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Preserving Our Natural Environment

The City of Highland Park is fortunate to be environmentally diverse. The City adheres to the regulations and standards within the "Lake Michigan Protection Zone." These are laws about the maintenance and construction of lakefront and beach structures, ravines, and bluffs. The City provides guidance and assistance in improving on-site stormwater management, including ideas such as rain gardens, permeable paving, rain barrels, green roofs, and native plants. All of these are a means of controlling runoff while enhancing the natural beauty of the landscape. The City of Highland Park's current goal is to increase habitat by 100 acres by 2020 and achieve a 30% market share for local and organic produce by 2030 through direct farmer-to-consumer sales and grocery stores.

PROTECTING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

RavineBluffRestoration2  Construction  Monarch


Since 2010, the City of Highland Park has made native species central to many landscaping initiatives. The McClory Bike Trail Pollinator Garden project aims to replace invasive buckthorn along the trail with native, pollinator-friendly species. Beyond its function within a natural area, natives can also be a staple within the formal landscape design. This can be seen in several recent City projects at City Hall, Port Clinton Square, and islands within the Central Business District.