Prairie Works

An exciting new program is available to the citizens of Northwest Illinois. I highly recommend readers of this website to participate. Cory Ritterbusch will be teaching the October 5th session titled, Ecosystem Management. Here is the official press release:

The University of Illinois Jo-Carroll Extension Unit is pleased to announce the formation of the Northwest Illinois Master Naturalist Program. This program will offer interested participants the ability to be trained by local and regional natural resource instructors about the natural communities found in the northwest Illinois area. Participants will be trained weekly, typically on Monday mornings from 8-12 over three months from August through October. Once training is completed participants are expected to complete a volunteer service project to become a certified Master Naturalist. Once certified the Master Naturalists are expected to annually conduct some level of volunteer stewardship and continuing training to maintain their certification. The curriculum will cover topics ranging from natural history, understanding the natural world, communicating with nature, and environmental ethics & philosophy. The course will also teach people about the natural communities ranging from aquatics, grassland and forestry to special communities, agricultural and urban communities. Also covered are will be ecosystems management, archaeology,  and volunteer service projects opportunities.

The program is scheduled to start August 3^rd and space is limited to 20 participants on a first come first serve basis until paid registration is full. Cost for participating in the program is $275. The U of I Extension and the JDCF are very excited about offering this great opportunity for individuals in northwest Illinois. Interested participants are encouraged to contact the Jo Daviess Extension Office at 815-858-2273 to register and Chris Kirkpatrick at the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation at 815-858-9100 for details about program.

An exciting discovery was made on May, 5. Maybe… A rare plant that has previously not been recorded growing in Illinois was found in Jo Daviess County. Discoveries like this do not happen often, if ever. Like a good mystery novel there are unanswered questions and twists in this story. The plant was located within the city limits of Galena, IL. Not in a pristine natural setting that one would expect to find a plant of this caliber and at one time this plant was sold commercially. What do you think?

I was working late when I received an email from Prairie Works crowd pleaser, Richard Pearce.

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For the past two weeks we have been following reports of a Black Bear roaming around Northeastern Iowa. It was first reported near Castalia, IA and has since been seen west of Dubuque, IA,  near Maquoketa IA, and Bellevue, IA. This Bear had apparently crossed this Mississippi River into Illinois yesterday morning, entering North of Savanna, IL and was seen near IL Route 84.

Black Bear near Stockton, IL

This morning a Jo Daviess County sherrif deputy saw the bear crossing an agricultural field North of Route 20 near Canyon Park Rd west of Stockton. The deputy was able to take the picture we see here. Shortly afterwards it was photograped in a tree, a few miles North. You can see those pictures here.

It is believed that this bear had left its original habitat in Minnesota and came down the Mississippi river corridor. It has been increasingly common for Black Bears to expand thier home range and to habitat their former range of 200 years ago.

In June of 2001 the Dubuque, IA area also had black bear sightings and Iowa has had 17 sigtings since 1968. The last black bear sighted in Jo Daviess County was in early Janurary of 1940 when a bear was seen near Menominee, west of Galena, IL. There have been several sightings deemed reliable in the past decade however.

It has generally been recent policy that if the animal does not become a nuisance, is not a danger, or is not in any imminent peril, that it be allowed to exist unmolested and without hindrance.

Over the past week a purple flower has gone to bloom and is gracing the countryside, in increasing amounts. This flower is called Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)  and is native to Eurasia but has is found in almost every state in the United States. Here is the Driftlesss Area, it enjoys unmanaged pastures, roadsides and ditches close to residential homes. 

Unlike many of our invasive plants that were introduced for agricultural purposes or to promote wildlife. This invasive plant has its connections with big box stores and garden centers. A high volume of this seed is included in “Wildflower Mixes” which have risen in popularity in the past 15 years. The questionable “Meadow in a Can” mix, introduced in 1982, helped this vigorous plant naturalize and led many to think that it is an authentic prairie plant. Dames Rocket can be mistaken for our native Phlox which have opposite leaves that are not toothed, and flowers with five petals, not four. 

