National Wildlife Refuge In Northern Illinois

The dream of a national wildlife refuge in the Wisconsin/Illinois bi-state region is moving closer to reality. Staff members from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be hosting four public meetings to seek input from local residents and user groups on the potential refuge. 

The proposed Hackmatack NWR includes a variety of rare natural communities, including oaks savannas, tallgrass prairies and emergent wetlands which support sensitive populations of uncommon plants and animals, including a number of grassland bird species.  The study area also lies in the whooping crane migratory flyway; whoopers have begun once again to stop at local natural areas every year.

More information on the Hackmatack NWR is available  here

If you are close enough to attend, the meetings offer members of the public the chance to spend one-on-one time with service staff members to ask questions, offer comments and provide ideas about the refuge.

Each open house will be held from 4-8 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 12- McHenry County Government Center Administration Building, 667 Ware St, Woodstock, IL
Wed., Oct. 13- Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Rt. 31 & Harts Rd, North of Ringwood, IL
Wed., Oct. 20- Bristol Municipal Building, 19801 83rd Street, Bristol, WI
Thurs., Oct. 21- Lake Geneva City Hall, 626 Geneva Street, Lake Geneva, WI
This is your chance as a Friend of Hackmatack to show the USFWS that there is strong grassroots support for the refuge.

Comments may also be provided by e-mail
or mailed to

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Conservation Planning
Attn: Proposed Hackmatack NWR
BHW Federal Building, Room 530
1 Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111

For more information on this project, check out the Friends of Hackmatack website !

The next step for the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge will be the preparation of the Environmental Assessment referenced previously. The Service expects to release a draft Environmental Assessment in late spring 2011.