People Making A Difference ~ Employees of the Season

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1 Wildlife Resource Center rehabilitated 122 animals, reared and released 74 Blanding s turtles, and created a basket nest for this pair of Cooper s hawk nestlings. McHenry County Conservation District is named a National Leader in Environmental Stewardship. A ComEd Green Region program grant help fund the planting of 1,500 trees to reforest a 20-acre oak woodland in Glacial Park. Board of Trustees Matthew Ewertowski President David Brandt Vice President Kent Krautstrunk Treasurer Bona Heinsohn Secretary Brandon Thomas Trustee Bonnie Leahy Trustee Stephen Barrett Trustee Carolyn Schofield County Board Liaison Elizabeth S. Kessler Executive Director District Receives National Environmental Stewardship Award McHenry County Conservation District was awarded the 2013 Barb King Environmental Stewardship Award by the National Recreation and Park Association. The Barb King Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes a parks and recreation agency that has achieved excellence in environmental stewardship. The Conservation District was especially recognized for its efforts for their recent leadership role in establishing the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge; for promoting sound environmental practices through the development of the newly renovated Lost Valley Visitor Center, the first public LEED GOLD certified building in McHenry County; for establishing ongoing green practices within agency operations; and for promoting environmental stewardship through the People and Nature certificate program and award-winning Weekend of Restoration program. Public Access to District Sites Over the past six years the District has done an exceptional job in opening additional sites to the public adding eight new sites, one visitor s center, and 4.5 miles of regional trails. Of the District s 25,000 protected acres, roughly 79% of the property managed exists on sites that are opened to the public. The remaining 21% includes property that is not open to the public due to its ecological sensitivity, private ownership through conservation easements, or is leased for agriculture Gaining Ground Conservation District Receives 12.9 acre Conservation Easement located along Pioneer Road in McHenry. The property borders the 141 acre Pioneer Fen Conservation Area. This is the fourth real estate transaction and third conservation easement gifted to the Conservation District by long-term environmental advocates William and Alice Howenstine. Both are seasoned activists, outdoor educators and environmental enthusiasts. People Making A Difference ~ Employees of the Season Elizabeth Corey Operations Administrative Assistant Lora Petrak Community Relations Specialist Laurie Ryan Plant Ecologist Tom Basten Region 1 Ranger

2 The long standing Trail of History event at Glacial Park is hosted for the 25th and final time. The Education Services Department offered 565 programs during the year reaching over 36,500 residents. The Bluebird Nest Box program fledged 202 bluebirds, 293 tree swallows, 17 house wrens and 7 black-capped chickadees. Dufield Pond Conservation Area South Entrance Grand Opening McConnell Rd., Woodstock. New site improvements on the south side of the 78 acre site allows visitors to experience the site from a completely different perspective. A.75 mile nature trail winds under the branches of ancient oaks, traverses the site s steep topography, and offers beautiful views of the woodland, pond and wetland complex. Celebrating the Grand Opening Boone Creek Conservation Area 916 Cold Springs Rd., Bull Valley This 572-acre site is an extremely picturesque site offering hiking, a local horseback trail, picnicking on the observation deck and wildlife watching through viewing scopes. The site protects the valuable natural resources of Boone Creek and its headwater stream system. Conservation District 2013 Awards: 2013 National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) Environmental Conservation Award, Weekend of Restoration 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior Partner in Conservation Award for establishment of a bi state national wildlife refuge 2013 Chicago Audubon Society Protectors of the Environment Single Act Group Award, Friends of Hackmatack 2013 McHenry County Conservation District Board of Trustees Meritorious Service Award, Officer Dan Hibbeler 2013 McHenry County Sheriff s Department Life Saving Award, Officer Dan Hibbeler 2013 Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Partnership Award, for the McHenry Community Research Forest; McHenry County Conservation District; Illinois Clean Energy; The Land Conservancy of McHenry County; and a private landowner 2013 Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Best Green Practices 2013 Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) 10 Year Service Award, Trustee Bonnie Leahy 2013 NRPA Barb King Environmental Excellence Award, McHenry County Conservation District 2013 Illinois EPA, Governor Quinn, and Chicago Clean Cities Coalition Designated Illinois Green Fleet 2013 Park District Risk Management Association (PDRMA), Accreditation Volunteers - The District has cultivated a strong citizen volunteer corps to effectively increase organizational capacity. Individuals, groups and families come from all walks of life; some dropping in for a few months during summer break, while others have volunteered continuously for twenty years. Over the past ten years the number of volunteers doubled from 400 to 798, and the programs/departments utilizing volunteers increased from 9 to 16 areas of interest. In 2013, volunteer service hours totaled 15,558 valued at $344,454. Over the past ten years, the District s volunteer service hours hold a value of $2.9 million dollars. Communications - The District produced an array of materials to help educate and inform our residents on programs, events, restoration projects and site improvements taking place throughout the year. The District continued to enhance its presence through image branding, digital communications and social networking. By the numbers: 79 print ads 185 press releases; 385 public inquiries 687 followers on Twitter 1,266 followers on Facebook: 69,388 Reach on Facebook 115,239 visitors to website: MCCDistrict.org