Today, most states list Dame Rocket on their invasive species list and it has been banned to sell in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  

They say that “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” This is certainly true with this plant. Its a cute kid who doesn’t play well with the others. 

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/fact/dames_rocket.htm  Description and control techniques

http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/weeds/damesrocket/damesrocket.htm Good pictures for identification

What a great time of year. The woodlands are beginning to bloom with ephemerals  and the countryside is turning green. It is also time for the annual mushroom hunt. An activity steeped in tradition here in the Midwest and is waited for with great anticipation, marking the true end of winter. Like deer season in the fall, cars sit empty along country roads, as the morel hunter scouts the woods hoping to hit it big.

What engages the novice naturalist to get excited about plant life is the Morel Mushroom (Morchella deliciosa). An ascocarp plant that is prized by gourmet cooks and normal joes alike for their great taste and versatility. The recipes for cooking these fungi varies greatly with each family, region and cook having their own distinct method. Festivals are held to honor this edible mushroom. Morels are prominent in Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest but nowhere as prominent as the Midwest.

Along with its popularity enters a bit of mystery. No one knows for sure why mushrooms grow where they do and how. We have yet to learn how to produce them on a large or medium scale. It is well agreed that they prefer growing near old and dead elms, sycamores, ash and apple trees. However, the symbiotic relationship between them is unknown. Also unknown, are the influences that effect the amount and size of harvestable morels. It is agreed that it is a combination of rainfall, ground temperature, humidity and air temperature. Somewhat refreshing to be reminded that man cannot out smart nature. It is widely known that a direct correlation between forest fires and robust morel growth has been observed and confirmed. Usually, three years after a fire one can expect to see a boost in production of the edible fungi. Last years season (2008) was known to be one of the best in memory. Why was that? 

In our area three types of Morels exist: White (or Grey) Morel (Morchella deliciosa), Yellow Morel (Morchella esculenta) and Black Morel (Morchella elata). The variance is rather small with their color being the only noticeable difference. The genus Morchella is derived from “morchel,” a German word for mushroom. 

It should be noted that Morels should never be eaten raw and cooked thoroughly due to the toxins that exist. Mushrooms eaten in large quantities or eaten with alcohol can also have adverse effects.

Morel Fun Facts: 

• In the 19th century, the Russian government had to pass a law making it illegal to burn down the forests in order to harvest morels the following years. 
• German folklore attributes the origin of morels to the Devil. Offended by a very wrinkled old woman, he transformed her into a morel. Ever since, calling a woman a morel in Germany has been a major insult.
• Morels contain a substance used in rocket fuel.
• If a Morel hunter tells you where he found his big take; he is lying.

Good luck out there!

http://www.morels.com/  Post your harvest

http://www.muscoda.com/event_morels_09.html Nearby Morel Festival

http://www.nov55.com/mr/ The science behind Morels

Happy Earth Day, everyone! 

Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has grown into a celebration of the masses and is the one “holiday” that is celebrated by people of all races, religions, countries and beliefs around the world. We all have an impact on the environment. The goal of Earth Day is to raise awareness of the options that we have in order to reduce that impact.

During the past year, I have been involved in a discussion group, hosted by the diligent Dan Wenny. We met monthly on Sunday afternoons. The goal was to analyze household carbon footprints and to assist the other five households in the group, in reducing theirs. We traded tips, advise and took our carbon footprint numbers into an analytical process. Our carbon footprint was established using this calculator: Carbon Footprint Calculator 

The book, Low Carbon Diet,  was given to each of the households to guide us through the process. 

We all had a fun time discovering our habits and lifestyles and realized how they effect our footprint. Analyzing these numbers is a staticticians dream. As you would imagine, housholds with homes with higher square footage and housing more people resulted in the highest footprints. The average carbon footprint in the United States is around 55,00 pounds. In Germany it is 27,000 and in Kenya it is 400.

My houshold’s largest comsumptives were car mileage and water useage. This year we are attempting to reduce those two numbers, and chip away at the others, to give us a footprint of 30,000 carbon pounds next year. A simple Excel spreadsheet can assist you in keeping on track.

