(Continued)

Important Recreational Resources

Recreational resources in the study area presently consist of sizable city parks and smaller neighborhood playgrounds, large undeveloped expanses of land formerly used by industry, and a number of natural areas that have been developed to allow recreational use. There also have been several attempts to develop corridors along existing waterways for walking and biking. While these resources provide important opportunities for recreation, they face challenges typical to an urban environment. Parks and natural areas are isolated from one another, busy roads and rail lines interrupt corridors, and waterfront access is restricted due to industrial development. The intensity of industry in the Lake Calumet region amplifies these issues, making proposals to expand and improve open space even more urgent. Existing and potential recreation areas evaluated inconjunction with the study are delineated on (Map 6: Parks, Recreation and Open Space)

EVALUATION OF RESOURCES

The National Park Service conducts studies of potential additions to the National Park System and other special designations as directed by Congress. These studies evaluate area resources based on specific qualifying factors established for the particular national system under consideration and identify management strategies appropriate for resource protection and public enjoyment. The purpose of such studies is to provide Congress with professional information to be considered along with other policy, management and budget considerations when determining additions to the national park system.

Determination of Resource Significance

To be eligible for favorable consideration as a unit of the national park system, an area must possess nationally significant natural, cultural or recreational resources. The National Park Service is responsible for screening potential additions to the system in order to ensure that only the most outstanding resources are designated. It is also important that these significance determinations clearly identify all critical elements contributing to an area's eligibility ensuring adequate consideration and protection.

Natural Resources

Lakeplains are an ecosystem unique to the Great Lakes basin. Along with coastal shore systems, such as dunes, they support a disproportionate amount of the basin's special biological diversity. Lakeplains were created as the level of the Great Lakes receded over time exposing the former lakebeds. The topography tends to be relatively flat and ground water movement is a dominant process in maintaining the natural systems. The study area covers much of the southern Lake Michigan lakeplain. Although the natural system is highly fragmented, the ecological processes inherent to the lakeplain are necessary to support and sustain the remnants. Each site has specific preservation and management issues, however, to preserve ecosystem integrity they must also be viewed as a part of the whole landscapes.

The Calumet study area includes remnants of exceptional biodiversity. Significant natural community types include globally rare panne (G2), wet mesic sand prairie (G1), mesic prairie, dry mesic sand prairie (G3), dry mesic sand savanna (G2), dry sand savanna (G2), and sedge meadow (G3). The Global Rank is part of The Nature Conservancy's Heritage Ranking System and ranges from G1-G5 with G1 being critically imperiled globally to G5 being widespread, abundant, and secure globally (The Nature Conservancy 1994). Plant and animal inventories conducted in the study area have documented over 700 plant species (85 globally or State rare), over 200 bird species (18 globally or State rare and confirmed nesting), 21 reptiles and amphibians (8 State rare), and 15 butterflies (all State rare, 3 globally rare, 1 federally endangered). Rare species of special note are: Karner blue butterfly (Fed. and State end.); Hill's thistle (State end.; G3); pitcher's thistle (Federal and State threatened; G3); and pale false foxglove (State end.; G3). There are two peregrine falcon (Federally endangered; G3) nests in the study area, one of which has produced young every year since 1989. In 1987 these falcons were released as part of the Peregrine Falcon Release Program.

Forty-three important natural resource areas have been identified in the study area (Appendix E). Dune and swale remnants of special note include the following sites. Clark and Pine Nature Preserve (State of Indiana) provides habitat for the highest concentration of rare and endangered species in the State of Indiana (5 endangered, 5 threatened, 10 rare). It has a floristic quality index (FQI) of 128. The floristic quality index provides a measure of the ecological integrity of an area based on native vs. non-native species and is described by Swink and Wilhelm (1994) in "Plants of the Chicago Region". Floristic indices greater than 50 represent sites that are extremely rare and of paramount importance. Clark Junction (private) has been identified by EPA as a critical habitat to preserve or protect and has a FQI of 102. DuPont Natural Area (private) contains four globally rare communities and is considered a rare and highly valuable dune and swale remnant. It provides habitat for 205 native species, two State threatened species and two State rare species; it has a FQI of 76. Gibson Woods (State of Indiana) has a FQI of 103 and Ivanhoe Dune and Swale has a FQI of 90. Miller Woods and Dunes (mostly Federal) provides habitat for more than 430 native plant species and has a FQI of 142. Tolleston Ridges (State of Indiana) has a FQI of 101.

