Natural Resources
Green Infrastructure is the interconnected network of open spaces and natural areas that naturally recharges aquifers, improves water quality and quantity, and provides recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Green infrastructure manages stormwater by capturing raindrops where they fall. CNT encourages reuse of natural moisture by using rain gardens, swales, green roofs, tree planting, permeable pavement and other low impact approaches to restore natural drainage functions and recycle stormwater in urban environments.
CNT’s Natural Resources work is rooted in the belief that if we change land use and investment patterns—capture water where it falls instead of building expensive treatment facilities—we can save money, have more reliable systems and create more benefits for people and places. Areas of focus include developing tools to map and analyze the values of green infrastructure, researching and demonstrating stormwater best management practices (BMPs), and promoting changes in local, regional and national policy.
Why is this important?
- Green Infrastructure approaches help save money, support urban sustainability, and use limited financial resources more efficiently by harnessing the natural filtering abilities of plants, trees and soil to protect water quality, reduce runoff volumes, and recharge groundwater supplies.
- Regionally, this means that water management helps open spaces and natural areas and improves water quality, provides recreational opportunities and enhances wildlife habitats for all to enjoy.
- Flash flooding can devastate homes and neighborhoods, but with judicious use of green areas, rain gardens, permeable pavements, and other green infrastructure strategies this threat can be avoided or reduced.
Learn more about our green infrastructure strategies by reviewing our projects, tools and publications through the links on this page.
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 11:42 am
The Illinois Rain Garden Initiative grant program provides funds for the construction of a rain garden on public property. A rain garden is a depression, often near a downspout, that is planted with native wetland or aquatic vegetation. Rain gardens can be designed to flower throughout the summer and built to will hold stormwater runoff or snow melt, allowing the water to be absorbed slowly by the plants and the soil.
Rain gardens reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality, allow for the recharge of groundwater supplies, increase wildlife habitat and often reduce the need for mowing and its associated costs and pollution. You’ll find the application forms at http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/RainGarden/applicationpage.htm. Teachers, not-for-profit organizations and community groups may apply. The maximum award is $1,000. Grant applications due by March 19, 2010. For more information, contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ (IDNR) Division of Education (dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or 217-785-0973). The IDNR and Illinois Conservation Foundation administer this program. Funds are provided through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
(Photo of St. Margaret Mary School and Church raingarden)
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
As communities continue to grapple with perennial budget shortfalls, mounting water infrastructure needs, and overwhelming stormwater pollution problems, we need to ensure we are making the best water infrastructure investment decisions (economically, socially and environmentally) to utilize public funds most efficiently.
Traditional water planning has not recognized the interconnected nature of water supply, wastewater and stormwater management. More comprehensive planning methodologies, sometimes called “Integrated Resource Planning” (IRP), recognize these relationships from a least-cost, publicly transparent, and scenario-based perspective.
With this focus, CNT has launched the “Great Lakes Sustainable Water Planning Project”. Tapping an advisory group of regional experts, CNT will explore how IRP can improve the economic efficiency of water utilities, thus conserving water resources and bolstering community prosperity and vitality within the Great Lakes region.
With funding by The Joyce Foundation, the Great Lakes Sustainable Water Planning Project will build the economic case for the improved decision-making and planning that IRP can bring to the water sector. With particular attention to current opportunities and barriers for these practices regionally, the project will seek to improve sustainable water planning practices within the Great Lakes region.
For more information
Contact: Danielle Gallet Ghalayini, dghalayini@cnt.org
(Photo from epa.gov photo archive)
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Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
The Illinois EPA is seeking public comment by Wednesday, February 24, 2010 on the development of a Stormwater Green Infrastructure Plan for the State of Illinois, as required by the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act, passed in 2009.
Green Infrastructure is the interconnected network of open spaces and natural areas that naturally recharges aquifers, improves water quality and quantity, and provides recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Green infrastructure manages stormwater by capturing raindrops where they fall. CNT encourages reuse of natural moisture by using rain gardens, swales, green roofs, tree planting, permeable pavement and other low impact approaches to restore natural drainage functions and recycle stormwater in urban environments.
Green infrastructure has proven to be cost effective in managing stormwater, as compared with conventional “hardscape” stormwater systems, and so can save municipalities money at a time when budgets are tight. In addition, green infrastructure provides many other benefits that conventional systems do not, such as improved water quality, air quality and aesthetics, increased groundwater recharge, reduced energy use and cost, and increased land values, to name a few.
CNT is working with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and others to study potential green infrastructure policies and regulations that will help Illinois communities realize the multiple economic, social and aesthetic benefits of green infrastructure. The study will culminate in a report with recommendations to the Illinois Legislature in June. IEPA has posted information on its website about the study and the development of the Green Infrastructure Plan.
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