Facts at a glance, click here.
District Facilities:
Administrative Office Hours: -------------------------- Living Land Farm716 E. Crystal Lake Ave. Cary, IL 60013 847-639-3035 Hours: Open for educational programming only -------------------------- Lost Valley Visitor Center |
Prairieview Education Center Hours: -------------------------- Wiedrich Education Center |
What is a Conservation District?
A conservation district is a special district with specific purposes established under Illinois statutes following a favorable public referendum. Its purpose includes the acquisition of land by purchase, lease, gift or easement; the preservation and maintenance of wild land, other open land, scenic roadways and pathways; and the holding of such real property, with or without public access for the education, pleasure and recreation of the public or for other open space values. To date, there are five counties in Illinois that have created such districts: Boone, Macon, McHenry, Putnam and Vermilion.
Funding for the District is a result of its ability to levy an annual tax not to exceed 1/10th of one percent of the assessed valuation of the county and is based upon a duly adopted budget and appropriation ordinance on which there has been a public hearing. Supplemental monies may be made available through state and federal open space or recreational grants. The District boundaries are co-terminus with those of the County and lie within the standard metropolitan planning region of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.
The State of Illinois Conservation District Act defines open land or open space as any space or area of land or water, the preservation or the restriction of development or the use of which would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural and/or scenic resources. The acquisition of such open land can be for the purpose of protecting a natural stream or water supply, promoting the conservation of soils or wetlands and affording or enhancing public outdoor recreational activities. The District can also acquire wild land which is open land not under cultivation or subject to intensive use or development.