In December, 190 countries reached a monumental conservation agreement that would preserve at least 30% of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. The U.S. was not an official participant of the United Nations agreement, but local environmentalists want to bring the 30x30 commitment to Lake County.
"The bottom line is, Do we want to share our county land with wildlife?" Jake Cseke of Hobart asked. "That's what it really comes down to, do we want them to be present in our future or do we want to just wipe them all out."
Cseke and Connie Wachala of Highland have been pushing county leaders to pass a resolution committing to protect at least 30% of Lake County's land and waterways by 2030. However, preserving that much land in the face of rapid urban sprawl has proven to be an uphill battle.
Cseke and Wachala proposed the idea during an April presentation to the Lake County Council. Cseke explained that of Lake County's 320,000 acres, urban space makes up about 47% and protected natural areas make up 4.7%.
The rapid development of Lake County has already reduced the number of plants and animals in Northwest Indiana; a 2014 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the threat status for coastal wetlands in the southern basin of Lake Michigan is "very high" and the threat level for native migratory fish in the southern basin is "high."
The Region has long been known for its rare dune and swale ecosystem and unique plant life.
Indiana Dunes is the fourth-most biologically diverse national park and is home to more than 1,100 flowering plant species and ferns. About 350 bird species either inhabit or migrate through Northwest Indiana every year. However, highways, industrialization and sprawling housing developments have fragmented much of the Region's important habitat, particularly in the northern corner of Lake County.
Habitat fragmentation is one of the largest threats to wildlife populations as it isolates species, disconnecting them from important sources of food and shelter. The North American bird population has decreased by about 3 billion breeding adults since 1970.
"It's kind of devastating once you start digging into it," Cseke said. "Most people look at the value of things in money, and it's not all about money. It's about human wellness. It's about sharing our world with the plants and animals that have lived here indefinitely."
With ever-rising property prices and a growing population, Wachala and Cseke recognize that asking the county to preserve large swaths of land may sound extreme. However, Cseke said the 30x30 goal can be achieved through a patchwork of land conservation efforts, such as county and city parks, sustainable farms and land trusts.
The majority of Lake County's small slice of protected land, 42%, is owned by the Lake County Parks Department. Creating more county parks is a great way to reach the 30x30 goal, Cseke said, especially in more industrialized parts of the Region where there is less access to green space.
"We don't want to stop development, but we want a balance between development and natural spaces," Wachala explained. "Those kinds of spaces are so important to not just our physical well-being, but for our mental health."
Increasing the number of outdoor recreation areas in Lake County would also help the local economy.
Wachala said she often travels to Porter, LaPorte or Will counties to go on hikes. Afterwards she'll usually check out a local restaurant, meaning tourism dollars that could have been spent in Lake County go to neighboring communities.
City-owned parks can count toward the 30x30 goal, although Cseke said most parks consist of non-native grasses and trees, which don't do much to promote biodiversity.
"If you have just a grassy field, there's very little insects, there's very few birds. Hardly any animals are using that land to their benefit," he said. "But if you start to have native trees, shrubs and pollinator strips or native perennials on there, you start to have visitation by pollinators, bees, wasps, other insects."
It's all about ensuring that land has an "ecological function," something that improves the areas, Cseke said. In practice, ecological functions can be native grasses with deep root systems that store carbon, ultimately reducing air pollution, or regenerative farms that build up organic matter, improving overall soil health.
As more farmland is sold to developers, Cseke said, the county could encourage landowners to donate property to local organizations that will ensure its continued protections, such as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, the Lake Heritage Parks Foundation or the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission.
Another option for landowners is the use of conservation easements. When a property owner enters into a conservation easement, they retain private ownership rights, although limitations are placed on the future use of the land, ensuring that it does not become developed.
Beyond biodiversity, protecting natural spaces can help make communities more resilient to changing climate conditions.
Flooding has long been an issue in Northwest Indiana. According to a report from Purdue University, extreme rainfall has increased over the past 100 years. By mid-century, Indiana is expected to see 6% to 8% more rainfall than it averaged in the recent past, making flooding problems even worse.
Strategically conserving wetlands and properties that contain waterways will reduce runoff as rainwater will be able to slowly percolate into the earth. The dense vegetation in wetlands and along stream banks also helps filter water.
Cseke said many of the values laid out in 30x30 align with Lake County's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Adopted in 2018, one of the comprehensive plan's stated goals is to "encourage sustainable development by protecting natural resources, limiting the impacts of development, and maintaining quality of life for rural communities."
Wachala and Cseke plan on meeting with county leaders again in the coming months.
"Stay tuned," Wachala said. "We're persistent."
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