Comment EI-23614
Received or sent (printed as 6/10/2016)
Regarding Environmental concerns related to the planning of the GLB Railroad Project, I do not support continuation of planning due to the interference, disruption and risk of contamination of the Trim Creek tributary, located within the site plan for the Railport, leading to the Kankakee River:The Trim Creek Watershed functions as a living, continuous landscape that directs and alters water from where rain falls, all the way to where it flows into the Kankakee River. For purposes of planning, it is important to realize that Trim Creek starts: Trim Creek is a high-quality but underappreciated tributary of the Kankakee River. The health of Trim Creek (and the river’s many other tributaries) is critical to sustaining the Kankakee, a “Class A” Illinois river. Trim Creek’s 38- square-mile drainage area — the watershed — evolved from a vast tallgrass prairie with wetlands and woodlands to today’s agricultural landscape, which includes the agriculturally based communities of Beecher and Grant Park, Ill. Here ... and here ... and here ... and here ... and here. Nearly every action taken on the landscape has a potential effect on the health of Trim Creek, as well as on the quality of all the landscape where water flows. THE WATERSHED AND ITS GROWTH WHY TAKE A WATERSHED APPROACH? The Trim Creek Watershed functions as a living, continuous landscape that directs and alters water from where rain falls, all the way to where it flows into the Kankakee River. For purposes of planning, it is important to realize that Trim Creek starts: Trim Creek is a high-quality but underappreciated tributary of the Kankakee River. The health of Trim Creek (and the river’s many other tributaries) is critical to sustaining the Kankakee, a “Class A” Illinois river. Trim Creek’s 38- square-mile drainage area — the watershed — evolved from a vast tallgrass prairie with wetlands and woodlands to today’s agricultural landscape, which includes the agriculturally based communities of Beecher and Grant Park, Ill. This landscape poses few obstacles to major development, and Beecher alone is expected to grow from 2,970 to 20,029 people between 2005 and 2030.* If such growth is not properly planned and agricultural lands not carefully managed, Trim Creek and the Kankakee River will be degraded: • New construction will increase impervious surface area, causing damaging floods and water pollution; • Lawn and agricultural chemicals will pollute water; • Soil erosion will cause silt deposits in Trim Creek and the Kankakee River; • There will be no guiding vision for restoring Trim Creek to be a community and regional asset that provides high quality habitat, natural beauty, and recreational opportunities; • Local regulations will be inadequate for protecting water and habitat; and • Lack of awareness of problems and potentials will discourage watershed stewardship and stream improvements This watershed plan has been developed by public officials who want to avoid these problems and establish a positive course for the future. They welcome economic development, but they also value a high quality of life, natural resources, and agriculture. They want Trim Creek to be protected and enhanced. The watershed planning participants have created this plan as a guide for promoting environmental, community and economic vitality. Local governments are central to watershed planning because they have authority for managing growth and providing community services. This Trim Creek Watershed Plan is a tool to guide local governments, property owners, and concerned citizens toward achieving watershed goals. * Source: Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission Watershed Planning Project is the third phase of a joint initiative of the Metropolitan Planning Council, Openlands, and Campaign for Sensible Growth called “Water Resources and Sustainable Growth.” The project’s research reports, Changing Course and Troubled Waters, stressed the importance of local governments in effective watershed planning and plan implementation. The Joyce Foundation and Lumpkin Family Foundation funded pilot watershed planning projects in growth areas containing important water resources — the Trim Creek Watershed in Will and Kankakee counties, and the Greater Marengo-Union Area in McHenry County — in order to support local government involvement in watershed planning. The Trim Creek project was also funded by the Village of Beecher, Village of Grant Park, Will County, Kankakee County, Washington Township, and Washington Township Drainage District #3. The development of the watershed plan was guided by a steering committee representing local units of government and key stakeholders.
Submitted by: Laura Veldhuizen · Village of Grant Park, Trustee · Grant Park, IL
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
The text TrimCreek_exec_summary.pdf ↓
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35952/comment/EI-23614
File docketyard.org/document/18cce7b0d65357a27ba4cb7b2287cf00a9d5e968cfe9a8b610c3e8fdd39ab8a6.pdf · back to the docket sheet