There are approximately 15 wetland/lake sites that are primarily clustered around Lake Calumet. Although these sites tend to be highly degraded, they are very important for nesting and migratory birds. Nesting habitat for the State (IN) endangered black-crowned night heron is provided at Big Marsh (private), Heron Pond (private), and Indian Ridge Marsh (north and south)(private). The study area contains the largest black crowned night heron rookery in the Upper Midwest. Yellow-headed blackbird (IL State end.) nesting habitat occurs at Deadstick Pond (private), Eggers Woods (Cook County), Hegewisch Marsh (private), Heron Pond, and Indian Ridge Marsh. Exceptionally important areas for migratory birds include: Lake Calumet (private), Migrant Trap (Hammond), Roxanna Marsh (private)(also nesting habitat), and Wolf Lake (IL/private). Wolf Lake also provides habitat for State (IL) endangered fish and aquatic plant species.

Within the study area, the prairie remnants occur in Illinois. All of these sites are important for their high floristic quality and diversity. These sites have either been identified on the Illinois Department of Natural Resource's "Gap List" as a high priority site for preservation, as a high priority Illinois Natural Inventory site, or by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a critical habitat to preserve or protect. With the exception of Powderhorn Lake and Prairie and Sand Ridge Nature Preserve, the remaining sites are in private ownership. Of special note is Calumet City Prairie which is listed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resource's "Gap list" as one of the most important natural areas in Illinois and Powderhorn Lake and Prairie which has a FQI of 81.9 and provides habitat for Illinois State endangered least bittern, Illinois State threatened pied-billed grebe, yellow-crowned night-heron, and common moorhen.

Taken together, the more than 40 sites in the study area constitute one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in the Great Lakes, Indiana or Illinois. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Lake Calumet Area Management Plan designated the region as "Category I" or of "highest biological significance." The Nature Conservancy identified the region as significant in terms of biodiversity in its 1994 report, "Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Great Lakes Ecosystem: Issues and Opportunities". The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada designated the Chicago Wilderness, an area inclusive of the Calumet region, as a Biodiversity Investment Area in the 1996 State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference paper "Land by the Lakes". Because the region lies in the Lake Michigan lakeplain, it represents a globally significant ecosystem. In order to preserve ecological integrity, each site must be treated as a part of a whole.

Within the study area, there are seven globally rare natural communities, 85 globally or State rare species, 8 State rare reptiles and amphibians, 15 State rare, 3 globally rare and 1 federally endangered butterfly. This collection of sites possesses exceptional diversity of ecological components. It is also a rare remnant natural landscape of a type that was once widespread but has largely vanished due to human settlement and development. Less than 0.07% of the Illinois landscape remains in a relatively unaltered natural condition (White, 1978) and nearly all of Indiana has also been plowed, logged, developed, drained or otherwise modified by human activities. The natural area remnants that remain are very rare and provide extremely important refugia for plant and animal species. Individually, their small size and high degree of fragmentation prevent them from being nationally significant. However, taken as a collective group, they are considered nationally, if not globally, significant.

Cultural Resources

The Calumet region is a cultural landscape bearing the heavy hand of human manipulation. Very little remains of the original topography and watershed, with pockets of native vegetation and traces of Native American transportation routes. Since the mid 1800s, the pre-settlement landscape has been obliterated through razing and filling to accommodate industrial use. Today, the region is a mosaic of industry, housing, and commercial centers located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Despite the development in the region, numerous significant cultural resources remain. Twenty-eight such resources, including historic districts were identified through the study process to be evaluated for possibly having national significance.

Cultural resources identified as part of this study fit into several thematic categories in the National Park Service thematic framework, as revised in 1996 by a working group of academic scholars and Service professionals. Several of the sites, such as Pullman, have significance in more than one theme. These themes include:

· Developing the American Economy

· Expanding Science and Technology

· Transforming the Environment

· Creating Social Institutions and Movements

· Shaping the Political Landscape

· Peopling Places

· Expressing Cultural Values

· Changing Role of the U.S. in the World Community

The Calumet region represents the development and almost total transformation of the pre-settlement landscape over a period of approximately 100 years. Traces of Native American use, such as the Sauk Trail, Vincennes Trace, and Indian Boundary Line, are significant under two themes, "Transforming the Environment" and "Peopling Places." Although most evidence of these prehistoric and historic transportation routes has been obliterated, the pattern can be seen in the arrangement of contemporary roads and property lines. Indeed, early roads and railroads often were established along the same routes and corridors as the Native American trails. The Indian Boundary Line, although largely obscured today, is still visible through its effect on property lines and boundaries:

