Kane County To Open Archery Range At Forest Preserve

KANE COUNTY, IL — A $600,000 state grant will help pay for Kane County’s first public archery range, which is expected to open at a forest preserve in Elburn in late 2024 or spring of 2025.

The archery range will be constructed at the Mill Creek Greenway Forest Preserve in Elburn, according to a news release from the forest preserve district.

The grant award was among 118 announced by Gov. JB Pritzker for Illinois parks, forest preserves and conservation agencies. In total, $60 million in Open Space Land Acquisition & Development grants were awarded. The OSLAD grants are administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resource.

“An investment in the outdoors is an investment in the health and well-being of the people of Illinois,"said Natalie Phelps Finnie, a director for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "We know that 83 percent of Illinoisans consider access to outdoor recreational opportunities important for them and their families. We also know that getting outside leads to better overall health.”

The forest preserve district has planned $1.2 million in upgrades at Mill Creek Greenway Forest Preserve, including the addition of recreational amenities geared toward getting people outdoors and into the preserve. Planned improvements include an archery range, picnic shelter, mowed trails, interpretive signage, restrooms, an entry drive and additional parking, plus a 62-acre tallgrass prairie restoration, according to a news release from the forest preserve district.

“We’re thrilled with the grant award,” said Forest Preserve District Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur. “These funds will allow us to better open up Mill Creek Greenway Forest Preserve for the public to enjoy. The preserve already has scenic views. We’ll be adding miles of trail, a picnic shelter, and an archery range open to archers of all skill levels."

"Early designs incorporate a stand-alone, safety first, ADA-accessible crossbow range. We’re excited, because an archery range is an amenity that Kane County residents have been requesting for years,” he said.

Jennifer Rooks-Lopez, chief of planning and land management for the forest preserve district, said the forest preserve district is grateful to the IDNR for their continued support.

"This grant will help to restore more than 60 acres of farmland to prairie, and introduce a unique recreational experience with the construction of the first outdoor archery range owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District," Rooks-Lopez said.

Among the natural area improvements in the project, the district will restore current farmland back to prairie, work to restore the ecological balance of the site, and help protect the flora and fauna of the area.

“Like all efforts of the Forest Preserve District, our philosophy is to develop each preserve for the whole community," said forest preserve district executive director Benjamin Haberthur.

"Along with the recreational amenities, we will be planting over 60 acres of high-diversity prairie for the entire suite of Illinois’ fauna. Pollinators like the Monarch butterfly and Rusty-patched bumblebee will thrive after the restoration, along with declining firefly species, grassland birds, and other wildlife,” he said.

The forest preserve district will begin engineering the project this year, followed by construction in summer 2024. Staff expects the improvements to be completed between late 2024 and spring 2025.