Our woodlands are under attack, and under great stress. That conclusion was reached recently using nationally-recognized standards employed by well-known experts in a Woodland Health Study conducted for the RPC by an independent consultant.
The benefits of woodland protection are readily apparent as spring plants - increasingly rare white trillium in the case of the photo above - begin to appear. The property on the right is protected. The property on the left is not.
The RPC believes that woodlands are an integral part of this village's identity, a source of many benefits for its residents, and an essential element in the area-wide habitat for birds and other animals that includes the local forest preserves and rivers. (Our book In Our Own Backyard includes a discussion of the benefits of woodlands to all of us. For an extract, Click Here. Also see our article in the January / February issue of the Village Voice.)
One of the main threats to our woodlands is deer overbrowse. The village has chosen not to act to manage deer. Residents have been left with only one alternative to protect their woodlands - erect woodland protection fences. The RPC has concluded that until the deer population and woodlands have been put back into balance, the village should not prohibit residents from protecting their woodlands.
The results of the RPC's woodland health study and details of the RPC's recommendations are included in the documents listed below, which are included on this web site.
The August 2009 Woodland Health Study Report - this document provides details of the study and conclusions.
The RPC's September 2009 letter to the Village Plan Commission - encourages further efforts by the Village to preserve and restore our woodlands.
The RPC's October 2009 presentation to the Village Board regarding woodland protection fences.
The RPC's November 2009 letter to the Environmental Committee of the Village Board, in response to the Committee's request that the RPC comment on the fence ordinance proposed by the Plan Commission.
The November 2009 "White Paper" Report of the Environmental Committee of the Village Board - emphasizes the importance of woodland protection and restoration, and contains photos showing the condition of various sites in the village.
The November 2009 letter to the Village Board by Margie Kaul, a resident and member of the RRA Plant Committee.
Counting Deer in Riverwoods: Background and 2010 Report
Woodland Restoration 101: Canopy Thinning
The 1996 Report by the Riverwoods Forester explaining the deer issue in our community.
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(Photograph by Mike MacDonald of Chicago Wilderness, of the effects of a woodland protection fence on a lot on Portwine Road) |
