Illinois Department
of Natural Resources
Lake Level A and B Conference Room
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
February 3, 2004 10:00 A.M.
*Documentary Material
Enclosed
Item 1: Call to Order, Roll Call, and Introduction of Attendees
Item 2:* Adoption of Agenda
Item 3:* Approval
of Minutes of the 180th Meeting, September 16, 2003
Item 4: Next Meeting Schedule
4 May, 10:00 a.m.
- Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
3 August, 9:00 a.m. - University of Illinois, Urbana
26 October, 10:00 a.m. - Giant City Lodge, Makanda
Item 5: INPC Staff Report
REPORT
Carolyn Grosboll and John Nelson
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 6: IDNR Staff Report
REPORT
Glen Kruse
IDNR, Office of Resource Conservation
Item 7:* Fulton
Co. – Kedzior Woodlands Land and Water Reserve, Registration
Kedzior Woodlands, owned by Mr. Ken Kedzior, is approximately 120 acres in size
and is located about 700 yards east of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR)-owned Harper-Rector Woods Nature Preserve. The intervening lands, a mixture
of CRP-protected areas and wooded ravines, are also owned by Mr. Kedzior. Mr.
Kedzior’s properties have a buffering function with respect to Harper-Rector
Woods Nature Preserve. Most of the proposed land and water reserve is covered
with second-growth forest, which supports a breeding bird community that contains
no less than 15 area-sensitive species known to suffer from forest fragmentation
(as defined by IDNR Natural Heritage Technical Publication #1). The woodlands,
which are representative of the Galesburg Section of the Western Forest-Prairie
Natural Division, are dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.) and hickories (Carya
spp.) in most upland areas. Small rock outcrops and a low-order stream system
enhance the ecological importance of this site. Mr. Kedzior wishes to permanently
register Kedzior Woodlands to ensure the protection of its natural features
and to improve natural resource management.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Tom Lerczak Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 8:* Iroquois Co. – Addition to Iroquois County State Wildlife Area
Land and Water Reserve, Registration
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) proposes to register 300
acres as an addition to Iroquois County State Wildlife Area Land and Water Reserve.
In 2001, the IDNR registered 1,613 acres of the 1,920-acre Iroquois County State
Wildlife Area which is a site of statewide significance. This site is recognized
on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI #763 and 577) for its high-quality
sedge meadow, marsh, dry-mesic sand prairie, shrub prairie, dry and dry-mesic
sand savanna, and sand flatwoods natural communities representative of the Kankakee
Sand Area Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. This site also provides
habitat for more than 15 state-endangered and threatened species, includes large
grasslands and woods which support area-sensitive species, and supports unusual
concentrations of flora and fauna. The 300-acre addition will complete preserve
design and will be used and managed in the same manner as the existing Land
and Water Reserve.
REPORT ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
Kim Roman Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 9:* Jasper Co. – Addition to Prairie Ridge State Natural Area Land
and Water Reserve, Registration
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources proposes to register a 363-acre addition to Prairie Ridge State Natural Area (PRSNA) Land and Water Reserve located within the Effingham Plain Section of the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. The proposed addition is within the Prairie Ridge INAI site (#601). The grassland/wetland complex at PRSNA provides habitat for 37 species of special concern. Among these species are Illinois’ only breeding population of greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) and the State’s largest breeding populations of northern harriers (Circus cyaneus), short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) and barn owls (Tyto alba). Registration of this addition will increase the permanently protected acreage at PRSNA located in Jasper County to 2,173.72 acres.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Scott Simpson Registration Approval
District Heritage Biologist
IDNR, Office of Resource Conservation, Region V
Item 10:* Jo Daviess Co. – Hanover Forest Land and Water Reserve, Registration
Hanover Forest consists of 34.64 acres and is owned by the Natural Land Institute.
This site lies within the Wisconsin Driftless Natural Division of Illinois and
is located in the western portion of Jo Daviess County within the upland bluffs
overlooking the former Savanna Army Depot, now Lost Mound Unit of the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The Illinois Department
of Natural Resources awarded a Conservation 2000 grant to purchase Hanover Forest.
