[Riverweb] Illinois Clean Water Action Alert

[csmith at prairierivers.org]

Illinois Clean Water Action Alert for September 28, 2007

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn periodically sends out Action
Alerts to provide information on meetings, news and action items, events,
and other useful information on issues of clean water, the Illinois River
Coordinating Council, Great Lakes, and other initiatives from Lt. Gov. Pat
Quinn.

Topics covered in today's Action Alert:
1.        Illinois River Coordinating Council Meeting at the Illinois River
Management Conference
2.        Great Lakes Conference
3.        National Brownfield Association's Conference
4.        Upper Des Plaines River Ecosystem Partnership (UDPREP) Watershed
Tour
5.        Fox River Summit 2007
6.        Clean Water Tip of the Day


Illinois River Coordinating Council Meeting (IRCC) and Illinois River
Management Conference

The final IRCC meeting of 2007 will take place at the outset of the Biennial
Illinois River Management Conference at the Holiday Inn City Centre in
Peoria.  A reception starting a 5:00 pm will precede the meeting, scheduled
to convene at 6:30 pm.  This event is open to the public.

Agenda items include:

.        Illinois River Conservation Award
.        Surface Water Demonstration
.        Local Watershed Projects
.        Peoria Lakes Revitalization Project
.        Mud to Parks Update
.        Illinois River Road Update
.        Illinois River Restoration
.        Mackinaw River Update



Great Lakes Conference

The 2007 Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission will be held Oct. 1-2
at the Radisson Hotel and Suites in Chicago. Additional information about
the meeting, including online registration, is now available at
www.glc.org/meeting

The Commission meeting will focus on "Sustainable Living on the Lakes" and
showcase one of the region's premier cities. Panel discussions will address
climate change and adapting to its potential impacts on the Great Lakes,
growing the region\'s economy through renewable energy, and water
conservation and efficiency.

Keynote speakers will include Dr. Rosina Bierbaum, dean of the University of
Michigan\'s School of Natural Resources and the Environment; Robyn Thorson,
midwest regional director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and John Austin,
senior fellow with The Brookings Institution, and co-author of the recently
released report on the benefits of restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is also expected to address the Commission.
Field trips are planned to the Center for Green Technology and the aquatic
nuisance species dispersal barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration will convene a public meeting at the
same location on the afternoon of Oct. 2.

Attached you will find a copy of the agenda.


National Brownfield Association's Conference

Join the National Brownfield Associations' for their upcoming conference:
THE BIG DEAL: NBA Brownfields 2007, October 16-17, in Chicago at Navy Pier.

This is an opportunity to network with other civic-minded policymakers who
realize the power of public and private partnerships.  Whether you're the
mayor of a small town or a legislator looking to breathe new life into your
district, this is the place to make it happen.

THE BIG DEAL: NBA Brownfields 2007 will bring together the top real estate
and brownfield professionals from across the US and Canada, as well as
leaders from industry and the public sector, for two days of deal making,
education and networking opportunities.  Included are plenary sessions and
more than 20 breakout sessions and roundtables that focus on real estate,
brownfield redevelopment and sustainability.

The conference features the major players from finance and development
companies, and the railroad, oil and gas, and utility industries; as well as
legal and environmental experts; federal and state environmental and
economic development officials; and mayors from cities large and small.  And
you can visit the extensive vendor exhibit with a Property Showcase that
features sites ready for sale, and more than 100 vendors of brownfield and
green products and services.

Visit www.nbabigdeal.org for registration and program information.



UDPREP Watershed Tour

You\'re invited on the 2007 Upper Des Plaines River Watershed Tour!
\"Watershed Friendly Landscaping\"

Join us for a fun and informative day exploring green roofs, bioswales, turf
grass conversions, permeable pavement and more!  We\'ll also learn about the
Village of Glenview\'s financing program for rain gardens on private land.
Details are below.

Participants will travel in comfort aboard a coach bus with plush seats and
climate control.

DATE:
Wednesday, October 3, 2007.  Rain or Shine.
TIME:
9:30 am - 3:30 pm
COST:
$15 for advance payment.  $25 at the door.
Includes lunch and travel aboard a comfortable coach.
RSVP required to receive a lunch.

Registration form is online at www.upperdesplainesriver.org/2007tour.htm

If paying at the door, and requesting a lunch, email your name and contact
information to upperdesplainesriver at yahoo.com by September 28, 2007.

Coach seats 50.  Seats will be given to first 50 registrants.

