Natural Land Institute (NLI) announces the sale of one of their preserves, White Wood Ridge Preserve, to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), located next to Mississippi Palisades State Park, in Savanna (Carroll County), IL. NLI closed on White Wood Ridge Preserve on Friday, June 12, 2024. Proceeds from this sale will be used to purchase and protect additional natural lands in Illinois.
White Wood Ridge Preserve was purchased in December, 2021, by NLI, with a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, to protect and hold it until the IDNR was able to purchase it. This is one of the strategic roles NLI has played in its 66-year history of land protection and preservation. NLI is sometimes able to purchase land faster than a Government agency or other land conservation organization, and NLI can and hold it until the other entity is ready to receive it.
White Wood Ridge Preserve is 55 acres of mostly-forested land with hay fields slated for restoration. It is located along Scenic Ridge Road in Carroll County with Mississippi Palisades State Park along the north and west boundaries. This Preserve is part of a significant migratory corridor bordering the Mississippi River, especially for songbirds.
Activities allowed at this Preserve include: scientific research, aesthetic enjoyment, habitat management, education, and public use of the land. Conveying this land to the IDNR adds 55 acres to their State Park and expands public access to it, as well as continues to protect this critical habitat in perpetuity.
Since 1958 NLI has protected 18,000 acres of land, primarily in Illinois. NLI currently owns 3084 acres (24 Preserves) of protected land. It holds 48 Conservation Easements (voluntary legal agreements) on 4372 acres of land owned by individuals and other conservation organizations.