Hanover Forest consists primarily of mesic upland forest and is located within
the north central portion of the Hanover Bluff INAI site (#1058). Currently,
Hanover Bluff Nature Preserve (361.7 acres), owned by IDNR, is the only protected
tract within the INAI site. Hanover Bluff is recognized by the INAI as a Category
I for high-quality dry dolomite prairie and dry sand prairie communities and
as a Category II for the presence of 11 state-endangered and threatened species
including: shadbush (Amelanchier interior), meadow horsetail (Equisetum pratense),
hairy white violet (Viola incognita), hairy umbrella-wort (Mirabilis hirsuta),
wooly milkweed (Asclepias lanuginosa), kittentails (Besseya bullii), cliff goldenrod
(Solidago sciaphila), snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), prairie dandelion (Nothocalais
cuspidata), plains sedge (Carex heliphilia) and timber rattlesnake (Crotalis
horridus horridus).
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Angella Moorehouse Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 11:* Kankakee
Co. – Mskoda Land and Water Reserve, Registration
The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy proposes to register in perpetuity
as a land and water reserve 649 acres of its property known as Mskoda Preserve.
This site is comprised primarily of four natural community types representative
of the Kankakee Sand Area Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division: dry
sand savanna, dry-mesic sand savanna, sand forest, and a former agricultural
field. A portion of its dry-mesic sand savanna is recognized on the INAI (#54)
for its high biological quality. This site provides habitat for at least two
state-endangered species: Carey’s heartsease (Polygonum careyi) and primrose
violet (Viola primulifolia), and two species proposed for state listing: old
plainsman (Hymenopappus scabiosaeus) and Carolina whipgrass (Scleria pauciflora).
The proposed land and water reserve qualifies because of its inclusion on the
INAI and because of its concentration of unusual plant and animal species. Mskoda
Preserve is one of the many notable natural areas found in the Pembroke Savannas,
a large-scale ecosystem of national significance.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Kim Roman Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 12:* Kankakee Co. – Tallmadge Sand Forest Land and Water Reserve,
Registration
The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy proposes to register in perpetuity as a land and water reserve 157 acres of its property known as Tallmadge Sand Forest. This site is comprised primarily of three natural community types representative of the Kankakee Sand Area Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division: sand forest, dry-mesic sand savanna, and sand flatwoods and provides habitat for at least three state-endangered species: Carey’s heartsease (Polygonum careyi), primrose violet (Viola primulifolia), bristly blackberry (Rubus setosus) and one species proposed for state listing: crowded oval sedge (Carex cumulata). Tallmadge Sand Forest qualifies as a land and water reserve because of the habitat it provides for Illinois endangered species and because of its concentration of unusual plant and animal species. Tallmadge Forest is one of the many notable natural areas found in the Pembroke Savannas, a large-scale ecosystem of national significance.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Kim Roman Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 13:* Marion Co. – Addition to Prairie Ridge State Natural Area Land
and Water Reserve, Registration
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) proposes to register a 120-acre addition to Prairie Ridge State Natural Area (PRSNA) Land and Water Reserve located in the Mt. Vernon Hill Country Section of the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. The proposed addition is within Prairie Ridge INAI site (#754). The grassland/wetland complex at PRSNA provides habitat for 37 species of special concern. Among these species are Illinois’ only breeding population of greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) and the State’s largest breeding populations of northern harriers (Circus cyaneus), short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) and barn owls (Tyto alba). Registration of this addition will increase the permanently protected acreage at PRSNA located in Marion County to 1207.5 acres.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Scott Simpson Registration Approval
District Heritage Biologist
IDNR, Office of Resource Conservation, Region V
Item 14:* Mason Co. – Walden West Land and Water Reserve, Registration
Walden West, owned by Dr. Richard G. Bjorklund, is approximately 42.7 acres in size and is located just east of Sand Ridge State Forest, across County Road 2600E. Walden West supports a population of the state-threatened regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) and sand prairie habitat (approximately 12 acres) that includes a population of bird’s foot violet (Viola pedata), which is a larval host plant for the regal fritillary, plus a variety of plant species that are important as sources of nectar (e.g., butterfly milkweed [Asclepias tuberosa]). Approximately 30 acres of Walden West is sand forest with characteristic species such as black oak (Quercus velutina), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), black hickory (Carya texana), and mockernut hickory (C. tomentosa). Habitats at Walden West are representative of the Illinois River Section of the Illinois River and Mississippi River Sand Areas Natural Division. Dr. Bjorklund wishes to permanently register Walden West to ensure the protection and proper management of its natural features.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Tom Lerczak Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 15:* McHenry
Co. – Addition to Wheeler Fen Land and Water Reserve, Registration
