Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) last week made an unusual deal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create new habitats in the city for migratory birds. In exchange for a $100,000 grant, Chicago will restore marshes south of the city, develop wildlife gardens along the shore of Lake Michigan, and take such simple steps as building birdhouses. Chicago and New Orleans are the first cities to sign on to a USFWS pilot program that aims to create urban habitat for birds. The agency hopes to extend to the program to as many as a dozen other cities by the end of next year. For Chicago, this effort is part of a larger push to make the city more livable by planting trees and flowers, adding park space, and refurbishing beaches.