What is less generally known is the discordant land survey relationships that exist on either side of the Indian Boundary Line, and which have disconcerted surveyors ever since the township lines on either side of the Indian diagonal line do not coincide. The land surveys were made independently from the east and the west (in the 1830s), subsequent to the canal land survey (1821-1822). This has resulted in discrepant section lines, confusing property boundaries, and irregular road 'jogs'. (Alfred Meyer, 1954, p. 272)

The Calumet region's industrial resources are significant under most of the themes previously identified, including "Developing the American Economy," "Expanding Science and Technology," "Transforming the Environment," "Expressing Cultural Values," and "Changing Role of the U.S. in the World Community." The industrial resources include the Cal-Sag Channel, Pullman Historic District, the International Harvester (formerly Wisconsin Steel) Plant, the Youngstown Sheet and Tube, the Amoco (formerly Standard) Oil Refinery, Inland Steel, the American Bridge Works, the Indiana Steel Works, State Line Generating Plant, and the USX Plant. These plants constituted the predominant steel manufacturing region in the world, and were models for industrial developments throughout the country, as well as in Europe.

The employee and public housing that was developed by the companies is thematically and geographically tied to the industrial resources, and is significant because of its relationship to community planning and social welfare movements. Several of these communities have been listed in, or determined eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places. As a regional collection of the variations in approach to developing housing for working class people, these communities have perhaps more value collectively than they do individually. Two public housing developments are also located in the Calumet region. These are Trumbull Park, an early development built by the Public Works Administration in 1938, and Altgeld Gardens, which was built around WWII for black industrial workers in the Lake Calumet area. Altgeld Gardens is one of the most comprehensive public housing developments in the region. The Pullman Historic District, planned in 1881, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 in recognition of its significance as an industrial community. Pullman was built as a social experiment in controlling the work force of the Pullman Palace Car Company, as well as its association with the 1894 railroad strike.

The Marktown Historic District, listed in the National Register in 1975, is an example of an early 20th century industrial sponsored development. Today, it is completely surrounded by industrial development, but is remarkably intact and still features a dense spatial arrangement of dwellings, yards and streets. Another National Historic District, listed in 1994, is the Gary City Center Historic District- the commercial area developed originally by the Gary Land Company, whose headquarters building was also listed in the National Register in 1979. A two-block stretch of residences remaining from the Gary Land Company development has been recognized in the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory.

The industrial heritage of the Calumet region is further reinforced by the legacy of workers' struggle. At least two violent labor conflicts occurred within the region, both of which had national impact on unions. During 1894, workers at Pullman fought to have more control over their daily lives. Eventually, the walkout stalled rail freight, and President Cleveland had to call in Federal forces to ensure that the nation's mail was delivered. In 1937, workers at the Republic Steel factory participated in a general strike organized to press for recognition of unions by the "Little Steel" companies. Several days into the strike, a Memorial Day rally by Republic Steel workers resulted in the deaths of 10 workers by police. Pullman is a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its significance as a planned industrial community and its role in labor history. The site of the Republic Steel Strike/Memorial Day Massacre has been identified through the National Park Service Labor History theme study as one that should be nominated as a National Historic Landmark.

The national significance of the Calumet region's industry and its relationship to the greater North American Continent is evident in the variety of transportation resources in the area. These resources range from Native American circulation routes, such as the Sauk Trail and Vincennes Trace, to Rail transportation, including the South Shore/South Bend Line - the last, and one of the most famous and successful, electric interurban rail line in the United States. Numerous rail routes feeding into and out of the steel plants were also involved. The harbors and channels that allowed freighters to deliver ore from the upper Midwest to the steel plants were also significant transportation features. These include the Cal-Sag Channel, the Calumet Rivers, and Indiana Harbor. Air travel is also a part of the region. Octave Chanute, an early aviator, conducted glider experiments in 1896, off a dune at the eastern end of the study area. His published results directly influenced the Wright Brothers in their aviation designs and experiments.

Another historic site within the study area, Stony Island, has significance for its past industrial use and was also a prominent site for geologic research at the University of Chicago. This site was a regular field stop for geology students at a time when the department was one of the leading geological centers in the country.

Recreational Resources

Based on the national recreational criteria, the Calumet region was determined to have recreational resources of regional, rather than national, significance. Existing open space and parks will benefit the local communities, rather than attract visitors from surrounding States or other parts of the nation. This local benefit is important, as the surrounding communities exist within a predominately urban industrial landscape and do not have many opportunities to enjoy public space. Enhancing the existing recreational resources would benefit locally underserved communities by improving the region's public image, furnishing recreational and educational amenities to residents and visitors, and improving the quality of life through a more enjoyable and healthier outdoor environment.

