TRAIL AND RESTORATION EFFORTS Underway at Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve.

Trail access and nature restoration efforts are now underway at Middlefork's Savanna Forest following a groundbreaking ceremony hosted by the Lake County Forest Preserves on Wednesday, November 1, 2000. Improvements for Middlefork include creating a 4.5-mile trail with five bridges and two boardwalks and a parking area; restoring and managing the Preserve's oak woodland, savanna, prairie, and wetland communities through the active land management programs; and establishing Middlefork Savanna as a national ecological research site and outdoor classroom for universities, schools, and other organizations. Anticipated completion for trail conservation and restoration efforts is fall 2001.

Home to a rare Tall Grass Savanna, Middlefork features a mix of oak savanna and woodlands, wet and mesic prairies, sedge meadows, and marsh wetlands. Over 25 of the Preserves' 521 acres are considered the highest quality black soil savanna of its kind in the nation and a globally threatened ecosystem. The Lake County Forest Preserves formed the Middlefork Savanna Master Plan Advisory Committee in April 1997 to coordinate input from community and conservation groups. The Advisory Committee consisted of representatives from the Forest Preserve Board, The Nature Conservancy of Illinois, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and the City of Lake Forest.