Task force urges Rock Island to register Milan Bottoms as Illinois land-and-water reserve

A Rock Island task force recommended that the city seek Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) designation to protect more than 500 acres of the Rock Island Wetlands, also known as the Milan Bottoms, at a study session on the conservation‑easement options.

Nina Strouse, river health and resiliency organizer for Prairie Rivers Network and a member of the city’s recently formed wetlands task force, told the council the site ‘‘provides our community and wildlife with many benefits’’ and that conservation easements ‘‘will protect a property in perpetuity’’ by preserving the wetlands and their natural functions.

The task force presented two options: (1) enter a conservation easement with a regional land trust such as the Natural Land Institute (NLI), which would require a one‑time stewardship payment from the city to cover baseline assessment, annual inspections and potential legal defense (staff cited a $7,500–$10,000 range for stewardship fees), or…