An enhanced system of open space and corridors would serve local residents not currently able to travel to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in many ways. Open space and natural corridors could link the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, allowing movement between the two areas. However, the predominant function would be an easily accessible "neighborhood park." The open space system could be designed to connect existing recreational sites, scattered natural areas, and bring visitors into contact with the region's important historic sites. Open space and environmental corridors could be used to interpret these sites and buffer them from adjacent industrial, commercial, or transportation land uses.

Opportunities for enhanced recreational uses can be found along the Grand and Little Calumet Rivers, Wolf Lake, and Lake Calumet. Further analysis and planning are needed to determine if the Calumet region would be better served by establishing environmental corridors or increasing the size of existing open space areas. Some of the challenges to increasing recreational opportunities in the Calumet region include numerous toxic sites, conflicts with heavily used transportation corridors, and extending environmental corridors across multiple jurisdictions. More detailed planning is needed by both Illinois and Indiana to determine if and how expanded and improved recreational opportunities in the region can be achieved.

Determination of Suitability

The National Park System assures that major themes and facets of the nation's natural and cultural history are implemented, protected and available for public enjoyment. The determination of suitability for inclusion in this system requires evaluation of how a particular type of resource is currently represented in existing National Park Service Units and in areas managed by Federal, State or local governments, as well as the private sector. If a resource type is adequately represented, it is not considered suitable for addition to the national park system.

Natural Resources

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore borders the study area's eastern boundary and is the most ecologically similar protected area. All five globally rare plant communities found in the study area are also present at Indiana Dunes. There is an east-west ecological gradation from Indiana Dunes to the study area. The study area represents a more open transition between prairie and forest, as is reflected by a greater number of "prairie" species. Both Indiana Dunes and the study area provide habitat for many endangered, threatened, and rare species, most of which are found in both areas. Eleven rare plant species found in the study area are not found in Indiana Dunes (Table 2). Six are State-endangered, three are State-threatened, and two are State-rare species. Of these 11 species, one is classified G2(globally very rare) and three are classified G3 species. There are no listed mammal, reptile, amphibian, or fish species in the study area that are not also present at Indiana Dunes.

Nine of these rare plant species exist at Clark and Pine, an Indiana State Nature Preserve, located in Gary, Indiana. Brownish sedge (Carex brunnescens) exists at Clark and Pine East (Indiana Department of Natural Resources). Houghton's nutsedge (Cyperus houghtonii) exists at Ivanhoe Dune and Swale (The Nature Conservancy), also located in Gary, Indiana.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is an area managed by the National Park Service that also preserves the Lake Michigan dune and swale remnants at the far northeastern end of Lake Michigan on the western shoreline. There is very little overlap in rare fauna species and no overlap in rare flora species. Although there are differences between the study area and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the majority of the unique natural resources (i.e., globally rare plant communities; rare species) are protected and interpreted at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The rare plant species, located in the study area, but which are not present at Indiana Dunes, exist within protected areas, such as Clark and Pine, Clark and Pine East and Ivanhoe Dune and Swale. Therefore, it is concluded that the area's natural resources do not, in themselves, make the study area suitable for inclusion within the national park system.

Cultural Resources

The cultural resources of the Calumet region are varied and unique, compared to the other units currently representing U.S. industry. As of 1997, there were 12 national park system-related areas associated with the nation's industrial heritage. These are primarily small, rural sites featuring obsolete remnants of industrial works, agricultural areas, employee housing and/or labor history sites. Some of the sites used for comparison include the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Keweenaw National Historical Park, and elements of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. A summary of national park system or related areas used for comparative purposes during this study are contained in Table 3.

Other steel-manufacturing regions that have been studied and considered for designation as national heritage areas include areas in southwest Pennsylvania and remnants of the Birmingham, Alabama, steel works. The Pennsylvania region is not a recognized national park system unit, but is involved in a cooperative effort to increase heritage tourism. The National Park Service is involved in providing technical assistance and planning for historic preservation. A detailed survey, completed for the Birmingham, Alabama, study area, concluded that the steel works were not eligible for inclusion in the national park system. However, consideration may be given to designating the remnants of Birmingham's steel works as a National Heritage Area.

The Calumet region is located in a highly urbanized area, and its status as the largest steel manufacturing region in the country after about 1920 is still evident today. Most notably, the area represents a large-scale manipulation of the natural landscape by humans. Historically, the industry developed due to the region's symbiotic relationship with the rich hinterland—a crossroads where raw materials were received at the constructed harbors, processed in the plants, and distributed via the railroad. The access to raw materials, availability of suitable land, proximity of urban area for labor, access to transportation, proximity to markets, and access to water allowed the region to develop industry to a magnitude never before seen in this nation.