***TOUR OVERVIEW***

TOUR STOP #1
Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center
Glenview, IL

Learn about the Village of Glenview\'s rain garden financing program and the
Tyner Center\'s numerous green features.  Bordered by a beautiful, 32-acre
tallgrass prairie, the Tyner Center\'s landscaping reflects the neighboring
prairie\'s diverse plant populations and natural style.  The center itself
is a LEED Platinum certified building featuring solar panels, permeable
pavement, a green roof planted with prairie grasses, and more.

Robin Flakne, Natural Resources Manager for the Village of Glenview, will
talk about the village\'s new program which provides funding to help
residents install rain gardens on their private property.

Judy Ksiazek, Environmental Education Supervisor for the Glenview Park
District, will talk about the Tyner Center\'s many interesting green
features.

TOUR STOP #2
College of Lake Co., Southlake Educational Center
Vernon Hills, IL

Completed in 2006, the center\'s new educational building boasts two green
roofs - reported to be the first green roofs on a public building in Lake
County!  Recognizing the importance of proper maintenance to the long term
viability of these rooftop gardens, the college provided special training
seminars for its maintenance staff.

Dee Abbate, Director of the Southlake Educational Center, will talk about
how and why the roofs were installed.  Center maintenance staff will talk
about the valuable training they received.

TOUR STOP #3
Barefoot Bay Family Aquatic Center
Mundelein, IL

The Aquatic Center\'s new parking lot includes a giant bioswale/rain garden
featuring a wide variety of native plants.  Native plants are also used in
smaller, more manicured gardens throughout the park.

Margaret Resnick of the Mundelein Park District will talk about the
village\'s decision to include a bioswale at Barefoot Bay and their plans
for future watershed-friendly landscaping projects.

Renee Wilde and Cory Horton of Bonestroo will talk about the design and
installation of the bioswale and native plant gardens.

TOUR STOP #4
Grandwood Lake Park
Near Gurnee, IL

Over the past six years, a small band of hard-working volunteers has been
converting turf grass into native plant gardens at this local park.  Learn
how a shoestring budget and a handful of dedicated people can transform a
landscape.

Lake County Board member Steve Carlson, along with other project volunteers,
will talk about how they have implemented this project and their lessons
learned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WHERE TO MEET:
Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center
2400 Compass Road, Glenview, IL
All-day parking is available in the Metra lot across the street (east).
Purchase an all-day parking pass for $2.00 at the automatic ticket machines
next to the station.  Coins, bills, and debit cards are accepted.

For those coming by train, the Tyner Center is located next to The Glen of
North Glenview Metra stop on the Milwaukee/North line.

WHAT TO BRING:
Comfortable shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, umbrella, and curiosity!

QUESTIONS?:
Contact Alison Cook, UDPREP coordinator, upperdesplainesriver at yahoo.com
or 847-328-3457.


Fox River Summit 2007

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP) is pleased to present the Fox
River Summit 2007 on Friday, October 5, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, at Bodie Hall,
Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL. Registration & Contentinal
Breakfast begins at 8:30 AM, with the program beginning at 9:30 AM.

Hopefully you have received the brochure and registration form by mail. If
you haven\'t, please find details and the brochure at the following link on
our Website: http://foxriverecosystem.org/summit.htm

You may also register online via a link on this summit page. Please register
by October 1st. Sorry, we don\'t have the ability to accept credit cards. If
you register online, please mail in your check ($25/person) to the address
listed, or, bring your check to the Summit. (We will need to bill those who
do not attend or make payment at the event however, as expenses will be
incurred by us. If you must cancel, please do so by Monday, October 1st.)

The Summit features an interesting array of topics relevant to communities
and individuals in our watershed. A cd full of resources will be provided to
each participant. Waubonsee Community College is most gracious to provide
their facilities for this event.

Great appreciation goes to our Summit Sponsors:  Conservation 2000 Grant,
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Hey and Associates, V3 Company, Wight &
Company, Integrated Lakes Management, Schoppe Design Associates, Cowhey
Gudmundson Leder, Watershed Resource Consultants, Midwest Groundcovers, and
an anonymous \"Friend of FREP.\"

Please join us for this special summit, a C2000 Grant project.



Clean Water Tip of the Day

Plant vegetation and tree buffers along streams. Buffers will reduce stream
bank erosion, filter pollutants before reaching the stream, and trees will
provide shade to reduce water temperatures and increase dissolved oxygen in
the water.

-----------------


We encourage you to pass this email message along to your colleagues and
friends.  For more information on Clean Water Illinois, please visit:
http://www.CleanWaterIllinois.org.

If you want to contact Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, click on the contact link
below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/
-----------------

To read the Lt. Governor's Privacy Notice, click below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/legal/privacy.php


We apologise for any cross-postings.

-- 
Cecily Smith
Interim Watershed Organizer
Prairie Rivers Network
809 South Fifth Street
Champaign IL 61820
217.344.2371