Daysville, Illinois
October 2002

Three different goals for conservation from three different entities were all accomplished on October 8, 2002, on one 93-acre tract of forest land in northern Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources purchased a conservation easement from landowner Irene Wescott on the Daysville Forest Legacy project with the goal of maintaining the natural forest cover on the bluffs along the Rock River between two State Parks and a State Forest.

The project was a locally driven effort by members of an organization called Save the Rock River. The organization, which became involved when the Daysville property was put on the market, had a different goal for the conservation of the property—protecting it from development. The group was concerned that the land would become developed like other bluff lands along the Rock River.

The landowner was happy to save the property rather than have it developed, which initiated conservation efforts with a different goal in mind. She wanted to protect the burial grounds and examples of northern Illinois hill prairies. “We want to thank the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Forest Service, and the many local people who worked with us to help protect our forest. If it weren’t for the Forest Legacy Program, our property would surely now be a housing development,” said Irene Wescott about the completion of the project. Mrs. Wescott’s neighbors, who are members of Save the Rock River, contacted a local Illinois Department of Natural Resources official who was familiar with the USDA Forest Service Forest Legacy Program.

The Daysville Forest Legacy Property contains many ecological features that are now protected from conversion to nonforest uses, including an excellent example of a young upland oak-hickory forest. The property links together 4,500 acres of forest land along the Rock River and now provides protection for the many different natural resource values that were deemed important by the three different entities involved in the conservation easement effort.

“This is a wonderful example of three groups—the landowner and her family who wanted to protect the burial mounds, the Save the Rock River organization who were concerned for the burial mounds and the small remnant of Illinois Hill prairies survival if developed, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who is interested in protecting the forest cover along the Rock River—working together within the Forest Legacy Program to accomplish a common goal, that being the protection of this forest land,” said State Forester Stewart Pequignot.

The conservation easement, valued at $365,000, was acquired using $273,000 in Forest Legacy Program funds. The Daysville property is the first Forest Legacy project in the Rock River Forest Legacy Area in northern Illinois. The forest land will be managed under a Forest Stewardship Plan approved by the Illinois State Forester.