The movement to create the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge is gaining ground both in local communities and at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Openlands, the Trust for Public Land, and area residents have requested that the USFWS conduct a feasibility study for recognizing the bi-state area of northern McHenry County, in Illinois, and southern Walworth County, in Wisconsin, as a potential urban refuge.

Also, Openlands and Trust for Public Land commissioned a viability study from Fermata Inc. to determine the value of the proposed refuge to local communities and the expectations for increased recreational and economic gains and lend credence to a refuge designation in this region. Click on this link to download the report.