Wolf Road Prairie Faces New Threats from Developers

By Sharon Parmet

Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve, recognized as the largest and best-quality remnant of original prairie habitat east of the Mississippi River, is again under threat by developers who hope to turn two portions of the “buffer zone” west of the prairie (a 10-acre and 15-acre parcel) into tracts of homes and condominium buildings.

Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve is an 80 acre site of high-quality, rare black-soil prairie, savanna, marshes and wetlands. It is located in Westchester, Illinois, just 12 miles west of downtown Chicago. It is jointly owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (ILDNR) and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) and is a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve, managed jointly by the ILDNR, the FPDCC, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, and the Save The Prairie Society (STPS).

The prairie is bordered by an additional 60 acres of “buffer zone,” to the west, 23 acres of which are protected by ILDNR and FPDCC. Buffer zones are often undeveloped or wooded borders that help insulate protected natural areas against the impact of the developed world surrounding them. Buffer zones can help prevent erosion by slowing runoff from paved surfaces and lawns with poor soils and low water retention. They can also help filter water (and pollution-containing air, to some extent) before it enters natural protected areas.

Development of portions of the buffer zone to the west of Wolf Road Prairie would significantly increase the existence of manicured lawns and paved areas, which could negatively impact the overall hydrology, or water flow, through the prairie and threaten rare prairie flora. Part of the proposed development includes the creation of a paved road into the 10-acre parcel, which would increase runoff in the area. Any reduction in the delicately-balanced botanical populations could in turn reduce the area of preferred habitat for birds and insects that rely on this unique prairie habitat for nesting and courting grounds, and for food and shelter.

The prairie is extremely rich in biodiversity, with more than 360 native plant species identified there, along with 136 bird species, including the Great Horned Owl, Northern Harrier and many grassland birds. The prairie is famous for its beautiful displays of rare wild hyacinth and wild geranium in the spring, and serves as the terrestrial platform from which the male Woodcock performs his spectacular aerial mating displays every April. Its mammalian inhabitants currently include a family of coyotes with three pups.

The FPDCC, currently has an OSLAD grant to help them acquire privately-owned pieces of property within the in the buffer zone to the west of Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve.

Wolf Road Prairie has almost continuously been under threat of development since the 1920s when developers eyed it for a housing subdivision. Sidewalks were even installed in anticipation of the homes that never came, thanks to the Great Depression. Today, the sidewalks still remain, anachronistically criss-crossing the prairie. Since then, the Prairie has been threatened by development many times, and IDNR, FPDCC and STPS have worked to acquire segments of the buffer zone throughout the years.

For more information on what is going on at Wolf Road Prairie or to learn how you can help, please contact the Save The Prairie Society at (708) 865-8736 or e-mail STPSemail@aol.com. Go to www.savetheprairiesociety.org to visit their website.