This is certainly a fun and engaging way to become more aware of your impacts on the environment. This next year we will become a group host and will help 5 other housholds reduce their carbon footprints. 

There are also many more decisions that can be made that the carbon calculator does not take into account, such as: Eating foods that are locally produced, purchasing used rather than new, buying goods that utilize environmentally friendly processes and of course landscaping with native plants.

Here are some Earth Day links:

http://simplylocalfood.com/ Local Food Group in Northwest Illinois

http://www.green-living.com/ Green Products

http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/04/22/earth-day-2008/  Last year’s Earth Day post

In a previous post, I had explained the importance historic aerial photographs serve when approaching a land restoration project. Another very important tool is analyzing the original surveyors notes from when our counties, townships and section lines were established during pioneer settlement. This occurred in this area during the 1830′s.  As the surveyors were dividing the land into checkerboard plots, they were required to note observations  of the land along the way. This typically included the type of terrain, trees types, undergrowth, indian activity and any signs of homesteading. They also provided a hand drawn sketch of each township showing waterways, areas of timber, prairie, swamps, etc. Today this is extremely interesting to study and is the oldest snapshot of the land that we have.

A portion of the present 'Galena Territory'

Here in Northwest Illinois and Southwest Wisconsin the survey was performed earlier than other areas, as a result of the lead rush that occurred in the late 1820′s. The Federal Land Survey office moved from Cincinnati to Dubuque, IA in 1839 probably due to this population boom. Today when we analyze these descriptions we see the beginning of settlement.

Ecologist can follow these descriptions and compare to modern maps to determine the past vegetation and make more detailed assumptions of what would have existed. Sometimes a young Oak tree that was described in the notes, is an old Oak tree today. Finding these is a very fun experience. 

Here are some excerpts from the notes:

Surveyors sketch of Shullsburg Township

Surveyors Description of Shullsburg Township

This township description is from Shullsburg Township as observed by famed surveyour Lucius Lyon in March of 1833. It reads: 

“The afore described township, embracing as it does, some of the oldest wrought and richest mines in the country, is generally rolling, first rate land, about half prairie and half thinly timbered with oak, with an undergrowth of hazel. Within its limits are three different settlements or towns, viz — ‘Shullsburg’ in Sections 3 & 10, ‘Gratiots Grove’ in Sections 22 and 23, and ‘White Oak Springs’ in Section 32 each of which settlements now contain about five or six families, but the two former, in the most prosperous days of the mining business, have heretofore at one time, contained not less than 40 families each. Besides these settlements, there are several farms located in different parts of the township. The mines which have heretofore been very productive are situated principally on sections 2, 3, 10, 11 and 14 but are now many abandoned as they are thought to be not worth working.”

Thankfully, Lucius Lyons was one of the most descriptive surveyors of the time. Now lets analyze Lyons description:

First, he confirms what local historians have known. Shullsburg Township was the early epicenter of lead mining in the area since Jesse Shull discovered lead ten years earlier, so scattered and abandoned mines would be expected in 1833. He goes on to write, that the land is “about half prairie and half thinly timbered with Oaks.” Ecologist now call this an Oak Savanna.  He continues to write “with an undergrowth of hazel.” This would be the shrub, Hazelnut (Corylus americana), a shrub which is commonly associated with both savanna and prairie ecosystems. He goes on to explain the three towns of Shullsburg Township and lastly the abandonment of mines, which we now know that moved towards Galena. 

Along with generalized descriptions of the township. The notes also contain detailed descriptions of the land as the surveyors traversed section lines from North to South and East to West. Each section corner included the number of feet and direction to the nearest trees.  Here is an example of the section line near my house:

North Between Sections 10 & 11

20.oo    to diggins

30.50    to a wagon road leading NW

40.00   set a White Oak post & Raised a mound of earth at that section corner

55.oo     left prairie & entered brush and scattered timber

76.50    to a creek (illegible writing) West

80.00    set a Bur Oak post for corner to sections 2 & 3 & 10 & 11

                 { Black Oak South 29 East 39 

                 { Bur Oak North 47 1/2 West 97

Land  rolling  &  first  rate (illegible writing) prairie  and  brushy  with  some  scattering  bur  &  black  oak  timber

Today, I can look at historical and modern maps and determine exactly where these descriptions are located. I can also drive a good portion of this. Our sections lines have not changed since this original surveys. Over the years historians and ecologists  have utilized these field notes for a variety of purposes. In the late 1940′s and early 1950′s geographers plotted 19th-century tree cover in Wisconsin using information from these field notes. The resulting map “Original Vegetation of Wisconsin” has become a classic research tool itself. Local historians, too, may find information found in the surveyors’ field notes especially useful in helping to understand the 19th-century landscape and patterns of early settlement.

