Land Preservation 

Gentling rolling prairies and farmland, dotted with woodlands and wetlands, have long defined Lake County as a lovely place to live, work and play. But we can't take for granted that open space, clean air, and clean water will remain part of our quality of life unless we take action. For the past two decades, Lake County experienced tremendous growth, much if it unchecked and unplanned, and open space was lost at an alarming rate. Although the pressure of development has eased, there is no reason to think that the county won't again experience tremendous growth. That's why the time to save land is now.

The work we do today helping people preserve and take care of open space and farmland will forever shape Lake County’s future. To keep Lake County a great place to live we need to balance growth with preservation. 

• We work with landowners so they understand the options they have to preserve their land.
• We facilitate land preservation arrangements between landowners and other land conservation organizations such as the Lake County Forest Preserve District, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and other conservation land trusts. Our work in the Liberty Prairie Reserve is a model for preserving land through public-private partnerships.
• We are leading a countywide partnership that has developed a vision for Lake County's open space future with a goal to preserve 20% of the county by 2030.
• Lake County is home to federally-endangered species. We are partnering with the Illinois Nature Commission and other organizations to preserve a rare prairie remnant in west Waukegan.
• Since 2004 we have preserved over 300 acres of land, through land donations, easements, landowner negotiations, and land purchases. Read the stories
• We use our outreach programs to educate people about the benefits of open space.