Chicago Wilderness: An Ecosystem

Management Plan

Katy Berlin

Shelly Charron

Lisa DuRussel

NRE 317

April 11, 2001

Introduction

• 200,000 acres preserved• Covers southeastern Wisconsin, 6

counties in the Chicago region, and northwestern Indiana

• Ecosystems include woodlands, forest, prairie, streams, and wetlands

• 124 public and private organizations involved

Protected Land in the Chicago Wilderness Region

Why Is Ecological Management of the Chicago Region Important?

• High concentration of globally significant natural communities– Contains almost 200 endangered or

threatened species – Contains rare tallgrass prairies and

open oak woodlands

Major Threats to the Chicago Area

• Habitat fragmentation and loss

• Exotic species

• Fire suppression

Goals of the Plan

• To restore natural communities

• Promote sustainable development

• Increase citizen involvement

• Prevent the ongoing loss of critical habitat

Ecological Management, Research, and Monitoring Plan Objectives

• Continuing research and monitoring is important to improve management techniques

• Ongoing adaptive management is essential for all of the natural communities

• Ecological management of the region’s natural communities must increase substantially

• Management plans developed for each site using management practices adapted to site conditions and appropriate to the goals of the site

• Inform the public of what can be expected, and where possible, use practices that include both short term and long term results

Land Management Practices

• Prescribed burning• Restoration and management

of hydrology• Re-establishment of native

species• Control of invasive plant

species• Management of problem

wildlife• Management plans

Examples of the Plan in Action

• Private business owners agree to landscape with native plants

• During bird migration periods, most downtown businesses turn their lights off

• Public highway authorities control salt use and retain storm water

• Large and small scale burning of public lands to control invasive plant species

Key Players in the Plan• Government agencies

– local, state, and intergovernmental organizations

• Private sector – NGO’s, business, industry,

farmland owners, and private land owners

• Volunteers

Plan Evaluation: The Chicago Wilderness Report Card

Instructor: Grumbine Term: Winter 2001Subject: Grade:Hierarchical ContextEcological BoundariesEcological IntegrityData CollectionMonitoringAdaptive ManagementInter-agency cooperationHumans embedded in natureValues as determinants of Behavior

Hierarchical Context

• Integrates both local and regional planning

• Plan is used at both the ecosystem and landscape level

• Concern for genetic variability and population size

B

Ecological Boundaries• Works across political boundaries by

incorporating portions of Wisconsin and Indiana

• Key players include:– Federal and Local Governmental

Agencies– Private Sectors

B-

Ecological Integrity

• Conservation of viable populations of native species– Invasive species control

• Maintaining natural disturbance regimes– Prescribed burns

• Reintroduction of native species– Native seed bank

A

Data Collection

• Ecological inventory used to establish a baseline in which to measure change over time

C

Monitoring• A central focus of the plan• Monitoring methods:

– Choose indicators– Set thresholds– Design sampling protocols

• Use a region-wide monitoring program to detect change at three levels:– Landscape– Natural and human communities– Species

• Used to evaluate and improve management techniques

A-

Adaptive Management

• Another central focus of the plan• Conservation design is site-based from a single

natural area to an entire region• Includes a flexible 100 year plan

A

Interagency Cooperation

• 124 public and private organizations involved• Education across political boundaries

B+

Humans Embedded in Nature

• Objectives of the plan include citizen involvement and sustainable development

• Organizations provide educational programs and nature walks free of charge

• Volunteer stewardship days held at over 200 sites

A-

Values As Determinants of Behavior

• Plan identifies human values and threats to these values through a series of questions:– What do we want to protect and

enhance within this site?– What do we want these targets to

look like in x years?– What could prevent us from

achieving this vision of our targets?

B-

Final Report Card

Instructor: Grumbine Term: Winter 2001Subject: Grade:Hierarchical Context BEcological Boundaries B-Ecological Integrity AData Collection CMonitoring A-Adaptive Management AInter-agency cooperation B+Humans embedded in nature A-Values as determinants of Behavior B-

Chicago Wilderness GPA: 3.23

Mayor Richard M. Daley

“The Chicago

Wilderness Management Plan is

Grrrrrreat!”

Information Taken from:http://www.chicagowilderness.org