Help Protect Winter Wildlife Habitat at Rollins Savanna
The Issue:
We have good news and bad news about Rollins Savanna, one of the newest forest preserves in Lake County. The good news is that Short-Eared Owls and Northern Harriers have been spotted there since the winter of 2004. The bad news is that snowmobilers may drive these magnificent birds away.
Rollins is one of the few open areas in Lake County large enough for these species to winter. If they are driven out in the middle of the season, they may not find another place with sufficient space or food to survive.
Lake Cook Audubon supports the diverse and multiple use of our forest preserves for many activities including the enjoyment of snowmobiling. However, Rollins Savanna has become a victim of its own success as a haven for wildlife seeking diminishing large scale habitat. Given this success, we encourage you to help us minimize the conflict between intrusive human behavior and the needs of this emerging wildlife.ecosystem. Snowmobilers have other forest preserve options to enjoy their sport. For certain wildlife, Rollins Savanna quite literally may represent their last stand in Lake County.
The Action:
We are encouraging you to contact the Lake County Forest Preserve and request that they remove Rollins Savanna from its authorized snowmobile trail list. Following are some useful points you might wish to make to both the Lake County Commissioners as well as to the Forest Preserve administrators. Their contact information is also provided.
Suggested Positioning Statement (cut & paste)
Dear Commissioner/Director ___________,
I am writing to ask that the Lake County Forest Preserve District revoke its decision to allow snowmobiling at Rollins Savanna in order to protect the wildlife at the preserve. The main problems with the snowmobiling policy are that: - This area is a unique habitat that attracts roosting birds that need large grasslands to survive. This habitat is in short supply in both Lake County as well as nearby, so the birds will have very few alternatives if they are driven out of this preserve.
- This includes two state-endangered breeding species, Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls, which winter at Rollins.
- Deer would also be affected, with the possibility that they will dart into the street and get hit by cars along the periphery of the preserve as they attempt to run away from the snowmobilers.
- Compaction of the snow by illegal off-trail snowmobilers could destroy the plants underneath, wasting money that the Forest Preserve District has spent on prairie restoration at Rollins.
Other forest preserves in Lake County are open to snowmobilers. I respectfully request that you close Rollins to this activity.
Contact Information:
Suggested people to contact include:
Thomas Hahn
thahn@co.lake.il.us
LCFPD Executive Director
Lake County Forest Preserves District
2000 North Milwaukee Avenue
Libertyville, IL 60048
Your LCFPD Commissioner:
Individual email addresses available here:
or send printed letters to County Commissioners to:
Your Commissioner’s Name
18 N. County Street
10th Floor
Waukegan, IL 60085
Thanks for your support!
