LAKE CALUMET CAMPAIGN REPORT

From: Walter Marcisz, 13 January 2002

LAND ACQUISITION

Openlands Project reports that in late August 2001, CorLands received a donation of Van Vlissingen Prairie, a 117 acre parcel of land, from the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago. CorLands is holding the title until Chicago & the state can accept the property for inclusion in the proposed 4000 acre Calumet Open Space Reserve.

After over 5 years of discussion & deliberation, the prime habitat areas of Burnham Prairie (approx. 150 acres) have finally been purchased by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (from Waste Management, Inc.).

As of January 2002, Suzanne Malec of the Chicago Department of Environment (CDOE) has announced that Waste Management, Inc. has agreed to enter negotiations to sell Hegewisch Marsh (Hegewisch Marsh is one of the 3 possible sites for the proposed Calumet Environmental Center).

CALUMET AREA HYDROLOGIC MASTER PLAN

After a brief malfunction (October 2001) resulting in elevated water levels, the Indian Ridge Marsh water control mechanism was repaired by city contractors and is now functioning normally once again. All of the recent water level variability at Indian Ridge points to the need for an overall hydrologic master plan for the Calumet area. Suzanne Malec of the CDOE indicates that studies for such a plan are currently under way. George Roadcap of the IL Water Survey has been enlisted as part of the team conducting the hydrological studies.

CALUMET AREA LAND USE PLAN

The City of Chicago will be holding a hearing on their "Calumet Area Land Use Plan" document on January 18, 2002 (City Hall Council Chambers, Rm. 201A, 1 p.m.). I have written a letter (on behalf of BCN) to the Chicago Department of Planning & Development in regard to various bird-related issues. Although there are many positive aspects to the Land Use Plan document, points of contention include the possible industrial development of the Railroad Prairie, proximity of bicycle paths to heron rookery sites, and vagueness regarding both land use & ownership of the west shore of Lake Calumet.

LAKE CALUMET ECOSYSTEM PARTNERSHIP (LCEP)

LCEP is currently reviewing project proposals for IL Department of Natural Resources C2000 grant funding. Lynne Westphal of USDA Forest Service is applying for a grant to fund a Calumet Bird Checklist. Proposed sponsors for the checklist are USDA Forest Service, Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), and Chicago Ornithological Society (COS).

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (BCNH) STUDY

Jeff Levengood's IL Natural History Survey (INHS) study regarding nesting ecology & contaminant exposure of Calumet area BCNHs will begin this spring. A job announcement soliciting for field research assistants for this project has been posted on BCNnet.

BIO-BLITZ

The FMNH, INHS, & CDOE are planning a "Bio Blitz" in the Lake Calumet area (specifically Eggers Woods south through Powderhorn Lake) to be held on 23-24 August 2002. A "Bio Blitz" is essentially a "Big Day" for all organisms. Specialists & knowledgeable amateurs on as many taxonomic groups as possible will be gathered to spend 24 hours trying to count as much diversity as possible in the area.

Doug Stotz of FMNH is also currently working on a conservation design project for Hegewisch Marsh for the CDOE.

CHICAGO WILDERNESS ARTICLE

The Fall, 2001 issue of Chicago Wilderness magazine includes a lengthy article ("Post-Industrial Wildlands" by Jill Riddell) about the future of the Calumet area wetlands.