Construction of public access improvements at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is going well. The project is on schedule for reopening a portion of the preserve this summer. Progress has been made on the entry drive, parking lot, pond expansion, turf trail, timber bridges, and overlooks. Boulders selected by our preserve planners are incorporated in the overlooks as gateway and seating elements. During construction, all portions of the preserve north of Fort Sheridan’s historic district and south of the Vattman Road entrance drive to the cemetery are closed to public access. Respect all safety blockades and closure signage. Do not move blockades or attempt to access closed areas. Respecting the closure will keep work moving and allow the site to be reopened sooner. View closure map.

Applications for the 2018 Lake County Summer Youth Employment Program are now being accepted. The program, funded by the Lake County Board, will provide meaningful work experiences for approximately 215 youth. Participants will work at various sites in Lake County, including private employers and nonprofit organizations, local municipalities and community-based organizations.  The program will begin June 18 and will last approximately six weeks.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 28 the following ways:

• Bring to the Job Center of Lake County, 1 N. Genesee St. Waukegan
• By mail, postmarked by Feb. 28, to the Job Center of Lake County
• By fax at 847-377-3474 
• Submit this form.  

Be on alert for scam artists claiming to be a ComEd representative seeking payment. The company has seen a significant increase in reports from small businesses and residential customers who were victimized by these types of scam incidents. Take these precautions to avoid being scammed.

If you’ve been victimized by fraud, the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s office may be able to help. Visit www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers.

Be A Careful Consumer! Protect Yourself
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Strategic Plan Update
Promoting public access and trail connections is the central focus of one of our strategic directions. Last fall, a new pedestrian bridge was installed over the Metra Railway in the wee hours of the morning when train traffic was light. The new bridge now connects 4.5 miles of trails at Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve (Lake Forest) to the Lake Forest Academy and Townline Community Park. Crosswalk improvements at Route 60 and Academy Drive provide safe access. This project is part of a larger effort to connect Middlefork Savanna and the Middlefork Trail and Greenway to the Des Plaines River Trail at MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve (Mettawa). Several local partners and donors made this trail connection possible. Learn more

Governor Approves Land Exchange
Last fall, Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 534, an act of the state Legislature authorizing a historic land exchange between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Lake County Forest Preserves. The terms of the act call for 131-acre Black Crown Forest Preserve (Volo), currently owned and man­aged by us, to be transferred in full to IDNR and added to the adjacent Moraine Hills State Park. In exchange, IDNR will fully release its partial ownership interests in our current land holdings at Oriole Grove (Lake Bluff) and Prairie Wolf (Lake Forest), giving us 100 percent ownership of the land at both forest preserves. The agreement benefits residents because the three parcels, Black Crown, Oriole Grove and Prairie Wolf, will remain as public open space in perpetuity.