Morgan Woods

 Morgan Woods is one of the three land acquisitions that were ultimately partially funded by the Material Service Corporation Settlement Fund (MSCSF).

Openlands Land Preservation provided $210,000, half the purchase price, to help The Conservation Fund (TCF) and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie acquire seventy-seven acres along Prairie Creek, immediately upstream from Midewin’s existing boundary. MSCSF funding allowed Midewin to purchase the property as a less than fair market acquisition and to successfully compete for matching federal acquisition funds. Prairie Creek is one of three creeks that flow into Midewin, and it is the one that runs the greatest distance through the site. Preservation of the Morgan Woods property allows for the future stabilization and restoration of the stream bed and banks within the property. This is also hopefully the first step in establishing a protected greenway along Prairie Creek upstream from Midewin. (Download full project description here:  Wetlands Restoration: Morgan Woods (23.42 kB).)

Location: Intersection of Hoff Road & Farrell Road, Wilmington, IL

Funding source: Material Service Corporation Settlement Fund

Owner & land manager: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, U.S. Department of  Agriculture Forest Service

Size of project site: 77 acres

Project date: 2001

Partners: Openlands (formerly CorLands), The Conservation Fund, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Action: Land Acquisition