State Rep. Andrea Moore (R-Libertyville) has secured a $150,000 state grant to help Libertyville Township complete a regional trail through the Liberty Prairie Reserve.
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“This project represents a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community and to complete a significant portion of the regional trail,” Moore said. “Although this is going into Libertyville Township, the benefits will be shared by all residents of Lake County.”
The first portion of the trail, which begins at U.S. Highway 45, was completed in 1998. The proposed Phase II connection will begin at Casey Road north of Liberty Prairie. The trail will proceed southeast along the edge of the preserve and eventually connect with Lake County’s Des Plaines River trail at Milwaukee Avenue. A number of spurs will also be added so that neighboring communities can have access to the main trail.
A portion of the funds will go to planting native shrubs, grasses and wildflowers along the trail edge.
Libertyville Township Supervisor Mike Graham said the trail is a way to showcase open space and the importance of saving natural areas in the township.
“I have not always been a big fan of trails, but I have come to believe that trails help make the case for why we need to protect the little open space we have left,” he said.
The Liberty Prairie Conservancy will help coordinate the trail installation and is developing an interpretative trail program to explain restoration efforts that are under way.