Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program Project ...
Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program Project ...
Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program Project ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
BURnHAM PRAIRIE<br />
<strong>Ecosystem</strong> <strong>Restoration</strong><br />
Burnham, IL<br />
ProjECt DESCriPtion<br />
Burnham Prairie is an approximately 80-acre natural preserve<br />
owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The<br />
site contains ridges or dunes of low elevation separated by<br />
shallow ponds, poorly drained lakebed, or swales intermittently<br />
or permanently inundated with groundwater. The site is home<br />
to 270 plant species, including two threatened plant species<br />
<strong>and</strong> one that is endangered; six endangered bird species; <strong>and</strong><br />
a rare mammal, the Franklin’s ground squirrel. The diversity<br />
is threatened by the absence of fire, <strong>and</strong> by contamination<br />
<strong>and</strong> modifications to the natural hydrology that have allowed<br />
non-native plant species to dominate, thus compromising the<br />
survival of native plants <strong>and</strong> animals.<br />
The proposed project would re-route nutrient-polluted water<br />
away from the site <strong>and</strong> restore wetl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> associated habitats<br />
by planting high-quality native plants, removing invasive<br />
species <strong>and</strong> excess sediment, reintroducing fire management,<br />
<strong>and</strong> incorporating water storage outside of the natural area.<br />
These activities will restore marsh, prairie, <strong>and</strong> savanna<br />
habitat that was historically present. Woodl<strong>and</strong>s consisting of<br />
invasive woody species will be cleared with subsequent fire<br />
Funding<br />
management to allow native seed banks of rare plant species to<br />
germinate. Restoring the remnant habitat will greatly benefit<br />
migratory <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> species of birds, especially the shore<br />
birds <strong>and</strong> waterfowl that frequent the Calumet greenways, by<br />
providing forage, shelter, <strong>and</strong> breeding habitat.<br />
nonfEDErAl PArtnEr<br />
Forest Preserve District of Cook County<br />
CongrESSionAl intErESt<br />
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)<br />
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)<br />
Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2)<br />
CUrrEnt StAtUS<br />
The construction contract is scheduled to be awarded in April<br />
2011 with FY 2010 <strong>Great</strong> <strong>Lakes</strong> <strong>Restoration</strong> Initiative (GLRI)<br />
funds. FY 2011 funds will be used to fund construction<br />
management, supervision <strong>and</strong> administration, <strong>and</strong> a<br />
construction option for the project.<br />
Total Federal Nonfederal<br />
current working estimate $2,142,480 $1,392,612 $749,868<br />
funding to date * $694,226 *<br />
funds required to complete project * $698,386 *<br />
* No data was provided.<br />
Burnham Prairie<br />
<strong>Project</strong> Manager:<br />
Kirston A. Buczak, LRC<br />
(312) 846-5552<br />
kirston.a.buczak@usace.army.mil<br />
<strong>Great</strong> <strong>Lakes</strong> <strong>Fishery</strong> & <strong>Ecosystem</strong> <strong>Restoration</strong> (GLFER) <strong>Program</strong><br />
updated February 2011 www.glfer.org
Change language