows you to share
in a discussion with other W&Wers. To sign up, click LISTS,
and then, for each one you want to try out, type in the body of the message
:
SUBSCRIBE IL-WWG-ALERTS firstname lastname
SUBSCRIBE IL-WWG-ISSUES firstname lastname
and send the message. We do not share e-mail address lists, and you
can remove yourself from our alerts list at any time.
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