For conservation’s sake, transfer Joliet Training Area to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Henslow’s sparrow, a grassland bird species that faces rapid population decline due to habitat loss, is shown on perched on a plant at Midewin Prairie. (Bill Glass/Provided)

Recently, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, Assistant Secretary for the Interior Shannon Estenoz said, “Investing in nature is investing in ourselves. By employing nature-based solutions, land managers and decision-makers can restore and sustain healthy ecosystems that in turn support healthy communities and economies.”

Less than an hour south of Chicago lies our region’s most substantial investment opportunity: the Joliet Training Area, a 3,000-acre landscape operated by the U.S. military directly north of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. With encroaching development pressure, diminishing water supply, and increasing truck traffic, the future of this area is at a crossroads.