When Lucius Lyon finished a page for the exterior survey of Township 9 North, Range 1 East and 1 West he wrote:

"Land hilly, with sand stones ledges 3rd rate, mostly B. Oak. W. Oak. U.G. of Oaks, May 3, 1839 "froze water this night"

What a grueling  job this must have been and what interesting notes to examine today. I hope you find this information as interesting as I do. 

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/  Wisconsins highly detailed site

http://landplats.ilsos.net/ Illinois (Township Plats Only)

An exciting new program is underway in McHenry County. We hope that it can spread through county and state lines. Project Quercus,  was started in 2006 and its mission is to explore options to protect, preserve and regenerate the oak woods.

Oak woods and Oak trees have been in steady decline for some time now. Due to the lack of fire in our woodlands, the over shading of woodlands, invasive species and a tendancy to not plant Oaks in landscaping, we have now become aware of the huge loss and lack of re-production that is occurring. Our oak-hickory woodlands have diminished by more than 88.5% since the time of European-American settlement (c. 1837). Oak woods once covered nearly 40% of the landscape, but today are found on barely 4% of the landscape. 

With their strong wood, sprawling branches, gnarly trunks and majestic heights. The Oak has long served as a symbol of Americana and the Midwest. But with little or no reproduction occurring it could be a piece for the history books, like an an old car relic rotting away in the countryside. “If nothing is done, the oak in McHenry County could disappear as aself-sustaining ecosystem during the next 20 years,” said Ed Collins, the McHenry County Conservation District’s natural resource manager. “Oaks give us a sense of place, of who we are. We are not the desert Southwest or the pine forests of the north,” Collins said. “We’re the upper Midwest marked by beautiful prairies and oak groves.”

A wide variety of plants, animals, insects and organisms depend on the oak ecosystem for survival. “Even more than their historical significance, that is the main reason the trees are so important,” said Lisa Haderlein, a member of the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. “They are much more valuable for wildlife for habitat and food because they have a nut,” she said. “If something doesn’t change in the next few years, we’ll start to see them fall and we won’t be able to replace them.”

Lets all try to do our part to promote the growth of the king tree of the Midwest. “Releasing” Oak trees is some of the most important and rewarding work that Prairie Works does.

Watch YouTube Video about Project Quercus

This week (Feb. 22-27) is National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week across the country. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this campaign that focuses on “preserving our natural heritage from the ravages of weeds.” Land managers, aquatic specialists, scientists, educators and public policy officials are gathering in Washington D.C. for a series of meetings on educating our federal policy makers and elected officials about the devastating impact of invasive weeds on the environment and economy.

Invasive weeds cost federal, state and local governments an estimated 125 billion dollars annually. A statistic that is rising quickly. Once established in a natural area, invasive species snowball into loss of bio-diversity. The negative effect on the native flora, fauna and aesthetics is most alarming to naturalists. Unfortunatly, the majority of invasive weeds occur on private lands where goverment has no control. So we all must do our part.

In the Upper Midwest our landscape has been highly altered due to aggressive and invasive plant species. One of the most destructive has been Garlic Mustard. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) came to the area 10-15 years ago and has since spread into our woodlands choking out our native more conservative species. Late winter and early spring are the optimum times of year to control this species. You can learn more about invasive species on this website here: http://www.prairieworksinc.com/services/invasive-species-removal/

A great video was recently produced about Garlic Mustard. View it here:Garlic Mustard 101

http://www.ipaw.org/ Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin

http://www.chicagobotanic.org/invasiveplants/ Chicago Botanic Garden Information

Today, is a rare day indeed. Our country and the world can celebrate the 200th anniversary of the births of two very important individuals. What are the odds of two people of such profound influence being born on the same day?  Some of our better cultural creatives have been calling this ‘Lincoln Darwin Day’ for a while. But it is reaching a widespread audience today, and deservedly so. These two individuals are arguably the 19th century’s most important figures and both have influenced natural history, the topic of this blog. 

