Governor Quinn Announces Millennium Reserve Initiative in Calumet Region of Chicago
Largest Project of Its Kind Will Provide 140,000 Acres of Green Space for Illinois Families
CHICAGO – December 9, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn was joined by federal, state and local officials today to announce a major partnership and conservation initiative that will significantly increase natural green space in Chicago. The Millennium Reserve is the largest open space project in the country, which will enhance public recreation opportunities in 140,000 acres of land in the Calumet region. Today, Governor Quinn announced the start of the Millennium Reserve: Calumet Core phase, which involves restoration of 15,000 acres of open space.
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Re-investing in the ecology, culture and economy of the Calumet Region
The Millennium Reserve Initiative (MR) is part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to reconnect Americans, especially children, to America's rich outdoor treasures; build upon public, private, and tribal priorities for conservation and recreation lands; and use science-based management practices to restore and protect our lands and waters for future generations.
The MR will initially focus on transforming the Calumet region of Chicago into a one-of-a-kind public destination with over 15,000 acres of open space. It honors our cultural and industrial past; while protecting and restoring natural ecosystems; supporting healthy and prosperous communities.
The Calumet Core Reserve will be a catalyst to promote economic growth by providing a framework to leverage existing resources and new resources in partnership between the 44 Government agencies, Community groups, and Advocacy organizations. Expanding and leveraging the power of these partnerships best prepares our region to achieve the three main goals of the MR:
- Improving the Environment by:
- Managing and restoring the 6,000 acres of natural areas that contain important high-quality biological communities and support over 20 rare plants and 40 rare animal species.
- Completing and connecting 53 miles of trails and wildlife corridors throughout the area, and promoting public access and recreational opportunities.
- Expanding and connecting natural areas and habitats in a system of Green Infrastructure.
- Improving the Economy by:
- Modernizing the Illinois International Port District and creating thousands of new jobs.
- Creating a destination region for tourists and visitors, which will create jobs in a newly developed tourism industry.
- Increasing property values for home owners near the Reserve and the over $2 billion per year spent as a result of outdoor recreation in Illinois.
- Improving the Community by:
- Working with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative to increase opportunities for kids to be physically active, and to create new opportunities for families to move together.
- Reclaiming over 3,500 acres of underutilized lands and brownfields by using the innovative mud to parks/garden initiatives, renewable native biomass production, garden nurseries, organic farming, etc.
- Connecting communities and people to their cultural, industrial and natural history through trails, interpretation and other creative opportunities.