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“As the beach and shoreline diminished, so did the visitors and
tourists who once flocked to this location in the summers,”
Phelps Finnie said.
Phelps Finnie spoke at a ceremony held Monday at Illinois Beach
in Zion. She said the project was the largest capital investment
in the history of the Illinois DNR.
State taxpayers funded the $73 million Illinois Beach State Park
Shoreline Stabilization Project through the Rebuild Illinois
capital plan.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the project earned a gold standard for
Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines Verification.
“So what does it mean? It means more families making cherished
and lifelong memories, more visitors from across the state and
around the world contributing to the local economy, more
protection for our treasured ecosystem here,” Pritzker said.
Tamakia “TJ” Edwards, executive director of the Illinois Capital
Development Board, said the Illinois Beach project involved
shoreline restoration and 22 stone breakwaters in Lake Michigan.
“Despite its complexity, this project was completed successfully
under budget, with minimal delays,” Edwards said.
Pritzker thanked attendees at Monday’s ceremony for their
efforts to revitalize state parks and forest preserves.
“Because of the dedication, the energy, the passion of people in
this room, Illinois is becoming the best state in the nation for
conservation and outdoor recreation,” Pritzker said.
U.S. News has Illinois ranked 38th out of 50 states for natural
environment, which includes metrics for pollution, air and water
quality.
Stacker ranked Illinois 48th for land conservation. |
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