CALUMET ECOLOGICAL PARK ASSOCIATION

The mission of the Calumet Ecological Park Association (CEPA) is to preserve and enhance a variety of natural, cultural, and historical areas in the Calumet region for present and future generations.

CEPA was founded in 1993 as a bi-state organization, linking the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor on the west and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on the east, an area known as the Calumet.  The Calumet is a prime example of the spectacular rise of American industry during the previous century and the corresponding growth of the American labor movement, becoming the home of diverse populations.  It is, at the same time, a recreation area and a wetland and prairie haven.

CEPA was the lead organization in efforts for a National Heritage Area designation that resulted in the Calumet Ecological Park Feasibility Study conducted by the National Park Service in 1998.  This study found that even with intense industrial activity, the Calumet region still has many important natural resource areas, including large-scale examples of prairies and dunes.  The extensive wetlands serve as a home and a stopping point for hundreds of bird species.  It is a globally significant ecosystem.

Partner Category: Civic and Non-Profit Organization