FREP Noon Network
Wednesday, February 9, 2022, NOON - 1:30 PM
**This will be via Zoom**
Program:
Legislative Update with Jack Darin, Chapter Director, Sierra Club of Illinois
Eliot Clay, State Programs Director, Illinois Environmental Council
|
|
Jack has provided FREP with many updates and insights about the legislative activities in Illinois over the years. We welcome him back for this review of the current issues. We are pleased to add Eliot's perspective this year. Have your questions ready for them!
|
|
Do you have questions about what is going on in our state capitol as far as climate change and environmental protections and programs? If so, you’ll want to join us for our Noon Network on February 9 (see details above.) Jack Darin of Sierra Club and Eliot Clay of the Illinois Environmental Council will give us the latest developments to watch in Springfield for 2022. We’re also hoping to learn more about how the federal infrastructure funds might be distributed through the state and how to ensure green infrastructure is included.
We are partnering again with the Southeast Fox River Partnership (our Wisconsin counterpart) and others to plan our 10th annual Fox River Summit on March 17th in Burlington, Wisconsin. We hope to be in-person again at Veterans Terrace, with extra safety precautions. Topics will include chlorides in our groundwater, dams and fish on the Fox River, regenerative agriculture, and the 30X30 Conservation Plan/Restoring America the Beautiful for our watershed, among others. Watch our website for more details as we get them confirmed. The registration for the Summit is live at https://www.southeastfoxriver.org/.
We may also find a way to broadcast in a livestream of some sort for those not comfortable to attend in person.
Finally, are you one who hates winter? You're not alone. While some people embrace winter, many people dread it. It can be dreary and dark and it's usually pretty cold — all good reasons to stay warm and cozy inside. But we know that spending time outdoors is good for our mental and physical health.
Go take a hike. Seriously. Even in the dead of winter, enjoying a hike through your favorite forest preserve or even just a stroll around your neighborhood can be just what's needed to energize you. The cold air will certainly get your blood circulating and invigorate your mind and body. Plus, the winter landscape is a good change of scenery. A hike or a walk is even better in freshly fallen snow. The quiet beauty of such scenery can be breathtaking. Some of this last paragraph, I have to disclose, is borrowed from one of our forest preserve districts, but it seemed highly appropriate now and so I had to share it.
Jeff Mengler
FREP President
|
|
Above, Sunrise at Lake in the Hills Fen by Nancy Williamson
Below, Fabyan Park at the Fox River in Geneva by Mike Hoag
|
|
One Earth Film Festival March 4-13, 2022
FREP is pleased to be co-sponsoring a film again this year on
Saturday, March 12th at 6:30 PM
|
|
Inhabitants follows five Native American Tribes as they restore their relationships to the land using ancient practices that nurture life. For millennia Native Americans stewarded and shaped their landscapes, but centuries of colonization have disrupted their ability to maintain traditional land management practices. From deserts, coastlines, forests, mountains and prairies, Native communities are restoring their ancient relationships with the land. As the climate crisis escalates, these time-tested practices of North America's original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world.
Tickets will be available Jan 26 to One Earth members and Feb 2 to the public. They are free with suggested $8 donation. Many additional films will be available to screen, both
in-person or virtually during the 2022 festival.
|
|
Fox River Summit, Burlington, Wisconsin
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Single registration $41.50 includes lunch and entry for a YETI cooler giveaway at the end of the day.
FREP will not be holding a Membership meeting in March, so that we can encourage participation in this annual Summit.
The Summit announces speakers:
|
|
|
|
Chloride in groundwater;
a rising concern
Keynote:
John Jansen, P.G., P.Gp., Ph.D.
Senior Geophysicist/ Hydrogeologist
Collier Geophysics
|
|
|
|
US Army Corps of Engineers Ecosystem Restoration Programs & Partnership Opportunities
Frank Veraldi, Restoration Ecologist
US Army Corps of Engineers,
Chicago District
|
|
Video of our January 12th program
Local Government’s Approach to Meeting the Evolving Stormwater Requirements in the State’s NPDES / MS4 Program
Panelists:
Rob Linke, P.E., Kane County Dept of Environmental & Water Resources;
Scott Kuykendall,LEED AP BD+C, McHenry County Water Resources,
Mark Phipps, P.E. City of Aurora Public Works Department
|
|
11/10/21 FREP Presentation by Art Malm:
Freeing Our Fox! - a discussion of dams on the Fox River in Illinois
|
|
We truly appreciate your support and are grateful to all who have sent in their dues for 2021-22. If you aren't on our website's FREP Membership Roll (LINK) we hope you will respond by renewing your membership or joining FREP.
