CHICAGO (Sept. 14, 2021) — Today, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) issued the following statement on the unanimous passage of the Native Plants Gardens Registry Ordinance (O2021-362) during today’s Chicago City Council meeting:
“While Chicago has long emphasized the importance of native plants within their own messaging and institutions, policies in the city have not followed suit. Instead, Chicagoans who practice sustainable gardening have been vulnerable to burdensome fines. The passage of the Native Gardens Registry Ordinance ushers in new protections and, potentially, new attitudes toward native plants and healthy ecosystems in the city. We ought to be supporting Chicago’s native gardeners, and luckily with the passage of this ordinance, we can begin doing just that.
“IEC is grateful to Alderperson Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward-Chicago) for his leadership on this effort and to Mayor Lori Lightfoot for supporting stronger protections for our city’s sustainable gardeners.”
The ordinance creates a new Managed Native Garden Registry, protecting citizens who follow sustainable landscaping practices from enforcement actions under the current Weed Ordinance and promoting the sustainable landscaping practices that contribute to the health and vibrancy of Chicago.
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