3 Over 890,000 residents visit Conservation Sites throughout the year while another 115,239 engage on the District s website to discover hundreds of reasons to get outside. The McHenry County Community Research Forest was established on a 93 acre parcel protected through a unique partnership. Land Preservation & Natural Resources Highlights - The Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Commission awarded a Platinum level of accreditation for restoration and biodiversity recovery work through adaptive management at Nippersink North Branch Conservation Area. Nippersink North Branch was one of seven regional sites recognized with this honor. The District received a ComEd Green Region Program grant to fund the planting of 1,500 native trees and shrubs to reforest a 20-acre oak woodland within Glacial Park. Hundreds of families and guests joined District staff in the reforestation planting that re-connected two blocks of existing oak woodlands, to create one contiguous 160-acre block of oak woodland. The long term plan is to restore an oak woodland totaling 500 acres in size. The McHenry County Community Research Forest, a 93 acre stand of oaks near Harvard, was established when a creative partnership was forged between The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, a private landowner, the Conservation District, and a grant from Illinois Clean Energy Foundation. A joint grassland venture was successfully implemented on 422 acres at 10 different sites. The Conservation District is working with local farmers to enhance and manage grassland habitat for wildlife using haying as a form of mechanical grazing, while providing forage to farmers for livestock, and a way to recoup money to reinvest in habitat restoration. Wildlife Resource Center - This past year the Wildlife Resource Center offered 135 educational outreach programs on wildlife for 653 adults and 3,237 children, and responded to over 1,856 telephone inquiries assisting the public about local wildlife questions and concerns. In addition, 122 animals were admitted for rehabilitation and in the spring of 2013, 74 Blanding s turtles were reared and released. Bluebird Nest Box Project monitors documented 202 bluebirds, 293 tree swallows, 17 house wrens and 7 black-capped chickadees fledged from nest boxes located on District sites. Environmental Education Service Department - Each year the Education Services Department provides numerous community outreach programs and continues to seek new avenues to increase public awareness and the understanding of the need for healthy ecosystems. Over 565 were offered during the year reaching over 36,530 adults and children. FY Program/Attendance Type of Program Quantity Adult Attendance Child Attendance Total Attendance Announced Nature 201 1,310 1,501 2,811 Field Trips ,932 6,833 Outreach - School ,949 6,454 Outreach - Community Special Requests Youth Group Other Staff Guided Special Events 28 9,263 8,564 17,827 Trail of History (12,632) 23,898 Grand Totals ,968 23,562 36,530 Site Site Usage Total Region 1 Harrison Benwell 39,929 Canoe Base 4,846 Keystone 37,973 Barn - Glacial Park 64,798 Prairie Trail North 34,572 Nippersink North Branch 17,898 Pioneer Canoe Base 15,256 LVVC 33,991 lake Elizabeth 12,800 Subtotal 262,062 Region 3 Coral Woods 25,798 Marengo Ridge 35,256 Pleasant Valley 37,261 HUM 13,793 County Line 2,796 Subtotal 114,904 Region 2 Beck's Woods 5,256 Rush Creek 50,058 Kishwaukee Headwaters 8,733 Winding Creek 1,810 Highpoint 4,370 Dufield South Piscasaw North 4,423 Brookdale/Paulsen 9,341 Subtotal 89,988 Region 5 Prairie Trail Link 35,795 Boger Bog 2,889 Boone Creek 3,001 Prairie Trail South 54,800 Subtotal 96,485 Region 6 Prairieview EC 15,264 Stickney Run 10,886 Exner Marsh-Lakewood 16,073 Exner Marsh-Miller rd 11,863 LITH 1,384 Hollows 59,526 Subtotal 114,995 Region 4 Silver Creek Hickory Grove Highlands Riverfront Lyons Prairie Marsh Fox Bluff Fel Pro West Entrance Fel-Pro/RRR 18,813 25,274 18,275 24,505 12,358 26,394 57,694 Subtotal 209,137 Education Group Subtotal 5,205 All Sites Annual Total 892,774

