Habitat Restoration

Before 1830, fire was as much a part of the landscape as other natural forces, such as droughts, floods, and insect infestations. Native Americans used fire to control flies and mosquitoes and to reduce ground cover for easier travel and hunting. Over time, native wildlife adapted and avoided the slow-burning fires, which left behind soils barely warm to the touch, and native flora developed thick bark or deep roots.

Since 1975, the District has used prescription burns to restore some of the functional qualities of the county’s natural ecosystem. Prescription burns eliminate or stunt nonnative woody and brushy vegetation, plants not adapted to fire. They burn off dead plant materials, which recycles nutrients back into the soil and prevents the accumulation of plant “litter,” which can lower soil temperatures and inhibit seed germination and plant growth.

Only specially trained District staff members who meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards participate in prescription burns. The morning of a burn, they carefully evaluate wind conditions, humidity, temperature and the amount of moisture in the vegetation. All fires are conducted with permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and local fire departments. Local and adjacent fire and police departments and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office are all in close communication during the process. In addition, the District sends letters in advance to residents who live next to designated sites and contacts those who respond with health concerns the morning of the burn.

Regardless of the season, the Forest Preserve District engages in a variety of restoration projects. For a list of current conservation-related projects, visit Plans and Projects.

The District’s course of action depends greatly upon the specific goals of the site. Ecologists may use prescription burns at a prairie to give native grasses and forbs the advantage over nonnative, fire-intolerant species. They may remove brush at a woodland or savanna where European buckthorn or other highly invasive species dominate the understory. Other methods include:

• Planting native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers to restore the plant diversity that once existed
• Reintroducing native wildlife species that are rare to the region
• Returning native shoreline vegetation to help prevent streambank erosion
• Educating the public about the function and importance of natural communities

In the early 1800s, DuPage County was a land of open prairies, wetlands and woodlands. These areas teemed with wildlife and attracted explorers and settlers alike. As the land became more populated, settlers began to farm the rich black soil — a result of centuries of prairie development and timber logging. Farmers overturned the land and extinguished the natural fires that were so important to native prairie, wetland and woodland ecology. The landscape began to change.

Today, exotic species, drainage modifications and habitat fragmentation have taken their toll on native plants and animals. The effects of these changes need to be reversed in order to ensure a biologically diverse area for future DuPage County residents.