The historic sites included in the study area are significant in that they represent the full scope of the workers' lives, ranging from the actual plants where they worked, to company housing, labor sites, and large-scale commercial districts. The multi-faceted nature of these resources is not unique to the Calumet study area. The fact that it is still relatively intact within the surrounding urban environment is a factor that is not represented in the other National Park Service units related to industry. Based on the region’s urban environment, the broad period of significance represented by the resources, and the monumental scale to which humans have transformed the natural environment in response to the demands of industry, it is concluded that the cultural resources of the Calumet region make the study area suitable for inclusion in the national park system.

Determination of Feasibility

A determination of feasibility involves an evaluation of the resource in the context of natural systems, as well as other factors necessary to ensure long-term protection and to accommodate public use. Important considerations include size and configuration, land ownership, current and potential uses, acquisition costs, threats to resources, staffing requirements, and public interest.

Natural Resources

The 43 natural areas evaluated within the study area involve a variety of land ownership and protection levels (refer to Appendix E). Thirty of these areas are privately owned without formal protection, one is owned by the City of Gary, one is owned by the City of Hammond, one is an Indiana DNR Conservation Easement, three are State of Indiana Nature Preserves, one is owned by The Nature Conservancy, one is owned by Calumet College, three are owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, one is owned by the Illinois DNR, and one is a combination of Federal (National Park Service), city (Gary) and private ownership. The wetland and prairie sites are mostly in private ownership. Approximately half of the dune and swale remnants have some level of protection. There are numerous challenges to protecting these important natural remnants. There are questions about the long-term biological viability of these communities and rare species. Innovative strategies and numerous biological corridors are needed to enhance, but could not guarantee, ecological viability.

For several reasons, the natural resources of the study area do not determine feasibility for designating the area as a unit within the national park system. These reasons include the magnitude and complexity of the region's, development, the high level of toxic waste and industrial fill left by industry, the mix of public and private ownership, and the limited nature of public access to many of the important resources. Because the U.S. Department of the Interior's policy is to minimize potential liability by acquiring real property that is not contaminated, extensive restoration would be needed to clean-up the hazardous waste sites before National Park Service ownership could be considered. Administration of the region would require consideration of these issues, including accommodating ongoing industrial use. Administration of these sites would be further complicated by the complexities associated with coordinating and reaching consensus with two State and numerous local governments.

Cultural Resources

As part of the feasibility determination, this study must consider whether the study area has "sufficient size and appropriate configuration to ensure long-term protection of the resources and to accommodate public use." For several reasons, it was determined that the cultural resources of the area do not establish feasibility for designating the area as a unit of the national park system. This determination was based on the magnitude of the area, the dense development, the high levels of toxic and hazardous waste, the mix of public and private ownership, and the limited public access to many of the important historic sites. Many of the industrial plants in the area are still active and are not appropriate for large-scale public visitation. Other important historic sites are residentially occupied. Administration of the region would require consideration of these issues, including accommodation of ongoing industrial uses. Administration of these sites would be further complicated by the complexities associated with coordinating and reaching consensus with two State and numerous local governments. The independent and autonomous nature of many of the local governments would challenge cooperative efforts.

ISSUES

The Calumet region has been dramatically altered by the historic and extensive development of transportation systems and industrial facilities associated with urbanization. Large areas of land and water resources have been lost or severely degraded over time due to industrialization. Many natural areas were used as industrial facilities and housing for the labor force with little or no land dedicated to park and open space. Consequently, communities throughout the Calumet region are currently surrounded by industrial development, contaminated lands and severely degraded natural areas. The residents of these communities are severely underserved in terms of park and recreational opportunities. Clearly, the region lacks a balance among economic development, natural and cultural resource conservation and an enhanced quality of life. In many ways, the future of the region depends upon the ability and commitment of its citizens to remediate (clean-up) toxic and hazardous waste, eliminate threats to important resources, conserve natural and cultural values and accommodate economic growth and development. Land uses within the study area are delineated on Map 7, Existing Land Use.

