As part of the Chicago Region Carbon Program, the McHenry County Conservation Foundation partnered with the McHenry County Conservation District to preserve about 70 acres of mature oak and hickory woodland at the former Camp Lakota in Woodstock, IL. These woodlands contain significant stands of white, red, and bur oaks, with some limited numbers of hills oak, swamp white oak, and pine plantation.

The project area was acquired by the McHenry County Conservation Foundation in June 2021, and will be transferred to the McHenry County Conservation District by 2026. The goal is for the Camp Lakota forest to become part of McHenry County Conservation District’s Brookdale Conservation Area. Visited by more than 11,000 people annually, Brookdale is a 1,645-acre site that offers visitors the opportunity to hike, horseback ride, fish, cross country ski, snowshoe, or picnic. Expanding Brookdale to include the Camp Lakota grounds will expand recreation opportunities and increase habitat, allowing species that are sensitive to genetic isolation to maintain viable populations.

This project is part of the Chicago Region Carbon Program (CRCP) and complements other tree planting and preservation projects in the seven-metro counties supervised by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative. Projects in the 2023 CRCP cohort include:

• Old Mill Forest
• Kenney Addition to Lind-McGeachie Forest Preserve

Total Credits Issued: 8,266

• 2024: 8,266 credits issued

Total Credits Sold: 0

Total Credits Retired: 0

Total Credits Cancelled: 0

Total Credits Available for Purchase: 8,266

Co-Benefits

Forest preservation projects not only reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but provide ecosystem services or co-benefits that can be quantified. The co-benefits from this project represent a savings (avoided costs) of $197,422 per year, and $7,896,868 over 40 years.

• Rain interception (stormwater management) – 22,334.3 m3/year, $159,909.75 per year
• Air quality – 0.6082 t/yr, $831.85 per year
• Energy – cooling (electricity) – 145,517 kWh/year, $11,045 per year
• Energy – heating (natural gas) – 2,633,382 kBtu/year, $25,635 per year

Social Impacts

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action and global partnership among all countries, representing key benchmarks for creating a better world and environment for everyone. Well-designed and managed urban forests make significant contributions to the environmental sustainability, economic viability and livability of cities.

The main SDGs for this project are described below, with more detailed information in the Project Design Document.

A resilient forest will enhance biodiversity, stormwater runoff mitigation, and act as a screen for pollutants from the nearby US Route 14. Climate-focused volunteers will be essential to the management of this forest, lending their service on restoration workdays.

The Camp Lakota forest is in close proximity to wetlands. By protecting the trees, wetland ecosystem services are enhanced, benefiting water quality and cleanliness.

This project protects a mature forest that promotes biodiversity and wildlife habitat and increases ecosystem function.