Residents give high marks to the Lake County Forest Preserves

LIBERTYVILLE – Lake County’s forest preserves are clean, safe and popular places to relax and enjoy nature, as rated by local residents in a countywide attitude and interest survey, according to a news release.

Results are based on a survey of 698 households conducted earlier this summer by aQity Research & Insights. Through the survey, 77% of residents rated the Forest Preserves positively, with 40% holding the Forest Preserves in the highest regard. Residents believe top priorities should be to care for the trails and preserves and to restore and manage natural lands for native plants, wildlife and the services that nature provides, such as flood mitigation, cleaner air and water and carbon storage.

“We received high trust and confidence ratings,” Lake County Forest Preserves Executive Director Alex Ty Kovach said of the survey, which he described as a “score card of consumer sentiment.”

The last survey was done in fall 2019 just before the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, Lake County residents turned to the forest preserves more than ever to cope with physical, mental and emotional challenges and for a safe place to gather.

“It’s gratifying to learn that, despite the significant increase in visitation, 89% of users report being somewhat or completely satisfied with their experience,” Kovach said.

Forest Preserves President Angelo Kyle pointed to accomplishments he believes are behind the high ratings, especially coming out of the pandemic.

“Early on, we saw a 70% increase in visitation and we are still 30% to 40% above pre-pandemic levels,” he said.

Attendance at this summer’s Concerts in the Plaza series at Independence Grove in Libertyville broke records with more than 20,000 people over the nine-week series. The success was bolstered by the increasing popularity of the new Beer Garden.

Virtual and hybrid education programs continue. More than 37,000 participants have been served by the education programs this year.

Other highlights and accomplishments:

• Four net-zero energy Forest Preserve buildings are complete, under construction or in the engineering phase.

• Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago is one of the most recent restoration success stories. Since 2015, more than $800,000 in grant funding and district dollars have been invested to restore a portion of the preserve to high-quality prairie, savanna and wetland. At 598 acres, Greenbelt is the largest public green space.

• Recent investments in GIS technology have accelerated restoration efforts, allowing staff to efficiently track and analyze information from floodplain acreage to wildlife populations to tree branches that may be hazardous or blocking a trail.

• Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago is experiencing a big increase in events. Since 2018, bookings and events at Greenbelt increased 185%. In August, the center hosted 38 events compared with previous years when there were typically about 10 events during the same month.

• A recent research study showed excellent results from the controlled burn program. Controlled burns are a natural resource manager’s most cost-effective tool available for managing natural communities. They help control invasive shrubs and trees.

• The Lake County Forest Preserves were awarded the AAA bond rating by Moody’s Investors Service, one of the top credit agencies in the world. This allowed the Forest Preserves to sell $73.7 million in bonds to refinance $81.7 million of its outstanding bonds. The sales resulted in about $11.7 million in savings in tax levies through 2033. This a direct savings to taxpayers.

• The College of Lake County has partnered with the Forest Preserves on projects including a 20-year agreement allowing the school to use and manage the clubhouse at the Brae Loch Golf Club in Grayslake.

• Pharmaceutical giant Abbie and the Lake County Health Department partnered with the Forest Preserves to administer COVID-19 vaccines at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago.

• Work is taking place to build a world-class public private partnership with the Preservation Foundation, the Forest Preserves charitable partner. Over the past 15 years, the return on investment in the Preservation Foundation is 485%.

“As the second-largest forest preserve district in the state, I am so proud of everything we have accomplished,” Finance Committee Chair Julie Simpson said. “However, we are not done yet. I expect continued investment in the areas of technology and restoration.”