Toxic and Hazardous Wastes

Extensive areas throughout the region are contaminated by industrial waste and landfills. Many areas are dormant and unavailable for economic development or natural resource enhancement mainly due to enormous clean-up costs and liability issues. A portion of the study area which contain the Grand Calumet Lagoons is designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern, and is one of 42 regions in the Great Lakes watershed identified by the International Joint Commission as having severe environmental contamination. Water, air, soil, and biota are contaminated by persistent toxic substances, including heavy metals and organic compounds (PCBs and PAHs). Sixty square miles of the study area has been filled with steel slag and other waste generated by the steel industry, bordering and sometimes surrounding many of the area's important natural resources. Many areas, primarily clustered near the Gary Regional Airport, have been filled with industrial waste. Construction debris, municipal solid waste, and biological sludge disposal areas, some deposits thicker than 80 feet, are located near or adjacent to Lake Calumet. Large areas have also been filled with ash and cinders (USGS 1996). Lake County, which includes are large portion of the study area, is one of the most polluted counties in terms of air quality in the country. The Grand Calumet River receives 90 percent of its discharge from industrial and municipal sources and has extremely high levels of bacteria, nutrients, cyanides, heavy metals, PCBs, phenols, hydrocarbons, chlorides, and other contaminants in the water column and bottom sediments. Although some improvements to water quality have been made, especially related to point source discharges, the sediments remain highly contaminated (Whitman, et. al. 1997). Contaminants found in the groundwater include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and pesticides (USGS 1996).

Threats to Resources

Natural resource values are subject to a variety of external threats, including leacheates from adjoining lands, groundwater pollution, changes in groundwater levels, air pollution (much of the region has been classified as non-attainment areas), land development and invasive exotic plant species. Historic sites and structures are subject to threats such as non-protective ownership and physical deterioration or destruction of structures, especially those that are vacant. These structures are also subject to modification to meet current technological and building code requirements, as well as removal or abandonment of obsolete structures.

OPPORTUNITIES

In general, there is significant potential for the enhancement, conservation, interpretation and recreational use of areas throughout the region. Elimination of some previously proposed land uses in the region, such as a new regional airport in either Gary or Lake Calumet and development of new landfills, has reduced the immediate chance of additional resource losses, while leaving additional land available for conservation and recreational purposes. Conservation of land has also raised the level of public interest and promoted a positive image for the area.

The adoption and on-going implementation of a regional greenway system in northeastern Illinois will afford protection and other benefits to many areas. CitySpace and the not-for-profit NeighborSpace, City of Chicago initiatives to increases park and public open space, and the Grand Calumet River Corridor Vision and Plan, a public/private venture to enhance the Grand Calumet River, could assist with the implementation of future improvements in the region. Such initiatives could convert many unusable areas to public open space and recreation.

The expanse of contaminated lands present in the Calumet region could be cleaned up through various brownfield initiatives and re-used for economic revitalization or as restored natural areas. Brownfield lands are abandoned industrial properties where real or suspected contamination hinders reuse. Although many brownfields initiatives target properties for economic redevelopment and job creation, initiatives could effectively clean up areas for various "environmental" uses such as wetlands, natural corridors and recreation. Many State and local governments have adopted risk-based clean up standards which consider contamination and future use. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Protection Management are actively involved in the clean up or remediation of contaminated lands and waterways. The City of Chicago established a brownfield initiative to acquire and clean up contaminated properties for productive reuse. At the Federal level, the U.S. Army corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are assisting with the clean up of contaminated bottom sediments of specific waterbodies in the Great Lakes Basin. The U.S. EPA is also regulating the clean up of 25 superfund sites and an inventory of toxic releases at more than 90 sites within the study area. The activities are illustrated on Map 8: Epa Regulated Facilities and Brownfield Sites.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

A range of possible strategies for long-term protection and management of natural and cultural resources found within the study area have been identified based on resource characteristics, existing protected areas, opportunities for natural area improvement, and community needs for public open space and preservation of cultural values. Each strategy is evaluated with regard to national park system criteria, characteristics of the Calumet region and its resources, and public participation during the study process. In addition, considerations for the implementation of an appropriate management strategy have been described briefly as a basis for future action.

Management Goals

During the study process, management goals have been identified to guide the protection and public enjoyment of natural, cultural and recreational resources. These goals aided the evaluation of various management strategies and guided the development of implementation considerations.

· the majority of cultural and historic features are related to the industrialization and urbanization of the region, and require a unified approach to resource management and interpretation;

· the geologic evolution of the region is due to glaciation and changes in Lake Michigan levels, requiring a consistent approach to protection, management and interpretation;

· resources are highly fragmented, in terms of geographic location and ownership throughout the study area requiring an integrated, multi-jurisdictional management approach or comprehensive regional planning mechanism; and

· protection and management of fragmented resources could be enhanced through an interconnected network of open space areas or environmental corridors, while providing additional opportunities for recreation and public enjoyment.