For my own part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree near the river, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labour of the fishing hawk; and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this injustice, he is never in good case, but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward: the little king bird not bigger than a sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the king birds from our country….

I am on this account not displeased that the figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a turkey. For the truth the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America… he is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.

Well put, Ben. Interesting to note that both of these birds went into near extinxtion during the 1900′s and both are enjoying great resurgences right now. The Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), is in great numbers here in Northwest Illinois. It is very common to see flocks of several dozen at a time. We offer exactly what they want here. A seamless blend of woodlands, crop fields, grasslands and sheltered ravines. It hard to think of them not being here. However, at the turn of last century there were no Turkeys to be found in this area due to unregulated hunting and the loss of habitat. The state of Illinois began re-introducing Turkeys into their former habitats in the late 1950′s and the first Turkey’s to be released in Northwest Illinois came during the winter of 1980, when 8 hens and 5 gobblers were let go. Amazingly, this population grew so quickly that by 1985 a hunting season was created. Today, JoDaviess county regularly tops the list in harvested birds during Turkey season.

Today, American citizens are most familiar with the domesticated Turkey that is served at Thanksgiving and most of the population is not able to observe these big birds as regularly as we do in the Driftless Area. Now we are seeing thier range expanding and someday all areas that had them at once before, will have them again.

But, what if Ben Franklin’s wish to have it as our national symbol was granted. Would the Turkey have ever been eliminated? Would the Bald Eagle’s comeback been a priority?

After 225 years since Ben Franklin’s letter to his daughter received no attention, let us celebrate the large bird that we take for granted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Turkey  The Wikipedia offering

http://www.jdcf.org/guardians/field/field_n77.htm  Doug Dufford’s great article about Turkeys in Jo Daviess County

If you were around the morning of January 16 you experienced some very cold temperatures.

Here is a breakdown of some of the area’s low temperatures:

• Cedar Rapids, IA     -29 (set all time record)
• Chicago, IL     -17
• Dixon, IL     -32
• Dubuque, IA    -30 (set daily record)
• Galena, IL    -30
• Moline, IL     -27 (set daily record)
• Monroe, WI    -27
• Peoria, IL    -21 (set daily record)
• Platteville, WI     -35
• Rochelle, IL     -36 (*unofficially tied the all time record low in the state of Illinois)
• Rockford, IL     -25
• Savanna, IL    -31
• Waterloo, IA     -34 (tied all time record)

Other Notes of Interest: Dubuque, IA also set a daily record the day before on January 15th of -25,  previously set in 1888. Dubuque’s all time record is -32 set in 1888 on January 16.

Many of you have probably experienced an all time record cold before: One occurred in Chicago and Rockford on January 20th, 1985 when the stations recorded -27  and -26, respectively.

*The Illinois all time record which was tied was recorded by an AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) station run soley by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) versus an ASOS (Automated Surface Observing Systems) run by the NWS (National Weather Service). Therefore, it  cannot be considered an official recording by the NWS and will not be considered as tying the state record. The things you learn doing blog research. The all time state record for Illinois remains -36 set at Congerville on January 5th, 1999.

Nearby Elizabeth, IL  and Mount Carroll, IL once were tied for the states all time low record of -35 (Feb. 4 1996 at Elizabeth and Jan. 22 1930 at Mt. Carroll) before losing it to the -36 Congerville record in 1999.

Wisconsin’s record low of -55 was set on Febuary 4, 1996, at Couderay and Iowa’s -47 was set on Febuary 3, 1996 at Elkader. Interesting to note that Minnesota’s all time low was also recorded during this same 1996 cold spell (-60). A low of -19 was recorded in Chicago during that cold snap, which was the last time Chicago failed to get above zero, our most recent comparable cold snap. So, as always, it could be worse.