The proposed 3.92-acre Wheeler Park Fen Addition is located adjacent to Wheeler
Fen Land and Water Reserve and is owned by the City of McHenry. Wheeler Fen
Land and Water Reserve is a 28.98-acre mosaic of graminoid fen, sedge meadow,
and uplands located within the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal
Natural Division of Illinois. Two floral surveys of Wheeler Fen Land and Water
Reserve reported 58 native species with two plant species previously listed
as threatened, the common yellow lake sedge (Carex rostrata var. utriculata)
and early fen sedge (Carex crawei). The proposed Wheeler Park Fen Addition includes
a small ground water discharge zone dominated by calcophitic plants. Registration
of this addition will increase the size of Wheeler Fen Land and Water Reserve
from 28.98 acres to 32.90 acres, facilitate continued restoration and management,
and protect ground water recharge and discharge zones that are important to
the long-term viability of Wheeler Fen Land and Water Reserve.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Steven Byers Registration Approval
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 16:* St. Clair Co. – New Athens Woods Land and Water Reserve, Registration
The proposed New Athens Woods Land and Water Reserve is a 270-acre tract owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It is located in southwestern Illinois along the Kaskaskia River within the in Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area. The proposed land and water reserve is included on the INAI (#833) for 117 acres of grade A and B floodplain forest and contains backwater sloughs and a one-acre marsh as well. The forest and wetland communities at New Athens Woods are representative of the Effingham Plain Section of the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. The site is also part of a 7,300-acre forest along the unchannelized portion of the Kaskaskia River. This is the largest unbroken block of forest in Illinois, and as such, is especially significant for forest interior birds.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Diane Tecic Registration Approval
Regional Heritage Administrator
IDNR, Office of Resource Conservation, Region IV
Item 17:* Ford Co. – Sibley Grove Nature Preserve, Dedication
Sibley Grove is a 50.48-acre mesic savanna and wetland owned by the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) located 34 miles east of Bloomington-Normal. TNC proposes to dedicate 49.85 acres as a nature preserve and .63 acre in the northwest corner of the tract as buffer and for use as a picnic area. This grove of 185-390 year-old oak trees is one of the best mesic savannas in the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. It is the best remaining example of a mesic savanna, pond, marsh, and prairie complex in east-central Illinois. Since 1995, TNC has been restoring the savanna and has recreated a wetland that formerly existed prior to cultivation. TNC intends to transfer ownership of this area to the Land Conservation Foundation, a private non-profit conservation organization based in Champaign. TNC, with the full support of the Land Conservation Foundation, proposes to dedicate Sibley Grove Nature Preserve to permanently protect the imperiled natural community found here and to honor the intentions of Hiram Sibley and other family members who donated this grove to TNC to permanently safeguard the natural features of the grove.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Mary Kay Solecki Preliminary Approval for Dedication
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 18:* McDonough Co. – Short Fork Seep Nature Preserve, Dedication
Short Fork Seep is a 41.81-acre site owned by Dr. Robert and Alice Henry of Macomb, Illinois. The site lies within the Galesburg Section of the Western Forest-Prairie Natural Division of Illinois. Short Fork Seep contains approximately 10 acres of the 16.18-acre Short Fork Seep INAI site (#144). The remaining 6 acres of the INAI site are located on the east side of the county road under separate ownership. The portion of Short Fork Seep which lies within the INAI site is proposed for dedication as nature preserve, with the remaining 31.81 acres to be dedicated as nature preserve buffer. This site was previously granted preliminary approval for dedication as a nature preserve by the Commission in 2000 at the 167th INPC Meeting (Resolution #1532), under the name Short Fork Marsh. The plant communities within the site have since been re-evaluated and reclassified for the INAI (Category I) as high-quality seep (1.7 acres grade B) and sedge meadow (.3 acres grade B), hence the name change to Short Fork Seep.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Angella Moorehouse Preliminary Approval for Dedication
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 19:* St. Clair Co. – Sinking Creek Nature Preserve, Dedication
John and Sarah Lloyd propose to dedicate 4.5 acres known as the Sinking Creek Nature Preserve. The proposed nature preserve is part of the Stemler Karst INAI site (#835) and is important because it protects numerous sinkholes within the Stemler Cave recharge area, an intermittent disappearing or "sinking" stream, and a small passage of cave disconnected from the main cave. The mostly forested site is located upstream of the main cave stream, adding to its importance in buffering the cave’s aquatic and terrestrial communities. Stemler Cave was recognized by the INAI for its high-quality terrestrial and aquatic cave communities representative of the Northern Section of the Ozark Natural Division. The cave has particular importance because it was a collection site for the state and federally endangered Illinois cave amphipod (Gammarus acherondytes). The Stemler Karst, including the proposed nature preserve, is located in the unique "Sinkhole Plain" of southwestern Illinois and was cited by the INAI as being an "outstanding example of karst topography."
