South Patrol Road

The sheer size of this restoration of former farm fields required more partners and more funding. The Wetlands Initiative took a lead role, and private foundations have provided the initial funding that covered the disabling of the site's drainage tile and ditches.

Funding from the Material Service Corporation Settlement Fund (MSCSF) paid for the removal of a portion of an old railroad bed, native seed, native plugs, and invasive weed control. To give a sense of the scale of the project, $295,000 of MSCSF money was spent just on acquiring the seed and seedlings; 55,000 seedling plugs were planted. MSCSF dollars were also used for the treatment of reed canary grass, Canada thistle, and woody seedlings. (Download full project description here:  Wetlands Restoration: South Patrol Road (23.77 kB).)

Location: East of Rte. 53; North of River Rd., Wilmington, IL

Funding source: Material Service Corporation Settlement Fund (MSCSF)

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

Size of project site: 490 acres

Project date: 2001

Partners: Donnelley Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Grand Victoria Foundation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), McCormick Foundation, Northeastern Illinois Wetlands Account (TCF, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), Openlands (formerly CorLands), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Wetlands Initiative

Action: Cutting, chipping and removal of trees and brush; removal and grading of a railroad berm; purchase of native seeds and plugs.