Joliet, IL – A major milestone in Illinois conservation will be celebrated Friday as Hadley Valley preserve hosts a public event to mark 20 years of wetland restoration tied to O’Hare International Airport’s expansion.
According to the Forest Preserve District of Will County, the event is set for 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Aug. 8, at Hadley Valley’s Gougar Road Access in Joliet. Officials from the Forest Preserve District and Openlands, a leading conservation group, will discuss restoration successes and offer guided site tours.
The celebration spotlights environmental achievements funded by $26 million from the O’Hare Modernization Mitigation Account (OMMA). OMMA was created in 2005 as compensation for the loss of 280 acres of wetlands during the airport’s $8 billion expansion. The Forest Preserve District received $6 million to restore Hadley Valley and Messenger Woods Nature Preserve in Homer Glen.
At Hadley Valley, restoration efforts began in 2007, eventually becoming the largest project in the district’s history. The OMMA-funded work restored 192.8 acres of native habitat, planted nearly 148,000 native plants, and rehabilitated 1.5 miles of Spring Creek. At Messenger Woods, the funding restored hydrology to 30 acres of wetlands and recreated 60 acres of woodland savanna and prairie between 2009 and 2010.
Openlands officials said OMMA’s collaborative projects have become a regional model for ecological restoration and environmental stewardship. In total, partner organizations restored 530 acres of wetlands and protected more than 1,600 acres of natural space across multiple sites, including Drummond Flood Plain at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Cook County.
The public is encouraged to attend Friday’s event to learn more about ongoing restoration work and the benefits of regional conservation.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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