REPORT ACTION TO
BE CONSIDERED
Debbie S. Newman Preliminary Approval for Dedication
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 20:* Kane Co. – Littlejohn Addition of Buffer to Helm Woods Nature
Preserve, Dedication
The proposed 70.3-acre Littlejohn Woods addition of buffer to Helm Woods Nature Preserve is owned by Dundee Township. The proposed buffer addition is located within the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division of Illinois. The Littlejohn Woods addition of buffer consists of 13 acres of high-quality woodlands identified on the INAI for Helm Woods (#623) and approximately 57 acres of an old field community. Helm Woods Nature Preserve, owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County (FPDKC), was granted final approval for dedication at the Commission’s 135th Meeting in May, 1992 (Resolution #1123). Dedication of the proposed Littlejohn Woods addition of buffer to Helm Woods Nature Preserve will increase the total acreage protected by the FPDKC (149.8 acres), Dundee Township Park District (13 acres), and Dundee Township (70.3 acres) to 233.1 acres. The Commission granted preliminary approval for dedication of this site at its 180th Meeting (Resolution #1738) in September, 2003.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Steven Byers Final Approval for Dedication
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 21:* Madison Co. – Great Rivers Addition to John M. Olin Nature Preserve, Dedication
The Village of Godfrey proposes to dedicate 7.18 acres known as the Great Rivers addition of nature preserve to the John M. Olin Nature Preserve. The proposed addition also partly borders the Mississippi Sanctuary Nature Preserve. The Great Rivers addition is located in the Glaciated Section of the Middle Mississippi Border Natural Division and contains a small hill prairie, dry and dry-mesic upland forest, and limestone cliff. The proposed addition also provides habitat for the state-threatened timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). Dedication of the site will complete protection of a mile-long section of bluffline along the Mississippi River. The complex of adjoining lands in the area, including John M. Olin Nature Preserve, Kemp and Cora Hutchinson Bird Sanctuary Nature Preserve buffer, Mississippi Sanctuary Nature Preserve, Poole Farm Nature Preserve addition, Bachman Farm Nature Preserve buffer addition, and Oblate Fathers’ Woods Nature Preserve comprise a total 411 acres. This addition will increase the amount of contiguous preserved land to 418 acres. The Commission granted preliminary approval for dedication of this site at its 176th Meeting (Resolution #1667) in August, 2002.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Debbie Newman Final Approval for Dedication
Nature Preserves Commission
Item 22:* Hancock Co. – Cedar Glen Nature Preserve, Waterline Installation
Western Illinois University (WIU) seeks approval to install a waterline through nature preserve buffer within Cedar Glen Nature Preserve. The waterline will provide water to the new dormitory/dining/meeting facility at the WIU’s Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Station. The proposed location of the waterline is along an existing trail within buffer and will not threaten resources within the Nature Preserve. The Nature Conservancy owns Cedar Glen Nature Preserve and supports this proposed project.
REPORT ACTION
TO BE CONSIDERED
Dr. Sean Jenkins Approval of Waterline Installation
Western Illinois University Field Station Director
Item 23: Public Comment Period (3 minutes per person)
Item 24: Other Business
Item 25: Adjournment