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CONSERVING THE COUNTRYSIDE The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois (LPCI) is a state-wide, private, not-for-profit citizens group committed to the preservation of important architectural structures and historic sites throughout the state. LPCI was formed in 1971 by individuals in an attempt to prevent the demolition of an important Adler and Sullivan building, the Chicago Stock Exchange. The loss of that significant landmark provided the impetus for the group to formalize in the hopes of preventing further losses of similar magnitude. In 1978 the decision was made to broaden the focus of the organization to include the entire state. While the intent has been admirable, extension of LPCI program and services across the entire state has met with spotty success. For a period, one staff member was assigned full-time to statewide (i.e. non-Chicago area) program needs and therefore had the time to travel and build telephone contacts, keeping touch with individuals throughout the state who needed assistance and responding to needs and opportunities as they arose. It was during this time that the now annual Statewide Preservation Conference sponsored by LPCI began. On a continuing basis, this is the most successful aspect of the LPCI statewide program. It is held in a different "downstate" location each year which enables the host town the opportunity to showcase its historical sites and structures (which generally helps the local constituency identify and preserve its own resources more effectively also). Currently the LPCI staff person responsible for Statewide Programs can allocate only 50% of his time to it as he is also assigned several other "fulltime" responsibilities as well. Exacerbating the shortage of staff time to allocate to Statewide Programs is the physical geography of the State itself: Chicago, the major city and the headquarters location of LPCI, is at the northern end of a very long state. On the north end, Illinois adjoins the Great Lakes through Lake Michigan; at the southern tip, Illinois penetrates Kentucky and Missouri, nearly reaching as far south as Tennessee! Needs across such varied geography are quite disparite and the cultural milieu differs widely. An additional difficulty results from the location of the State Capitol in Springfield, a three hour or more drive from Chicago. In summary, lack of staff manpower and the extensive distance and diversity of the State makes a successful preservation/conservation program for the State of Illinois extremely challenging. Perhaps by defining the challenge (and the concomitant opportunity) in more detail, a successful new beginning for LPCI can be visualized: what needs exist, what resources are available, and what responses remain to be developed to meet those needs? And finally, what is LPCI's role in that response? RESEARCH A choice needed to be consciously made at the outset regarding the breadth of the focus that LPCI is willing to take in its statewide program. Earlier programs were aimed along more traditional preservation lines, i.e. looking at the need to preserve structures in the cities and towns across the state. However in more recent years the preservation movement has recognized the importance of conserving the countryside as well as towns and cities. Furthermore, this expanded focus includes recognition of the importance of open space, working agricultural land, and view corridors. The research discussed below included this broader focus in the search for a statewide program emphasis for LPCI. In order to better understand the preservation/conservation needs across the State of Illinois, the following information was read: Summary Report of the Governor's Task Force on the Future of Rural Illinois, March 1978
Additionally, the following individuals were interviewed: Don Norton, staff member to the Governor's Rural Affairs Council September 1988 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 17 Ted Hild, Acting Director, Preservation Services Division, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency FINDINGS The Governor's Task Force on the Future of Rural Illinois held hearings around the state to identify the economic and social program needs of rural areas. Based on the findings it was recommended that the Rural Affairs Council be created; it is moving to implement the recommendations of the Task Force. That program focuses on increasing the economic viability of agriculture in the state which then will stabilize the economic base of rural areas and enable the services (schools, medical, safety, etc.) to be provided as needed. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), through its preservation services division, has surveyed the entire state by county, identifying important architectural resources in areas of population over 500. In addition, a rural survey ("rural" is defined as an incorporated area with population of less than 500) has been Page 18 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1988 completed in 14 out of 102 counties, identifying and photographing all structures that pre-date World War II. For survey purposes, a "unit" is counted which, in the case of a farmstead would include the house and barn but not other outbuildings unless they appeared to be of an unusual nature. To date, about 26,000 units have been surveyed. No record has been kept of landscapes. The Illinois Nature Conservancy works from inventories and focuses on elements of rarity. In 1978 aerial photographs were taken of the entire state and every natural area that appeared to be intact was then visited to ascertain the elements of rarity that it contained. Program priorities were then based on this inventory. Additionally a landowner contact program was instituted to tell owners the significance of what they had, in those cases where they did not already know. Open Lands combines recognition of the importance of retaining open space for quality of