Plans this year
- Advocate for bold actions to implement the Wilmette Sustainability Plan.
- Collaborate with village staff and community members to accomplish the Village Board's stated priorities of promoting clean energy and protecting natural resources, including our urban forest.
- Promote cleaner, quieter lawn care practices that support clean air, habitat for wildlife, and a high quality of life for our residents.
- Protect and celebrate our Great Lakes
News and Latest Developments
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Wilmette's Commitment to Sustainability
Following the Wilmette Village Board's endorsement of the Greenest Region Compact (GRC) in 2018, the Environmental and Energy Commission (EEC) was charged with creating a plan to address sustainability issues of global importance at the local level. On September 28th In Fall 2021, the Village Board voted unanimously to adopt the EEC's proposed Sustainability Plan and passed a resolution endorsing a 2021 Climate Action Plan. The three implementation priorities incorporated into the Sustainability Plan address renewable energy, urban forest preservation, and native habitats. In 2022, the EEC focus has been to provide specific recommendations for actionable programs to the Village Board. One such example of this is the Community Solar Program. |
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Village Ordinance: No Gas Leaf Blowers!
Did you know that gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited in Wilmette from May 15 through September 30? Here’s why: they create air pollution and stressful oppressive noise levels. They also destroy habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects who rely on the leaves that lie underneath our shrubs and garden flowers. NEW in 2021: The Village is committed to improving compliance with the leaf blower ordinance by hiring a designated code enforcement officer who will issue citations to offenders. When a company is cited, the homeowner will also be notified, to help increase awareness of this ordinance. If you hire a lawn care company, please remind them of the ordinance if they are not following it. If you'd like to get involved with LWV-Wilmette's efforts toward healthier lawn care, please contact us. |
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Plan to Improve Walking and Biking in Wilmette
Approved in February 2021, the Master Bike and Active Transportation Plan includes recommendations to make the village more walkable and bike-friendly. Shaped by community input, the plan lays out a project schedule for the next five years. This proposed implementation schedule will be reviewed by the Transportation Commission on Thursday, March 10th, at 7 pm in the Village Hall 2nd Floor Council Chambers. Residents interested in learning more about the implementation plan can view the meeting materials. Visit the village website to view details, including the most recent version of the plan. |
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Good News for Wilmette Trees
Thanks to the advocacy of League members, Go Green Wilmette, and many of our Wilmette friends and neighbors, the Village Board approved strong and positive changes to the village tree ordinance at their last board meeting on March 8, 2022. This new ordinance requires a permit for removing trees larger than 6" diameter, and it requires either fees or tree replacements for anything larger than 10", with higher fees for the removal of heritage trees, such as oaks and hickories. It includes much steeper fines for non-compliance, and it requires that neighbors be notified of any heritage tree removal from areas that are not a part of a new structure's direct footprint. Find ordinance details here. |
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Protect the Remnant Prairie Today
While Illinois is called the Prairie State, less than 0.01% of our native prairie landscape actually remains today. We cannot afford to lose another acre, which is why it is so critical to save Bell Bowl Prairie, a historic natural landscape in Rockford, IL that supports rare and endangered species. This remnant prairie, which has not been plowed, grazed or developed for 12,000 years, is slated for destruction to accommodate the Rockford Airport expansion, Activism from conservationists has resulted in a temporary victory that will halt any construction until March 2022. However we must continue to advocate for permanently protecting this irreplaceable remnant prairie. What can we do to save it? Contact Governor Pritzker to tell him how important it is to the biodiversity of our state. |
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Sweeping Energy Legislation Becomes Law
Governor Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act into law on September 15, 2021. This legislation gives Illinois the strongest and most equitable clean energy standards in the nation. For its coalition of supporters, including the LWV-Wilmette, this bill achieves all of the core objectives:
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Control Mosquitoes Safely & Effectively!
Worried about mosquitoes this summer? Consider the sound advice of Go Green Wilmette to use an Integrated Pest Management method. Before you call a private company, call the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District for FREE assessment and treatment! Their targeted approach is more effective than the "barrier spraying" done by private companies, with much lower collateral damage to the environment. In fact, conservation scientists are so concerned about the collateral damage and pesticide resistance likely to result from commercial barrier spraying, that legislation (HB3118) has been introduced in Springfield to provide oversight of commercial companies and require common-sense measures such as evidence-based spraying and notification of neighbors. Click here to see the text of the bill. |
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NT Township Supports Carbon Fee & Dividend
In response to the advisory referendum question on the New Trier Township ballot this past spring, more than two-thirds of New Trier Township voted in favor of a carbon fee and dividend policy. Going forward, the LWV-Wilmette and coalition partners, such as the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), will bring this support to the attention of our members of Congress and continue to advocate for climate-friendly policies. For further details on what such a policy means and why it matters, visit the CCL website. |
Past initiatives
Environmentally Focused Inter-League Organizations (ILOs)
The LWV-Wilmette is a member of two different Inter-League Organizations (ILOs) that work on environmental issues in our region. To learn more about them, here are links:
LWVUS POSITION IN BRIEF |
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