Science & Nature
Cook County Finally Tops 70,000 Acres of Forest Preserve Land, Hitting Milestone With Newly Announced Purchase
For years, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has referred to its total holdings as “nearly” 70,000 acres.
Well scratch that modifier and replace it with “more than.” There’s nothing equivocal about those 70,000 acres now — the long-awaited milestone has been reached.
On Tuesday, to an enthusiastic round of applause, the district’s board of commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a 68-acre plot of land that will be added to the preserves along Deer Creek in far south suburban unincorporated Cook County (click here for map). The land boosts the forest preserves’ holdings to 70,042 acres.
“Let’s keep going,” said Commissioner Anthony Quezada.
More than 11% of Cook County — the second most populous county in the U.S. — is forest preserve land, a remarkable achievement given the region’s urbanization, according to Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, which also oversees the forest preserves.
“It is unique for a metropolitan area like ours to have such a diversity of important habitats for native plants and wildlife at this scale and readily available to millions of local residents. It’s such an important legacy,” Preckwinkle said in a statement. “I am honored to preside over the moment when we cross over to more than 70,000 acres. This is a celebration of the importance of public land available for everyone to enjoy.”
Residents of Cook County voted in 1914 to establish the forest preserve district — the first of its kind — following a decade of advocacy from supporters who included famed landscape architect Jens Jensen. It was a visionary decision that mirrored the creation of national parks at the federal level, and countless cities and counties across the country ultimately followed suit.
The district’s earliest decades saw rapid expansion, with the preserves totaling 33,000 acres by the end of the 1930s. The pace of acquisition eventually slowed, but the district has continued to strategically pursue properties that fill gaps in its coverage or connect existing natural areas, creating green corridors not only for humans but wildlife.
So far in 2024, the district has acquired 249 acres, the second most in any year since 1984, according to officials. That brings the total over the last three years to 610 acres, purchases made possible by voters’ approval of a tax levy in 2022. State grants and federal funds courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act have also helped with acquisitions.
Even with money in hand, the district, like its counterparts across the Chicago region, is finding it difficult to identify remaining parcels — often farmland — that are not only available but appropriate for purchase.
“But we have made it a priority to continue to add to the natural land that will remain here in Cook County,” Interim General Superintendent Eileen Figel said in a statement. “These preserves help mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, are a living classroom for kids and adults, and serve as home to beautiful — and in some cases, threatened or endangered — native species.”
The newest 68 acres will help protect the Deer Creek floodplain and its ecosystem from development, and there’s a potential for wetlands restoration, officials said.
“Everyone deserves to live close to nature and to enjoy the benefits it provides to us and to the environment,” Figel said. “Reaching 70,000 acres is an achievement we have been anticipating for years. Now we are ready for the next milestone.”
COOK COUNTY FOREST PRESERVES, THROUGH THE YEARS
— In 1916, the forest preserve district purchased its first property: 272 acres in Palatine, now known as Deer Grove East. Over the years, the Deer Grove system of preserves has grown to nearly 2,000 acres.
— In 1922, the land now known as LaBagh Woods — one of Chicago’s best birding sites — was acquired. The district’s popular North Branch Trail system was extended to LaBagh in 2017.
— In 1952, Tampier Lake near Orland Park was created when Long Run Creek was dammed.
— In 1965, Camp Sagawau became the site of the district’s first prairie restoration.
— In 1966, the district bought a property long abandoned by its developers during the Great Depression and saved by local residents. Some areas of what’s now Wolf Road Prairie Preserve are still crisscrossed with sidewalks laid in the ‘30s. The preserve’s prairie, savanna and wetland environments support more than 360 native plant species.
— In 2006, the district acquired Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, one of only about a dozen fens left in Illinois.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