Ecologists are intrigued by the weather much like a weather man is interested in astronomy. A direct correlation does not exist but avoiding the topics would be impossible to do. The year of 2008 left us with a lot of remarkable weather which was fun to observe, difficult to schedule around and sometimes downright scary.

Last April, I posted a blog about the winter of 2007-2008, explaining the snowiest winter this area has ever seen. This was followed by a June posting explaining the very wet spring. In fact, it was the wettest year in Chicago history with 51 inches of rain falling. The flooding of June 2008 was the costliest natural disaster in Wisconsin history, altering the tourism industry in the town of Wisconsin Dells. ”There were all kinds of things going on,” said Harry Hillaker, Iowa State climatologist. He would know; his state endured 105 tornadoes this year, including its first F5 tornado since 1968 and the worst flooding in Iowa history.

December 2008 – This past month, many Midwest cities set December records for snowfall amounts. Some also set records for most rainfall… It was so dynamic this past December that the three days following Christmas, Chicago weathermen issued the following (in order): A Freezing Rain Advisory, a Dense Fog Advisory, a Wind Advisory, a Flash Flood Watch, a Flash Flood Warning, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, a Tornado Watch, a Flood Warning, and a Gale Warning, and sometimes all at the same time. During that event the temperature rose from -1 to 58 degrees in three days! Madison, WI, shattered their all time snow record last year and is currently on pace to beat that with 38.6 inches already falling.

What is causing such new extremes in a generally steady Midwest? I am not sure, but a myriad of issues arrived in the public consciousness in 2008. It’s my New Year’s prediction that environmental issues will become increasingly important in the near future. However, in the future, it may not be the plants and animals that we will be worried about… 

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=228256 The Dubuque, IA weather summary

The National Christmas Tree Association lists Red Cedar as the 4th most popular Christmas tree in America. However, they are not used in homes here in the Midwest. The tradition continues today in the South but other varieties of trees started being favored here in the Upper Midwest two generations ago. This is unfortunate.

The Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is one of the most widespread trees in North America. It is found in every single state east of the Rockies. Being the only common native “pine” tree, Red Cedars were decorated for Christmas in area homes beginning with pioneer settlers and continuing well into the 1900s. A little prickly, it still makes a nice Christmas tree.

The Red Cedar is an invasive plant in many situations here in the Driftless Area, invading prairies, pastures, rocky slopes, fence lines and road sides. Utilizing invasive plants in this manner is a great way to achieve widespread sustainability. 21 million Christmas trees are sold each year and are trucked into sales lots from far away. With such a locally plentiful supply and the need to remove Cedars from natural areas, it sounds like a win-win situation to me. 

For the last 8 years Kansas City Wildlands has sponsored a “Cut Your Own Red Cedar Christmas Tree Day.” So, to kick start a program of our own…

The first two respondents within 30 miles of Galena, IL can receive a Red Cedar tree delivered to their home for a donation of $15. You can email me for your opportunity to have a “Green Christmas.” Donations will be submitted to the JoDaviess Conservation Foundation. Good luck!

http://www.kcwildlands.org/egap.php?id=262 The Kansas City Wildlands Red Cedar Christmas Tree Event

Finally, the results from last week’s election are in and the news is very good for environmentalists. Nation wide, voters approved a record 8.4 billion dollars for conservation funding. There were 124 measures up for vote involving conservation and 88 of these passed. This totalled $8,400,116,140 dollars. Most impressive was the Minnesota sales tax increase that will generate 5.5 billion dollars for conservation over the next 25 years in that state. Florida also voted very favorably to allow land under conservation easement to now be tax free. The 2008 tally beat previous records from 2006 when 6.7 billion was passed and 1998 when 5.8 billion was approved.

Locally, JoDaviess County passed two referendums making it less attractive for CAFO’s (Contained Animal Feeding Operations) to move into the county.

In these tough economic times it is refreshing to see that conservation continues to trend towards priority. Congratulations everybody!

Above poster by ISO50