Illinois Audubon Fort Dearborn Chapter has been the sponsoring group for Montrose Point, Beach, and the Jarvis Birding Aria for the last 10 years. Susan and I have been the project managers for the environmental groups working with the park district, all of the groups have help develop the aria and raise public interest in the point. The Groups have invested a lot of money into the Green Deed Program as well as direct funding for the plantings that have gone into the Point. It is nice to see the State of Illinois finally has the project as a major nature aria. It would be great if Rogers Park could generate the same interest to attract the environmental groups to help develop the lake front plan for Rogers Park.
Below is the announcement of Montrose Beach Dunes achieving Illinois Natural Areas Inventory designation.
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Dear Dune Volunteers and Friends,
It's been a hectic month or two, and I have some wonderful news to share. Montrose Beach Dunes (the "official" state name) was just designated an Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) site by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. The INAI is a state-recognized list of high-quality natural areas. Last August, biologists from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) visited the dunes and were very impressed with its unique flora and fauna; they also noted geological features such as the panne (wet depression in a dune/swale system) which is uncommon nowadays, especially in a big city! IDNR subsequently nominated the site for INAI status The lengthy application and supporting documentation was reviewed by the commission in Springfield and approved last Tuesday.
We are all very excited and honored by the assignment of INAI status, which opens the way for much greater protection and enhancement of Montrose Beach Dunes. THANK YOU ALL for your tremendous support, dedication, and hard work that have kept the dunes healthy and thriving. Last summer was one of our most challenging growing seasons, working without a Chicago Park District natural areas contractor, and you really stepped up to the plate. I am so proud of you, and I look forward to working with you in the future to make the dunes an even richer home for our native species.
By George Sullivan
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2 comments:
This is the kind of outside influence we could use around here.
How true, James.
Wasn't Montrose Beach brought up in the harbor discussion by the CPD last week? None of rheir 'concepts' were really about nature or really about saving the environment, or was the din too loud for me to hear that?
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