Chicago’s Ambitious Millennium Reserve Initiative

The area outlined is the 140,000 acres of postindustrial land of the “Calumet core” in south Chicago set for restoration and public recreation.

Have you heard about the Millennium Reserve? If you haven’t, you will, because it is the largest proposed open space project plan in the country. The idea is to turn 140,000 acres of postindustrial land in Chicago’s Calumet region (south Chicago) into a public recreation hub called the Millennium Reserve.

On Dec. 9, 2011, Illinois Gov. Quinn announced the first phase of the project will involve restorating 15,000 acres of open space. Calumet was once a mining center in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Sierra Club of Illinois said the Millennium Reserve plan “represents the first viable, large-scale attempt to protect and enhance the Lake Calumet area through an integrated, cooperative approach to land and resource management."

The Millennium Reserve Initiative is part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to restore and protect our lands and waters for future generations.

A Millennium Reserve release notes the Calumet Core Reserve “will partner 44 government agencies, community groups and advocacy organizations,” which sounds like bureaucratic nightmare and impedance to progress, however, let’s be positive. U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5) is credited with helping organize many of the local and federal partners.

As part of the Calumet Core phase, the partners will work on a number of projects:

Burnham Greenway Trail Gap: Construction of a regional trail connecting Chicago with the village of Burnham and southern suburbs, and two bridges over the CSX Railroad and Grand Calumet River. A long-term lease the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources has executed with ComEd to allow for public access to two miles of the “gap” in the green way.

Park and Recreational Facility Construction
Indian Ridge Marsh Restoration: Indian Ridge Marsh is 145-acres of marshlands along the shore of Lake Calumet. Plans are to preserve the rookery for the endangered black-crowned night heron, improve the aquatic, wetland and woodland areas of the marsh, create new habitat features, and construct recreational trails.

Chicago Park District Projects: The Chicago Park District acquired more than 680 acres of open space in the Calumet area from the city of Chicago. The park district is working with the city to transition and preserve the open land.

Forest Preserve District (FPD), Cook County: The FPD owns 60 percent of the natural land (9,300 acres) in the Calumet Core. FPD will invest $4.5 million in capital improvements, including new trails, renovating historic buildings and improving parking and access. Landscape restoration work is also taking place with several partner stewardship groups.

Calumet Heritage Area Historic Trails: The Calumet Heritage Partnership, Chicago’s Field Museum and the National Parks Conservation Association will plan development of historical trails and locations in the Calumet region.

For more information about the initiative, please visit MillenniumReserve.Illinois.gov.