LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Governor JB Pritzker’s budget proposal includes some good news for conservationists who’ve been pushing for green space years after the Tollway scrapped plans to extend Route 53 in the far northern suburbs.
The governor has earmarked one million dollars in the Department of Natural Resources’ budget for a greenway in central Lake County.
The head of the Sierra Club Illinois Jack Darin calls the money a major step toward a fantastic amenity for outdoor recreation, flood protection and better quality of life.
Chris Kessler, director of policy at Openlands, a regional conservation group, told the Daily Herald that “a greenway will forever protect one of the most scenic landscapes in Lake County and unleash its value as an accessible conservation area that residents can enjoy, all while spurring economic development".
Supporters also said the funds would help develop a master plan for turning the 12- mile corridor between Long Grove and Grayslake into a greenway full of meadows and ponds.
The state had bought more than a thousand acres of land before the Tollway gave up plans to extend Route 53 due to objections.
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