4 Annual Report Statement Fiscal Year For over forty-two years, McHenry County Conservation District has worked to preserve and restore the treasured landscapes in McHenry County, improving the quality of life for all who live here by protecting the land and waters on which we all depend. A high point of the year was being recognized as a regional and national leader in conservation and environmental stewardship with numerous awards and accolades, including the National Recreation and Park Association s coveted 2013 Barb King Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Award. The external recognition acknowledged the District s long-standing commitment to conservation excellence, fiscal responsibility and creative ability to coordinate and collaborate on innovative projects for the benefit of current and future generations. It distinguishes the District as a model organization and places the District with other premier public park, recreation and conservation agencies across the country. Respectful of the economic landscape and anticipating that the next five to seven years would be challenging due to the declining EAV and the District reaching it maximum statutory corporate rate of 10 cents per $100 in assessed value, the McHenry County Conservation District Board of Trustees decided to hold its levy flat and adopted a neutral levy for FY The District continued to follow a very conservative approach in managing its finances and focused its efforts on core activities in order to preserve and maintain public assets while at the same time continuing to assess the needs of the community, cultivate strategic partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations, optimizing and leveraging its limited resources, adapting its management of the working landscape through the reorganization of its workforce to carry out its laudable and specific mission and vision. The pursuit to preserve McHenry County s last remaining oak ecosystems has not wavered and a 93-acre oak woodland in Harvard, now known as the McHenry County Community Research Forest was preserved in collaboration with The Land Conservancy of McHenry County and Illinois Clean Energy Foundation. Regionally, the District will continue to take an active role in working together with local governing agencies to protect important natural and cultural resources, while encouraging them to be open and flexible to sensible and ecologically sound development. The District takes pride in its mission, and while moving forward, takes pause to recognize that none of its past accomplishments and successes could have been possible without the support from our residents and stakeholders. Statement of Revenues & Expenditures All Funds Summarized, Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2014* Actual Revenues Tax Revenue 19,746,699 Grants 572,832 Farm & Property Leases 1,325,074 Interest Revenue 50,214 Other Revenues 343,919 Total Revenues $22,038,738 Expenditures Land Acquisition 709,626 Debt Repayment 12,146,379 Operations 8,737,036 Facility, Site & Trail Improvements 2,550,455 Other Capital Outlays 328,818 Total Expenditures $24,472,314 Other Financing Sources Transfers in 7,088,264 Transfers (out) (7,088,264) Sale of Capital Assets 8,132 Total Other Sources $8,132 Net Change in Fund Balances $(2,425,444) Operations 36.3% Grants 2.6% Interest Revenue 0.2% Other Farm & Property Leases 6.0% FY 13/14 Expenditures Site & Trail Improvements 8.0% Other Capital Outlays 3.4% FY 13/14 Revenues Land Acquisition 2.9% Revenues 1.6% Tax Revenue 88.8% Debt Repayment 49.3% * All financial information is unaudited.

5 Looking Ahead ~ The Conservation District focuses its energies and human and financial resources in those areas where it can achieve the most impact, results and value for McHenry County. Key strategic initiatives are in the areas of land preservation, environmental education, outdoor recreation and organizational excellence. Over the past ten years, the Conservation District has opened 23 new sites and protected an additional 12,000+ acres. We have expanded our reach to diverse human populations, enhanced accessibility, addressed recreational amenities, and targeted new audiences to get outdoors and take advantage of everything the District has to offer. In the coming years efforts will focus on creative funding strategies, offering new wellness based programs, connecting children and adults with the natural world, developing innovative green solutions, and applying new technologies and best practices. Self-guided learning and recreational opportunities will be expanded to include more interactive/ interpretive trails, taking advantage of new technologies and social media outlets to provide enhanced opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The District will champion the Chicago Wilderness Leave No Child Inside (LNCI) initiative, to promote healthy childhood development and to foster generations of people who will care about nature and protect it. The District s American with Disabilities Act audit will move forward, creating more accessible sites and facilities. Regionally, the District will continue to take an active role in working together with local governing agencies to protect important natural and cultural resources, while encouraging them to be open and flexible to sensible and ecologically sound development. The District will stay vigilant in transportation infrastructure planning to ensure that roadway expansion minimizes its impact to natural resources and that essential community connections through bicycle and pedestrian trails are incorporated as green infrastructure. Residents of McHenry County are fortunate to be able to travel throughout the county and still see vast landscapes of protected open space. Looking ahead, the District will continue to provide a myriad of programs and activities that will protect our natural areas and offer opportunities to gain a greater appreciation for the great outdoors U.S. Highway 14, Woodstock, IL MCCDistrict.org

6 McHenry County Conservation District Annual Report April 1, March 31, 2014 McHenry County Conservation District Nationally recognized for EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP