Lake Calument Campaign Report
from Walter Marcisz
December, 2002

LAKE CALUMET MARINA PLANS CANCELED

The Illinois International Port District's plans for a 1,000-power boat marina at Lake Calumet have been canceled. The following excerpts from Liam Ford's 8-30-02 Chicago Tribune article tell the story:
"Plans for a 1,000-boat marina in Lake Calumet were dropped Thursday by the state's port authority, after months of pressure by environmental groups were bolstered in recent weeks by opposition from Chicago city officials. A spokesman for the Illinois Port District cited the possibility of a Chicago Park District marina being built at 95th Street and Lake Michigan as the primary reason for the port dropping the $13 million plan, a version of which was first proposed in the mid-1980s. After news reports on the Lake Calumet plan early this summer, city Environment Commissioner N. Marcia Jimenez said the proposed marina would conflict with city plans to restore Lake Calumet's natural areas. On Thursday, Lee Bey, Mayor Richard M. Daley's deputy chief of staff, hailed the decision. Though avoiding any comment on whether the mayor's power to appoint members of the port board played a role in the decision to drop the plan, he said Daley had made it clear he wants to see Lake Calumet thrive as a natural area."

CALUMET AREA ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (EMS)
A copy of the Chicago Dept. of Environment's Calumet Area Ecological Management Strategy Executive Summary was mailed to me on 20 September 2002. A printed or CD copy of the complete 160 page document will be mailed to me as soon as it becomes available.

CALUMET AREA CONFERENCES
Two upcoming Calumet area conferences were held:
1) October 4, 2002. "Planning Without Boundary: A case study of Wolf Lake and the Calumet Region," sponsored by Women in Planning & Development, at Southeast Sportsman's Club, 13139 S. Ave. "M," Chicago.
2) October 5, 2002. "4th Annual Calumet Heritage Conference: Transitions: Changes in the Calumet Region," sponsored by Chicago State University (CSU) Environmental Resource Center, at CSU Student Union Building, 9501 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Chicago.

CALUMET BIOBLITZ
The Calumet Area BioBlitz took place on 23-24 August 2002. At least 1,815 species (including 111 bird species!) were found at three Calumet area locations by biologists from all over the state.

CALUMET BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (BCNH) STUDY
The 2002 field work for Jeff Levengood's IL Natural History Survey Calumet area Black-crowned Night-Heron study has been completed. The study is projected to continue through the 2003 breeding season. I am currently working on incorporating foraging survey data into a usable database.

LAKE CALUMET'S FUTURE

In addition to the death of the Lake Calumet marina proposal, there is other good news. It appears that the Illinois International Port District, which has traditionally been uncommunicative with the public (especially the birding public), is now at least ostensibly soliciting public involvement for their future plans. The following blurb is excerpted from the most recent Southeast Environmental Task Force newsletter (10-15-02), with additional explanatory comments added by myself (in brackets):

”The Illinois International Port District, at their Board meeting on September 13, established a committee to develop proposals for the future of Lake Calumet. President William Braasch stated that the public will be involved in the planning. He said, ‘Every voice will be heard, every viewpoint will be considered.’ He promised that the Lake Calumet Vision Committee will be invited to meet with the Port District committee. [BCN supports Lake Calumet Vision Committee's vision for the future of Lake Calumet.]

”The Lake Calumet Vision Committee sponsored a canoe trip to Lake Calumet for the media on September 10. Reporters from the Daily Southtown, The Times, and The Observer participated. Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley and members of his staff went along to gather information for a presentation he is preparing for the Cook County Board to encourage the Cook County Forest Preserve District to acquire open lands on the shores of the lake.”