Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Supervisor’s Office Temporary Closure

Administrative offices and the welcome center will be closed from December 9, 2024 to January 27, 2025

WILMINGTON, Ill. – December 3, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service announced that the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (NTP) supervisor’s office, to include the welcome center, will be temporarily closed from December 9, 2024 to January 27, 2025 for extensive maintenance to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Throughout the closure, staff and partners will be assigned to alternate work locations to complete the ongoing work of restoring and administering the Forest Service’s only Tallgrass Prairie.

“We had hoped to be able to update the system without closing the entire supervisor’s office,” said Christina Henderson, Midewin NTP’s prairie supervisor. “Unfortunately, with the nature and the extent of the work that needs to be done, that isn’t possible.”

Midewin NTP trailheads, trails and hunting areas will remain open during this time. Some educational programming, to include the winter lecture series, that typically takes place in December and January will be rescheduled to a later date.

During the winter months of 2024, the HVAC system’s inability to keep the temperature regulated led to frozen pipes that eventually broke.

“We’ve seen over the last few years that our HVAC system simply couldn’t keep up with the extremely cold days in the winter, and the hot days in the summer,” said Henderson. “For the health and safety of our staff and our partners, this overhaul of the system has to be done.”

For more information, please contact the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Visitor Center at (815) 423-6370 or email SM.FS.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov.

The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities– the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

Questions and Answers

Q: Can I still buy a multi-agency pass during the closure?

• A: We will be unable to sell multi-agency passes on site, however, passes can still be purchased online ($10 processing fee) except for the Volunteer Pass which must be purchased on site. More information can be found here: Recreational Passes | USGS Store

Q: My child/class has an upcoming Mighty Acorns program at Midewin NTP. Will this still take place?

• A: All currently scheduled education programming will be contacted directly by our conservation education staff to discuss each situation separately.

Q: How do I get keys or a permit if the office is closed?

• A: Permits: information regarding obtaining a permit can be found here: Special-use Permit Application | US Forest Service; for permit specific questions please send an email to SM.FS.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov with Attention To Special Use Permits in the subject line.
• Keys: Please send an email to SM.FS.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov with Attention to Administrative Officer Keys in the subject line.