Management Strategies

Five management strategies were evaluated for the Calumet region. These consist of designating areas as a national park, national recreation area or "ecological park"; administering Lake Calumet resources under existing authorities of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor; establishing a national heritage area; and status quo (continuation of existing activities). Existing National Parks, Federally legislated commissions and other management models were evaluated for relevance in the Calumet region. It became clear during the study process that regardless of management approach, those strategies that were most effective relied substantially on strong local participation. Often referred to as "partnerships", a broad range of diverse organizations invested in the region’s environment, people and economy work together toward a mutual set or plan of resource protection and interpretive programs. Local partnerships can either work with a national park unit or heritage area or, in the absence of the National Park Service, as a regional coalition guided by common goals.

National Park System

Although the Calumet region has many remnant natural areas that are nationally significant - several even considered to be globally significant, designation of these areas as a unit of the national park system is neither suitable or feasible. Many of the ecological components of the region are currently protected and interpreted at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore or occur in areas protected by the State of Indiana or the Nature Conservancy. In addition, the acquisition and the management of these areas are not feasible due to fragmentation, extensive contamination and local opposition to Federal ownership. Although the many historic sites are suitable, National Park Service administration is not feasible due to on-going industrial and residential uses of historically significant structures and lack of site integrity (loss of historic character).

National Recreation Area

There are many important recreation areas present throughout the region and opportunities for substantially expanding the recreational capacity by developing environmental corridors and additional public open space. While existing resources and future opportunities are extremely important to local communities, they are not of type or character to attract visitors from other regions of the country. Lacking national significance, the Calumet region cannot be considered for designation as a national recreation area.

Ecological Park

The legislation that initiated and required this study did not include a definition of an Ecological Park. This designation currently does not exist within the national park system. However, the concept does not seem appropriate because many of the region's significant resources are cultural and historic features that do not appear to be within the parameters of an "Ecological Park."

Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor

The Illinois and Michigan Canal, designated by Congress as a national heritage corridor in 1984, encompasses portions of the study area. A recent congressionally directed study is developing a potential expansion of the heritage corridor boundary in the Lake Calumet area. If approved as proposed, the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor would encompass all important natural and cultural areas identified by the feasibility study in the Lake Calumet area. Protection and full interpretation of these natural and historic resources by the heritage corridor were determined to inappropriate, however, because the National Heritage Corridor Commission does not have sufficient authority to fully protect, manage or interpret the resources of the Calumet region.

National Heritage Area

Protection and public enjoyment of natural, cultural and recreational resources in the Calumet region would be possible through National Heritage Area designation. Designation would enable national recognition of the region as an example of America’s industrial prominence in the 20th century, the corresponding growth and development of its labor movement, and the extensive environmental modification to accommodate industrialization. Today, the Calumet region exists as a unique mosaic of globally rare natural communities and significant historic features in juxtaposition with heavy industry. Heritage area designation would afford the rare opportunity to revitalize industry and protect natural communities demonstrating benefits to both the built and natural environment. Interpretive and recreational programs could be funded through grants serving the local population. Public amenities, facilities, and transportation systems are abundant in the region, because of its urbanization. The National Park Service could facilitate coordination and provide technical assistance to the community. While there is widespread public interest in preserving the region's important natural and cultural values, special designation of this area is compromised by fragmentation among state and local governments, as well as the tendency for special interest groups to focus on a specific resource or geographic area.

Characteristics of National Heritage Areas:

· Cohesive assemblage of natural, cultural, and historic resources, which together represent distinctive aspects of American heritage worthy of national recognition;

· Traditions, customs, beliefs, or folkways that represent distinctive aspects of American heritage;

· Outstanding opportunities to conserve natural, cultural, and historic resources through the quality and availability of resources, funding and expertise, or a high level of civic and/or political interest;

· Outstanding opportunities for educational and recreational experiences through a variety of recreational and educational experiences, physical linkages between sites, public access, and the potential for public facilities, such as rest rooms, parking and transit services.

· Integrity of natural, historic, and cultural resources sufficient to illustrate and convey the distinctive heritage of the region;

· Effective management through partnerships among a variety of public and private entities; and

· Strong public and government support, principally through an effective public involvement process—for national heritage area status with a commitment to implementing a comprehensive management plan.

