On Wednesday May 13th from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve’s Salt Fork Center (2573 Homer Lake Road, Homer, Illinois) the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Prairie Rivers Network, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale will be holding an informational meeting about the Vermilion River Conservation Opportunity Area (includes the Middle Fork, North Fork and Salt Fork Rivers) in the State Wildlife Action Plan.

We invite you to join us and learn more about this Conservation Opportunity Area (COA) and how it fits into the State Wildlife Action Plan. At this meeting we also hope to gather a talkative group of land managers and stakeholders to discuss:

  • what is going on in the Vermilion River basin;
  • where we need to focus our wildlife habitat conservation efforts;
  • where opportunities for partnership and information sharing exist;
  • gather land use plans, maps, and data so that we can get a complete look at what types of habitat restoration and preservation areas are in the basin. (If you have a plan or other information please bring it!); and
  • form a lead group that will work together to create a comprehensive plan for wildlife habitat protection for the Vermilion River basin.

View the flyer advertising the event and a map of the Vermilion River COA. Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone you feel may be interested.

All are welcome. If possible, please RSVP to Kim Erndt at kerndt@prairierivers.org to help ensure we have enough informational handouts.

Thanks and we hope to see you all on the evening of the 13th!

Kim Erndt
River Restoration and Habitat Conservation Specialist,
Prairie Rivers Network
(217) 722-6622 (cell)

David J. Myers
Conservation Opportunity Area Project Manager
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
SIU Department of Zoology