During the past eight years, the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI) has expanded the public’s knowledge of and appreciation for the bi-state Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas. AWLI did this in part by achieving four of its original eight projects identified when AWLI initially organized. The eight projects later formed the core of the Wolf Lake Vision document.

First achieved was the establishment of a bi-state dialogue on Wolf Lake, which began 2000-2001 with the Bi-State Gatherings on Wolf Lake and which continues today through AWLI’s Wolf Lake Vision Implementation Task Force (VITF).

The second was construction of Wolf Lake kiosks, which began in 2005 with the Wolf Lake Park kiosk established in partnership with the Lake County Solid Waste Management District and the city of Hammond through the Hammond Port Authority.

The third was the cleanup of the Calumet Containers site, which was completed in the spring of 2006 in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Lake County and the city of Hammond.

The fourth was, through consultation with Congressman Pete Visclosky, the implementation of shoreline restoration for Wolf Lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Hammond, although limited to Indiana.

Efforts continue to establish an organized youth environmental campground, to develop a land use plan for the lake’s watershed, to improve Hammond’s 129^th Street/Wolf Lake area and Chicago’s Eggers Grove, and to reach an agreement on a reciprocal fishing license for Wolf Lake.1999

· Received support from Friends of Wolf Lake, Calumet Ecological Park Association, Calumet Heritage Partnership and the Lake Calumet Ecosystem Partnership to establish the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (initially CEPA/Friends of Wolf Lake).2000

· Convened the initial Bi-State Gathering on Wolf Lake in January and continued the series on a bi-monthly basis through January 2001. The meetings produced the Wolf Lake Vision document, jointly printed by the cities of Hammond and Chicago and released in May 2001.

· Conducted tour of Wolf Lake with support by the Chicago Department of Environment and local chambers of commerce in conjunction with a Bi-State Gathering.

· Received grants from Citizens Savings Foundation of Munster, IN to create educational displays, which continue to be used, and from the U.S. EPA, Region 5, which supported the initial meetings of the Community Meetings on Wolf Lake.

· Convened the initial Community Meeting on Wolf Lake for neighbors and users of Wolf Lake.2001

· Briefed the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on Wolf Lake and surrounds. The Springfield meeting led to the:

     --creation of the short-lived bi-state remediation team which produced   the Jarvis Report

     --recovery of $300,000 Phase II funding from the Illinois Water Survey of the mid-1990s.

· Conducted initial Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands Festival during Memorial Day Weekend and raised $1,000.

· Published initial issue of the monthly Wolf Lake Initiative Report.

· Created AWLI governance with six-member Steering Committee and 40-member Advisory Board and conducted initial meeting of Steering Committee.

· Established WWW.COMmittee to plan inaugural Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival

· Established the bi-state endowment fund for Wolf Lake through the Legacy Foundation.

2002

· Conducted initial Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

· Conducted initial Wolf Lake Vision Implementation Committee (Wolf Lake VIC) meeting. Meetings would be held 11 times a year with the charge of serving as an advisory group to managers of Wolf Lake and surrounds.

· Conducted 2^nd Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands Festival at Wolf Lake during Memorial Day weekend..

· Conducted 2^nd Annual meeting of AWLI Steering Committee

· Established the Bi-State Council of Wolf Lake Stewards as a sub-committee of Wolf Lake VIC.

· Received grant from Illinois EPA.

· Received organizational development grant from the Chicago Community Trust, which was used for strategic planning, steering committee development and fundraising strategy in 2003.

2003

· AWLI’s WWW.COMmittee conducted 2^nd Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and 3^rd Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands Festival on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

· Merrillville branch of Lake County Libraries designed the AWLI Web site.

· Conducted two-day retreat at Calumet College of St. Joseph at which a strategic plan was developed and AWLI reorganized to fulfill the plan.

· Established Transition Team to prepare for incorporation and the fundraising portion of the Development Committee.

· Selected founding board of directors.

· Raised $1,300 at craft fair.

· AWLI incorporated in October.

· Conducted meeting between mayor-elect of Hammond and government agencies.

· Received grants from Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Fund and the Kodak American Greenways Award.

2004

· Convened initial membership meeting with the adoption of bylaws and election of directors.

· Conducted 3rd Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

· Convened three community meetings on Calumet Containers in April that were staffed by U.S. EPA, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in preparation for the June or July charette on Calumet Containers. The charette was not held when the cleanup was delayed..

· Received grants from the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Legacy Foundation, Illinois EPA and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

· Conducted 4^th Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands, Wind and Water Festival May 29,30.

· Received the R.O.S.E. Attraction of the Year award for Wolf Lake from the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

· Wolf Lake VIC’s ALF Committee conducted Active Living Faire at Wolf Lake on September 11 with Bi-State Wolf 8 Health Walk/Walk-a-thon and Taste of the Calumet.2005

· Conducted 4^th Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January.

· Convened retreat on implementing the Wolf Lake vision in February.

· Expanded AWLI’s board to include the five landowners and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

· Conducted 5th^th Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands, Wind and Water Festival May 28-29.

· Conducted the 2^nd Annual Active Living Faire on October 1 at which the new kiosk for Wolf Lake Park was dedicated.

· Received grant from Prince Charitable Trusts.

2006

· Conducted 5^th Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January.

· Conducted two Community Meetings in January to establish land use plan for Wolf Lake on ways for the community to maintain the restored Calumet Container site.

· Attended the formal dedication of the restored Calumet Container site as a wetland and prairie. Restoration followed years of urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to remove 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil in partnership with various state and local agencies.

· Convened retreat to review AWLI’s strategic plan and discuss ways to improve AWLI as an organization in February.

· Conducted 6th^th Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands, Wind and Water Festival on May 27-28.

· Conducted the 3^rd Annual Active Living Faire on October 7.

· Held inaugural Autumn Reception & Art Show on October 28.

· Received grants from the Illinois General Assembly and Grants Inc./Legacy Foundation

· Introduced the Wolf Lake Advocate newsletter (See attachment X for latest edition).

· Revised Self-Guided Circle Tour of the Wolf Lake Watershed

2007

· Developed a Donor’s Guide for dissemination to estate planners, banks, law offices and funeral homes for Wolf Lake Endowment.

· Conducted 6^th Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January.

· Initiated fund-raising campaign by the newly created Corporate Advisory Team (CAT)

· Reviewed a draft article on Wolf Lake which was featured in the summer edition of Chicago Wilderness Magazine with a reference to AWLI’s Web site.

· Conducted 7th^th Annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands, Wind and Water Festival on May 26-27.

· Developed a volunteer page on its Web site with Eveline Heesaker serving as volunteer coordinator and added pages to the newly created United Way Web site for volunteers in Northwest Indiana.

· Created a second Web address at www.wolflakeinitiative.org.

· Participated in Indiana DNR’s Coast Week in 2007 by sponsoring a tour of the Wolf Lake shoreline restoration along Hammond’s Forsythe Park led by Cpt. Kelsey Lavicka of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

· Conducted the 4^th Annual Active Living Faire on October 6.

· Received grants from Gateway Foundation and Unilever Foundation.

· Held 2^nd annual Autumn Reception & Art Show on October 28.

· Featured in Chicago Tribune Outdoors column written by Barbara Brotman in November.

· Featured in WTTW-TV’s Chicago Tonight report on Wolf Lake in December.

2008

· Conducted 7^th Annual Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festival during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January.