Status Quo (Continuation of Existing Activities)

Protection and public enjoyment of the Calumet region’s natural, cultural and recreational resources could be accomplished through the collaboration of many organizations currently invested - Federal and State agencies, local government, community institutions, corporations and private groups. This collaborative approach would involve the formulation and approval of an integrated regional resource management plan to protect, restore and interpret the natural, cultural and recreational resources of the region. A collaborative effort could effectively build on the many local initiatives underway using the strengths of the many organizations, governmental agencies and involved citizens. Although not necessary, the National Park Service through its many technical programs could facilitate regional consensus and assist with interpretive programs. Efforts such as this often establish an organizational entity comprised of regional partners or "stake holders" to provide oversight and guidance. There a large number of partners throughout the Calumet region, a few of which include Chicago Wilderness - a regional consortium of 54 organizations, the Nature Preserves Commissions of Illinois and Indiana, county forest preserves, local governments, private resource advocacy organizations, State Historic Preservation Officers of Illinois and Indiana, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, ethnic heritage groups, Indiana Forum, Southeast Chicago Development Commission, Grand Calumet Task Force, Calumet Ecological Park Association and the formative Calumet Ecosystem Partnership.

Implementation of Resource Protection

However the resources of the Calumet region are protected and enjoyed - national heritage area designation or local initiative, there are a variety of factors which effect or substantially influence implementation. The critical resource needs must be identified and fully addressed by any implementation scheme. Key resource needs include resource protection using a variety of mechanisms, brownfield and contaminated waterway clean up, long-term habitat restoration and management and environmentally responsible economic development. There various ways to address these needs from a geographical perspective. Because specific areas must be identified in which to target resource efforts, various conceptual approaches should be explored for the delineation of resource areas. One approach could be the identification of one or more "focus areas" consisting of critical resource clusters which require long-term protection and management. Each cluster could be evaluated for its potential as a regional resource reserve in terms of its resource values, ecological viability or historic integrity, threats, ownership potential competing uses potential expansion or corridor connections, education opportunities, site clean up needs, public interest, and other planning issues. A plan for each cluster could be developed, with implementation roles identified for all interested organizations. These could effectively as demonstrations for broader scale resource plans.

Another approach could be the identification of all important resource areas within the region or the delineation of these resource areas as well as those additional areas, such as environmental corridors, which would accomplish desirable long-term land protection goals. One geographic configuration could encompass all important natural and cultural resources along with "buffer" areas to enhance resource protection. This configuration would include all of the resource clusters referred to previously. This geographic strategy is delineated on the Map 9, Important Resource Areas. A second configuration could include the important resource areas delineated in the first, with the addition of environmental corridors that follow regional linear features. These corridors would afford additional resource protection while providing linkages for wildlife habitat, movement and migration and establish areas for regional trails and other recreational opportunities. The areas included within this strategy are delineated on Map 10, Environmental Corridors and Important Resource Areas.

Key to the effective implementation of any resource protection strategy are these resource agencies, special interests, businesses and citizens invested in the region’s future. The Calumet region’s greatest strength -- a diversity of interested and committed organizations -- is closely related to a critical weakness -- organizational fragmentation and an array of single purpose or geographically focused groups actively pursuing individual goals with little coordination. In order to articulate and implement a management plan of regional proportion, a unified coalition of organizations must be assembled under a common set of goals which truly represent the full breadth of interests. An outstanding example of such a unified coalition, albeit focused on the unique natural remnants of the Chicago metropolitan region, is the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council recently established to protect what is known as the Chicago Wilderness. This coalition is particularly effective because its members comprise a broad range of interests and capabilities, it is unified by common goals established by all resource managers and it is a local initiative. The Council, comprised of 54 member organizations, have pledged to work in concert to protect the natural communities of the Chicago region and restore them to long-term viability, in order to enrich the quality of life of its citizens and to contribute to the preservation of global biodiversity. Chicago Wilderness members are committed to managing the globally important natural remnants in Calumet at a landscape scale. This means ensuring not only the survival of any one remnant, but managing for the long-term viability of these resources by recognizing corridors, buffer areas, eco-industrial parks, and other open space. In addition to Chicago Wilderness as a powerful and resourceful regional coalition, there are also the major strengths of individual partners. These individual partners add their capabilities in research, restoration, education, remediation and mitigation. The Federal agencies are of particular importance within the Calumet region because they have program and jurisdictional responsibilities throughout the region. Three Federal agencies have been actively involved in the region are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Corps administers a number of programs which provide cost-shared support for the assessment and clean up of brownfields and contaminated river bottom sediments as well as the restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitat. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a variety of authorities and programs that could effectively address a number of natural resource issues in the Calumet region, principally habitat restoration, contaminant clean up and improvements to air and water quality. The Agency is also actively evaluation methods to control urban sprawl through the re-use of abandoned urban lands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has several programs which assist with the conservation, protection and enhancement of the Nation’s fish and wildlife resources. In addition, the Service has trustee responsibilities for migratory waterfowl, endangered species and other resources authorizing it to recover damages from responsible parties for injury to natural resources caused by hazardous substances.

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