Openlands - Get Involved

Get Involved

Throughout the year, Openlands provides numerous opportunities for you to participate in our Policy issues—from writing your representative to "feet-on-the-ground" actions, such as attending a rally in support of your favorite state park. Click on the links below to discover how you can get involved!

Take action today to protect Illinois' environmental regulations

Recently, the Illinois Senate approved a bill that poses a great threat to our state's environmental regulations, which are designed to protect people from harmful pollution and ensure companies clean up their mess. SB3414 changes the purpose of these environmental regulations by allowing private companies to argue that their costs of compliance are a "threat to public interest, safety, and welfare." The changes to the law would prioritize protecting polluters' profits rather than protecting people from getting sick.

Lend your voice to the conservation opportunity of a generation: Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge

The dream of creating the first national wildlife refuge in the Chicago region is getting one step closer to reality. Years of outreach by Openlands in partnership with the Friends of Hackmatack has unleashed a groundswell of support for the recommendation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) of the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge on the Illinois-Wisconsin border. On April 3 and 4, about 400 people attended public meetings where USFWS representatives fielded questions, addressed concerns and heard new ideas about the proposed refuge.

Action Alert: Help make the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge a reality!

Along with our partners, Openlands is excited to announce that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has completed its two-year environmental assessment, recommending that the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge be established on the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

Just say no to proposed firing range for the Calumet region

Last week, a bald eagle soared overhead a proposed firing range in the Calumet area, landing to straighten its giant nest in a secluded heron rookery at the neighboring Whitford Pond. It was not alone – a second adult and a three-year-old eaglet were perched nearby across the river. Their presence underscored the serious land use conflict posed by the City of Chicago's campaign to site the intense use training facility within a hundred yards of one of the natural, cultural and educational crown jewels of the Millennium Reserve project.

Action Alert: Help Save Starved Rock State Park

Please help Openlands in our urgent effort to protect Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County, Illinois from harmful impacts from a proposed sand mine located adjacent to the eastern entrance of the park. Please contact Governor Quinn to voice your opposition to the sand mine, which was recently permitted by the County Board, and request his help to protect Starved Rock, one of Illinois' oldest and most ecologically and culturally significant state parks.