DeKalb Times

Dekalb County Forest Preserve Operations Committee met Jan. 28.

Here is the minutes provided by the committee:

The DeKalb County Forest Preserve Operations Committee met on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 in the Legislative Center’s Gathertorium located at 200 N. Main Street, Sycamore, Illinois. Chairman Stoddard called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Those Members present were Mr. Tim Hughes, Ms. Maureen Little, Ms. Terri Mann-Lamb, Mr. Chris Porterfield, Mr. Craig Roman, Mr. Jeff Whelan, and Chairman Paul Stoddard. A quorum was established with all seven Members present.

Others present included Forest Preserve District Superintendent Terry Hannan, Gary Hanson, Paul Borek, Jerry Augsburger, and Frank Ostling.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

It was moved by Mr. Whelan, seconded by Mr. Porterfield, and it was carried unanimously to approve the meeting agenda as presented.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

It was moved by Ms. Mann-Lamb, seconded by Mr. Roman and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from the November 26, 2019 Meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments.

APPROVAL TO JOIN THE DEKALB COUNTY ENTERPRISE ZONE

DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Paul Borek along with County Administrator Gary Hanson joined the Committee to present a draft Resolution requesting the Forest Preserve District’s participation in the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone.

Mr. Borek shared that on November 19, 2014, the County board of DeKalb County adopted Ordinance No. 2014-76 (the “Initial Designating Ordinance”) designating an enterprise zone known as the “DeKalb County Enterprise Zone” (the “Zone”); and, on October 16, 2019, the DeKalb County Board approved amendments/technical corrections to the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone property tax abatement program. These amendments were needed to support business attraction and expansion by addressing factors know known when preparing the Enterprise Zone application during 2014. The draft Resolution presented to the Committee would authorize the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District’s participation in real property tax abatements for economic development projects meeting specific criteria outlined within the Resolution.

In addition, on January 15, 2020, the DeKalb County board approved a Boundary Amendment and additional Incentive Qualifying Criteria Amendment in support of extraordinarily large High Impact Industrial, Logistics and Knowledge-based Companies. These amendments will be added to the Draft Resolution prior to the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District Commissioners Meeting on February 19, 2020, Mr. Borek explained.

Mr. Borek and Mr. Hanson encouraged and recommended the Forest Preserve Committee and full Board of Commissioners approve the proposed Participation Resolution to participate with other taxing bodies attracting Project Ventus (South of Gurler Road in DeKalb) to DeKalb County.

The Committee asked a few questions and gained a few additional clarifications on what was being asked of them. It was also clarified that the property tax abatements would only be on newly assessed revenue from the point of approval forward.

It was moved by Mr. Porterfield, seconded by Mr. Little and it was approved unanimously to forward the Participating Resolution to the full Board of Commissioners recommending its approval.

IDNR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE REPORT & REQUEST

The Committee welcomed Mr. Frank Ostling, Wildlife Biologist, from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Mr. Ostling thanked the Committee for allowing him to be present and share his report along with once again formally requesting to enter Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve in Kirkland, Illinois in order to manage (in the form of sharpshooting) resident deer to conduct Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing.

Mr. Ostling further explained that management using sharpshooting to supplement hunter harvest allows the Department to conduct localized, focused deer reductions in small areas known to have CWD. The IDNR’s goal is to reduce disease transmission rates by lowering densities in infected areas, to reduce environmental contamination from infected deer, and to remove sick deer from the population at a higher rate than deer are becoming newly-infected. Advantages of sharpshooting include: (1) reductions are limited to areas with disease, so healthy populations in the remainder of a county are not impacted as they would be if we relied solely on hunting for management; (2) sharpshooting can be conducted on properties that do not normally allow hunting (or allow only very limited hunting), so management can occur in areas that normally serve as refuges to hunting; (3) focused sharpshooting has been shown to remove sick animals at a higher rate than hunting programs; and (4) sharpshooting can target specific high-risk deer social groups known to have CWD. Sharpshooting also provides detailed, localized surveillance information about disease distribution and prevalence rates within infected areas.

The Potawatomi Woods area is of great concern to the IDNR. This area has produced a large number of positive tests of CWD infested deer. Following the close of deer hunting seasons in January, teams of IDNR staff that are trained/certified for sharpshooting begin culling deer wintering in or around known CWD locations. All IDNR sharpshooting activities are carried out between now through March on Monday – Thursday evenings.

Sharpshooting areas are generally limited to locations within a 2-section buffer zone around each known CWD-positive section (1 section = ~1 mile2). Sharpshooting is only conducted with the permission of the landowner. All animals (including fawns) from which suitable tissue samples could be collected are tested for CWD. Additional tissue samples are collected for genetic testing and evaluation of reproductive status at the University of Illinois Champaign/Illinois Natural History Survey. All deer with negative CWD test results are processed and donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Mr. Ostling shared that the Management Program has already started this week at the conclusion of the hunting season. Depending on the relative success of a given area dictates how much time the IDNR will spend in that area as well as the prevalence of the disease in that area. The IDNR finds themselves scattered around Northern Illinois quite a bit these days but they can also say that they have been able to keep the disease relatively in check and at a relatively constant prevalence rate throughout. Although they are getting some spikes in the Kirkland area, they have found the prevalence rate to be at a 1-2% rate which is a success as opposed to what the State of Wisconsin is currently being faced with.

Former County Board Member and avid outdoorsman, Jerry Augsburger, spoke in favor of the IDNR’s CWD Management practices. He also noted how Wisconsin has a much hirer prevalence rate than Illinois and they have no management system in place. Mr. Ostling additionally added that he feels for Wisconsin residents who see the value in Illinois’ approach, but whose hands are tied due to the political environment.

The Committee additionally received the 2018-2019 Surveillance and Management CWD Report (attached).

Mr. Roman moved to approve allowing the IDNR into Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve to continue their Chronic Wasting Disease Sharpshooting Management Program. Mr. Hughes seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

MONTHLY REPORTS & ACTIVITIES

Mr. Hannan reviewed the December 2019 / January 2020 Monthly Forest Preserve Report with the Committee. The report began with some photos of a very rare Saw Whet Owl as well as some amazing new woodcarvings from Forest Preserve Maintenance Staff Bob Knuuttila.

DeKalb Police and DeKalb County Special Operation Team conducted trainings at Afton Forest Preserve. Mr. Hannan also shared the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers approved the 23acre Afton South Prairie Wetland Bank. The Committee reviewed a photo of the highly eroded banks along Little Rock Creek. Along with restoring wetland habitat, the creekbanks will be sloped at 10:1 and seeded with native prairie and wetland plants and trees helping improve stream function and habitat, wildlife habitat, soil conservation and clean water. Elliott and Wood Construction received low bid and will begin wetland excavation and hydrology work this winter and spring.

The Committee also reviewed section of the report from Angus, Chief Shabbona Forest Preserve Manager, regarding Troop campouts and many photos from another successful year of Winterfest at Russell Woods.

Forest Preserve Staff made and installed new signage at the Haines Creek Conservation Corridor. The report also reviewed the plans for the former Oak Club Golf Course which will be acquired in June of 2020.

Lastly, Mr. Hannan briefly reviewed the Natural Resource Management Reports from Josh Clark as well as the District’s Wildlife Highlights from Patrick McCrea.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved by Mr. Whelan, seconded by Mr. Porterfield and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 7:30 p.m.

https://dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jan-28-20-FP-Min.pdf