Membership can be initiated or renewed online and dues paid via PayPal at:
|
|
Thank You!
Membership Dues received since
our last Downstream January 3rd:
|
|
|
The Core Development Team continues to meet monthly. The Team is focusing on printing and distribution of brochures for the 2022 Paddling season. In 2019, the Government Printing Office provided a one-time printing of the brochures while all of the Convention & Visitors Bureaus as well as the Kane County Development Department and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation funded the distribution.
The Team will be making a request to those entities as well as other tourism related organizations for 2022 funding. Application to the National Park Service (NPS) for designation into the National Water Trail System is a high priority for this year. The Team is in the process of understanding changes made to the criteria for designation and has been in contact with the NPS for clarification. One of the new requirements is that signage be in place. The Team is working with the NPS and our graphic artist, Matt Kania to design access site signage.
Please consider joining our Team to assist with completing our application. Our next meeting is scheduled virtually for Tuesday, February 1st from 1:00 to 2:30PM.
If you would like more information or learn how to get involved, please contact
|
|
Fox River Subwatershed News |
|
|
|
Indian Creek
Watershed-based Planning
Update for late January 2022
|
|
Field work to complete the physical conditions assessment of Indian Creek was completed in mid- January. CMAP would like to thank Wally Levernier at Fermilab, Rakiya Tasiu with BNSF Environmental, and Brian Soyk with BNSF Safety for braving cold weather and icy waters to help get that done. CMAP and Kane County staff continued assessing detention basins to identify their relative water quality benefit as well as potential retrofit opportunities via a combination of aerial imagery and site visits. Hopefully snow holds off and some relatively warmer days are upcoming (around 30 degrees would be nice!) to facilitate the assessment of Fox River shoreline erosion conditions within the planning area. Results of the field assessments, including maps and tables, will be included in the final watershed resource inventory targeted for late February. |
|
Above: A frozen buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) swamp was fun to traverse on the way to a section of Indian Creek within Fermilab in mid-January.
Next up is the development of the watershed-based action plan. Data gathered during the field assessments along with input from watershed stakeholders through various public engagement activities will identify opportunities to protect and improve water and aquatic habitat quality throughout the 16 square mile Indian Creek planning area. Guided by this input, the plan will identify potential water quality-based on-the-ground projects, outreach and education activities, and planning and policy recommendations. These projects then become eligible for federal grant assistance (e.g., Clean Water Act Section 319h Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program grants). Opportunities for local and state funding and technical assistance are enhanced as well.
Continue to keep an eye on this space and through special announcements for information about participating in the public engagement opportunities and sharing your knowledge and vision for the watershed!
|
|
March 26, 2002
New leadership for Fox River Ecosystem Partnership
The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP) recently elected new officers. Paul Anderson, Ph.D, associate professor of environmental engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology, has been elected president. Cindy Skrukrud, Ph.D, president of Friends of the Fox River, is the new vice president.
Additional officers who were re-elected include Marianne Nelson, executive director of the Fox Valley Land Foundation, secretary; and Jack Cook, president of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, treasurer. John Thompson, Ph.D, director of research for the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, is past president.
|
|
For the present, in 2022
We are pleased to announce these officers were duly elected during our January 12, 2022 meeting:
Jeff Mengler, President
Nancy Williamson, Vice President
Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller, Treasurer
Lucas King, Secretary
|
|
Next meeting: Spring Creek Stakeholder Meeting 2
Mar 16, 2022 10:00 AM
|
|
|
|
The Conservation Foundation Webinar
Improving Urban Soil Health for Long-Lived Urban Trees
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 7-8 PM
|
|
March 16-19, 2022 - Champaign, IL
Joint Illinois Lakes Management Association and Illinois American Fisheries Society Conference
|
|
Community Recycling Information |
|
Kane County recently welcomed their new Recycling Coordinator, Clair Ryan
|
|
|
|
Becky Hoag, Communications Manager
Fox River Ecosystem Partnership
Please email Becky if you have an email to add to our mailing list or content to add to the next monthly Downstream.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