life and recreational purposes with recognition of the value of economic development to those goals. Although this program focuses on the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor in northern Illinois, similar programs are scattered across the state and could participate in a cooperative venture on a state-wide basis. The Illinois Historical Society focuses on library acquisitions, museums, and recordation of oral histories. The Rural Preservation Task Force is still in its infancy with a good beginning as a network of individuals concerned with preservation of the rural landscape, prairies, open space, recreational corridors, and the built environment. In summary, good things are happening on a number of disparate fronts but there is not much cross-fertilization between arenas (i.e. intact wilderness areas to cultural histories to preservation of ag lands or rural structures) nor is there an overall statewide view of what our most valued resources are and, of those, which are threatened. And there are many gaps. As a result of both the readings and the many conversations, a concept began to emerge which I "field-tested" with each of the sources I contacted. Based on those conversations, the concept evolved to final plan outlined here. PLAN OUTLINE The goal or purpose of this plan is to inventory the resources present across the State of Illinois, to identify which ones are at risk and, if possible, locate the resources available to protect and preserve them. September 1988 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 19 The term "resources" is used in a very broad sense to include structures, landscapes, cultural traditions, crafts and skills, views, and archaeological and environmentally unique locations. Oversimplified the plan is to hold community forums throughout the state asking citizens and groups within the area to identify those resources and any factors that endanger them. The details of the plan follow. Cosponsors are currently being sought to insure that when information is gathered at the community level a broad constituency will be reached, i.e. rural conservation, historical societies, preservation advocates, cultural heritage groups, museums, regional planning commissions, state legislators, tourism representatives, community leaders, etc. A Statewide Advisory Task Force will be convened to fine-tune the selection of the geographic boundaries of site location for each Community Forum. It is anticipated that about 20 locations will be finally selected. The major role of this Task Force however is two-fold: first, to aid in identifying those individuals in each community forum location that should be asked to serve on a steering committee to plan the forum (and therefore insure that the breadth of interests needed are represented and that there will be a nucleus of individuals who will feel some responsibility for the outcome and for follow-up after the forum). Secondly, we will identify what information has already been gathered and what, by contrast, we do not know and would like to, so that the questions asked at the Community Forums will be asked in such a way as to solicit unknown information. Also, by membership in this Statewide Advisory Task Force individuals may well bring along their constituencies to respond to the needs identified during the Community Forums. Membership of the Task Force will be by invitation and desired members are being identified by LPCI concurrent with the selection of co-sponsors. Finally, the Statewide Advisory Task Force, through discussion, will make a preliminary determination of the types of resources and forces that threaten them that exist throughout the state so that the Community Forums can be designed to include the questions needed to reveal that information. In one sense, the forums will field test the expectations of the Statewide Advisory Task Force. Incidentally, the meeting of the Statewide Advisory Task Force will be led by a neutral convenor experienced in group process, so that no "stake holder" will be placed in the position of possibly pre-determining the outcome. Following the Council meeting, the steering committees will be established. This step is probably the most difficult and important in the entire plan as the composition of each steering committee will determine the information that is (and is not) generated. If the wrong individuals are chosen whole groups or categories of individuals will be alienated whereas correct selection will attract a broad range of participation from a given area. LPCI staff will meet with the steering committee to discuss the purpose of the forum and steps to be taken to publicize it locally, to "insure" participation by all of the appropriate persons, and to maximize the positive impact of the community forum locally, extending beyond the event. Again, neutral convenors will be used during the forum. To further insure the success of the community Forums, a pilot Forum will be held prior to the Statewide Advisory Task Force Meeting. A Steering Committee will be formed and the planned Forum will be held, allowing us to identify what works and what is less successful. The Steering Committee will be asked to help us critique the process after the Forum session. The results should help us prevent errors and expand on successful techniques in planning the entire program. A brief comment is in order here. The previous hearings held by the Governor's Task Force on the Future of Illinois focused on the needs/problems in rural areas. There is a subtle but extremely important difference with this plan. First, the scope of inquiry is not limited to rural areas. But perhaps more importantly, we will be asking "what are the assets/opportunities" across the state. By focusing on the positive it is hoped that people will see what they already have that they can expand upon themselves. • Page 20 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1988
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