County Board Passes Groundbreaking Bird-Friendly Building Design Policy
The Lake County Board approved a new policy that will keep birds at the top of mind on all newly constructed and renovated Lake County government-owned facilities. The primary aim of the policy is to mitigate hazards for birds posed by the building environment, particularly from collisions with glass surfaces.
The policy, which went into effect today, May 14, 2024, requires newly constructed Lake County government-owned facilities to use at least 80 percent bird-friendly glass on their exteriors from ground level to 100 feet high. If Lake County renovates or adds on to one of its facilities, then 80 percent of the glass and reflective materials utilized in the project must be bird-friendly as well.
"As many as one billion birds are potentially killed by collisions into buildings every year in the United States," said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. "I'm proud of our Board and staff for being leaders on this issue that will truly make a difference for our resident and migratory birds that live or pass through Lake County."
Lake County lies within the Mississippi Flyway, one of the major bird migratory routes in North America. According to Birdcast, a service managed by Colorado State University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, more than 30 million birds have crossed the region thus far this spring. On any given night, hundreds of thousands of birds pass through the area.
"Bird-friendly design is so important for us to incorporate into structures in Lake County," said Paul Frank, Lake County Finance and Administrative Committee Chair and Board Member for District 11. "We are situated in a major migratory bird flyway. We must find ways to reduce the numbers of birds killed in building collisions. Bird-friendly design is entirely affordable and achievable. Our County is once again leading the way and we hope that municipalities, other counties, businesses and residents will join us and adopt bird-friendly practices in the near future."
The Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment (PBZ&E) Committee also gave the green light at its last meeting to move forward with a proposed ordinance for bird-friendly design requirements on new construction and renovations on non-residential properties and non-residential planned unit developments (PUDs) in unincorporated Lake County. The ordinance is expected to be voted on for adoption by the Lake County Board on June 11.
"The Lake County Board and staff have been working on a bird-friendly design ordinance for several years," said Jessica Vealitzek, Chair of the PBZ&E Committee and Board Member for District 10. “Taking accountability for our own government buildings is the first step; next we will consider a revised ordinance for commercial buildings. Each year, these actions will save the lives of an increasing number of birds, who are such an important part of our ecosystem.”
The Lake County Board continues to put a strong emphasis on protecting and enhancing the natural environment through its strategic plan. Learn more about the County's sustainability efforts at lakecountyil.gov/sustainability.
 Palm Warblers (pictured above) are among the millions of birds that migrate through Lake County each year.
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